This book is a gem! Front to back there's not a piece in here that doesn't instantly call to mind long walks on the beach at sunset with gentle saxophpones twiddling away in the background. And you can tell it's poetry because it rhymes! Nothing touches the soul quite like a Suzanne Somers poem about bed wetting, and thanks to her inspiration I've nearly quit myself. The writing here is nearly as strong as in her first children-themed diet book, Eat Me (The Story of a Lonely Carrot). Worth every penny.

I was first made aware of this work of poetry on Julie Brown's MTV television show "Just Say Julie" in the early 1990's. I immediately rushed to find a copy and was lucky enough to find one (As well as a sad eyed Keane portrait and an AUTOGRAPHED 8x10 of Gary Coleman.) at a local Swap Meet....I paid the man and now am very glad I did! I am sure I have gotten almost double the price I paid in the deep and knowing thoughts Miss Somers conveyed in this slim book. I hope it will give you the joy and hope that I have garnerd from it. Dont ask me to part with it!

Poetry so good that it reminds me of a cross between EE Cummings and Shakespeare. It really is this good. I rank this book up with Mason Williams.

Out of curiosity and because I liked the warm tone of Suzanne's last two books, I picked up 365 WAYS TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE. It's a simple and sweetly powerful book. Ms. Somers uses examples from her own life--some profound, most common situations we can all relate to--to focus one's awareness on what it is to be human and what the possibilities are for moving through the daily nuances of life. She ponders human foibles while keeping her focus on how one can live more richly. Yet her book is not a preachy, pollyanna, this-is-how-to-live-a-perfect-life tome. I got the sense in reading the book that Ms. Somers would laugh at the notion of a perfect life. What she reflects upon is not perfection nor even the striving for perfection. Instead, she shares thoughts and examples from her own life that refocus one's perceptions in softly positive ways. In reading the book, I had the feeling of having a dear friend sharing her journal entries with me. The thoughts shared there are human, gentle, honest, and relative to life today. They're digestible little nuggets of wisdom easily carried with one throughout the day. What's also nice about the book is that you can open it at random and let whatever page you open it to "speak" to you. If you can take a few minutes to collect your thoughts before the day begins and another few minutes to reflect on your day at day's end, I recommend getting this book.

People will forget what you said

People will forget what you did

But people will never forget how you made them feel.

--Anonymous

"First learn much and then

seek to understand it profoundly." --The Talmud

These are the types of ideas and quotes you will find in Suzanne's wonderful book. Sometimes we have the image of "Stars" living the perfect life. We imagine them having been born into the perfect family at the perfect time. We sometimes forget that they too are human and have to deal with conflicts in their own lives.

Suzanne Somers tackles these everyday worries, doubts and conflicts. She gives practical answers and advice on how to find joy in your life, turn obstacles into opportunities, learn from mistakes, resolve conflicts with family, realize dreams, and appreciate yourself so that others will too. While many may see her as perfect, she is human just like the rest of us and has a beautiful spirit. Through the pain she felt growing up with an alcoholic father, she learned lessons and realized that she could use the negative aspects of her life to teach her about herself. Suzanne acknowledges that the negatives in life are just as essential for growth as the good experiences.

She penned her thoughts on life in 365 daily meditations which I actually read in one sitting. Once you start reading and see all the lovely quotes, you will want to find more of them. At least I am that way and usually read a book in one sitting. This book was not designed to be absorbed all in one sitting, but when I review I like to get a feel for the entire book. I would suggest that you do only read one meditation and one thought a day. In that way you can apply the wisdom in this book to your life. Another way you could use this book is to read it completely and make notes as to what you want to change in your life. You will see that you have already learned so many life lessons just from being alive and listening to your soul.

Each of the meditations are followed by a spiritual affirmation. In each meditation she discusses something in life, gives examples from her past, reveals a secret or tells a story of an experience which changed her thinking. Through her words you will notice a love for life and a spirit filled with love.

An example of a "Thought For The Day":

"Today I will do something kind and generous for another human being - not to hear their praise and thanks but just because it feels good to do so."

While reading, I had a pen and paper to write down some of the wonderful quotes. I have noticed how people who enjoy life collect quotes. The small, yet profound sentences can truly take hold of your life and will change it for the better.

"Evolving is ourselves in motion, growing and learning. As this happens, we become better, more compassionate, forgiving, understanding, tolerant, patient, and mutually respectful of all living things." --Suzanne Somers

This is my first review, I felt a strong need to review this book, because I actually read it(unlike Ian). My mother gave me this book for Valentine's Day. I love it! I'm a junior in college and this book is perfect to keep me going for my goals. I don't have much time and the excerts are perfect length to read right before I fall asleep. Suzanne has a way of solving life's little problems. I keep this close to my bed wherever I may be(dorm, home, vacation). Ian, try actually reading the book before you express an unjustified opinion.

What a miraculous life Suzanne Somers has led. Before reading "Keeping Secrets", I tended to view her as a shallow and superficial Hollywood blond. This book has given me insight into her painful past, and I now feel a great deal of respect for her. Her story is painful at the beginning; she vividly describes her miserable home life with an alcoholic father. Sommers' narrative contains no trace of self-pity or exaggeration. She tells the unfortunate details of her father's alcholism in a stark, honest fashion. As she grows into adulthood, we see her flounder at first, and then gradually make the incredible journey into self-discovery and healing. At the same time, her career begins to take off. I was so pleased to read about her triumphs and successes - I can't think of a more deserving person. This story is truly inspirational.

Lying separates people is one of the many poignant quotes I remember from this book. Anyone, regardless of age, let me qualify that, anyone in Jr. High or older, can learn something about themselves, friend, partner, neighbour or loved one after completing this book. Somers does a masterful job in systematically outlining her life as a young person. She utilizes Sharon W-Cruz' model of the dysfunctional family very well. Anyone in denial should not read this book. The illusions of chemical dependency are stripped and the facades are challenged. We are not talking about some dozzy fake blond we saw on '3's company'. We are talking about the ghosts that Suzanne allowed to come out of her closet. She has the academic ability to do what former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy who was victimized by his Junior hockey coach (Graham James) has not been able to do...yet. Good for her. People, kids and victims need to read this.

As an author, Suzanne Somers reveals her true talent. Keeping Secrets is an honest tell-all account of her life beginning with her first recollections of childhood and growing up in an alcoholic family. Living in constant fear of her father's physical and verbal abuse, Suzanne Somers manages to barely survive as a teenage mother in a love-less marriage, her son's near-fatal accident, her siblings falling one-by-one into alcohol abuse, her arrest for cheque fraud, and a torrid love affair with a married man. Suzanne Somers' story is a "must read" not only for those who have experienced alcoholism in some way but to anyone who has the desire to learn from one's mistakes and be a better person. Suzanne Somers is a wonderful example of honesty and strength - the desire to overcome past mistakes and go on to personal and professional success.

I purchased this book in 12/02 and followed the "Somerisize" eating plan for the past few months. For those unfamiliar with the plan, Somersizing is a hybrid of controlling carbs and food combining.
THE GOOD: The food is delicious! There are outstanding recipes for onion rings, flourless pancakes and Coq Au Vin (chicken in wine.) The food is diverse and full of flavor.
THE BAD: Cooking these fantastic dishes is not cheap. Eating fresh meat, chicken and seafood really adds up. Also, without a deep fryer, the onion rings aren't as good. The Coq Au Vin will take hours without a pressure cooker. You could make her ketchup from scratch (over an hour of cooking time) or buy two bottles from [the website] for [$$]. There are plugs all over the place for everything from Somersize marinara sauce to Somersize coffee ice cream. Without her pricey products, the cooking is not nearly as Fast and Easy. It is the book's biggest flaw.
THE UGLY: I followed the plan quite strictly for two months. I jogged four times a week. I lost less than 8 pounds. I found for myself, eating tons of eggs, heavy cream, olive oil and beef was too many calories for my body. For many people like myself, the only way to lose weight is to take in less calories than are expended. It's not as chic as Somersizing but it has been a thousand times more effective.
That said, this book has helped lots of people lose weight. I'd never say it's not for everyone. I firmly believe there's no single path to dropping pounds. If you've been thinking about cutting sugar and starch from your diet this may be for you. Just be careful, you could really put a dent in the family food budget making a lot of these treats.

This book is like MS Windows 2000 operating system - in essense, several new features, but predominately, a long list of "corrections" to the previous bug-filled version.

If you've read and followed any of Suzanne's other diet books, you'll understand that although the food-combination is a great way to consistently loose weight and not feel bloated (even while eating large portions of properly combined food) how frustrating and/or incomplete (we came to find out later) some of her instructions were, and how some of the recipes were unrealistic for an average, working person/family on a reasonable, moderate or working-class budget and/or hectic schedule.

To address the latter point, previous books contained delicious, often gourmet, yet time-consuming, ... have-to-shop-in-several-markets recipes. Roast crown pork baked for 13-hrs (yes, that's right) is wonderful I'm sure, as well as some of the other ... beef/pork entrees, but filet mignon is not a normal dinner feature for me, after paying bills after another long, hard day at work. Although I love to cook, and am handy at it, I routinely have neither the time, money nor ambition to prepare salmon with a cream/butter/wine sauce and capers upon arriving home after 8pm traffic!

This book finally, gives us working folks, the chance to make tasty and uncomplicated, quick foods like chili and burgers, of course, the Somersize way. She even lists the approximate preparation time, and most hover around 10+ minutes, from pan to plate. A bonus is that she lists her sugar-free recipes for ketchup and her special sauce for burgers, so you don't need to purchase them thru her website or TV. ...P>The former problem is addressed by a 100 question and answer section, to clear up the sometimes complicated food-combination conundrums average folks discovered after reading her books, testing the recipes, and finding out after all that they weren't loosing any weight. Why? Mainly, the correct ingredient info wasn't elaborated upon in the previous books, or mentioned at all, or in a few cases, wrong. This whole section was prompted by VERY frustrated readers bombarding her office with letters/emails asking just for clarification.

These are some of the simpler problems:

1. Was it ever mentioned that bottled ketchup, salad dressing or powdered creamer routinely contain sugar? No. She said watch out for hidden carbs, but many of us were not loosing weight because they also contained sometimes as much as 40% sugar!
2. Can you eat pumpernickle bagles? Only if they contain no sugar or white flour. Do you know this if you buy them in the bakery section of the store? No. So you must find a package, so you can read the ingredients. Now that you found the "proper" bagle in a package, which cream/cottage cheese is the right one to choose? Well, watch out for sugar in those, and also, do you eat non-fat, whole or skim?
3. Can you thicken sauces with arrowroot or cornstarch? No. They're both starches. There is nothing on Level 1 to use as a thickener.
4. Can you eat Kashi if it's made with buckwheat and lists itself as a protein and not a carb? Well, IF it has no added fat, it's a carb, if it has fat, it's a funky food, so no, you can't have it. If you can, which milk would you choose? Geesh...DO YOU SEE HOW COMPLICATED THIS CAN BE?

As I said, these were examples of the SIMPLER questions. Some of the questions were so complicated "you can have x if y is z, but not if y is zz and has sugar, or has zzz, or has starch and you're eating it with a carb", that I hit a wall and wasn't sure at all if I'd ever once properly food-combined! After 4+ months on the diet, I didn't loose any weight, but fortunately I didn't gain any either. I have now come to find, thru reading this book, that I've had hidden sugar/flour/starch daily. I need to read this entire book from cover to cover, and actually make a menu of combos for each meal, pinning it like a schedule to my kitchen wall, so I am sure what proper combination choices I have. It's very frustrating to find out that you "ruined" your food-combination, by just eating ketchup (loaded with sugar) on your cheeseburger. Or that your "properly combined" carb meal contained hidden white flour and sugar in the bread! Ugh...

With all that being said, I still recommend this book. Why, crazy woman, you ask? Because this one thoroughly covers all bases and I know that food-combination works. My sister was just such a frustrated reader, and after 3 babies, and 6 months of Somersizing, still had not lost 1-lb and in fact, gained 5, following the advice in the other books. Now, after reading the questions and answers in this book, she's lost 10-lbs in just TWO weeks, and has 15-20 more to go!

My fairy-tale wish would be that Suzanne would provide all of her previous book buyers with a free copy of this book, if we provided the barcode from one of the books. Another of life's little unpleasantries, to spend more money for the info we should have received in the beginning, but hey, this diet works, the recipes are good, and I'm a forgiving soul. Soon I'll be a forgiving soul minus 20-lbs. Hope you are too!

One last thing, as you've probably figured out, if you are new to Somersizing, just buy this book, unless you're interested in the "gourmet" recipes in the other books. In that case, sit down with a cup of decaf coffee (find out which milk/cream you can have in it first, and carry some Stevia for sweetner!) in [a book store], and just copy the recipes you want. She owes us that much, wouldn't you say?!

This newest book has more "homestyle" food than that previous ones, plus more information about health, real nutrition, and a huge section for Frequently Asked questions. Also, for a number of reasons, more of these recipes utilize SomerSweet, her non-chemical sweetner available only online. It's good, I've used it, but it tends to be expensive and I have to wait to buy more. Somersweet does the job perfectly, and until it's available in grocery stores. . .well. But you do not have to have the Somersize food products to use this book--they work well without them too. Even if you never buy her food products--which happened because of public demand for them--you will enjoy this book. Our favorites so far are Cheeseburger Pie, Stuffed Bell Peppers, and Somersized Shake it and Bake it Chicken. You can also chat with other Somersizers at SuzanneSomers.com (go to Community, then Discussion or Chat.)

I have all of them. You won't go hungry when you Somersize unless you want to.

I saw Suzanne on the "Larry King Live" show one night discussing her book. I decided "What the heck" I'll give it a try ... plus it was pretty inexpensive through Amazon.com. I began the diet on July 5, 1999 weighing 244 lbs. As of today (August 30, 1999) I have already lost 34 pounds and am feeling great! Clothes I haven't worn in years fit again and I am receiving more and more compliments each day. I am NEVER hungry using this method of eating and my digestive system has never worked better. I would encourage anyone who has had trouble staying on a diet in the past to give this a try ... it's easy and you get to eat REAL food ... not that low-fat, tasteless stuff. I plan on using this book as a guide for eating for the rest of my life! Thanks Suzanne for taking the time to share your thoughts and secrets with us! I've only got 20 more pounds to lose until I reach my goal! I won't be ashamed to have holiday pictures made this year ... bring on the cameras! Again, God Bless you Suzanne! Who would have ever thought I could lose 34 lbs in just 7 weeks!!!!!

I simply love it! This one is better then the other two (Suzanne Somers' Eat Great, Lose Weight [not very comprehensive] and Suzanne Somers' Eat, Cheat, and Melt the Fat Away [concentrates too much on menopause].) I think this book is the best one; it explains food-combining in greater detail then her other two books. In general, this life style plan works very well. When I got into the whole "dieting rush" I tried Judy Mazel's Hollywood Diet. The reviews for that diet like all others were very promising - "loose weight, feel great!" Right ... if I will ever look at prunes or dried apricots one more time, I will puke my guts out. You loose water weight because you can hardly stay off the toilet. If feeling great includes hardly staying up on your feet (eating grapes all day), constant diarrhea (LOTS of dry fruit .. ewww), face full of zits (SUGAR), bones cracking (due to lack of calcium in the diet) and menstruation missing (hardly any protein to regenerate cells), then Mazel is my goddess! She's been doing this for 20 some years. Poor woman! In her book it says that her parents put her on diet pills when she was 9! I should have known better ... Well, after Mazel's diet I was too skeptical to try anything else .. BUT this book changed everything. The food is fabulous, recipes are very delicious ... and you can eat edible things, especially when you go out to eat! I also exercise 4-5 times a week; I got so much energy now, it's easy to wake up early in the morning. I lost 40 lb. using this plan. I am very happy with it and try to get all my friends and family to join me. If you just bought this book, you will love it! Good luck and happy Somersizing!

I'm 5/2 and weighed 128 when I began Suzanne's program one and 1/2 weeks ago. I have already lost five pounds. I'm eating what I consider to be big portions. I do wish Suzanne told us what a maximum protein/fat portion should be -- Sometimes I may go overboard. I cheated once and still lost weight. So far, I am exited about this new way of eating. The recipes are great. Try the candied tomatoes. For breakfast, Cream of Wheat w/nonfat milk and nutrisweet is the most satisfying to me. Anyone know of good breads or bagels w/out fat and sugar, let me know. For lunch: Big salads with cheese and some kind of meat, lots of veggies and dressing. Dinner is ussually some kind of meat or fish (a lot), lots of veggies and a salad with dressing. Also, I try to drink plenty of water. A good Decaf with cream(pro/fats) is a tasty treat. Any ideas for snacks? I welcome emails to any fellow Somersizers.

I read quite a few of the reviews listed here before deciding to purchase this book. I was happy to see that there were many favorable statements made. I just started "Somersizing" yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed what I choose from the plan. I made the homemade roquefort dressing and my husband and I loved it. I wanted to comment on some of the negative items such as complaints about Ms. Somers requesting that you cut out sugar but then having you eat high amounts of sugars elsewhere. These are "natural" sugars and come from the piece of fruit you are eating not overprocessed, chemical infested foods! These are actually good for you, in moderation. I have skipped from diet to diet and have done quite a bit of research and have found that eliminating white flour items and sugar from your diet can be very helpful. The first couple of days are difficult. You're changing your eating habits but believe me it's for the better! I got on the scale this morning and lost 3 1/2 pounds since yesterday. I know that most of this is water weight but it is still a step in the right direction (down!). Other plans have eliminated too many of the things I enjoy (bread for one). This plan allows you more freedom and some delicious recipes to choose from. I'm enjoying a delicious "Smoothie" as I write this review. Wish me luck!

This method of developing lifetime good eating habits is pnenominal. Suzanne presents herself very well. Tells you a bit about her own personal battle with weight. This book is a must for those people who have struggled for years with little success. Especially if you simply think that the reason you can't lose weight is because your metabolism is shot. You can re-awaken your body into a quick-start mode and have great success doing it. I am 5'7 and lost 14 lbs going from a size 10 to a size 6. Weight is nice but losing those inches is even greater. My husband dropped 10 pounds and is still taking in belt notches. His cholesteral dropped 21 pts and his tryglicerides dropped 50 pts. My sister (who I am the proudest of) has lost 30 lbs so far and is near the halfway mark toward her goal. My parents--after watching two of their three kids get it together--started Sommersizing last week. Mom lost 2# and dad lost 3# the first week. We all feel great. I believe there is no better way to maintain weight and eat as wonderfully as this. It is not hard. Do yourself a great big favor and put this book to the test for a week. And don't forget a have a square or two of chocolate along the way!!

I bought the book in early 1997, after gaining weight after trying to follow a low-fat eating plan. I was not aware of all the hidden sugars, as I am now, plus recently, when I miscombined foods, I started getting acid reflux - something I never had before. I really liked Suzanne's book, because I feel that it is easy to follow, and I feel so much better when I eat this way. Like Suzanne, I have tried "Fit for Life" and "The Dr. Atkins Diet", along with countless other diets, and find that the book is very informative, and indicated to me why certain diets that I had been on in the past had failed. A lifestyle change is the only permanent solution to health and weight loss. I don't have a scale, so I don't know how many pounds I have lost, but my clothes are looser, so I know I have lost inches. I prefer healthy foods, so this really works for me. Fit for Life was, I thought, a good lifestyle change, but it was too restrictive in protein for me. I find that I can incorporate Suzanne Somers' eating plan in anything I do, whether eating out or at home. Also, her recipes are wonderful! After seeing Suzanne on the Home Shopping Network, it's always an inspiration to me to adhere more closely to the program, if I have strayed. Suzanne, thanks for such a wonderful and informative book. You are an inspiration to us all.

I thoughtthe books was good, but I have read beter.

I bought this paperback in 1988 in the sale bin at (a retail store), out of curiousity. (...) I would not give this book up for anything. Although when I was young, a lot of the poems didn't make sense, now that I am older, I see a lot of wisdom, experience, and just plain fun in Suzanne Somer's poems. It's a fun read, and something to which even a non-celebrity can relate! My personal favorite is the laundromat poem. . . .

My therapist recommended I read this book and it was helpful to me, but some of the stories break your heart, turn your stomach, or both. It is just incredible that children can be abused in so many ways. When you think of an innocent child coming into the world, so innocent and clean, and the trips that adults who should know and act better, impose on them, it make you know there is a Satan in the world, or that is how parts of this book made me feel. Some parts are incredibly shocking but the fact that these people have emerged to live their lives and be in a continual process of healing, is a triumph of their spirits, and to me the triumph of the ultimate spirit of good in the world, after all. An intense but compelling read, and one every abused child should read.

This book is great. I have read and re-read it several times and always find something new. It really explains how and why we gain weight. It also is excellent in explaining how we lose weight. I have been following this book for a 3 weeks and already lost 12 pounds. It is very easy to follow and I am never hungry. Plus the recipes are fabulous and easy to make.

Give it a try, you won't be sorry.

I have been "Somersizing" for a year now, and have lost 80 lbs. Many of my friends also have this book and enjoy the great food recipes. The key to weight loss is cutting the carbohydrates back and food combining. Suzanne explains the how and why of it in the book. The Foreward by Dr. Diana Schwartzbein, MD, explains the true secret to healthy weight loss. The color pictures of the food are enough to send most of us to the kitchen in a hurry. There are many black and white pictures and stories of people who have lost a lot of weight on this program, scattered liberally throughout the boo, as well as many pictures of Suzanne's family. But it's the gourmet recipes that attracted me and they are truly delicious and IF you follow the guidelines closely, you eat like a king and lose weight quite nicely but retain your muscle tone. This woman puts together a mean dessert, and her Parmesan Chips, Rootbeer Float and tons of breakfast recipes are terrific. Diabetics and people with high cholesterol take note: this book could change your life also!

I can say that after trying many different methods of shedding pounds, that without a doubt Suzanne's way of eating is BEST for losing wt and keeping it off. It is a way of life, NOT a DIET. She allows you to still eat carbs, which is crucial for energy. Other popular diets now that eliminate carbs are impossible to live by, and leave you feeling hungry. Definitely NOT something I could do forever.
Food combining and eating healthy WHOLE carbs is the way to go. Whenever I have tried to go to low calorie, low fat- tradional dietician recommendations, I not only DO NOT lose weight, but even GAIN.
Suzanne has a great solution here and it is something you can live with and NOT feel deprived.
The first 2 weeks of her diet I lost 10lbs...when I recommend it to my mom, she too lost the 10lbs in 2 weeks.
By the way, I am a chronic prednisone user and diabetic, and EVEN with that combination, this WORKS. Blood sugars are best when I follow this way of eating.

I have been Somersizing since January of this year, and have seen incredible results. I bought all three of Suzanne's books and would recommened them to you all. The recipes are easy and clear and are delicious and satisfying. The desserts are sinfully wonderful. The best part is knowing you can eat them and still lose the weight.
I therefore was excited to hear of this new book, just filled with desserts, yet after looking through the book I was left disappointed. Some of the recipes you can not substitute her Somersweet product with saccharin, which could be a problem if you can not afford to buy Somersweet. There are not many Level One desserts, unless you enjoy her cheesecake, which she gives two new variations.
I understand that to make a dessert fit into the Somersize program can be difficult, but compared to her other projects I feel this one falls short.
I would though recommend this book to all who Somersize or those who are trying to maintain their weight.

I have followed Suzanne Somers diet plan for some time and find it easy to follow. The only thing I hated to give up was desserts. Having a sweet tooth makes you long for a little something sweet after a meal. Her previous book was a start with some good dessert ideas. Now with this new book dealing only with desserts it has filled this void.

The photography by Jeff Katz were excellent, makes you want to try each and every one included. My only complaint was not to include more baking projects like cookies, there were only 32 recipes included but of the ones I have tried were delicious.

Suzanne also is promoting her new sweetener called SomerSweet, which may soon be available in many grocery stores. It is available on her Web site. These desserts sound heavy in fats but if you follow her diet plan it all works and you feel great.

Somers' diet plan is very much in keeping with all the various low-carb and sugar-free programs out there such as the Zone, Protein Power, Atkins and Sugarbusters. I myself follow Atkins and very much enjoy sweets, so this dessert cookbook is a happy find for me.

The recipes in this book are almost gourmet, calling for fancy, often expensive ingredients and special cooking pans, but the recipes are all relatively simple, without a huge list of ingredients or elaborate preparation requirements, and the results are extremely tasty. Examples of the recipes include: decaf coffee granta, crème brulee, orange souffle, raspberry sorbet, New York-style cheesecake, caramel cheesecake, steamed chocolate pudding. All of the recipes call for Somers' expensive new sweetener, Somersweet, which is sold on her website. However, since her cookbook indicates substitutions for it, you don't have to use it. She doesn't list Splenda as a substitute for Somersweet, but it works well in recipes like pudding, sorbet and cheesecake. (I don't recommend it in cakes and cookies--they get really dry.)

In addition to the excellent contents, this 75-page book is gorgeous, with beautiful photos, glossy paper and a lovely layout design. As such, it would make a great gift.