If the excellent "Roadfood" can be thought of as the complete guide to America's roadside eateries, "Blue Plate Specials" would be the Greatest Hits collection, at least in the opinion of our tireless guides, Jane and Michael Stern. This book is a fine collection of some of the Sterns' most distinctive and interesting roadside restaurant experiences, along with a memorable recipe (or facsimile of one) from each. Sadly, some of the restaurants discussed here are no longer in business, but the Sterns help keep them living in memory.

Personally, I found this title less evocative than "Roadfood." That book made me want to toss a copy of it in the glove compartment and head out on a cross-country tour, hitting one great-sounding diner or rib shack after another. This book didn't. It was nice to read about the Sterns' experiences in their travels, but I didn't catch the passion of it all like I did with "Roadfood." Your mileage may vary.

Still, if you're a fan of the Sterns, this is a title worth checking out -- not, perhaps, as a guide to your own future travels, but as a good example of "foodie lit" and the vicarious excitement of sitting down and studying a never-before-seen menu.

Although there are recipes in this book, it is much more than a cookbook. It is an interesting and entertaining look at America's eateries. Each entry contains a short history or background on the establishment, its food, and the people who work there and eat there, followed by a recipe or two.

Anyone who travels and has eaten "roadfood" (or just dreams of it!) will enjoy this well-written book. And for those of us who will never get to visit even a small percentage of the eateries examined, it is a wonderful glimse at these businesses and the people who love working at them and eating at them.

Another reviewer stated that some of the places listed are no longer in business. With a book of this nature, that's inevitable. So many small, family-owned businesses are closing up fast. I'm just glad that the Sterns were able to document their existence for us enjoy, if only from the comfort of our easy chairs. I put this book on my list of must-haves and look forward to reading other books by the Sterns.

Some of America's most unique and talented cooks serve in humble roadside cafes and friendly neighborhood eateries. Jane and Michael Stern have gone "on the road" to encounter and retrieve outstanding recipes from the culinary heartland of American "blue plate specials" and showcased them in Blue Plate Specials & Blue Ribbon Chefs: The Heart And Soul Of America's Great Roadside Restaurants. As much fun to browse through as it is to cook from, this compendium of roadside cafe introductions and wonderful dishes ranges from Every-Friday Haddock Chowder; Becky's Whoopsie-Pie Cake with Poor-Man's Icing; and Enrico Biscotti's Almond Macaroos; to Tennessee Cornbread; Horseradish Pickles; and Mrs. Rowe's Summer Squash Casserole. Blue Plate Specials & Blue Ribbon Chefs is a wonderful addition to any personal or professional cookbook collection.

Suspensfull, well written, and entertaining; Reunion brings the old crew of Picards former command, the Stargazer, to the enterprise for a mission to the homeworld of one of Picards former officers, who has the fourtune of becoming the ruler of his homeworld. However, this joyous reunion is soon to become a nightmare, when someone is trying to kill members of the old stargazer crew.

Finding the killer will be a challenge, as they all have issues of one sort or another. To top it off, they find themselves in another emergency which threatens the entire ship, a subspace phenomena from which they must escape.

Suspensfull to the end, a great read. Only one cavet, at times I did feel the technical information was a bit dumbed down. A common patern was to explain the problem technically, then again explain in a simpler technical language, then once again in a very simple maner. While all accurate, it got a little annoying after a while, as if the author were attempting to make it so a sixth grader could understand it easily(perhaps?) Dispite this flaw, it is still an excellent mystery which captures the spirit of the Enterprise and Stargazer crews quite well.

An incredible story on the past of the Stargazer, and is very suspenseful to the very end. However, recommend readers to read the Valiant, also by Michael Jan Friedman, before you read this book. It gives even more surprise to the ending.

entangled in a web of mystery and emotion, this is a book you have to read, spellbonding and thought provoking, it's high on my rating as a startrek TNG book

This book can be characterized as a list of attached examples, or a collection of notes. It is difficult to follow and not thorough. Rather than explaining concepts the authors give examples, one per chapter. Furthermore, most of the material is repeated in each chapter since they apply to all the examples. This is a book made in a hurry by compilation of the authors notes. My major interest was in AMT implications which were ignored. After trying to read it for 2 days it went to a corner of my bookcase.

A reader from Westborough reviewed the book and did not find it helpful, I disagree. I think the book is intended for the reader like me who has a limited knowledge of their options. In addition, the stories/examples within the books were the best part of the book. If you have an advanced knowledge of options this book might not be right for you, but if you need a simple, easy to read and enjoyable overview of options - I suggest you read this book.

I was lost with my options until I read this book. I feel that I am able to guide myself through the maze of options with help of this book.

Fourtune's Light....a priceless jewled seal of a powerfull trading house, has been stolen and an old friend of Rikers is implicated with it's theft. He can't belive his friend would have done such a thing, and is sent on a mission to find his old friend, and the Fourtunes Light, which must be present for a merger between powerfull houses.

In the meantime, Riker askes Data to check out a holodeck program he's been working on while he's gone. I must say that Data's portraial is innacurate, and I find it hard to belive Data could be so inept(for his standards) at Baseball, and understanding the rules. Still, it's an interresting sub-plot which breaks up the intensity of Rikers mission.

Once underway, Riker and his partner on the planet discover a web of decit and criminal activity. To top it off, someone is now on to Riker and his partner and he's a target from people who want to keep the Fortune's Light hidden, as well as other plots which have far reaching consequences.

A decent, but not great book.

Star Trek - The Next Generation: Forture's Light written by Michael Jan Friedman is a well-written book involving a detective stroy plot mixed with sports fiction as the Enterprise crew trys to solve a mystery and recover a theft of the Madraga Criathis family seal the Fortune's Light... that is supposedly stolen by Teller Conlon one of Commander William Riker's best friends.

As this plot unfolds, William Riker is working on a baseball holodeck program and is called away to the surface of Dante Maxima Seven where the government is controlled by huge social/economic entites that control the general population, to find his friend Teller Conlon. Riker leaves the baseball program in the holodeck and Data tries it out. This plot gives Data a real workout with all of the baseball speak and the nuances of the game as Data tries to understand and play the game.

Both plots were well-written as they kept the readers interest, for two unlikely plots to blend together and form the backbone of the book's plots, they melded quite well. This book is well-toughtout as well as well-written and you can tell it by the way the book flows. The only thing that I can't see is Riker being a detective... he's more like a bull in a chna store type who's rough and tumble antics get him out of a lot of tight spots, but Friedman used this quality to an advantage as Riker is teamed up with a local woman who's sole purpose is to help Riker investigate and they run into a lot of impediments along the way. Riker is no "Columbo" but he gets the job done with action-adventure following along with the mystery.

I gave the book only four stars as the character development was a little shallow at times and the plot was rather predictable. Only for those reasons, otherwise the story flowed well and you were entertained as you read on it the book.

This book is a very good example of just how far good writing can take a mediocre concept. I was truly unimpressed with either of the plots in this book, yet found myself being drawn into it in spite of myself due to the excellence of the writing.

I suppose it is unfair to actually say that the plots are BAD. They do not, however, resonate with me at all. The primary plot is a detective and mystery fiction plot in which Riker has to unravel a mystery on a planet where a friend of his has disappeared, allegedly after stealing a priceless artifact. I'm not universally opposed to detective fiction, but I generally find that they don't work overwell as Star Trek plots, and I certainly don't see Riker as a viable Sam Spade type. Further, this plot just seemed rather blase, and it truly required exceptionally adroit writing to get me to care about it. In a way, I never did, but in spite of that, I found it difficult to put the book down toward the end, so Friedman must have been doing something right.

Furthermore, the secondary plot involved Data playing "major league" baseball on the holodeck, trying out a program that Riker had written for himself just before being called away on his mission. Again, I don't necessarily object to sports stories; one of my favorites is "If I Never Get Back", by Darryl Brock. But I don't much care for holdeck stories in general, even if they are merely subplots and not the major focus of the story, nor do I generally care for the "Data does something offbeat in an attempt to learn more about what it means to be human, and in the course of doing so, commits many amusingly silly faux-pas" type of story, of which this was certainly one. In fact, I generally don't believe that baseball and Star Trek mix well; it's one of the things that cause me to grit my teeth whenever it's brought into play in Deep Space Nine due to Ben Sisco's hobby. I certainly disliked the episode "Take Me Out To The Holodeck" about as much as I've disliked any Star Trek episode in any series.

So imagine my confusion to discover that I was actually enjoying the scenes in that subplot also, in spite of the fact that Friedman's apparent knowledge of baseball is somewhat limited, and his claim that both Data and Geordi would have difficulty understanding the concept of a curveball somewhat dubious.(I realize that for years engineering types swore that it was an optical illusion, because it was physically impossible. But those days are ALREADY behind us; certainly, engineers from three or four hundred years in the future should have no difficulty with the concept. Nor do I believe that it would be all that difficult for Data to track the trajectory of a curveball and hit it soundly.)

I find that I can't in good conscience give less that four stars to a book so well written as to be enjoyable and even captivating in spite of a basic concept that I simply can't see the point to, but neither can I give five stars to a book with such an unattractive concept. If you find the idea of mixing detective fiction AND spectator sports fiction with your Star Trek fascinating, you'll certainly love this book. If, as I did, you find either or both of these concepts seriously dubious, you might still like it. But if you're unwilling to deal with the cognitive dissonance produced by enjoying such an unattractive story concept, steer clear of this one.

There are two components to this book: the Blue Willow Inn and the Sterns.

The Blue Willow Inn: If you own any self-published community cookbook from small-town USA, you have these recipes. There isn't one surprise here (unless you mistakenly thought the restaurant cooked completely from scratch).

The "theme" of the restaurant and these recipes is Sunday dinner at your Southern grandmother's. Well, I happen to have had a grandmother from Greenville, South Carolina. She would have felt very much at home with this food and the manners espoused by the Inn's owners. So I vouch for the excellence of the way the Blue Willow has carried out this theme.

The Sterns: I own several of the Sterns' books. I especially enjoy their WAY OUT WEST and ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BAD TASTE. The Sterns are both funny and astute.

While reading through the BLUE WILLOW INN COOKBOOK, I had a picture of the Sterns just trying to hold themselves back from taking easy potshots. From time to time, the temptation must have been too much and they crossed the line into unkind. It is the only time I have seen them do that.

All in all, keep your money.

One of the other reviewers on this page is probably right that most any Southern grandma will already know most of the recipes listed between the covers of this book. But as American food, like the rest of American culture, becomes more monolithic and regional distinctives are paved over, even recipes as generally undistinguished as most of the ones here are, are certainly worth preserving -- especially by fans of the food and culture of the American South.

It's true that The Blue Willow Inn isn't on the cutting edge of haute cuisine. Billie and Louis Van Dyke would never have been invited to compete against Masaharu Morimoto ("I summon Iron Chef Southern!"). Nevertheless, the restaurant is, to hear the Sterns tell it, immensely popular, proving that there's still a market for sweet potato biscuits, chicken divan, and fried okra, with a big peach cobbler for dessert. Readers browsing this book are much more likely to find things suitable for a church potluck than for an elegant dinner with friends or romantic evening for two (unless your beloved likes Coca-Cola cake with broiled peanut butter frosting). I don't think the word "wine" appears anywhere in here, though "Southern champagne," sweet tea, is the very first recipe.

Fans of the Stern's food-writing will find a decent balance here of their commentaries on recipes and a few small articles on aspects of The Blue Willow Inn -- interviews with personnel, a bit of history, a section on rocking chairs, and the like. Even if you never find yourself -- or could never even imagine yourself -- making any of the recipes from this bastion of Southern cookery, I think food fans, or fans of the Sterns, will probably find this a trip worth taking at least once.

The Blue Willow Inn (owned and operated by Louis and Billie Van Dyke) is located in Social Circle, Georgia, and is about as southern as you can get, having been voted the best small-town restaurant in the South by the readers of "Southern Living" magazine. In The Blue Willow Inn Cookbook, regional food experts Jane and Michael Stern have collaboratively compiled a culinary wealth of recipes for drinks, breads, sandwiches, salads, appetizers, side dishes, main courses, and desserts -- plus occasional anecdotes drawn from the history and patronage of the Blue Willow Inn. From Angel Biscuits; Spinach Cornbread; Sugared Pecans; and Fried Green Tomatoes; to Baked Pineapple Casserole; Orange Pecan Glazed Chicken and Wild Rice; Banana Pudding; and Coca-Cola Cake with Broiled Peanut Butter Frosting, The Blue Willow Inn Cookbook is a perfect celebration of Southern dining and a wonderful addition to any kitchen cookbook collection.

This book is full of items the collector needs to know about. How many times have people (I know I have) passed up on great items to collect, simply because they were not sure that an item even existed, as a "real deal" collectible? This book has been well researched by the author and provides the collector with a great resource and guide, a true collector should not be without. A great addition to the library of any Beatles' collector or fan.

This 216 page book is loaded with more than 600 full color, large, clear photos of Beatles memorabilia covering their heydey from 1964 to 1968. The beautiful picture, price guide features: Early Beatles Memorabilia, Jewelry, Buttons, Yellow Submarine, Apple Studio, Yellow Submarine Celluloids, One of a Kind Items and more. There's a brief introduction to the topic, and each picture features a description and price. Some collector resources are included. A beautiful book that Beatles collectors will love. Add it to your library.

My 10 year old son and I read this book together because he was resistant initially. He immediately connected with the mountain climbing analogy that the author uses to explain the challenges of a learning disability. He smiled and acknowledged his strengths and weaknesses when the text challenged him to do so. The book also has a very helpful and clear explanation of different learning disabilities, the nature of intelligence and intelligence testing, and methods of intervention. While I am a psychologist, and have explained a fair amount to my son, it is always helpful for him to hear it in another way and from another source. We plan to return to some of the tips for school when school begins. I think we will return to the mountain climbing analogy often.

ROAD FOOD just doesn't do it for me. Each synopsis seems to be a repeat of the previous one depending on the region. Sticking pretty much to the main highways and spending far too much time in the big cities (8 places in Pittsburgh alone) the repetitious style starts to wear thin. In NJ (My home state) you are pretty much limited to subs and hot dogs. This is repeated throughout the book, lobster roll and clams in New England, BBQ and fried food in the south, you get the picture. Occasionally peppered throughout are a few personal commentaries about the people and places, but I think this could have been a more useful guide by focusing on fewer places with more detail. The summary says you should carry it with you, but its size keeps it from being a good traveling companion, especially considering its narrow culinary focus. While not a total waste of time for the road food adventurer, it is so much less than it could have been.

Few things can make the tedium of a long drive more bearable than the prospect of a decent place to eat along the way, and the restaurants listed in this guide are destinations in their own right.

Helpfully arranged by sections of the country, road food aficionados will find more than enough to keep them busy. Personally, I wanted to take off and tour Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, as well as old haunts in Virginia. Being in the opposite corner of the country, though, I found a number of interesting looking places here to check out (as well as one or two I've already been to, and so I can attest to the reliability of the Stern's reviews).

I should note, though, that family members in Cody, Wyoming tell me that Franca's, which the Sterns list in this book, has in fact been closed for several years. So *caveat lector.* Things can change quickly in the restaurant world. Nevertheless, this is both a great reference and a fun title just for entertaining (if stomach growl-inducing) reading. If you're out on the road, be sure to keep a copy of this guide in your glove compartment.

I have traveled with the Sterns for many years (virtually!) I have most of their previous books on regional food and their pages are ketchup, mustard and butter stained with notes scribbled in the margins. When I heard that they wrote another new and updated version, I ordered one just in time for this summer's 1000 mile New England odyssey, make that vacation. Every recommendation was right on - priced right and exactly as described. This is important to note because I know in their "Eat Your Way Across The USA" release of a few years ago there were many out of date references. (We were disappointed last year in Wisconsin as our search for a Bratwurst joint ended at a boarded up and abandonded store front.) Happily, this one seems to be more current and we have yet to find a dead reference. If you love to eat and love to travel, this is the book for you.

What to do if you're trying to make something as stupid and boring as the bible into something that a poor gullible child will accept? This is the problem faced by the authors, and they do a half-way decent job of presenting bible idiocy as something partly entertaining as a comic book. Should be useful for gullible, brainwashed parents attempting to produce gullible, brainwashed children. Start them with Santa, and if they believe that, move on to the bible in comic book form.

Great idea with uneven results. Some superb art in places, but not always as an appropriate counterpoint to the accompanying Scriptures. The parts that do succeed are worth the cover price alone.

This book was well received by me and my teenagers. There needs to be more artistic interpretations like this that tackle scripture. Not every translation done in this book is accurate to the Word of God but every piece is brilliant in its own right. Bravo! Encore!

While I couldn't disagree with the main premise of this book - that patients need to be informed partners with their physician in the management of their chronic illness - the fact that the author felt compelled to write the book not only because of his deeply felt belief in this partnership, but more because of the urgent need for this relationship due to the increasingly impersonal nature of managed health care, disturbs me. Long does offer good advice in his chapter on selecting a managed health care organization and what to look for when selecting a physician. The author has a rather pat prevention and lifestyle section followed by a chapter devoted to a discussion of each chronic disease. The disease information section I found to be very good, containing a thorough discussion of drugs and valuable resource listings. Long also has chapters on terminal illness and chronic disease in the elderly. He follows with numerous appendices, which are relatively informative, with his prescription drug appendix and glossary being the most valuable.

I have a couple pet peeves with this book centering on what I find to be inadequate information regarding nutrition and vitamin supplements. Long goes out of his way to write "avoid 'megavitamin doses" but never connects each disease with the specific nutritional deficiencies and vitamin needs they possess. He doesn't even encourage readers to take a generic multivitamin/mineral supplement! In his health care provider directory, where he describes the background of individual health care providers (i.e., nurse practitioners, gastroenterolgist, etc.), he lists "homeopathic physician" as an "outdated" form of medicine. I'm sure the government of France, which requires homeopathic remedies to be sold in pharmacies in that country, would express surprise that they were peddling an "outdated" form of medicine. Even if Long didn't find compelling medical evidence to support homeopathy, the innocuous nature of this type of treatment deserves better treatment. The whole point of "chronic" illness centers on the fact that it is "chronic" because the medical establishment has no cure. With that in mind, alternative therapies that would not harm and could possible help alleviate symptoms need to be treated with more respect.

I found the strongest aspect of Long's book to be his thorough understanding of how chronic diseases affect all aspects of a patient's life. "A chronic disorder can be one of life's most difficult challenges. It can affect so many aspects of our lives - impairing the basic activities of daily living, compromising the pursuit of education and gainful employment, limiting social interaction, and seriously degrading the quality of life."(p.7) His observation that a patient who lives with a chronic disorder is faced with three realities - coping with the health care system, coping with the disorder itself, and coping with the emotional adjustment - also resonated with me. I felt disappointed that Long, while expressing so well the way in which chronic disease affects an individual on so many levels, completely neglects a more holistic approach to illness in his discussion of each disease. Only in the chapter on terminal illness is therapy and support groups mentioned as an important aspect of treatment. Overall, read the book for information on conventional therapy for your specific chronic disease but don't expect too much more.