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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><strong>Sample Recipe from <em>Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast</em></strong></p><p>Serves 4 <br />Prep time: 15 minutes<br />Total time: 15 minutes</p><p><strong>Pesto made with parsley and sharp Pecorino Romano cheese (and without nuts) makes a colorful topping for tender lamb chops. It could also be tossed with pasta, spread on sandwiches, or mixed with cream cheese for a dip to serve with crudités.</strong></p><p><strong>Lamb Chops</strong><br />8 lamb loin chops (each 4 ounces and 1 inch thick)<br />Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper<br />1/2 cup Parsley Pesto (recipe below)</p><p>Heat a large skillet over medium. Pat dry lamb with paper towels. Season chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Cook (in two batches, if necessary) 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Serve immediately, topped with pesto.</p><p><strong>Parsley Pesto</strong><br />Makes 1/2 cup<br />2 cups packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves<br />3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (2 ounces)<br />1 small garlic clove, coarsely chopped<br />1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for storing (optional)<br />Freshly ground pepper</p><p>In a food processor, finely chop parsley, cheese, and garlic. With the motor running, add oil in a slow, steady stream; season with pepper. Serve immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and cover with a thin layer of oil; refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.</p><p><strong>Freezing Pesto</strong><br />Pesto keeps very well in the freezer, so it’s worth making extra. Freeze it in small airtight containers, covered with a thin layer of olive oil. Defrost in the refrigerator before using.</p><hr /><h3>Product Description</h3><p>With 250 tempting recipes to take you from breakfast all the way through dessert, <em>Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast</em> is the indispensable collection that home cooks yearn for. Organized into familiar categories—including sandwiches and pizzas, appetizers, salads, soups and stews, pastas, main courses, and side dishes—this highly anticipated follow-up to the bestselling <em>Everyday Food: Great Food Fast</em> helps you whip up the perfect dish any time of day.    </p><p>Here is a book for the way we cook and eat now, with an emphasis on stretching meals (for example, leftovers from a roasted chicken are used to make a quick gumbo and roasted vegetables perform a second act as a vibrant pizza topping), turning to economical ingredients that deliver great results (such as flank steak, served with a piquant parsley-garlic sauce), and making healthier versions of comfort foods without skimping on flavor (like a lower-calorie chicken potpie). A section on enticing vegetarian main dishes as well as a roster of irresistible desserts round out this comprehensive collection. Here’s a taste of what’s inside:    </p><p><strong>Breakfast:</strong> Jam-Filled French Toast  <br /><strong>Sandwiches and Pizzas:</strong> Eggplant and Mozzarella Melt  <br /><strong>Appetizers:</strong> Goat Cheese Crostini  <br /><strong>Salads:</strong> BLT Salad with Buttermilk Dressing  <br /><strong>Soups and Stews:</strong> Minestrone  <br /><strong>Pastas:</strong> Spaghetti Puttanesca  <br /><strong>Main Courses</strong>: Meatballs with Rosemary  <br /><strong>Vegetarian</strong>: Mushroom and Parmesan Risotto  <br /><strong>Side Dishes:</strong> Roasted Sweet Potato Fries  <br /><strong>Desserts:</strong> Gingered Blackberry and Plum Shortcakes     </p><p>Brimming with great time- and budget-saving tips as well as smart kitchen techniques, <em>Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast</em> helps you use what you have on hand to make everyone’s favorite foods. With an easy-to-read format, a photograph of each and every dish, and plenty of ideas to keep you inspired, this is the cookbook you will turn to day after day for wonderfully simple, delicious meals.   </p>


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<h3>From</h3><p>The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board offers a massive cookbook dedicated to all manner of cheese recipes that cannot fail to convince even the most resolutely antidairy partisan that every kitchen must sport a refrigerator full of one of the world's oldest edibles. Cheeses from the Badger State's farms consist virtually of cows' milk alone. Goat and cheese varieties still languish in obscurity. These recipes testify to growing American taste for more assertively flavored cheeses such as blue and for less-common Italian varieties such as the liquid mascarpone. Inclusion of a number of Mexican-inspired dishes illustrates the mainstreaming of south-of-the-border cooking even in the upper Midwest. Although this book breaks no new ground and appeals to the most general audience of supermarket shoppers and cooks, it glimpses budding sophistication among both cheese producers and consumers. Color photographs throughout help sell the recipes' promised delights. --Mark Knoblauch </p><h3>Review</h3><p><em></em>The Gourmet Retailer.com, June 2010<br /><em></em>“Every so often a cookbook comes out that is not only a good collection of recipes but is a boon for the industry as well… So it is with great enthusiasm that I trumpet the arrival of a new book that can take its rightful place on the shelf alongside those modern classics, “_The Great Big Cheese Cookbook_”, a great new resource for cooking with cheese from the folks at the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB)… What is perhaps most exciting about a cookbook such as this one is the business point of view. It lifts cheese off the snack tray and adds it to the kitchen pantry, where it becomes an integral part of the cooking process…. This one is a must-have for any cheese lover or cheesemonger.”</p><p><strong><em>Sacramento Book Review, </em>August 29, 2010</strong><br />“These creations are sure to whet any cheese-lover’s appetite. Clifton Fadiman once said “Cheese is milk’s leap towards immortality” and this book is filled with delectable recipes that will immortalize anyone.” </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Robert and Dayna Baer's initial meeting was slightly unusual—both were on a covert mission in Sarajevo for the CIA. In this intermittently intriguing memoir, they describe their careers in "the Company," their romance, and the difficulty they have in establishing a balanced life outside the world of secret agents. Their travels take them to interesting places in interesting times—from Bosnia and Lebanon during civil wars, to Syria under the Assads, the mansions of sheiks, and the safe houses of terrorist groups. As the Baers drift away from family and see friends die, they learn the costs of covert life. Told in chapters that alternate between each partner's perspective, their story is best when discussing the minutiae of agency work. In understated prose, the couple effectively narrate the long bouts of tedium interspersed with moments of paranoia and fear that make up a CIA agent's life. On most assignments, they never learn if their efforts have any positive result—often, they don't even know their co-workers' real names. When the personal becomes the subject, however, the understatement feels inadequate. The Baers give us so little insight into their mutual attraction that it feels like another state secret. After they leave the agency, they seem adrift, and the book loses focuses as well. (Mar.) <br />(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>When they met in Croatia in the early 1990s, he didn’t know her real name. His alias was Howard, but he introduced himself as Bob. By that time, he was a seasoned CIA spook, with 15 years of international intrigue under his belt. Dayna, a relatively new field agent, was expecting that her new friend's veteran’s counsel would increase her quickly growing knowledge of the spy game; she wasn’t expecting to fall in love. This fascinating memoir, written by Bob and Dayna in alternating chapters, traces their lives from before they met—she was carrying out security checks in L.A.; he was in Tajikistan, scoping out the former Soviet republic—and follows them as they fell in love and began to build a life together. The book is full of insight into the world of international intelligence-gathering, and it contains some interesting surprises, too (at one point, after he resigned from the CIA, Bob came awfully close to taking a job in Kabul, working with the Taliban). An engaging narrative that should appeal to readers of spy-themed literature, factual or fictional. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Expect the publisher of this real-life spy and love story to take full advantage of the off-the-book-page human-interest angle. Comparisons to Mr. and Mrs. Smith and to Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson (and the recent biopic starring Sean Pean and Naomi Watts) won’t hurt a bit. --David Pitt </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>While it was no secret that Americans on the far right of the political spectrum were unenthusiastic about Obama's victory, the immediacy and intensity of the backlash went well beyond what anyone expected. In this exhaustive investigation of the Tea Party movement and its loudest mouthpieces, Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin, Bunch seeks to help liberal and moderate America understand the rage of the right, where they see the nation headed, and how legitimate grievances are being manipulated by opportunists hawking fear to make millions off of working class people. While Bunch's own biases are apparent from page one, he is careful to try to present the far right in an honest light and, according to Bunch, without challenging their perspectives. Maturity in political discourse would be refreshing if Bunch were writing political discourse; he's not. This is investigative reporting. Bunch's primary issue seems to be Beck's opportunism, but his targeting of the only person he doesn't interview will likely make conservatives avoid his book, something Bunch clearly expects. But for liberals or moderates seeking to understand current far right events, the book will fascinate, and likely frighten. <br />(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Already fretting over the U.S. Census Bureau prediction that by 2050 whites will no longer be in the majority in the U.S. and worried by the loss of jobs and home equity, a certain element of the white population has been unhinged by the election of the nation’s first black president, argues Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Bunch. Thus, the Tea Party, Birthers, Oath Keepers, the 9.12 Project, and other right-wing radicals are on the rise, spurred by television and Internet hustlers, most prominently Glenn Beck. Bunch traveled the circuit from Delaware to Arizona, attending anti-immigration meetings and shooting rallies, to record the astonishing anger, fear, and discontent that has formed into a backlash against President Obama, alleging that he is not a U.S. citizen, that he means to take away guns from private citizens, and that he is directing FEMA to set up internment camps, all of which Bunch debunks. Bunch also profiles the cynical hustlers making money on this visceral fear, comparing Beck to Elmer Gantry as he morphs from evoker of the Founding Fathers and defender of the Constitution to evoker of God the father and defender of Christian morality, all the while hawking gold and survival food packets through Glen Beck, Inc. Despite writing in a sometimes awkward second-person voice, Bunch has rendered an insightful close-up look at the individuals and social forces that promise to churn American politics in the face of huge social and demographic changes. --Vanessa Bush </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Wind is personal for de Villiers, winner of Canada's Governor General's Award for <em>Water: The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource</em>. A gust from a ferocious gale in South Africa came close to blowing him over a cliff when he was a child, a fearful experience that invests this articulate study of the history and nature of moving air with notable immediacy. Winds figure in the creation myths of almost all cultures, he notes. But it wasn't until the mid-18th century that scientists began to develop a cogent theory about wind and its relation to weather. Two centuries later, during WWII, high-altitude flyers discovered the jet stream and "a real understanding of winds was, finally, in place." De Villiers has marshaled an absorbing if daunting array of historical, cultural, environmental and scientific facts to detail that wind, despite its destructive power, makes life on Earth possible. But the book's grace notes lie in entertaining did-you-know nuggets. Among them: a great storm that lashed London in 1703 caused windmill blades to rotate so fast that friction set them on fire; Cuban meteorologists, more advanced at the turn of the last century than Americans, warned fruitlessly about the path of the hurricane that devastated Galveston. B&amp;w illus. <em>(Apr.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>Adult/High School–A readable, cogent introduction to wind. Woven throughout the text is the story of Hurricane Ivan, which started as a storm in Africa and gained power as it headed west toward the Americas. Chapter by chapter, the author examines the place of wind in mythology, ancient scientific beliefs about air and wind, composition of the atmosphere, wind scales and patterns, historical and modern weather forecasting, the mechanics of hurricanes, how wind moves pollution around the globe, and technology utilizing wind power. The book includes 12 appendixes, each providing statistics about storms or lists of such events as the Beaufort wind, Saffir-Simpson hurricane, or the Fujita tornado scales. The illustrations, reproductions, and graphs are clear and easy to read. This book could lead students to further research, but it is also entertaining on its own.–_Susan Salpini, formerly at TASIS–The American School in England_ <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><blockquote><p>The Ultimate Motorcycle Guide By the Author Of The <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling Memoir <em>Hell's Angel</em></p></blockquote><p><em>Let's Ride</em> is a nuts-and-bolts guide to mastering the art of motorcycling. From choosing the right bike to sharpening riding techniques, Sonny Barger mines his lifetime of experience to provide advice and wisdom that will help fellow riders—new and veteran alike—survive the dangers of motorcycling. </p><p><em>Let's Ride</em> is the only book of its kind: an essential resource covering every aspect of motorcycle riding and ownership. Chapters include: </p><ul> <li>     Why Ride? </li> <li>     Dissecting the Beast: the Anatomy of a Motorcycle </li> <li>     Types of Bikes </li> <li>     Fundamentals of Riding </li> <li>     Evaluating a Used Motorcycle  </li> <li>     Buying a Bike  </li> <li>     Advanced Riding Techniques </li> <li>     Living with a Motorcycle </li></ul><p>Learn how to ride—the <em>right way</em>—from an American legend. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>What would happen if Buffy the Vampire Slayer got married, moved to the suburbs and became a stay-at-home mom? She'd be a lot like Kate Connor, once a demon/vampire/zombie killer and now "a glorified chauffeur for drill-team practice and Gymboree play dates" in San Diablo, Calif., that's what. But in Kenner's sprightly, fast-paced ode to kick-ass housewives, Kate finds herself battling evil once again. First a demon tries to kill Kate while she's making rigatoni for an important dinner party that her sweet second husband, Stuart, has scheduled—at the last possible minute—to butter up potential allies in his run for county attorney. Kate dispatches the demon handily enough, but she learns that Goramesh, one of the terrible High Demons, has come to town looking for something. Where's he hiding and what does he want? Can she defeat him without exposing her past to Stuart—and without putting two-year-old Timmy in day care? Though Kenner starts off her story by dropping so many brand names the book reads like a how-to manual for product placement, she settles down to the action soon enough, and readers will find spunky Kate hard not to root for in spheres both domestic and demonic. <em>Film rights sold to 1942 Pictures and Warner Brothers</em>._ (July)_ <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Retired demon hunter Kate Connor must go back to work when she spots a demon lurking in the local Wal-Mart. But she'd better not arouse suspicion. This kind of thing could really hurt her husband's political career. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>In Albert's assured 14th outing for China Bayles (after 2004's <em>A Dilly of a Death</em>), the herbalist and ex-lawyer is worried about the effect of the poor tourist trade on her Pecan Springs, Tex., herb shop, tea room and New Age store owned jointly with her best friend, Ruby Wilcox, when her 14-year-old stepson, Brian, announces a disturbing discovery: while on an archeological dig in a cave, he found a skeleton with its skull bashed in. Analysis later shows that the bones are about 30 years old. After a leading citizen shoots dead an apparent intruder in self-defense, China begins to suspect there's a link between this incident and the past murder. In her own quiet way, China pursues the truth. China's warmth and sensitivity toward Ruby's new boyfriend, the new professor at the local university and others will endear her to readers, while her investigative skills make her a leader among female sleuths. Fascinating information about herbs and tempting recipes round out this leisurely cozy with a Southwestern flair. <em>(Apr. 5)</em><br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>China Bayles is always trying to teach us stuff: it's not annoying at all but somehow soothing and fascinating. The ex-attorney turned herbalist in the Texas town of Pecan Springs loves to talk about the plants and herbs she grows; she loves to share recipes and run her business (herb shop, tearoom, catering) with her friend and partner, Ruby; and she loves the opportunity to enjoy her spouse and teen stepson. In this gently narrated cozy, a skeleton in a cave allows China to think about archaeology, forensics, love affairs, immigration, and secrets from the past. Meanwhile, two elderly and reclusive sisters, one imperious and the other frail, the last of their family, donate a building, the funds for its renovation, and property for a community theater, with the stipulation that a play written about their father must be the first production. These events turn out to be intimately connected to the body in the cave, and it makes for an enjoyable journey as China makes the necessary connections one by one. <em>GraceAnne DeCandido</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>In his enthusiastic introduction, John Berendt, author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, writes: "Authentic Southern food is not about pretension." Sure enough, this book by the proprietor of The Lady &amp; Sons restaurant in Savannah, Ga., doesn't put on any airs. A great many recipes unabashedly list prepared foods among the ingredients. As an appetizer, Garlic Cheese Spread includes an eight-ounce package of cream cheese and an eight-ounce jar of Cheez-Whiz. Shrimp or Lobster Bisque contains, in addition to seafood, a can each of condensed tomato soup and condensed mushroom soup. The restaurant's most popular dessert is Gooey Butter Cakes, which starts with a box of Duncan Hines yellow cake mix. Still, some of the recipes attain a high level of regional authenticity: Georgia Cracker Salad is made with crushed saltines, tomato, scallions, hard-boiled egg and mayonnaise; Southern Fried Chicken acquires its crispy coating with a batter of eggs and self-rising flour. Readers concerned about high fat content should skip this book. But those looking for some distinctively American comfort food?and in a mood for some decidedly anti-nouvelle regression?might want to take a peek. <br />Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>Savannah's popularity as a tourist destination has increased dramatically in the months that John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil has been on the New York Times best sellers list, and in his introduction to this cookbook, Berendt says Deen's restaurant is one he recommends to visitors as exemplifying "the very heart of Southern cooking." Deen (the Lady) says Southern cooking is "comfort food," and she and her two sons serve homey, completely unpretentious food at their popular downtown restaurant. Many of the recipes she includes here rely on convenience foods (canned soup, Cheese Whiz) and some have been perennial favorites in "community" cookbooks since the Fifties or Sixties. Area libraries will want copies; most others can skip.<br />Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>From</h3><p>The pontiff in question is Sylvester II, pope from 999 to 1003. From the fragmentary evidence about Gerbert of Aurillac, Sylvester’s name before his elevation, Brown resourcefully recounts his remarkable career and boldly asserts that the history of mathematics must be revised in light of Gerbert’s life. Born to a humble station around 950, Gerbert’s precocity impressed bishops and counts, and his friendship-forming personality, visible in surviving letters, showed up in places from Barcelona to Reims to Rome. Brown speculates that he also may have studied in Cordoba, then a center of Islamic erudition, where he may have learned about Arabic numerals, the abacus, and the astrolabe. In any event, she recounts that Gerbert served as a conduit of Arab science into Christian Europe as schoolmaster at Reims. His medieval scholarly renown subsequently attracted the attention of emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. As readably knowledgeable about Gerbert’s political fortunes as about his intellectual influence, Brown is a lively narrator and interesting interpreter of Gerbert’s life and world. This portrait gives both the science and the history audiences something to talk about. --Gilbert Taylor </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"Overflowing with illuminating material, _The Abacus and the Cross_ is the biography of a vital moment we know precious little about." --Maria Rosa Menocal, author of The Ornament of the World  </p><p><em></em>Keith Devlin, Stanford University professor and author of _Fibonacci’s Bridge of Numbers: the Medieval Visionary and the Book that Launched the Modern World<br />_<em></em>“Nancy Marie Brown’s book provides a fascinating, well researched, in depth study of the life and times of one of the key figures who brought modern arithmetic into Western Europe.”</p><p><em></em>Marilyn Yalom, author of _Birth of the Chess Queen<br />_<em></em>“This book will change how you think about the so-called Dark Ages.  Well-researched, well-written, and vividly illuminating.”</p><p><strong>Pat Shipman, Professor of Anthropology at the Pennsylvania State University and author of <em>Femme Fatale: Love, Lies, and the Unknown Life of Mata Hari</em></strong></p><p>“Nancy Marie Brown again uses her extraordinary ability to bring medieval time to life in_ The Abacus and the Cross_, in the person of the ‘Scientist Pope’ Gerbert of Aurillac (later Pope Sylvester II). Working from sparse records, Brown manages to tell us of the remarkable scholar, brilliant mathematician, and inveterate punster who loved both his holy orders and luxurious living. She shows us a time in which the route to God lay through the study of science and math and when intellectual developments flowed across the boundaries of religion and empire in Eurasia. This is a remarkable book that reflects on our modern times on every page.”</p><p><em> </em></p><p><strong>Jeff Sypeck, author of <em>Becoming Charlemagne</em></strong></p><p>“A pleasure to read, <em>The Abacus and the Cross </em>draws readers into a world of intrigue, superstition, and scholarship. Nancy Marie Brown writes lucidly about math and science, finding important stories in the lives of medieval people who deserve to be widely remembered.”</p><p><em></em>_Kirkus<br />_<em></em>“A thoroughly engrossing account of the Dark Ages and one of its Popes, both far less dark than popular histories teach. . . .The years around 1000 CE seem to be every medieval historian’s favorite era, but Brown’s welcome addition to the genre provides a lively, eye-opening portrait of a sophisticated Europe whose intellectual leaders showed genuine interest in learning.”</p><p><strong><em>Science Writers Magazine</em></strong>_<br />_“As she reconstructs the strangely illuminated Europe of the Dark Ages, Brown reminds readers that the major conflicts in our world today—between Christianity and Islam, between religion and science—are products of our own age, not historical inevitabilities.”</p><p><strong><em>Booklist</em></strong></p><p>“As readably knowledgeable about Gerbert’s political fortunes as about his intellectual influence, Brown is a lively narrator and interesting interpreter of Gerbert’s life and world.  This portrait gives both the science and the history audiences something to talk about.”</p><p><strong><em>Library Journal</em></strong></p><p>“A rags-to-riches saga… captures how the direction of history can be influenced by one person. . . . Had Gerbert lived longer and been more politically savvy, Brown’s portrait makes one believe his ability to teach might have jump-started science before the Dark Ages enveloped Europe. VERDICT: Enjoyable to read, informative, and highly recommended for all history and history of science buffs.”</p><p><strong>Maria Rosa Menocal, author of _The Ornament of the World _and co-author of _The Arts of Intimacy_</strong></p><p>“Overflowing with illuminating material, <em>The Abacus and the Cross</em> is the biography of a vital moment we know precious little about: the second half of the tenth century, when Gerbert of Aurillac, the man who would be pope at the much-anticipated millennium, came of age. Among Brown’s many virtues is her ability to weave the intellectual and the material into a seamless narrative, so that when her readers learn about what books the monks of a monastery might be copying—and how those volumes connect to the intellectual past and future—they are also going to learn the mechanics of the copying itself, beginning with the cultivation of the animals whose skins will become parchment. She has the scientist’s eye for detail and the historian’s gift of storytelling and she has not one but dozens of great stories to tell about this transformative moment in Latin Christendom, as it began to embrace the foundations of modern science and technology.”</p><p><strong>Richard Rubenstein, author of _Aristotle’s Children: How Christians, Muslims, and Jews Rediscovered Ancient Wisdom and Illuminated the Middle Ages_</strong></p><p>“_The Abacus and the Cross_ tells the fascinating, little known story of the ‘Scientist-Pope’ Sylvester II (Gerbert of Aurillac), whom older writers long considered a practitioner of the Black Arts. In this vividly presented, scrupulously researched biography, Nancy Marie Brown shows how a few open-minded intellectuals illuminated the Dark Ages by importing scientific knowledge and methods into Christian Europe from Muslim Spain. Brown’s descriptions of Gerbert’s ‘magical’ instruments, the abacus, celestial spheres, and astrolabe, as well as of his worship of a mathematically-inspired Creator, make important contributions to the history of medieval science.”</p><p><strong><em>The New York Journal of Books</em></strong>_<br />_“Ms. Brown’s easily readable history draws the reader into a world of political intrigue, the excitement of introducing the abacus and astrolabe to Europe, and the shaky ground that surrounding the broader culture of Europe around 1000. Her book is a useful reminder that clear and well-reasoned history is by no means simplistic. The story of d’Aurillac’s life and papacy shows a medieval milieu more complex than oft portrayed.”</p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Western historian Gardner (_Wagons for the Santa Fe Trade_) delivers a dual biography documenting Sheriff Pat Garrett's hunt for the iconic outlaw William Bonney, aka Billy the Kid. As Gardner sees it, the battle between the wily Kid and the determined Garrett is perhaps the greatest of our Old West legends. Digging beneath the myths and melodrama, he begins in Las Vegas during Christmas week, 1880, when the capture and confinement of Billy the Kid made national headlines. Gardner then details the Kid's daring daylight courthouse escape on April 28, 1881, in a hail of gunfire, leaving bloodied bodies behind. I am not going to leave the country, said the Kid, and I am not going to reform, neither am I going to be taken alive again. The chase began, with Garrett finally gunning down the Kid on July 14, 1881. Gardner concludes with a survey of the Kid's robust mythic afterlife in books and films. Gardner's extensive research and authoritative approach ground this compelling historical recreation. B&amp;w photos. <em>(Feb. 9)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>The saga of Billy the Kid and his nemesis, Pat Garrett, has been the subject of numerous fanciful books and several very bad movies. So it is both useful and interesting to read this well-researched and, one hopes, relatively accurate account of the Lincoln County War and the two most famous participants in it. The center of the account is Garrett’s pursuit and execution of the Kid after he escaped from the Lincoln County courthouse jail. Fortunately, Gardner precedes that account with an engrossing examination of the lives of both men and the political and economic milieu of nineteenth-century New Mexico. He effectively uses primary sources, although those sources are often contradictory and reflect the views of competing Lincoln County factions. The portrait of the Kid, surprisingly, conforms to his popular image as a ruthless killer who could also be charming. Garrett is seen as ambitious, laconic, and coldly efficient. This is a fine effort to de-mystify a legendary episode in the history of the American West. --Jay Freeman </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>In bestseller Beaton's enjoyable 25th Hamish Macbeth mystery (after 2008's <em>Death of a Witch</em>), a Valentine's Day parcel explodes in the face of the Scottish Highlands' Lammas festival queen, Annie Fleming, as soon as she tries to open it, killing her instantly. Hamish Macbeth, newly promoted to sergeant, would rather investigate with only his trusty pets in tow, but is instead forced to tote along his new constable, the less than professional Josie McSween. Considered prim and proper and a right innocent, Annie turns out to have been leading a less than virtuous double life, with no shortage of suspects in her murder. A much sought after bachelor, Hamish desperately tries to break the case, while Josie, with dreams in her eyes, strives to crack Hamish's heart. Will Josie succeed in getting Hamish to say I do at the altar? For all the book's farcical moments, Beaton takes care as usual to provide a satisfying police procedural. <em>(Jan.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Beaton’s cozies set in the fictional Highland village of Lochdubh and starring the crusty village constable Hamish Macbeth are sometimes so predictable in their “stranger comes to the village and gets murdered” or “irascible villager gets murdered” plotlines that the cozy quickly becomes a drowsy. It seems that Beaton bestirred herself for this, the twenty-fifth in the series. It combines her gift for scenic description with an inventive, constantly surprising plot. Two women are at the center of the action: one is a constable from Strathbane, assigned to work for Macbeth, who lives in perpetual fear of being transferred to the urban blight of Strathbane. The other woman is the town beauty, queen of the Lammas Fest, who dies after opening a letter-bomb Valentine. This beauty queen is, we learn, what Scotland Yard terms a “murderee,” someone whose life invites violence. Both Beaton fans and newcomers to cozies will find her latest explosive and engaging. --Connie Fletcher </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>The author of <em>A Sport and a Pastime</em> teams with his wife, his 30-year cooking companion, to produce a "dinner book," a quirky cornucopia of recipes, historical notes, household hints, brief surveys of foodstuffs (eggs, salt, avocados, doughnuts, cheeses, olives, martinis, etc.) and utensils (forks, knives or toothpicks, say), appreciation of friends met both in life (including Alice Waters and Julia Child) and through books (Lord Byron, Anna Karenina) and random observations (what makes a good waiter) and advice of all kinds. For example, six "days" in January are dedicated to the useful art of giving a dinner party, but in fact, tips on, or accounts of picnics and parties (clearly a delight for both Salters), are everywhere. Their recipes are simple and good (Polpettone alla Toscana; Chicken Marengo; Fraises à la Cussy; Gazpacho) and can usually be made in advance, leaving the cooks free to socialize. But this volume is not chiefly one of recipes or hints (though both may prove practical). The Salters call it a "bedside book" and, with its attractive packaging and charming illustrations by Fabrice Moireau, it should make the perfect hostess gift, not always an easy thing to choose, say the authors. <em>(Oct. 20)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>“I expected a leisurely, engaging conversation about living and eating from <em>Life is Meals</em>–largely because of my admiration for the penetrating and gorgeously written fiction of co-author James Salter, whose 1967 novel, <em>A Sport and a Pastime</em>, is one of a dozen of the most important novels of the past half century. And I got it. In this delectable ragout of food lore, history, anecdote, instruction and recipes, Salter and his equally engaging wife–journalist and playwright Kay–are like a couple you might encounter in a railway dining car wending its way through the Andes or Alps: welcoming, knowledgeable and enthusiastic eaters and drinkers . . . [And] they never met a piece of trivia they wouldn’t chew on. . . . As its subtitle suggests, <em>Life is Meals</em> is broken into 365 brief entries–from a few paragraphs to a page and a half each–some of them seasonal or specific to a given day, others offered at random. . . . Other entries are built on reminiscences of wonderful outings to four-star restaurants and appealing dives around the world and to recollections of home-cooked meals with friends from the worlds of books, theater, film or art. . . . In a show of due diligence, <em>Life is Meals</em> also pays charming tribute to titans of modern American cooking–from Julia Child to James Beard to pioneering restaurateur and chef Alice Waters–either through appealing vignettes about their exploits in and out of the kitchen or through recipes they shared with the authors. On top of all that, there is plenty of kitchen wisdom dispensed, some of it ostensibly rudimentary but really worth being reminded of. . . . [This] is a frequently fascinating, always companionable book, one that most people will choose to keep by the bed or easy chair for occasional forays into the intriguing world the Salters describe and wax so lyrically and enthusiastically about. Alternatively, if you’re the type who tends to be invited for dinner at the homes of others, the book might make what is commonly called a ‘hostess gift.’ . . . [You] can rest assured you’ll be invited back.”<br />–Rod Cockshutt, <em>Raleigh News &amp; Observer </em>  </p><p>“One of my favorite new books is <em>Life is Meals</em>.”<br />–Joe Stumpe, <em>Wichita Eagle </em>  </p><p>“It’s such a joy when you stumble upon a book as delightful as <em>Life is Meals</em>. . . . This book is a fabulous little gem–the authors wrote an entry for each day of the year, all unrelated, so you can dip in and out as you wish. . . . If you’re a foodie, a lover of trivia or just someone who appreciates a good, casual read, pick up <em>Life is Meals</em>. It’s delicious.” <br />–Susan Shinn, <em>Salisbury Post</em> <br /><em></em><br /><em></em>“Fond food memories are what make James and Kay Salter’s <em>Life is Meals</em> a volume to savor. It’s all about keeping a record of good food, good times, good friends.”<br />–Jean Prescott, <em>Sun Herald</em> (South Mississippi)   </p><p>“Evoking the mood of Ford Madox Ford’s <em>Provence</em>, A.J. Liebling’s <em>Between Meals</em>, Hemingway’s <em>A Moveable Feast</em>, Robert Baldick’s <em>Dinner at Magny’s</em>, and Brillat-Savarin’s <em>Physiologie du goût</em>, [_Life is Meals_ is] a readable and quotable collection of thoughts and anecdotes inspired by an interest in food. It also recalls the sumptuous feasts in the novels of Huysmans, Proust, and Lampedusa; in James Salter’s <em>Light Years</em>; and in Ingmar Bergman’s <em>Fanny and Alexander</em>. This culinary calendar, which can be opened at random or read straight through, has entries for every day of the year, often pegged to birthdays of famous foodies. It evolved from the Salters’ notebooks, recipes, and readings, and includes ‘things of interest, bits of history, opinions, occurrences, odd facts.’ Knowledgeable, lively, and amusing, it has a rare quality: charm. Filled with <em>joie de livre</em> as well as <em>joie de vivre</em>, it suggests a hedonistic yet civilized life . . . The Salters write about food history and wine lore, favorite cookbooks and classic recipes, great chefs from Carême to Alice Waters, and magnetic restaurants. There are social nuances and shopping hints, memorable and disastrous dinner parties, shrewd gossip and literary anecdotes, personal history and European travel, and famous friends . . . . The Salters describe aphrodisiacs from truffles to chocolate and, like Casanova, emphasize ‘the sensual importance of dining, the opening act of so many seductions’ . . . The authors serve up some superbly written recollections . . . . <em>Life is Meals</em> is really about living well. As Graham Greene wrote of Ford’s <em>Provence</em>, it is ‘an elaborate pattern of memories, historical and personal. The subject is the good life–as it should be lived by all the world.’”<br />–Jeffrey Meyers, <em>Gastronomica: A Journal of Food and Culture </em>  </p><p>“_Life is Meals_ is partly a memoir of parties [James and Kay Salter] have hosted together over the past 30-some years, partly a cookbook, partly a historical and literary food guide, and wholly an homage to the pleasures of creating and eating a meal.”<br />–_Aspen Home _magazine   </p><p>“A pleasant culinary collection of bits of history, essays, ideas, remembrances and recipes–one for each day of the year.”<br />–Marion Sullivant, <em>Post and Courier </em>  </p><p>“This exquisite little book has a story for every day, from a commentary on peanut butter to a list of a kitchen’s barest necessities to the menu on the Titanic on that fateful April 14. A reader could sample one piece a day, or gulp them down all at once–it’d taste good either way.” <br />–_Eugene Weekly _  </p><p>“We need extra nourishment in the winter season. To me, that means feeding the body and feeding the mind. I have a recommendation that combines the two: <em>Life is Meals: A Food Lover's Book of Days</em>. A year’s worth of deliciously textured day-by-day entries about preparation, tasting, culinary history and personal history.”<br />–Alan Cheuse, <em>All Things Considered, National Public Radio</em>   </p><p>“Divine . . . [_Life is Meals_] has now kept me up two nights reading until the wee hours and smacking my lips. It’s a beauty, with charming illustrations. . . I appreciate the wit, the occasional recipe and the historical ambiance of this Salter effort toward fine living. What a great Christmas gift!” <br />–Liz Smith, <em>New York Post</em>  </p><p>“A remarkable marriage of food book and life-well-lived memoir . . . This most unusual book, with delightful illustrations, is to be savored again and again.” <br />–_Seattle Post-Intelligencer_  </p><p>“A quirky cornucopia of recipes, historical notes, household hints, brief surveys of foodstuffs (eggs, salt, avocados, doughnuts, cheeses, olives, martinis, etc.) and utensils (forks, knives, or toothpicks, say), appreciation of friends met both in life (including Alice Waters and Julia Child) and through books (Lord Byron, Anna Karenina), random observations (what makes a good waiter), and advice of all kinds . . . . [When] I began reading Life is Meals, I started dog-earing pages containing information I wanted to remember. After a few weeks’ worth of entries, I realized I’d marked every other page . . . . [With] its attractive packaging and charming illustrations, it should make the perfect hostess gift.”<br />–Jerry Miller, <em>San Diego Reader</em>  </p><p>“A charming collection of brief essays on food and wine, with 37 recipes and beautiful illustrations. The entries range from thumbnail biographies of the great chefs to the sauces of ancient Greece to dinner parties with John Irving . . . The Salters make entertaining seem an essential social act and will inspire anyone to get into the kitchen. The recipes represent home cooking at its best, including classics like Gazpacho, Blinis, and Chicken Marengo . . . This lovely miscellanea is fun.” <br />–_Library Journal_  </p><p>“James Salter is one of the great bon vivants of our time; his novels and stories are full of the details of fine living. This book of days pays homage to great writers, great meals, great conversations and essential ingredients. Auguste Escoffier, Brillat-Savarin, Waverly Root, Alice Waters, James Beard and others are notably remembered; dinners in Sag Harbor with Jason Epstein, dinners at the Salters’ house in Aspen, Colorado with writers, snippets from the Salters’ books of dinner-party details (kept for years) and recipes, of course (Tuscan meatloaf, figs in whiskey, chili con carne and many others), become tableaux in the reader’s mind. Picture James and Kay Salter in Paris at the birth of their son, asking the doctor to wet the newborn’s lips with Château Latour, like the ancient kings of France. The book is a safe haven, a bastion of civilization, protection from all kinds of heavy weather.” <br />–Susan Salter Reynolds, <em>Los Angeles Times Book Review</em>  </p><p>“As entertaining as it is informative, <em>Life is Meals</em> is beautifully illustrated and full of much more than recipes or food lore (although it includes both). Written by PEN/Faulkner Award-winner James Salter and his wife Kay, the book is packed with fascinating tidbits. The charm of <em>Life is Meals</em> is the quirky selection and arrangement of facts. Although some entries offer a historical food fact (the menu on the Titanic on the night it went down), others are random observations (what makes a good waiter) or tips on throwing a dinner party, which fruits go with which cheeses, or the evolution of the fork. This is a book to keep by the bedside and give to every foodie on your list.” <br />–Lisa Waddle, <em>Bookpage</em>  </p><p>“If you have ev... </p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>I’m always looking for new tastes and cuisines in different regions of the country, especially those that involve local culture. We went in search of big Tex-Mex cooking, which San Antonio is known for. I chose Los Barrios from the many Tex-Mex restaurants in the city because I fell in love with Diana Barrios Treviño and the entire Barrios family. . . . The dishes they have created contain amazing combinations and flavors that many people don’t get to experience. I wanted the rest of the country to sample what I was tasting. I wanted people to realize that true Tex-Mex cooking isn’t just fajitas and burritos. Now, with the Los Barrios Family Cookbook, I am excited to know that people across the country can easily prepare and taste all of the delicious dishes I experienced on my visit. Whether you like your food hot, medium, or mild—and these recipes have it all—you’ll love the food in this book.  </p><p>—from the Foreword by Emeril Lagasse </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Since 1979, Los Barrios restaurant in San Antonio, Texas—the heart of Tex-Mex cuisine—has been serving up casero, or home-style, cooking that has charmed food critics and earned an impressive following. Founded with a small investment and a lot of spirit, Los Barrios built its reputation on the authenticity of its cuisine. The Los Barrios Family Cookbook offers these reputation-making recipes—from simple but impressive traditional Mex-ican dishes, many of which have been handed down and perfected through the generations, to modern Tex-Mex favorites—to fans of Southwest cuisine across the country.  </p><p>Included are recipes for Mexican essentials: Homemade Flour Tortillas, Tamales, and Pico de Gallo; Barrios family specialties, such as Mama Viola’s Chicken Rice Soup and Acapulco-Style Ceviche; and the classics—Chiles Rellenos, Chalu-pas, and Enchiladas Verdes. All the recipes contain easy-to-find ingredients, and special cooking tips will help you prepare dishes at home that will be as delicious as those served in the restaurant. The Los Barrios Family Cookbook is a comprehensive and indispensable resource for food that explodes with flavor. ¡Buen provecho! </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Vogue magazine food writer Steingarten picks up where The Man Who Ate Everything left off, offering foodies a mouthwatering collection of nearly 40 obsessive essays. "Sometimes, I feel like a giant bluefin, my powerful musculature propelling me around the world in search of food," he explains in an essay about toro, the tender tuna belly used in Japanese cuisine. Equal parts travelogue and investigative reporting, Steingarten's writing is funny, fast-paced and clever. Whether re-creating a perfect plate of coq au vin using rooster procured from a live poultry market, braising ribs for his dog or taste-testing espresso in his Manhattan loft cum laboratory ("Right now there are 14 brand new, state-of-the-art, home espresso makers in my house...."), Steingarten proves himself a true gastronome. Of course, his interest in food goes beyond haute cuisine-freeze-dried foods, hot dog buns, even his beloved Milky Way bars do not escape scrutiny. A few essays aren't even about food. One follows the author's south-of-the-border search for phen-fen; another contemplates New York City's "reservation rat race." Recipes-and only Steingarten could add humor to the form-appear throughout. Devoted readers will savor this collection (many of the essays have won awards from the James Beard Foundation and the International Association of Culinary Professionals); those unfamiliar with the author will be clamoring for more.<br />Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Fast becoming a star among contemporary food writers, Steingarten returns with another compilation of his columns from <em>Vogue. </em>Steingarten's breakneck tour through the world of unlimited consumption takes him aboard a tuna boat to find the source of his favorite sushi selection, raw fatty bluefin. The reader benefits from Steingarten's thorough research into the murky history and spreading popularity of sushi. In another personal encounter, Steingarten takes issue with a government ban on a popular diet drug that had helped him maintain his gluttonous intake volume and still lose weight. He debunks current outrageous claims for the superiority of tony, expensive sea salts over the everyday blue-box variety. Steingarten watches a pig butchered in France and explores the origins of the outrageously complex Cajun dish, turducken. Ever on the lookout to skewer others' pretentious food allergy claims, he calls into doubt claims of MSG sensitivities. Despite his silly New York disdain for the Midwestern heartland, Steingarten casts useful illumination on many hitherto dim areas of our fascination with food. <em>Mark Knoblauch</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>A healthful, dramatically simplified book on cooking techniques for preparinglow cholesterol, low calorie seafood, with over 500 recipes. </p>

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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Military historian Leckie covers the fierce battle between American and Japanese troops for the island of Okinawa throughout the spring of 1945. <br>Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>On this 50th anniversary of the battle of Okinawa (April to June 1945), we can expect an avalanche of titles about this last major battle of World War II. Okinawa was an epic amphibious-air-sea-land battle the likes of which may never be seen again. The conflict raged for 83 days; 13,000 Americans and 100,000 Japanese perished. Kamikazes sank 34 and damaged 361 U.S. vessels. Both Astor and Leckie are experienced military historians who tell their stories in the words of participants. Astor interviewed numerous veterans and compiled a masterful account of the battle as seen through the eyes of both American and Japanese survivors. He explores the history, training, and morale of the army and marine divisions and demonstrates why each was bound to succeed or fail. On the other hand, Leckie has written a "Monarch Notes" version of the battle that tells us nothing new. For the best history of the Okinawa campaign, readers should consider James and William Belote's Typhoon of Steel: The Battle for Okinawa (1970).?Stanley Itkin, Hillside P.L., New Hyde Park, N.Y.<br>Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>

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<div><p class="description">EDITORIAL REVIEW:</p>
<p class="description">Artemis Fowl, a charming but villainous twelve-year-old, takes on the dangerous world of the Fairy People in this unforgettable story, which became a national best-seller and instant cult classic with its hardcover publication in May 2000. The book received tremendous attention and created fans of all ages, around the world. In this extraordinary adventure, Artemis kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon unit, to help him decode the fairys magic book, which will lead him to a vast treasure of gold. But these are not the fairies of bedtime storiestheyre cunning and dangerous! Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl opens up a riveting world of fantasy and mystery where anything, literally, is possible.</p></div>


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<div><p class="description">EDITORIAL REVIEW:</p>
<p class="description">*The Artemis Fowl Files* is comprised of two original stories: "LEPrecon": the story of Fairy Police Captain Holly Short's move from Traffic to Recon following her initiation into the Fairy Police; and "The Seventh Dwarf", featuring Mulch, Butler, and Artemis himself.EXTRAS INCLUDE:. "Behind-the-scenes" interviews with major characters including: Artemis, Holly, Foaly, Mulch, and EoinColfer himself. Coded section from the Fairy Book for kids to translate. A section for Fairy Spotters including the different categories of Fairy and their physical characteristicsand personality traits, including: Elves, Trolls, Sprites, Pixies Goblins, Dwarves and Centaurs. Technical diagrams of Foaly's inventions</p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Starred Review. There's an inherent difficulty in encapsulating basic kitchen knowledge in a single book, but Katzen's latest is a fresh, contemporary entry in the 101 subgenre. This is likely because she has some experience—Katzen's <em>The Moosewood Cookbook</em> and <em>Enchanted Broccoli Forest</em> cookbooks have been unofficial required reading for cooking students for decades, and her latest speaks directly to a newer, more food-savvy generation of just-starting-out cooks. Launched in conjunction with a companion Web site and illustrated by Katzen's own photographs, this newest is divided into basic categories like soups, salads, pastas and desserts. Naturally, given her meatless pedigree, she gives vegetarian options with bright flavors (acorn squash stuffed with fruited basmati pilaf; mango curry) their own chapter. While the recipes cover the traditional home repertoire—spaghetti and meatballs, an excellent and simple roast chicken, apple crisp—Katzen also sneaks in some more intriguing flavors by way of a North African red lentil soup, cherry clafouti and Thai green curry along with explanations of more unusual ingredients like jicama and panko. Encouraging cooks to experiment with additions and flavor combinations, she suggests alternatives in a running Get Creative sidebar. Rounding out the training is a short primer on kitchen tools, pantry items and photos that illustrate vegetable chopping techniques. Katzen's enthusiasm for the subject and her ability to keep the proceedings truly simple makes for the rare beginner's book that accomplishes its mission. Photos. <em>(Oct.)</em> <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>“Katzen’s latest is a fresh, contemporary entry in the 101 subgenre...Her enthusiasm for the subject and her ability to keep the proceedings truly simple makes for the rare beginner’s book that accomplishes its mission.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) ) </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>The author of <em>New Indian Home Cooking</em> presents a fresh take on Indian recipes for vegans, vegetarians, and anyone who loves Southeast Asian cuisine. </strong>  </p><p>Renowned nutritionist and cooking instructor Madhu Gadia delivers a wonderful new recipe collection that is perfect for vegans looking for fresh ideas, as well as anyone who savors healthy, light recipes that don't compromise on authenticity. Unlike most Indian vegetarian cookbooks, this unique collection avoids dairy and eggs, highlighting vegetables, and making use of soy products and other simple substitutions. It also offers nutritional analyses, as well as notes on serving, history, and variations. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>Madhu Gadia, M.S., R.D.</strong>, is a registered dietician and the author of <em>New Indian Home Cooking</em>. She teaches popular cooking classes and workshops. </p>

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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><strong>Product Description</strong><br>From two South Carolina-bred brothers comes the ground-breaking cookbook for new Southern cooking: The Lee Bros. Simple, Fresh, Southern. Matt and Ted Lee were raised on long-simmered greens, slow-smoked meats, and deep-fried everything. But after years of traveling as journalists and with farm fresh foods more available than ever, Matt and Ted have combined the old with the new, infusing family recipes with bright flavors. Using crisp produce, lighter cooking methods, and surprising combinations, these are recipes to make any night of the week.  </p><hr><p><em></em><br>From <em>The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern</em>: Ginger Lemonade<em></em>   </p><p>If we were musicians, we’d write a torch song about ginger and lemon, a match made in heaven. And though we’ve been drinking fresh lemonade as long as we can remember (Coca-Cola was taboo at 83 East Bay Street), we never thought to make a cold fresh-ginger lemonade until recently. Now we’re making up for lost time. This drink is easy to make, super-refreshing, and happens to be a kick-ass mixer with bourbon and tequila, so those of you who are of age should mix up the Lemon Gingerita variation that follows._--Matt Lee and Ted Lee_   </p><p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p><ul><li>     2 ounces fresh ginger, peeled, cut into thin disks (1/3 cup) </li> <li>     1/4 cup honey, or more to taste </li> <li>     1/8 teaspoon kosher salt </li> <li>     3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4 large lemons) </li></ul><p>(Serves 8)</p><p><strong>Directions</strong></p><ol><li><p>Put the ginger in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring 2 cups cold water to a boil, then pour it into the bowl and stir to agitate the ginger. Slowly pour in the honey, stirring until it’s dissolved in the concentrate. Add the salt, cover, and let steep for 10 minutes.</p> </li> <li><p>Strain the concentrate into a large pitcher (it will keep for 5 days, covered, in the refrigerator), reserving the ginger slices. Add 3 cups cold water and the lemon juice to the pitcher, and sweeten to taste with honey. Set the pitcher in the refrigerator to cool further; store the ginger slices in the refrigerator as well. (The lemonade and ginger slices will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days.)</p> </li> <li><p>Fill each highball or pint glass two-thirds of the way to the rim with ice, and pour the ginger lemonade over it. Garnish with a slice of the steeped ginger.</p> </li></ol><p>Time: 10 minutes steeping, 5 minutes preparation</p><p><strong>Lemon Gingerita</strong></p><p>With a fine Microplane grater, zest one of the lemons you’ll squeeze to make the Ginger Lemonade onto a plate; from another lemon, cut as many thumbnail-size pieces of lemon peel as the number of margaritas you plan to make. Prepare the ginger lemonade, and when it’s ready to serve, for each margarita, take a piece of the lemon peel and rub it around the rim of the glass. Dip the rim in the grated lemon zest (it’s okay if the lemon-zest rim is patchy; lemon zest is intense), fill the glass with ice, and top with 3 ounces Ginger Lemonade and 1 ounce silver tequila. Stir, and garnish with a slice of lemon peel and a slice of the steeped ginger.</p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>The Lee brothers' second cookbook builds on the success of <em>The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook</em> by applying the principles of the current fashion for simplicity and speed in the kitchen to the revered down-home flavors of the South, which normally require far more extended cooking times and special ingredients. Readers who are nostalgic for the food of the South or have acquired a taste for it, but lack the time to recreate old-fashioned dishes, will be eager to try the brothers' new takes on old classics like chicken and dumplings, shrimp cocktail and ambrosia, which cut down on some of the usual preparation time without sacrificing flavor. They manage this partly through their judicious use of less traditional ingredients, such as curry powder in potato salad or chorizo in collard greens and partly through their emphasis on using top-notch fresh, in-season ingredients. Though the brothers got their start with a catalogue selling Southern pantry staples that are unusual elsewhere, these recipes rarely call for items that are not available in any well-stocked supermarket. The recipes are easy to follow and engagingly written, dotted with amusing anecdotes and historical asides that make the book a breezy read. Detailed shopping, preparation and garnishing notes throughout help ensure cooks' success following the Lee brothers in bringing Southern cooking into the 21st century. <em>(Nov.)</em> <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p>

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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>"_The Tin Ticket_, written by Harvard-educated genders affairs expert Deborah J. Swiss and published by Berkley, is a wonderful book. It illuminates a part of history that long has been overlooked, in a manner that holds the reader fast to his or her seat from the exciting introduction to the present day end of the story. In the early nineteenth century, the British government sought to build up the working class of their new Australian colony, where men outnumbered women nine to one. They did this by enforcing an old law which allowed the deportation of women convicted of petty crimes, and packed them into filthy, disease-infected slave ships that carried the ones who survived to the other side of the world . <em>The Tin Ticket</em> (named for the card of tin tied around the necks of the convicts) is told through the eyes of the women and children shipped to Van Diemen's Land, later to be renamed Tasmania, whose horrendous journey of four months and miraculous survival has long been neglected by history books. Agnes McMillan was one of thousands of children punished for a trivial crime by being shipped to the harsh, remote land. The book explores Agnes' background, in which her father abandoned her and her mother died when Agnes was twelve years old, and she had no choice but to turn to the streets. The starving child was driven to steal scraps of food to stay alive, which resulted in her and her close friend Janet being caught and condemned to the horrible passage to Australia. The closeness of their relationship, the humor they found together, and their ingenuity helped the girls live through unimaginable hardships and humiliation. The author tells us that the descendants of the girls believe that similar characteristics typify the Australian character today. Swiss follows the lives of Agnes, Janet, and Ludlow, as well as that of Elizabeth Fry, the great pioneering Quaker reformer who fought to make the lives of the women convicts more bearable. These women broke the chains of bondage to establish a society one hundred years ahead of the rest of the world, in which equality of men and women was established. Discarded by their homeland and neglected by history, these women, by sheer force of will became the heart and soul of the new nation." <br>-_Midwest Book Review_, Alma H. Bond, Ph.D., Reviewer   </p><p>"The Irish feature in disproportionate numbers among the convicts transported to Australia. The number of female Irish convicts rose considerably in the aftermath of the great Irish Famine, a period which also saw the transportation of more than 4,000 Irish orphans girls as "breeding stock" for the new colony. Deborah Swiss brings new light and insight into the story of female convicts transported to Australia and in telling this story through the lives of a number of individual women brings home to us both the tragedy and the triumph of these resilient women." <br>-Máirtín Ó Fainín, Ambassador of Ireland   </p><p>"Deborah Swiss eloquently and engagingly uncovers a buried and important piece of Australian "herstory," convicted women who endured injustice, cruelty, and hardship. Even more than that, Swiss skillfully illuminates their essence in their extraordinary resilience, determination, and courage. An inspiration to all."   </p><p>-Birute Regine, author of <em>Iron Butterflies: Women Transforming Themselves and the World.</em>   </p><p>"_The Tin Ticket_ powerfully illustrates the unimaginable vulnerability and desperation that came with being poor and female two hundred years ago in Britain. But the stories of the women in this book are not too different from those of the millions who are trafficked across continents even today for cheap labor or sex. And like these women, the founding mothers of Australia exemplify the same remarkable resilience and resourcefulness that women show to pull themselves and their families out of adversity. <em>The Tin Ticket</em> tells their story, and enriches our shared history as women and as human beings." <br>-Ritu Sharma, Co-Founder and President, Women Thrive Worldwide   </p><p>"History books far too often scant the stories of women, of the poor, and of those swallowed up in the prison system. Deborah Swiss has broken this triple barrier to bring us a moving and fascinating story -- both of forgotten people who were ruthlessly exploited, and of a remarkable woman who did much to help them." <br>-Adam Hochschild, author of <em>King Leopold's Ghost</em> and <em>Bury the Chains</em>, co-founder of <em>Mother Jones</em>.   </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>Historian Deborah J. Swiss tells the heartbreaking, horrifying, and ultimately triumphant story of the women exiled from the British Isles and forced into slavery and savagery-who created the most liberated society of their time. </strong>   </p><p>Agnes McMillan and Janet Houston were convicted for shoplifting. Bridget Mulligan stole a bucket of milk; Widow Ludlow Tedder, eleven spoons. For their crimes, they would be sent not to jail, but to ships teeming with other female convicts. Tin tickets, stamped with numbers, were hung around the women's necks, and the ships set out to carry them to their new home: Van Diemen's Land, later known as Tasmania, part of the British Empire's crown jewel, Australia. Men outnumbered women nine to one there, and few "proper" citizens were interested in emigrating. The deportation of thousands of petty criminals-the vast majority nonviolent first offenders-provided a convenient solution for the government.   </p><p>Crossing Shark-infested waters, some died in shipwrecks during the four-month journey, or succumbed to infections and were sent to a watery grave. Others were impregnated against their will by their captors. They arrived as nothing more than property. But incredibly, as the years passed, they managed not only to endure their privation and pain but to thrive on their own terms, breaking the chains of bondage, and forging a society that treated women as equals and led the world in women's rights.   </p><p><em>The Tin Ticket</em> takes us to the dawn of the nineteenth century and into the lives of Agnes McMillan, whose defiance and resilience carried her to a far more dramatic rebellion; Agnes's best friend Janet Houston, who rescued her from the Glasgow wynds and was also transported to Van Diemen's Land; Ludlow Tedder, forced to choose just one of her four children to accompany her to the other side of the world; Bridget Mulligan, who gave birth to a line of powerful women stretching to the present day. It also tells the tale of Elizabeth Gurney Fry, a Quaker reformer who touched all their lives. Ultimately, it is the story of women discarded by their homeland and forgotten by history-who, by sheer force of will, become the heart and soul of a new nation. </p>

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<div><meta charset="utf-8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; "><h3 class="productDescriptionSource" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.23em; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0.75em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.375em; margin-left: -15px; clear: left; ">Product Description</h3><div class="productDescriptionWrapper" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Jane Grigson's book on fish cookery takes the reader through the alphabet from anchovies to zander giving recipes and historical, geographical and culinary information. The text also gives advice about the preparation and cooking of fish.</div></span></div>


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<div><meta charset="utf-8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; "><h2 style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; ">Product Description</h2><div class="content" style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-left: 25px; "><h3 class="productDescriptionSource" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.23em; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0.75em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.375em; margin-left: -15px; clear: left; ">Product Description</h3><div class="productDescriptionWrapper" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The harrowing and heartbreaking stories behind the founding fathers of Rangers are sympathetically revealed and told for the first time. This is the first in-depth study of the club's early years' history for almost a century. Rangers are one of the most famous teams in world football, but the scale of their success is astonishing set against the backdrop of their formation in 1872. Back then, four young men gathered in a park in the west end of Glasgow and decided to set up a team that would do justice to the new craze of association football. Amazingly, William McBeath and Peter Campbell were just 15-years-old, Moses McNeil was only 16 and his brother Peter the elder statesman at 17. Soon they were joined by Tom Vallance, another 16-year-old who quickly rose to become captain of the famed club. None of those gallant pioneers was a native of Glasgow and yet within five years they were Scottish Cup finalists, set up in their spiritual home on the south side of the burgeoning industrial city and attracting a working class audience they have never since lost. But what became of the men who formed a club that's loved and cherished by so many? Rangers may have scaled great heights, but the personal lives of almost all the founding fathers were touched with terrible tragedy. Journalist Gary Ralston has used fresh research and uncovered hitherto unseen documents, records and transcripts to sympathetically recount the heartbreaking stories behind the men who created a great institution. He reveals the torrid tales of death through insanity, a drowning that denied a birthright as a steamship entrepreneur and the sad passing of a pioneer who lies buried in a pauper's grave in the forgotten fringes of an English cemetery, cast as a certified imbecile, tried as a fraudster and left to live out his life in the poorhouse. This fascinating insight into the earliest years of Rangers, the first in-depth analysis for almost a century, also tells of happier times, the links with royalty and football aristocracy such as Sir Stanley Matthews and the club's relationship with the city in which it was born and grew in the tumultuous Victorian era. It also traces the only two known surviving grandchildren of the founders and tells how they knew nothing about their grandfather's most famous achievement. "Rangers 1872: The Gallant Pioneers" tells one of football's most romantic tales - and also one of its saddest.<div class="emptyClear" style="clear: left; height: 0px; font-size: 0px; "></div></div><h3 class="productDescriptionSource" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.23em; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0.75em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.375em; margin-left: -15px; clear: left; ">About the Author</h3><div class="productDescriptionWrapper" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Gary Ralston, 39, works with the Daily Record in Glasgow and has covered sport extensively for the paper, including the Beijing Olympics, World Cup final, Champions League final, Six Nations and Super Bowl. A journalist for 20 years, he has reported on Scottish football extensively at home and abroad at club and international level for papers including the Daily Express and The Sun. He started his full-time career at the Rangers News, the official club publication. He lives in Stirling with wife Laura, son Lewis and daughter Jennifer.</div></div></span></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>A wonderful thing is happening in home kitchens. People are rediscovering the joys of locally produced foods and reducing the amount of the grocery budget that's spent on packaged items, out-of-season produce, and heavily processed foods. But fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables don't stay fresh and delicious forever - they must be eaten now . . . or preserved for later.  </p><p>For all the vegetable gardeners facing baskets overflowing with bright tomatoes, and for all the dedicated farmers' market fans and CSA members, <em>The Beginner's Guide to Preserving Food at Home</em> has the simple solutions that turn overwhelming bounty into neatly canned tomatoes, jars of jams and jellies, and crispy-tart relishes and pickles.   </p><p>Organized in a friendly, food-by-food format, readers will find freezing, drying, canning, and storing instructions for each vegetable, fruit, and herb. In many cases, several ways to freeze or can a food are described, and there are often other preserving suggestions as well, such as making juice or fruit leather.   </p><p>Everything is written with busy people in mind: these are the quickest, most efficient methods for preserving summer's bounty. Up-to-date information and clear, step-by-step instructions show even absolute beginners the way to a fully stocked pantry.  </p><h3>From the Back Cover</h3><p>Enjoy local produce year-round.  </p><p>You don't need a lot of time or years of experience to preserve garden-fresh fruits and vegetables. Simple step-by-step instructions give you the confidence and know-how to freeze, dry, can, root cellar, and brine the abundance from your CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share or summer garden.  </p><p>Grate and freeze excess zucchini; it will be perfect in quick breads and muffins all winter long. Pick up a crate of less-than-perfect tomatoes at the farmers' market and preserve them in jars of spicy salsa. Turn the overflow of green beans from your CSA farm share into tasty dilly beans to eat all winter or give as holiday gifts.  </p><p>These techniques and recipes will have you eating locally all year long. </p>

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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Anderson, author of more than 20 cookbooks, dedicated almost four years to creating her latest collection of 300 uniquely Southern recipes—and her hard work, dedication and passion are evident throughout this extensive book. Along with classic dishes, Anderson shares stories about the South's culinary history (such as the creation of Coca-Cola syrup in Atlanta, and the legend behind Tabasco sauce) and important food figures like Maryland native Frank Perdue and Krispy Kreme Doughnut founder Vernon Rudolph. Appetizer, soup, main course and dessert sections include popular favorites like Shrimp Gumbo, Smothered Pork Chops and Baked Virginia Ham. But the insider recipes like Shirt Tail Pies (fried apple turnovers), Tidewater Peanut Soup, Charcoal-Grilled Shad Roe and East Tennessee Stack Cake made with bourbon are what truly make this book special. Anderson's instructions are easy to follow and The Language of Southern Cooking section is helpful, giving definitions of commonly used ingredients. <em>(Oct.)</em> <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>Recipe after delicious recipe will have y’all gathering round the table to celebrate the South’s rich culinary heritage. (Ben and Karen Barker, authors of Not Afraid of Flavor: Recipes from Magnolia Grill )  </p><p>Jean Anderson’s splendid, entertaining and most useful new book is her truly essential volume to all who enjoy southern cooking. (William C. Friday, President Emeritus, University of North CarolinaWilliam C. Friday, President Emeritus, University of North CarolinaWilliam C. Friday, President Emeritus, University of North CarolinaWilliam C. Friday, President Emeritus, Universit )  </p><p>Her Love Affair with Southern Cooking will have you falling in love, too--and running for your kitchen.” (Damon Lee Fowler, author of Classical Southern Cooking )  </p><p>A tome that will win over workaday cooks and budding food scholars alike. (John T. Edge, author of Southern Belly: the Ultimate Food Lover's Companion to the South )  </p><p>A fascinating journey through the rich, complex history of southern foodways. Southern Cooking is a classic. (William Ferris )  </p><p>“Readers, whether from the South or not, will love the warmly written and carefully researched A Love Affair with Southern Cooking. . . . The 434-page book includes 200 classic and contempoarary recipes, plus anecdotes and personal reminiscences, all smartly told.” (4 stars -- Outstanding) (Baton Rouge Advocate )  </p><p>[A] charmingly intimate, authoritative, and deeply soul-moving tribute to the peerless cookery of our beloved South. (James Villas, author of THE GLORY OF SOUTHERN COOKING and MY MOTHER'S SOUTHERN COOKING )  </p><p>Superb...comes as close as I can imagine toward providing a detailed guide for the recreation of an ancient cuisine. (Reynolds Price, author of Kate Vaiden )  </p><p>“Fun to read, with nuggets of lore packed into every page. . . . A Love Affair with Southern Cooking is that rarity, a book that’s as good to read as it is to cook from.” (Weight Watchers Magazine )  </p><p>A New York Times Best Book of 2007 -- “This treasurable book is plentifully studded with capsule essays (on the likes of Duke’s mayonnaise or RC Cola) and mini-profiles (Mary Randolph, George Washington Carver) as well as a running timeline of historical tidbits.” (New York Times )  </p><p>“[Jean Anderson] has turned her genius to southern cooking and presents us with a classic that will live in southern homes forever and in all American homes that revere great food.” (Pat Conroy ) </p>

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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Starred Review. Klam (Please Excuse My Daughter) recounts the touching, often hilarious tales of life with Boston terriers. She adopts her first pet, Otto, after a "substantial" little dog "came slow-motion scampering through the high grass and wild daisies of sleep." With Otto, the then single Klam learned about compromise and sacrifice. Married and pregnant, the author adopts a little "doglet," Beatrice, and distracted by a newborn, forgets to have the puppy spayed--resulting in a series of hilarious misadventures worth the price of the book. She continues to rescue, foster, and adopt dogs--spirited Hank, adored Moses, chubby Sherlock--each with his or her own special needs, idiosyncrasies, and "teachable moments" in trusting one's instincts, achieving balance, helping others, finding contentment, loving fiercely, and letting go. This gem of a book is a gift to dog lovers everywhere. <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>One needn't be a dog lover to be moved by this charming book. Klam teaches humans how to love and make compromises when necessary through the process of coping with our pets needs, quirks, and demands. Klam s self-deprecating personality is engaging. When we meet her and her first dog, Otto, she's hilarious as she imagines people thinking she can attract only a four-legged companion. Narrator Karen White's spirited delivery enhances the lively text. She perfectly differentiates the many personalities that Julie and her dogs meet in their travels. Klam is a splendid observer, and White delivers, especially when portraying Sharon, an Aussie VIP in Boston terrier circles. --AudioFile Earphones Award Winner </p>

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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>"As appealing to wine-lovers as it is to the simply curious–and to those who like to start their sentences, ‘Ah yes, but did you know . . . ?’–_Is This Bottle Corked?_ answers the really important questions about wine. . . . Best read with a glass of good Pomerol, or perhaps a soft consoling Constantia, this book is as much for those who just enjoy a good glass as it is for committed oenophiles."<br>—_Harpers Wine and Spirit Weekly_  </p><p>"A compilation of amusing and curious stories about wine."<br>—_Times_ (London)  </p><p>"As fascinating and quirky as the wine it celebrates."<br>—_Oxford Times_  </p><p>Plenty here that will deepen and enrich even a developed understanding of wine."<br>—Giles Kime, <em>Times Literary Supplement</em>  </p><p>"This book is actually fun and tells you things you didn’t know about everything wine-connected. . . . Read it and then instead of being a wine dullard you can be the drinker with the facts."<br>—_Diplomat_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>We’ve all come across those suave, confident, and all-so-knowing books that tell us precisely what to drink with which dish, how to swirl, sniff, slosh, and pronounce on our wine, and, above all, how to impress our friends and business associates with our expertise.  </p><p>Well, this is not one of those books. <em>Is This Bottle Corked?</em> is something different: a book that poses–and answers–the really <em>important</em> questions about wine.  </p><p>•What was Falstaff drinking when he called for more sack? <br>•What was actually drunk at Plato’s Symposium? <br>•When is rot "noble"?<br>•Who was the first American connoisseur of wine–it wasn’t George Washington, but speaking of the general, what was his favorite wine? <br>•Why on earth do wine connoisseurs talk like that? <br>•Was Pliny the Elder the first Robert Parker? <br>•Why do we drink to forget–and why doesn’t it work?  </p><p>These and many other intriguing, amusing, and curious questions are answered within, guaranteeing the reader a "Yes, but did you know . . .?" for every occasion at which a cork is drawn.  </p><p>Best read with a glass of aged German riesling, or perhaps a soft, consoling Constantia (recommended by Jane Austen for heartbreak and, to boot, gout) or maybe even a glass of St. Anne’s Rhubarb and Ginger Wine, this book is as much for bon vivants and those of us who just enjoy a good bottle or two as for the committed oenophile.   </p><p>Simply open, pour, and relax. </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>In The Day the Universe Changed, James Burke examines eight periods in history when our view of the world shifted dramatically: in the eleventh century, when extraordinary discoveries were made by Spanish crusaders; in fourteenth-century Florence, where perspective in painting emerged; in the fifteenth century, when the advent of the printing press shook the foundations of an oral society; in the sixteenth century, when gunnery developments triggered the birth of modern science; in the early eighteenth century, when hot English summers brought on the Industrial Revolution; in the battlefield surgery stations of the French revolutionary armies, where people first became statistics; in the nineteenth century, when the discovery of dinosaur fossils led to the theory of evolution; and in the 1820s, when electrical experiments heralded the end of scientific certainty. Based on the popular television documentary series, The Day the Universe Changed is a bestselling history that challenges the reader to decide whether there is absolute knowledge to discover - or whether the universe is "ultimately what we say it is".</p>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>With its cover image of the fetching de Laurentiis wearing a low-cut top and its promise of easy, tasty Italian recipes, this cookbook is sure to draw in home cooks who don't know how to make a basic marinara sauce and want to be introduced them to the beauty and simplicity of Italian cuisine. Which is, of course, a good thing, but a shame, too, since this work lacks depth or meaning. Readers seeking a true introduction to the building blocks of Italian cooking would be worlds better off with one of Marcella Hazan's or Lidia Bastianich's early primers. What those who are lured in by the good looks and charm of de Laurentiis (granddaughter of film producer Dino and star of Food Network's <em>Everyday Italian</em>) will get is an unsophisticated but decent selection of Italian-American classics, from antipasto to pasta, meat dishes to desserts, including Clams Oreganata, Caprese Salad, Salsa all'Amatriciana, Fettucine Alfredo, Veal Marsala, Caponata and Chocolate Tiramisù. De Laurentiis provides an introduction to each dish, and her recipes are generally minimalist (there are no recipes for homemade pastas or stews that take a day to make). Though bursting with glamorous shots of a lovely looking author, this is a rather flat first effort. <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>In her hit Food Network show <em>Everyday Italian</em>, Giada De Laurentiis shows you how to cook delicious, beautiful food in a flash. And here, in her long-awaited first book, she does the same—helps you put a fabulous dinner on the table tonight, for friends or just for the kids, with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of flavor. She makes it all look easy, because it is.   </p><p><em>Everyday Italian</em> is true to its title: the fresh, simple recipes are incredibly quick and accessible, and also utterly mouth-watering—perfect for everyday cooking. And the book is focused on the real-life considerations of what you actually have in your refrigerator and pantry (no mail-order ingredients here) and what you’re in the mood for—whether a simply sauced pasta or a hearty family-friendly roast, these great recipes cover every contingency. So, for example, you’ll find dishes that you can make solely from pantry ingredients, or those that transform lowly leftovers into exquisite entrées (including brilliant ideas for leftover pasta), and those that satisfy your yearning to have something sweet baking in the oven. There are 7 ways to make red sauce more interesting, 6 different preparations of the classic cutlet, 5 perfect pestos, 4 creative uses for prosciutto, 3 variations on basic polenta, 2 great steaks, and 1 sublime chocolate tiramisù—plus 100 other recipes that turn everyday ingredients into speedy but special dinners.  </p><p>What’s more, <em>Everyday Italian</em> is organized according to what type of food you want tonight—whether a soul-warming stew for Sunday supper, a quick sauté for a weeknight, or a baked pasta for potluck. These categories will help you figure out what to cook in an instant, with such choices as fresh-from-the-pantry appetizers, sauceless pastas, everyday roasts, and stuffed vegetables—whatever you’re in the mood for, you’ll be able to find a simple, delicious recipe for it here. That’s the beauty of Italian home cooking, and that’s what Giada De Laurentiis offers here—the essential recipes to make a great Italian dinner. Tonight. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of slow-cooker cookbook <em>Make It Fast, Cook It Slow</em> returns with budget (and gluten-free!) meals that will satisfy the entire family. Stephanie O'Dea's 200 delicious recipes include </p><ul><li>     Baked Herbed Feta    </li> <li>     Smoky Bean and Corn Soup    </li> <li>     Maple-Glazed Pork Chops    </li> <li>     Moroccan Chicken with Lentils    </li> <li>     Apple-Pecan Bread Pudding    </li> <li>     Orange and Honey Tilapia    </li> <li>     Chocolate Pot de Crème with Ganache  </li></ul><p>--and many more. <em>More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow</em> is the perfect cookbook for easy-to-prepare meals that don't take a toll on the family budget. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>Stephanie O'Dea</strong> is the founder of the hugely popular slow cooking website, crockpot365.blogspot.com, and author of <em>Make it Fast, Cook It Slow</em>. She lives with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area. </p>

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<div><meta charset="utf-8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; "><h3 class="productDescriptionSource" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.23em; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0.75em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.375em; margin-left: -15px; clear: left; ">Review</h3><div class="productDescriptionWrapper" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "><div>"Susie Bright is a one-woman counterculture, a teenaged socialist revolutionary turned Reagan-era sexual freedom fighter. In this lively, bittersweet memoir, she recounts a life full of political and erotic adventures and betrayals, a life at once deeply subversive and totally American, defined as it is by the idea that people should be free to express and pursue their own visions of happiness, no matter how uncomfortable it makes the prigs and scolds among us." — Tom Perotta, author of<i>Little Children</i>and<i>Election</i><br><br>"Susie Bright's real life is just as compelling—more compelling—than her sex life. And that's saying something." — Dan Savage<br><br>"I have a very scary feeling Susie Bright is not making any of this up. Guns, drugs, threesomes, socialist factionalism, a stabbing . . . all before she got her G.E.D.?" — Alison Bechdel, author of<i>Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic</i><br><br><i>"Big Sex Little Death</i>is subtle, hot, enthralling, raw and tender—I loved it. Susie Bright is a national treasure." — Josh Marshall, Editor and Publisher,<i>Talking Points Memo</i><br><br>"The best-named writer in America, Susie Bright has written a witty, wise, and enlightening memoir." — Erica Jong</div><div class="emptyClear" style="clear: left; height: 0px; font-size: 0px; "></div></div><h3 class="productDescriptionSource" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.23em; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0.75em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.375em; margin-left: -15px; clear: left; ">Product Description</h3><div class="productDescriptionWrapper" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; "><div>Ever wondered why there’s no female voice as bold, erotic, unflinching, and revealing as Norman Mailer, Henry Miller, or Philip Roth? There is. It belongs to Susie Bright.<br><br>In this stunning and courageous coming-of-age story, Susie Bright opens her heart and her life. From fearful Irish Catholic Girl Scout to gun-toting teenage revolutionary—and finally the "The Avatar of American Erotica"<i>(NYTimes)</i>—Bright’s life story is shaped as much by America’s sexual awakening as the national sexual landscape was altered by Bright herself.<br><br>In<i>Big Sex Little Death,</i>Bright introduces us to her influences and experiences, including her early involvement with notorious high school radicals<i>The Red Tide</i>as well as the magazine she co-founded in the 1980s,<i>On Our Backs</i>—the first-ever erotic magazine created by women, which turned the lesbian and bisexual community upside down before it took the "straight" world by storm.<br><br><i>Big Sex Little Death</i>is an explosive yet intimate memoir that’s pure Susie: bold, free-spirited, unpredictable—larger than life, yet utterly true to life.</div><div><br></div><div class="emptyClear" style="clear: left; height: 0px; font-size: 0px; "></div></div></span></div>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>“He has never been more satirically on-target. . . . Nothing is spared.”—_People_  </p><p>“[Vonnegut] is our strongest writer . . . the most stubbornly imaginative.”—John Irving  </p><p>“A gem . . . a mature, imaginative novel—possibly the best he has written . . . <em>Jailbird</em> is a guided tour de force of America. Take it!”—_Playboy_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><em>Jailbird</em> takes us into a fractured and comic, pure Vonnegut world of high crimes and misdemeanors in government—and in the heart. This wry tale follows bumbling bureaucrat Walter F. Starbuck from Harvard to the Nixon White House to the penitentiary as Watergate’s least known co-conspirator. But the humor turns dark when Vonnegut shines his spotlight on the cold hearts and calculated greed of the mighty, giving a razor-sharp edge to an unforgettable portrait of power and politics in our times. </p>

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<p>Heinrich B&ouml;ll's taut and haunting first novel tells the story of twenty-four-year-old Private Andreas as he journeys on a troop train across the German countryside to the Eastern front. Trapped, he knows that Hitler has already lost the war ... yet he is suddenly galvanized by the thought that he is on the way to his death.<br>  <br> As the train hurtles on, he riffs through prayers and memories, talks with other soldiers about what they've been through, and gazes desperately out the window at his country racing away. With mounting suspense, Andreas is gripped by one thought over all: Is there a way to defy his fate?<br><br><i>From the Trade Paperback edition.</i>


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<p>When Marnie receives a phone call that summons her to the side of a once-beloved friend, she is wrenched from her orderly London life and sent back into a past from which she has fled but never escaped.<p>Ralph, Marnie and Oliver once knew each other well and are still inextricably bound by ties of love and betrayal. Now they meet again in Ralph's secluded cottage in the Scottish highlands, to spend the precious days that Ralph has left with each other.<p>As they reminisce, Marnie is taken back to the summer years ago when everything changed between them and heartbreak and desire broke up their little group. Will Ralph have the chance to say what needs to be said before it's too late? And can they put the devastating events of twenty years ago to rest and rekindle the intimacy they once shared?


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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>With <em>Bleachers</em> John Grisham departs again from the legal thriller to experiment with a character-driven tale of reunion, broken high school dreams, and missed chances. While the book falls short of the compelling storytelling that has made Grisham a bestselling author, it is nonetheless a diverting novella that succeeds as light fiction. </p><p>The story centers on the impending death of the Messina Spartans' football coach Eddie Rake. One of the most victorious coaches in high school football history, Rake is a man both loved and feared by his players and by a town that relishes his 13 state titles. The hero of the novel is Neely Crenshaw, a former Rake All-American whose NFL prospects ended abruptly after a cheap shot to the knees. Neely has returned home for the first time in years to join a nightly vigil for Rake at the Messina stadium. Having wandered through life with little focus since his college days, he struggles to reconcile his conflicted feelings towards his former coach, and he assays to rekindle love in the ex-girlfriend he abandoned long ago. For Messina and for Neely, the homecoming offers the prospect of building a life after Rake. </p><p>Physically a narrow book, <em>Bleachers</em> is a modest fiction in many respects. The emotional scope is akin to that of a short story, with a single-minded focus on explorations of nostalgia and regret. The dialogue, especially that of Neely's friend Paul Curry, is sometimes wooden as characters recall Messina history in paragraphs that were perhaps better left to the narrator. But Grisham has otherwise written a well-made, entertaining--if a bit sentimental--story. <em>--Patrick O'Kelley</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Grisham demonstrated he could produce bestsellers without legal aid with The Painted House and Skipping Christmas, and he'll undoubtedly do so again with this slight but likable novel of high school football, a legendary coach and the perils of too early fame. Fifteen years after graduation, Neely Crenshaw, one-time star quarterback of the Messina Spartans, returns home on hearing news of the impending death of tough-as-nails coach Eddie Rake. Neely knows the score: "When you're famous at eighteen, you spend the rest of your life fading away." It's a lesson he's learned the hard way after destroying his knee playing college ball and drifting through life in an ever-downward spiral. He and his former teammates sit in the bleachers at the high school stadium waiting for Rake to die, drinking beer and reminiscing. There is a mystery involving the legendary '87 championship, and Neely has unfinished business with an old high school sweetheart, but neither story line comes to much. Readers will guess the solution to the mystery, as does the town police chief when it's divulged to him (" `We sorta figured it out,' said Mal") and Neely's former girlfriend doesn't want to have anything to do with his protestations of love ("You'll get over it. Takes about ten years"). The stirring funeral scene may elicit a few tears, but Neely's eulogy falls curiously flat. After living through four hard days in Messina, the lessons Neely learns are unremarkable ("Those days are gone now"). Many readers will come away having enjoyed the time spent, but wishing there had been a more sympathetic lead character, more originality, more pages, more story and more depth.<br>Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>

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<div><p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so 15-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza’s world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Then Liza discovers she has the Faerie ability to see—into the past, into the future—and she has no choice but to flee her town. Liza’s quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds.Janni Lee Simner’s first novel for young adults is a dark fairy-tale twist on apocalyptic fiction—as familiar as a nightmare, yet altogether unique.</p>

The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so 15-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza's world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Then Liza discovers she has the Faerie ability to see--into the past, into the future--and she has no choice but to flee her town. Liza's quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds.<br><br>Janni Lee Simner's first novel for young adults is a dark fairy-tale twist on apocalyptic fiction--as familiar as a nightmare, yet altogether unique.<br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i></div>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Powers (_Blue Clay People_) refers to wildcrafters, people who shape their inner and outer worlds to the flow of nature, as heroes. Among these wildcrafters is Dr. Jackie Benton, a physician who lives in a 12'×12' dwelling in the midst of 30 acres on No Name Creek in rural North Carolina. Benton lives a sustainable life off the grid by raising honeybees, growing her own vegetables and preserving them, and harvesting what she might need from the woods around her. As Powers points out, Benton seems to have achieved self-mastery in these confusing times, and his initial meeting with her is a search for clues to this self-mastery. After the two meet, Benton's sobering and often hilarious (taking showers in rain water warmed by the sun, learning that in order to eat chicken for dinner, he himself would have to kill a chicken given to him by his neighbors) narrative of his life in the 12'×12' offers precious insights into the ways that all individuals living in a fast-paced consumer culture might incorporate different ways of thinking about the natural world into their lives. <em>(May)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Take four giant steps forward. Turn right; do it again. Turn right again; repeat. Right; repeat. Now imagine living in a space roughly the size of the area just paced off. Without electricity or running water. In the middle of nowhere. Having recently returned from years in the Bolivian rain forest, environmental activist Powers experienced a nearly debilitating form of culture shock upon his reentry into the heart of American consumerism. His salvation came from ardent permaculturist Dr. Jackie Benton, who offered Powers the use of her spartan cabin in rural North Carolina. Living among other “wildcrafters”—organic farmers, furniture artisans, and eco-developers—Powers learned firsthand what it means to be self-sufficient in the midst of a nation that profligately squanders its resources and looks askance at those who choose to live deliberately. While there are no easy answers to be found in such an extreme experiment, Powers’ eloquent memoir reveals the breadth of this conflict and the depth of one man’s commitment to himself and his community. --Carol Haggas </p>


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<h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>Starred Review. Using a variety of primary sources, Cannato (_The Ungovernable City_) describes Ellis Island as a place and as an experience for the approximately 12 million immigrants who passed through it from 1892 to 1924. He follows its reincarnation as a detention center for wartime aliens and as a monument and museum, which he admits may celebrate uncritically "ethnic triumphalism" and upward mobility. Cannato writes that understaffing resulted in only perfunctory screening for mental, physical, and moral traits that might have made newcomers public charges, and he disabuses readers of the fallacy that examiners, rather than steamship officials or immigrants bent on assimilation, changed entrants' last names. With a focus on how "actual people created, interpreted, and executed immigration laws," Cannato maintains that regulation, which sometimes degraded into restriction, formed part of Progressive era reform and growing federal involvement to safeguard what was deemed the public interest. This measured book helps to place in perspective discussions—sure to matter to genealogists and those engaged in political discourse—of Ellis Island and the idea of immigration as a privilege rather than a right. Essential reading.—Frederick J. Augustyn Jr., Library of Congress <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>“The story of America is one of immigration. By bringing us the inspiring and sometimes unsettling tales of Ellis Island, Vincent Cannato’s American Passage helps us understand who we are as a nation.” (Walter Isaacson, author of <em>Einstein</em> )  </p><p>“Reading Vincent Cannato’s American Passage was an amazing journey into our nation’s immigrant past. Never before has Ellis Island been written about with such scholarly care and historical wisdom. Highly recommended!” (Douglas Brinkley, author of <em>The Great Deluge</em> )  </p><p>“To his great credit Cannato does not pretend to answer our tough questions about immigration, nor to find a ‘usable past’ in the history of Ellis Island. He just tells one heck of a story that oozes with relevance.” (Walter A. McDougall, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of <em>Throes of Democracy</em> )  </p><p>“Historian Vincent Cannato appears to have overlooked nothing in telling the tale of the historic island, now a national monument. . . . Cannato is not only a meticulous researcher and historian, he’s also a lively storyteller. A rare combination.” (_USA Today_ )  </p><p>“Immigration has long been a critical slice of the American narrative, and here, in American Passage, Vincent Cannato tells its story with great brio. From landing point to national Monument, from immigrants to interpreters, we see the veritable Babel of Ellis Island play out across the years.” (Jay Winik, author of <em>The Great Upheaval</em> and <em>April 1865</em> )  </p><p>“Although Ellis Island is about immigrants from far-away places, it is in fact as American as Thanksgiving and apple pie. This amazing story is recounted beautifully in Vincent Cannato’s well-written and evocative book, which will bring pleasure and profit to readers.” (Kenneth T. Jackson, editor in chief, <em>Encyclopedia of New York City</em> )  </p><p>“Cannato navigates the crosscurrents of immigration since the 1700s, illustrating his tale generously with odd facts and highly readable stories.” (_Associated Press_ )  </p><p>“Cannato does a masterful job of weaving together a slew of singular immigrant stories with the larger issues that surrounded newcomers. He gives us the politics, the health scares and epidemics, the crowding, the corruption and the public policy.” (_The New York Post_ )  </p><p>“Mr. Cannato’s writing is vivid and accessible, and his approach is admirably even-handed.” (_The Wall Street Journal_ )  </p><p>“Cannato resists the temptation to setimentalize Ellis Island. He understands that, now as then, immigration is an issue that leaves Americans uncomfortable and contentious, even as it continues to bring new blood and energy into the country.” (Jonathan Yardley, <em>The Washington Post</em> ) </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>This sprawling text reconstructs the history of civilization in order to illuminate the importance of water in human development from the first civilizations of the Fertile Crescent and the Indus River Valley to the present. Solomon (_The Confidence Game_) advances a persuasive argument: the prosperity of nations and empires has depended on their access to water and their ability to harness water resources. The story he tells is familiar, but his emphasis on water is unique: he shows how the Nile's flood patterns determined political unity and dynastic collapses in Egypt. He suggests that the construction of China's Grand Canal made possible a sixth-century reunification that eluded the Roman Empire. Finally, he attributes America's rise to superpower status to such 20th-century water innovations as the Panama Canal and Hoover Dam. Solomon surveys the current state of the world's water resources by region, making a compelling case that the U.S. and other leading democracies have untapped strategic advantages that will only become more significant as water becomes scarcer. <em>(Feb.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p><em>Starred Review</em> Solomon’s unprecedented, all-encompassing, and resounding inquiry into the science and politics of water is predicated on two incontrovertible yet disregarded facts: water is essential to life and civilization. After elucidating water’s defining role in the planet’s climate and quantifying the earth’s limited supply of freshwater, Solomon describes in vivid detail the water technologies of the ancient river societies of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Assyria. On to Rome and its world-altering aqueducts and advanced sanitation, a crucial subject covered in depth when Solomon turns to nineteenth-century London, after telling the fascinating story of China’s bold and transforming waterworks. By the time Solomon reaches America and its water-powered industrialization, it becomes clear that the technological marvels of one era deliver the environmental challenges of the next. The triumphs of water harnessed, therefore, give way to accounts of water polluted and squandered. Solomon shares sobering revelations about the harsh disparities between the lives of those who have water and those who don’t, reports on the cruel consequences of today’s water scarcities, and assesses the potential for a nightmarish impending freshwater famine. Seeking to inspire us to place a higher value on water and establish wiser approaches to its use, Solomon has created a brilliantly discursive and compelling epic of humankind and earth’s most vital and precious resource. --Donna Seaman </p>


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There's likely no more of a thankless job in the Federation than temporal investigation. While starship explorers get to live the human adventure of traveling to other times and realities, it's up to the dedicated agents of the Federation Department of Temporal Investigations to deal with the consequences to the timestream that the rest of the Galaxy has to live with day by day. But when history as we know it could be wiped out at any moment by time warriors from the future, misused relics of ancient races, or accident-prone starships, only the most disciplined, obsessive, and unimaginative government employees have what it takes to face the existential uncertainty of it all on a daily basis . . . and still stay sane enough to complete their assignments. That's where Agents Lucsly and Dulmur come instalwart and unflappable, these men are the Federation's unsung anchors in a chaotic universe. Together with their colleagues in the DTIand with the help and sometimes hindrance of Starfleet's finestthey do what they can to keep the timestream, or at least the paperwork, as neat and orderly as they are. But when a series of escalating temporal incursions threatens to open a new front of the history-spanning Temporal Cold War in the twenty-fourth century, Agents Lucsly and Dulmur will need all their investigative skill and unbending determination to stop those who wish to rewrite the past for their own advantage, and to keep the present and the future from devolving into the kind of chaos they really, really hate.


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>This supernatural suspense thriller crosses several genres--espionage, geopolitics, religion, fantasy. But like the chicken crossing the road, it takes quite a while to get to the other side. En route, Tim Powers covers a lot of territory: Turkey, Armenia, the Saudi Arabian desert, Beirut, London, Paris, Berlin, and Moscow. Andrew Hale, an Oxford lecturer who first entered Her Majesty's Secret Intelligence Service as an 18-year-old schoolboy, is called back to finish a job that culminated in a deadly mission on Mount Ararat after the end of World War II. Now it's 1963, and cold war politics are behind the decision to activate Hale for another attempt to complete Operation Declare and bring down the Communist government before Moscow can harness the powerful, other-worldly forces concentrated on the summit of the mountain, supposed site of the landing of Noah's ark. James Theodora is the über-spymaster whose internecine rivalry with other branches of the Secret Intelligence Service traps Hale between a rock and a hard place, literally and figuratively. There's plenty of mountain and desert survival stuff here, a plethora of geopolitical and theological history, and a big serving of <em>A Thousand and One Nights</em>, which is Hale's guide to the meteorites, drogue stones, and <em>amonon</em> plant, which figure in this complicated tale. There's a love story, too, and a bizarre twist on the Kim Philby legend that posits both Philby and Hale as the only humans who can tame the powers of the djinns who populate Mount Ararat.</p><p>This is an easy book to get lost in, and Powers's many fans will have a field day with it. The rest of us may have a harder time. <em>--Jane Adams</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Powers (The Anubis Gates, etc.), known hitherto as an expert fantasy writer, has created a mind-bending mix of genres here, placing his gifts for extreme speculative fiction in service of a fantastical spy story involving rivalries between no fewer than four intelligence services: British, French, Russian and American. In 1963, Andrew Hale is summoned to reenter the secret service. He has a past embracing anti-Nazi activities in Occupied ParisAwhere he fell in love with Elena, a Spanish-born Communist operativeAand a spectacularly unsuccessful mission on Mount Ararat in 1948, the purpose of which only gradually becomes clear. Powers posits that the mountain, as the speculative last home of Noah's Ark, is also the dwelling place of many djinns, supernatural beings that often take the form of rocks in the Arabian deserts. The father of British spy Kim Philby, a noted Arabist, had been a keen observer of these phenomena and taught his son about them. Now it seems that a supernatural power, manifesting itself as an old woman, is safeguarding the Soviet Union, and if fragments of a destroyed djinn can be introduced into Moscow, they could destroy her protection and make the Soviet Union susceptible to normal human laws. This is Hale's mission. In 1948 it failed, and most of his commando force was destroyed. On his return 15 years later, with Philby, Hale succeeds in shooting fragments of djinn into Philby, who then returns to Moscow. Upon Philby's death many years later, the Soviet Union duly collapses. The styles of spy fiction, with dense counterplotting and extremes of caution, and the spectacular supernatural scenes simply do not blend. It's all offbeat and daringly imaginative, but ultimately rather foolish entertainment. (Jan. 9) Forecast: This original novel, despite its strengths, is unlikely to satisfy fully fans of either spycraft or fantasyAand such is the pitfall of genre-bending. A 6-city author tour plus vigorous promotion online and off could give the book some turbo power, though. <br />Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>A passport's not needed to enjoy Hamrick's ditzy debut, the first in a new cozy series and the winner of the 2010 Mystery Writers of America/Minotaur Books First Crime Novel Competition. While Austin, Tex., high school teacher Jocelyn Shore and her fashionista cousin and best friend, Kyla Shore, are on an Egyptian tour, one of their group, unpopular 55-year-old Millie Owens, takes a fatal plunge off the great pyramid of Khafre outside Cairo. The police later determine that Millie was murdered, stabbed in the neck. Entries in a journal that Jocelyn finds in Millie's bag suggests someone on the tour might be dangerous. Good-looking Alan Stratton, who's traveling alone and wears no wedding ring, adds romantic interest. Hamrick does a good job capturing life on an exhausting budget tour as her snazzy if snarky amateur sleuth, who tends to be hard on the middle-aged and elderly, investigates some fishy fellow tourists with a hypercritical eye. (May) <br />(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Texas high school teacher Jocelyn Shore and her cousin Kyla are on a once-in-a-lifetime guided tour of Egypt with a motley crew of fellow travelers when the most odious of the bunch, a nosy, disagreeable woman named Millie Owens, takes a fatal fall off of one of the great pyramids. And that’s only the beginning of their troubles.  </p><p>From the jovial doctor haggling for trinkets he doesn’t want to the mysterious imposter wearing someone else’s clothing to the attractive stranger traveling alone, this group of tourists is carrying more than one kind of baggage. Add a mistaken identity, a priceless necklace, and another unexpected death, and Jocelyn finds herself reluctantly trying to unravel an intrigue that threatens to end not only her vacation, but her life.  </p><p>Janice Hamrick’s Mystery Writers of America/Minotaur Books Competition winner <em>Death on Tour</em> is a delightful debut and the beginning of a wonderfully charming cozy series featuring Jocelyn Shore, the determined teacher who always seems to get wrapped up in a mystery, against her usually very sound judgment.</p>


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My name is Tessa. I am strong. I am brave. I do not cry. These are the only things I know for certain. I was found in the bush, ragged as a wild thing. I have no memory - not even of how I got the long, striping slashes across my back. They make me frightened of what I might remember. The policewoman, Connolly, found me a place in a boarding school and told me about her daughter, Cat, who went missing in the bush. I think there is a connection between Cat, me, and the strange things going on at this school. If I can learn Cat's story, I might discover my own - and stop it happening again.


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<h3>Review</h3><p><em></em>Praise for _Mine Is the Night<br />_<br /><em></em>“_Mine Is the Night_ was everything I hoped it would be—the crown of the series! I loved the historical setting, the details, the love stories, the characters who change and grow. The pace and storylines kept me turning pages; I couldn’t put it down.”<br /><strong>—Francine Rivers, best-selling author of </strong>_<strong>Redeeming Love</strong><br />_<br />“Few authors stir my emotions more deeply than Liz Curtis Higgs. One does not merely read her novels; one forges a bond so deep with her characters that reader and story become one, embarking on a journey that both inspires and transforms. But be warned—_Mine Is the Night_ will steal your night from the first page to the last, and never will hours be better spent. It was an absolute pleasure to read.”<br /><strong>—Julie Lessman, author of </strong>_<strong>A Hope Undaunted</strong><br />_<br />“Liz Curtis Higgs has once again combined her extraordinary skill as a storyteller with her elegant writing style to weave a grand Scottish tale, one that transports us back to the past in an emotional and unforgettable journey. Beautifully crafted and clearly written from the heart, <em>Mine Is the Night</em> just took its place among my other favorite novels from one of our most gifted historical authors. I was reluctant to see the story of the Kerr women end—but what an ending it is!”<br /><strong>—BJ Hoff, author of </strong>_<strong>The Emerald Ballad</strong><br />_<br />“Liz Curtis Higgs brings the book of Ruth to life in Jacobite Scotland with_ Mine Is the Night,_ a page-turning, emotionally intense, gloriously researched, and soul-stirring read. I was in eighteenth-century Scotland with characters I did not want to leave. Simply brilliant.”<br /><strong>—Linda Windsor, author of </strong>_<strong>Healer</strong><br />_<br />“Liz Curtis Higgs does it again! <em>Mine Is the Night </em>delivers a compelling story of intrigue, adventure, and love. With extreme attention to detail and historical accuracy, Liz creates a love story to last the ages. Her ability to weave Bible <em></em>story, historical culture, and fiction into a rich tapestry is sure to delight you and leave you longing for more.”<br />—Tracie Peterson, best-selling author of <em></em>_<strong>Embers of Love</strong> <br />_<br />“Stunning from start to finish! Sharply witty, charming, romantic, captivating. Liz Curtis Higgs delivers a finale that satisfies in every way. Her best yet!”<br /><em></em>—Tamera Alexander, author of <em>Beyond This Moment</em><br /><em></em></p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><em></em>SHE LOST EVERYTHING SHE LOVED.<br />HE HAD EVERYTHING SHE NEEDED.<br />BUT COULD SHE FIND THE COURAGE TO TRUST HIM?  </p><p><em></em>Stepping from a battered coach on a rainy April eve, newly widowed Elisabeth Kerr must begin again, without husband or title, property or fortune. She is unafraid of work and gifted with a needle, but how will she stitch together the tattered remnants of her life? And who will mend her heart, torn asunder by betrayal and deception?<br />   Elisabeth has not come to Selkirk alone. Her mother-in-law, Marjory Kerr, is a woman undone, having buried her husband, her sons, and any promise of grandchildren. Dependent upon a distant cousin with meager resources, Marjory dreads the future almost as much as she regrets the past. Yet joy still comes knocking, and hope is often found in unexpected places.<br />  Then a worthy hero steps forward, rekindling a spark of hope. Will he risk his reputation to defend two women labeled as traitors to the Crown? Or will a wealthy beauty, untainted by scandal, capture his affections?<br />   The heartrending journey of the Kerr women comes to a glorious finish in <em>Mine Is the Night</em>, a sparkling gem of redemption and restoration set in eighteenth-century Scotland.   </p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>It's remarkable that practicing lawyers such as Seattle's James Thayer find the time, not to mention the psychic energy, to write smashing, fact-packed thrillers like this top-drawer tale, in which a lone assassin is sent into Germany at the end of World War II by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to knock off Hitler. Unlike other "what if?" books such as <em>The Day of the Jackal,</em> where readers know from the start that the plot to kill de Gaulle didn't succeed, <em>Five Past Midnight</em> winds up in the ruins of Hitler's bunker, where the Nazi leader indeed met his end. Whether or not it was at the hands of American commando Jack Cray is up to readers to decide--and Thayer does his best to sway the jury in favor of his client. His last gripping thriller, </p><h3>From</h3><p>Worn out though it be, the action hero bestriding a cartoonish world is a versatile stock character with regular appeal--provided the antagonist is suitably bad. Thayer picks the baddest of the bad--Adolf Hitler in Berlin, 1945. On the flimsy rumor that Hitler will continue the war from the Alps, special forces assassin Jack Cray is dispatched to stop him. Any cement head can kill, but to do so with Cray's disguises and efficiency--with knives! guns! bare hands!--shows he's a pro that no Gestapo thugs could possibly stop. Their efforts are short hurdles that Cray overcomes in ever more spectacular fashion. Locked up in a POW prison? Escape by faking death. Approaching a roadblock? Hide in a beef carcass. Need a German uniform? A sniper rifle? Fake documents? Cray steals, with the occasional help of a spy, everything he needs in a series of scrapes and escapes as he closes on Hitler's bunker, where Cray's SS ally awaits. A silly beach-time diversion with the noisy explosiveness that more people ask for by name--Thayer. <em>Gilbert Taylor</em></p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p><strong></strong>I flew through this novel, trying to connect the dots and find the killer along with Lucy. This is another great read from <strong>CJ Lyons. </strong>Women will enjoy the kick ass hero portrayed by Lucy. ~Chicklit Plus --chicklitplus.com/snake-skin-cj-lyons/  </p><p>Not for the faint-hearted! Fast-paced, with characters you can feel for and like, Snakeskin is part crime fiction, part thriller with a strong female protagonist. ~Joanna Penn --mysterythriller.tv/snakeskin-by-cj-lyons/ </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>_<strong></strong>_When it comes to "breathtakingly fast-paced thrillers" (Publishers Weekly), CJ Lyons is a "master of the genre." (Pittsburgh Magazine).  </p><h1>1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child has called CJ's work <strong>"Everything a great thriller should be--action packed, authentic, and intense."</strong></h1><p>Just your average Pittsburgh soccer mom, baking brownies and carrying a loaded forty-caliber Glock...  </p><p>Lucille Teresa Guardino. A woman of many identities. Lucille to her doting mother, Lulu to her devoted husband, Mom to her pre-teen daughter, Lucy to her friends, LT to her co-workers, and Supervisory Special Agent Guardino to the criminals she captures for the FBI's Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement squad.  </p><p>A loving mom and wife, dutiful daughter, consummate professional, and kick-ass federal agent, Lucy is living the perfect life.  </p><p>Until the day she comes up against a predator more vicious and cunning than any she's ever tackled before, one who forces Lucy to choose between the life of the young victim she is fighting to save and her own daughter's....and Lucy's dream life is shattered. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>With urban farming and backyard chicken flocks becoming increasingly popular, Coleman has written this timely and honest portrait of her own childhood experience in Maine with her two homesteading parents during the turbulent 1970s. Inspired by the back-to-the-land lifestyle of Scott and Helen Nearing, Coleman's parents, Sue and Eliot, decided to create their own idyllic reality on 60 acres of land in Maine that was sold to them by the Nearing family for a token sum. While Coleman emphasizes the beauty of growing up in a family culture that valued the bounty of nature and freedom of expression, she does not hesitate to also expose farming's detrimental effect on family life—her own well-being as well as the accidental death of her younger sister. (Mar.) <br />(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>“Combine the sincerity of Walden with the poignancy of The Glass Castle, add dashes of the lush prose found in The Botany of Desire, and you get This Life Is in Your Hands…. I was engaged and deeply moved by this evocative tale of Paradise found then lost.” (Wally Lamb, <em>The Hour I First Believed</em> )  </p><p>“Melissa Coleman’s enthralling account of ‘70s back-to-the-land living is an important cultural <em>and</em> emotional document: this is a story about surviving and, eventually, thriving amidst the shadows of loss.” (Heidi Julavits, author of The Uses of Enchantment )  </p><p>“A dream, a family, a heartbreaking tragedy—and a book I could not put down. Melissa Coleman’s memoir of a back-to-the-land childhood is fresh, organic, and gorgeously written.” (Peter Behrens, author of The Law of Dreams )  </p><p>“Coleman’s moving recounting never loses hope of redemption.” (_People_, Lead Review "People Pick" )  </p><p>“With beautiful lyrical prose, Coleman shows us what life in a 1970s back-to-nature farm was like, and the dear price her family paid pursuing their dream.” (Ann Hood, author of The Red Thread and The Knitting Circle )  </p><p>“Lyrical and down-to-earth, wry and heartbreaking, This Life Is In Your Hands is a fascinating and powerful memoir. Melissa Coleman doesn’t just tell the story of her family’s brave experiment and private tragedy; she brings to life an important and underappreciated chapter of our recent history.” (Tom Perrotta, author of Little Children and The Abstinence Teacher )  </p><p>“Intense readability.... haunting power.... as well as lush, vivid atmosphere that is alluring in its own right.... [A] story so nuanced that it would be a disservice to reveal what was in store. If you want to know what happened, read it for yourself.” (Janet Maslin, <em>New York Times</em> )  </p><p>“[This] is a rare breed of book-a memoir that justifies its own existence; that feels like it needs to exist…. Coleman shows that without the essential ingredient of heart, any family-no matter how perfect and revolutionary it seems-is in danger of experiencing real loss.” (NPR.org ) </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Yates's flamboyantly overstuffed debut brings a colorful panoply of characters to the Philippines, where corruption, hedonism, culture clashes, and a touch of magic lead to massive misadventure. Reeling from the death of his mom, Benicio ditches a burgeoning romance to head to Manila, where his long-estranged dad, Howard, is ostensibly living the high life. But when Benicio arrives, Howard is nowhere to be found, and Benicio eventually learns that Howard has been kidnapped by a gang that hopes to exploit the war on terror to make bank with their American hostage. Meanwhile, American embassy worker Monique is carrying on an affair and letting her family life deteriorate until the Howard situation upends her life. Rounding out the cast of those involved, in one way or another, with the kidnapping are an elite group of soldiers with rough manners and superpowers; Howard's local associates; a vengeful prostitute; Reynato Ocampo, a badass cop who's inspired a series of hit films; and the star of the Ocampo movies, who sees politics in his future. The explosive array of personalities and coincidences moves at a breakneck pace, but the massive cast and jumble of (sometimes brutally violent) plots threaten to smother the heart of this unruly adventure: a surprisingly touching story of a son and his parents. (Mar.) <br />(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"Dazzling....engaging....Mr. Yate's most impressive feat is to synchronize a sort of gradual reconciliation between the father and son without the two even meeting. But that is only half of the action....[and] Mr. Yates attacks this twist with shoot-'em-up verve.....readers will be gratified by the ambition and raw energy on the display in this particularly promising debut"--_<strong>Wall Street Journal</strong>_  </p><p>"Weird and weirdly affecting Philippines-set novel. The multiple story lines — involving an American businessman, his bumbling kidnappers, his estranged son, an embassy worker having an affair with a Filipino national hero, and an A-Team of supernaturally enhanced soldiers — languorously intertwine, thankfully without the soulless Swiss-watch efficiency that often governs books with such large casts. Yates, who spent part of his youth on the archipelago, caulks the cracks with local detail, but leaves enough room for Moondogs' narrative to breathe." <strong>--_Entertainment Weekly_</strong></p><p>"[A] debut novel that combines magical realism, geopolitics, and comic book-style superheroics with shoot-’em-up action, domestic drama, and daddy issues..... fizzy, funny, and tone-perfect....highly entertaining.... Yates achieves an extraordinary synthesis of tenderness and brutality, making us question our own sympathies"--<em></em>The Boston Globe<br /><em></em>  </p><p>"The kidnapping of an American businessman in the Philippines sets in motion an odd series of events involving his estranged son, a hard-boiled cop who inspired a hugely popular film series and a ragtag strike force with special powers. Yates' accomplished debut is an unlikely mix of folktale, Tarantino-esque pulp fiction, island adventure and geopolitical novel. Howard Bridgewater, a high-rolling ugly American whose firm services resorts, has been living in the Philippines for five years. Prompted by his ex-wife's death in Chicago, he convinces his grudge-ridden son Benicio, who lives in Virginia, to come over for a visit. By the time Benicio arrives, Howard has been abducted by a hapless, meth-addicted cab driver named Ignacio who plans on selling him to Moro terrorists. Problem is, he can't find any buyers. The bigger problem is that shady supercop Reynato Ocampo is after him, backed by an impressionable kid who can shoot anyone or anything at any distance (he's a devout fan of the "Ocampo Justice" movies) and a soldier who can turn into a dog or horse or spider. (Ignacio's nasty sidekick is a rooster who smokes.) Reynato is having an affair with Monique, a stressed U.S. Embassy officer who recently relocated to her native soil from America with her insomniac husband and kids; Solita, the prostitute, is demanding support money for the boy who may or may not be Howard's, and Charlie, the actor who plays Ocampo, is shamelessly running for political office. Yates handles the multiple points of view and fragmented narrative flawlessly. As outrageous as the action gets, he keeps his distinctive voice consistent and his tone measured, masterfully modulating the comic and violent effects. There's unexpected depth of emotion in the relationships and in the characters' connection to the land. The author lived in the Philippines when he was a teenager, and later returned to work at the U.S. Embassy. His feeling for and physical descriptions of the islands strongly reflect that experience. An unusual and unusually involving first novel with strong characters and nifty supernatural effects."<br />--_Kirkus Reviews,_ starred review </p><p>"[G]ritty, ambitious.... entertaining....Yates develops considerable narrative momentum....The vibrant and convincing setting coupled with the well-drawn major characters make for..... much to enjoy here."<br />--<strong>Library Journal</strong></p><p>"Like one of his own characters, Yates is a <em>bruho</em>, endowed with magical vision that allows him to see the invisible strands of fate and luck that bind people to each other.  He is also a sharpshooter, able to survey an entire city of millions, and then, in an instant, train his sights on an individual target, focusing with great precision on delicate movements of the head and the heart." <br />–Charles Yu, author of _How To Live Safely in a Science Fiction Universe<br />_ <br /> "MOONDOGS is the thrilla’ in Manila, a rollicking mash-up of magic and mayhem that grabs you by the collar and won't let go.  Alexander Yates sizzles."<br />—Keith Donohue, author of _The Stolen Child <em>and </em>Angels of Destruction<br />_ <br /> "An electric and fierce debut novel where strangers share a world with the estranged, and their hidden secrets and open hostilities are equally combustible.  Yates writes with a sense of color and heat that crackles in the voices of his star-crossed characters and adds a vivid glow to the streets of Manila and waters of the Philippines.  MOONDOGS beckons, drawing readers onward with a vibrant intensity that is both lyrical and thrilling. -Ravi Howard, author of _Like Trees, Walking<br />_ <br />"Yates is the real thing; a unique literary voice and natural storyteller with indelible characters, thrill-ride geopolitics and narrative mastery"—Arthur Flowers, author of <em>Another Good Loving Blue</em>s  </p><p>"The greatest of Yates' many talents is his ability to make us feel like insiders in so many different worlds and minds. He has Elmore Leonard's logistical chops and Charles Portis' sense of humor but the juggling act of MOONDOGS is entirely his own—and nothing ever touches the ground."—Roy Kesey, author of _All Over <em>and the upcoming </em>Pacazo<br />_ <br /><em></em> <br /><em></em></p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Based on a news article written for the San Francisco Bay Guardian, Mournian's exquisitely written and impossibly sad fiction debut charts America's latest version of the Underground Railroad. When 15-year-old Ahmed inadvertently outs himself to his parents, they take him to a residential treatment center in the Nevada desert, Serenity Ridge, where he's tortured, molested, and put through a "straight" rehabilitation program. After 11 months, Ahmed manages to escape to a safe house for runaway gay teens in San Francisco, where he meets a slew of other kids like himself, all with their own stories to tell, most just as traumatizing as his own or worse. But life inside the safe house is never entirely safe, as Ahmed, now known as Ben, learns to his sorrow just as he begins to let his guard down. Regardless of their sexual orientation, readers will wait with baited breath to the end, almost suffocating on the palpable sense of fear and claustrophobia that permeates this heartbreaking story. (Feb.) <br />(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>When Ahmed's parents send him to a residential treatment center known as Serenity Ridge, it's with one goal: to "fix" their son, at any cost. But eleven months of abuse and overmedication leave him desperate to escape. And when the opportunity comes, Ahmed runs away to San Francisco.</p><p>There, he moves into a secret safe house shared by a group of teens. Until they become independent at eighteen, the housemates hide away from authorities, bound by rules that both protect and frustrate. Ahmed, now known as Ben, tries to adjust to a life lived in impossibly close quarters with people he barely knows, all of whom guard secrets of their own. But even if they succeed in keeping the world at bay, there's no hiding from each other or from themselves. And there's no avoiding the conflicts, crushes, loneliness, and desire that could shatter their fragile, complicated sanctuary at any moment. . .</p><p>"This fresh and original novel defies easy labels. It's knowing yet vulnerable, observant yet naive--a wholly unique and compelling read." --Rachel Cohn, <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author</p><p><strong>Tomas Mournian</strong> attended U.C. Berkeley. A freelance journalist, he's written articles for The San Francisco Bay Guardian, Los Angeles Magazine, OUT, In Style and Marie Claire. His investigation journalism ("Hiding Out," "Anywhere But There," and "Girls Sent to Institutions") has been recognized with awards from the Peninsula Press Club, East Bay Press Club and NCCD Pass awards, with nominations by the GLAAD Media Awards and Pulitzer. Writing under a pseudonym, his plays have been produced internationally. He held the Eli Cantor Chair at The Corporation of Yaddo and lives in Los Angeles. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Louisiana-born Horack's novel (after The Southern Cross collection) offers a stylish, fast-paced, historical narrative based on an 1816 slave insurrection. Spanish slave traders enter the Congo and purchase a captured Pygmy named Kau, transporting him to Pensacola, Fla., where he's sold to an innkeeper. Five years later, Kau kills the innkeeper's son and flees into the wilds of southern Florida. Along his wilderness trek, Kau regrets the murder, yearns for his family in Africa, and encounters a "Negro fort" on the Apalachicola River built by General Garçon. The remote fort's ostentatious "genius" commander befriends the diminutive Kau, who is allowed to take an escaped slave as his mate. The American victory in the War of 1812 makes Garçon, an ally of the British, a target of the imminent American invasion. While sympathetic to the slaves' desire to be free, Kau realizes the slim chance for success against the Americans; he's more inclined to follow his heart and "live quietly" in Florida than stand with Garçon. This diminutive man serves as a watchful protagonist in Horack's crisp, vivid tale. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Five years after capture and enslavement in the American South, Kau, a pygmy tribesman, manages to escape. He flees into the wilder territories of unsettled Florida, an area still very much in dispute between Native Americans and white Americans, between runaway slaves and slave catchers, between black recruits to the British army to fight the War of 1812 and the white American military. Kau finds himself caught between cultures and clashes on an odyssey through the Florida swamplands, haunted by memories of his own tribe and family, struggling to reconcile the alliances and animosities among the warring black, red, and white tribes he encounters. He meets Native Americans fighting with and against encroaching white men, a family of freed blacks eking a life for themselves, and a mesmerizing former slave who commands a fort while leading a doomed mission. What Kau wants is to find a space in the wilderness that will return him to himself. Horack is masterful in rendering a story of a man whose singularity offers fresh perspective on a turbulent period in American history in an exceptionally evocative novel. --Vanessa Bush </p>


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<p>A new edition of the well-loved story of Danny and his father who outwit their greedy, rich neighbour, Mr Victor Hazell. With a great new cover by Quentin Blake as well as a whole new exciting end section about Roald Dahl and his world.</p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>Picking right up where <em>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</em> left off, <em>Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator</em> continues the adventures of Charlie Bucket, his family, and Willy Wonka, the eccentric candy maker. As the book begins, our heroes are shooting into the sky in a glass elevator, headed for destinations unknown. What follows is exactly the kind of high-spirited magical madness and mayhem we've all come to expect from Willy Wonka and his creator Roald Dahl. The American space race gets a send-up, as does the President, and Charlie's family gets a second chance at childhood. Throw in the Vermicious Knids, Gnoolies, and Minusland and we once again witness pure genius. <em>(Ages 9 to 12)</em></p><h3>Review</h3><p>Dahl’s phenomenal popularity among children speaks for his breathless storytelling charms. -- <em>Publishers Weekly</em></p>


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Every time Mr Fox steals a chicken from the farm, Farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean grow wild with rage! They're the nastiest crooks in the valley, and they've concocted a cunning plan to dig him out of his hole once and for all. But it never occurs to them that Mr Fox has a fantastic plan of his own . . . Releasing January 2010, Wes Anderson and Twentieth Century Fox bring to life Roald Dahl's classic tale in breathtaking stop-motion animation. With a cast that includes George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Bill Murray, this film is guaranteed to delight Dahl fans of every age.


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George's grandma is a grizzly, grumpy, selfish woman with pale brown teeth and a small puckered-up mouth like a dog's bottom. Four times a day she takes a large spoonful of thick brown medicine, but it doesn't seem to do her any good. She's always just as horrid after she's taken it as she was before.So when George is left alone to look after her one morning, it's just the chance he needs...


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>When poor James Henry Trotter loses his parents in a horrible rhinoceros accident, he is forced to live with his two wicked aunts, Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. After three years he becomes "the saddest and loneliest boy you could find." Then one day, a wizened old man in a dark-green suit gives James a bag of magic crystals that promise to reverse his misery forever. When James accidentally spills the crystals on his aunts' withered peach tree, he sets the adventure in motion. From the old tree a single peach grows, and grows, and grows some more, until finally James climbs inside the giant fruit and rolls away from his despicable aunts to a whole new life. James befriends an assortment of hilarious characters, including Grasshopper, Earthworm, Miss Spider, and Centipede--each with his or her own song to sing. Roald Dahl's rich imagery and amusing characters ensure that parents will not tire of reading this classic aloud, which they will no doubt be called to do over and over again! With the addition of witty black and white pencil drawings by Lane Smith (of <strong> and </strong> fame), upon which the animation for the Disney movie was based, this classic, now in paperback, is bursting with renewed vigor. We'll just come right out and say it: <em>James and the Giant Peach</em> is one of the finest children's books ever written. (Ages 9 to 12) </p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Lane Smith trades stinky cheese for fantastic fruit with his black-and-white illustrations for Roald Dahl's classic 1961 novel, James and the Giant Peach. The reissue is timed to coincide with the release of the Disney animated motion picture based on Smith's suitably subversive visual interpretation.<br />Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>He is a man of many names. Some call him the Golden One; others, the Lord of the Silver Bow. To the Dardanians, he is Prince Aeneas. But to his friends, he is Helikaon. Strong, fast, quick of mind, he is a bold warrior, hated by his enemies, feared even by his Trojan allies. For there is a darkness at the heart of the Golden One, a savagery that, once awakened, can be appeased only with blood.Argurios the Mykene is a peerless fighter, a man of unbending principles and unbreakable will. Like all of the Mykene warriors, he lives to conquer and to kill. Dispatched by King Agamemnon to scout the defenses of the golden city of Troy, he is Helikaon’s sworn enemy.Andromache is a priestess of Thera betrothed against her will to Hektor, prince of Troy. Scornful of tradition, skilled in the arts of war, and passionate in the ways of her order, Andromache vows to love whom she pleases and to live as she desires.Now fate is about to thrust these three together–and, from the sparks of passionate love and hate, ignite a fire that will engulf the world.Readers who know the works of David Gemmell expect nothing less than excellence from this author, whose taut prose, driving plots, and full-bodied characters have won him legions of fans the world over. Now, with this first masterly volume in an epic reimagining of the Trojan War, Gemmell has written an ageless drama of brave deeds and fierce battles, of honor and treachery, of love won and lost.From the Hardcover edition.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Outside the golden city of Troy, Prince Hektor leads the Trojan cavalry in daring raids against the forces led by his young rival, the peerless warrior Achilles. Meanwhile, burning for vengeance after the brutal murder of his wife, Helikaon commands the Trojan fleet, sowing misery and death among the Mykene navy and supply ships. But even these mighty efforts are of scant avail against the hordes of battle-hardened Mykene infantry, the Myrmidon soldiers of Achilles, and the cunning strategies of Odysseus, compelled against his heart’s urgings to aid the cause of Agamemnon.Now, before the gates of Troy, Hektor and Achilles will find themselves inexorably drawn into a battle of champions that will decide the fate of the innocents trapped within the city walls. There, as King Priam slips into madness, Andromache–wife of Hektor, lover of Helikaon, mother, warrior, and priestess–must navigate a maze of treachery and danger to save her children and her city from the massacre about to unfold.</p>


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<div><p class="description">EDITORIAL REVIEW:</p>
<p class="description">The second novel in David Gemmell’s bestselling Troy trilogy. Interlacing myth and history, and high adventure, this is epic storytelling at its very best.War is looming, and all the kings of the Great Green are gathering, each with their own dark plans of conquest and plunder.Into this maelstrom of treachery come three travellers: Piria, a runaway priestess nursing a terrible secret; Kalliades, a warrior with high ideals and a legendary sword; and his close friend Banokles, who will carve his own legend in the battles to come.Together they journey to the fabled city of Troy, where a darkness is falling that will eclipse the triumphs and personal tragedies of ordinary mortals for centuries to come.*From the Paperback edition.*</p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>At the start of Alcorn's uneven third Norman de Ratour mystery (after 2009's <em>The</em><em>Love Potion Murders in the Museum of Man</em>), Norman, the Museum of Man's director and the book's bloviating narrator, discovers a murdered man in a parked car near the museum, located in the New England town of Seaboard. Unfortunately, the victim is honorary numismatics curator Heinrich Heinie von Grümh, a wealthy MOM contributor. Worse, Heinie turns out to have been shot with Norman's revolver, making him a prime suspect. Meanwhile, Norman must find a new home for a highly articulate chimp, fend off neighboring Wainscott University's efforts to take over the MOM, and look into whether the antique coins Heinie gave the museum are fakes. Alcorn's barbed darts at academia and the rarified world of top-notch museums amuse, but humor alone isn't enough to redeem a rambling tale of wavering morals populated by mostly unattractive characters. <em>(May)</em> <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"Before one can do justice to Alfred Alcorn's third Norman de Ratour mystery novel, it helps to haul out such adjectives as smart, sharp, fresh, sly, wise, original , and wildly funny. Alcorn can keep a story moving with the swiftness of a dirty look and the brilliance of a fine satire. Set in a mythical academic institution (read Harvard)  lucky readers of this novel will meet and get to know characters they won't soon forget--especially Alphus , the most memorable of contemporary philosophers."<br>— Anne Bernays  </p><p>Praise for <em>Murder in the Museum of Man</em> and <em>The Love Potion Murders in the Museum of Man</em>:  </p><p>“The Marx Brothers would be very welcome at this quirky institution. . . . A stylish, fiendish detective story.” — _The New York Times Book Review<br>_<br>“An adroit, hilarious send-up.” —The New Yorker  </p><p>“Readers will be choked with laughter.” — <em>The Boston Sunday Herald</em>  </p><p>“Delicious details on every page.” —_ The Chicago Tribune_  </p><p>“Sly and spicy from start to finish . . . a just-right balance of innocence, subtle malevolence and cheeky irony.” — <em>Publishers Weekly</em></p>

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<div><h3>Review</h3><p><em></em>“Murder fans who prefer their crimes with a touch of class should heat some scones and nestle back for the afternoon.”<br>–_The_ <em>Atlanta Journal-Constitution</em>  </p><p>“Anne Perry can write a Victorian mystery that would make Dickens’s eyes pop.”<br>–_The New York Times Book Review_<br><em></em></p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><em></em>Few authors have made Victorian London as engaging and lively as Anne Perry has and her rich descriptions and charismatic characters have long captivated fans around the world. Now in one enticing volume, here are Anne Perry’s first three classic novels featuring private investigator William Monk.<br><em></em><br><em></em>THE FACE OF A STRANGER<br><em></em>His name, they tell him, is William Monk, and he is a London police detective. His memory vanished after a terrible accident, intent on hiding his condition and starting a new life, Monk tackles a grisly murder case in which each new revelation leads him to the answers he seeks but dreads to find. . . .  </p><p><em></em>A DANGEROUS MOURNING<br><em></em>Called upon to investigate the brutal murder of a blue-blooded young widow, Monk is plagued by his lingering amnesia and an inept supervisor. But nurse Hester Latterly offers her assistance, and together they grope warily through the silence and shadows that obscure the aristocrat’s demise.  </p><p><em></em>DEFEND AND BETRAY<br><em></em>After a brilliant military career, General Thaddeus Carlyon meets his death not on the battlefield but at a London dinner party, and his wife confesses to the murder. But Monk and Hester Latterly suspect deceit, and with the trial only days away, they feverishly work to unravel the dark heart of the mystery. </p>

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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>In Johansen's gripping 11th Eve Duncan novel (after Chasing the Night), the first of a trilogy, the forensic sculptor zeros in on the kidnapper and serial killer who years earlier abducted and murdered her seven-year-old daughter, Bonnie. Eve's obsession with the case draws in her good friend, CIA agent Catherine Ling, as well as her lover and would-be protector, police detective Joe Quinn. In spite of their problematic relationships due to Eve's protracted and intense search, Ling and Quinn work together to call in favors and pursue every possible lead. Their joint efforts uncover a cadre of sharply drawn malefactors who may be deeply involved, notably emotionally unstable John Gallo, Eve's former lover and Bonnie's father, who spent six years as a prisoner in North Korea. The explosive finale set in the Wisconsin woods leads to an emotional cliffhanger, as Johansen deftly baits the hook for the next volume. 400,000 first printing. (Apr.) <br>(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>After searching for years over the course of Johansen�s popular, long-running series, forensic sculptor Eve Duncan is finally close to solving the mystery of daughter Bonnie�s murder. With the help of her CIA friend Catherine Ling, Eve narrows the field of suspects down to either Paul Black or John Gallo, both of whom work for a corrupt military intelligence officer. Paul has a history of killing children, and John is mentally unstable after a stint in a North Korean prison. The specter of Gallo forces Eve to relive her tumultuous past, growing up in the projects of Atlanta, intent on staying out of trouble until she meets John. He was about to join the army to become a Ranger, but first they had a brief yet highly charged affair, which left Eve pregnant with Bonnie. Now nothing will stop Eve from learning the truth about her daughter�s fate as Johansen launches a trilogy that takes the reader on an action-packed journey filled with killers and heroes, leaving readers on tenterhooks for Quinn (July 2011) and Bonnie (October 2011). HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: With a seven-figure marketing campaign and 400,000-copy print runs for each title, Johansen�s next three titles will be hot. --Patty Engelmann </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The long-awaited sequel to Janni Lee Simner's breathtaking YA fantasy debut, <em>Bones of Faerie</em>.  </p><p>Liza is a summoner. She can draw life to herself, even from beyond the grave. And because magic works both ways, she can drive life away. Months ago, she used her powers to banish her dangerous father and to rescue her mother, lost in dreams, from the ruined land of Faerie.  </p><p>Born in the wake of the war between humanity and Faerie, Liza lived in a world where green things never slept, where trees sought to root in living flesh and bone. But now the forests have fallen silent. Even the evergreens' branches are bare. Winter crops won't grow, and the threat of starvation looms. And deep in the forest a dark, malevolent will is at work. To face it, Liza will have to find within herself something more powerful than magic alone.  </p><p>Here at last is the sequel to <em>Bones of Faerie</em>, for all those fans of dark fantasy and dystopian adventure who thrilled to Janni Lee Simner's unique vision of a postapocalyptic world infused with magic. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>JANNI LEE SIMNER is the author of <em>Bones of Faerie </em>and <em>Thief Eyes.</em> Visit Janni at Simner.com. </p>

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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>"_The Love Potion Murders in the Museum of Man_ is no less giddy, but in a dry, snide style. Uppity Wainscott University is caught on Alfred Alcorn's blade when two antagonistic academics are found on the floor of the genetics lab, victims of an industrial-strength aphrodisiac and done to death by sexual excess. The Marx Brothers would be very welcome at this quirky institution." — _The New York Times Book Review<br>_<br>Praise for the first Norman de Ratour Mystery, <em>Murder in the Museum of Man</em>  </p><p>"An adroit, hilarious send-up." — <em>The New Yorker</em>  </p><p>"A stylish, fiendish detective story." — <em>The New York Times Book Review</em>  </p><p>"Readers will be choked with laughter." — <em>The Boston Herald</em>  </p><p>A "wonderfully funny and surprisingly suspenseful story." — <em>The Chicago Tribune</em>  </p><p>"Alcorn's unexpected hybrid blends academic spoofery . . . and a murder mystery, serving it up with just the right balance of innocence, subtle malevolence and cheeky irony." — _Publishers Weekly  </p><p>_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>When Professor Humberto Ossmann and Dr. Clematis Woodley, who heartily despised each other in life, are found together in a mortal embrace, Norman de Ratour knows that evil once again stalks the hallowed precincts of the Museum of Man. It has been several years since the museum was wracked by what became known as the “cannibal murders.” Many of the same characters – Malachy Morin, Lieutenant Tracy of the Seaboard Police Department, Constance Brattle of Wainscott University's Oversight Committee, the Reverend Alfie Lopes, Elsbeth, now Norman's beloved wife, and Israel Landes, his devoted friend – play their parts as an unseemly conspiracy unfolds: A powerful aphrodisiac under development in the Genetics Lab is being used as a murder weapon.Norman, now director of the museum, figuratively dons his deerstalker hat to help the Seaboard police find and bring the miscreants to justice. <em>The Love Potion Murders in the Museum of Man</em> takes black comedy to philosophical heights, exploring the human (and inhuman) condition and seeking to redeem it through humor in a novel that combines parody and murder mystery suspense. </p>

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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>"The book’s a riot; frank, anecdotal, dripping with hilarious self-deprecation..." ~Jonathan Northcroft, <em>Sunday Times</em> (UK)  </p><p>"hugely entertaining" ~Henry Winter, <em>Daily Telegraph</em> (UK)  </p><p>"smart and surprising" ~Paul Doyle, <em>Guardian</em> (UK)  </p><p>"For those with an interest in football (soccer), for those with an interest in a well told tale, 'Carlo Ancelotti' by 'Carlo Ancelotti' with Alessandro Alciato (Rizzoli New York, $25.00, 264 pages, 35 photographs) fits the bill. The former star player, the famed coach of top teams in Italy and England, the outspoken Ancelotti touches all bases in this illuminating autobiography. There is something to learn on each page about 'the beautiful game' and the man some call 'the ordinary genius'." ~_Frommer Luxury Travel  </p><p>_"For the first time in English, Ancelotti's autobiography, <em>Carlo Ancelotti: The Beautiful Games of an Ordinary Genius</em>, released yesterday. The book offers candid insight on the difference between the Italian and English games. Ancelotti's playing days at Parma, Roma and Milan are well covered, as are his recent managerial triumphs. Friend, and former teammate, Palo Maldini offers the forword."_~Selectism_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The entertaining, revealing, and controversial bestselling autobiography of one of the most respected figures in the world of soccer. Carlo Ancelotti is one of only six people to have won the Champions League—European soccer’s most coveted trophy—as both player and coach. After a successful career playing for several of the most important teams in Italy—and for the Italian national team—Ancelotti went on to become one of the most acclaimed and outspoken coaches in European football, managing Italian giants Parma, Juventus, and Milan before moving to Chelsea, one of the Premier League’s most successful clubs, in 2009. The book moves from anecdotes of his life growing up in Reggio Emilia to stories of his time playing among the best footballers in the world. With a characteristic mixture of sharp insight and humor, Ancelotti explores the differences between the Italian and the English games, shares his thoughts on soccer’s future with the MLS in America, and reflects on the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. With a preface by the legendary former captain of the Italian national team, Paolo Maldini, this book is at once a tactician’s bible from one of the world’s most celebrated footballing minds, the fascinating story of an ordinary man reaching great heights, and in part a revealing tell-all from an outspoken insider in the cut-throat world of European soccer. The perfect book for anyone with a passion for the beautiful game. </p>

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<h3>Review</h3><p>“Hair-raising.” (Orlando Sentinel )  </p><p>“Takes off like a runaway brougham . . . a compulsive puzzler.” (Los Angeles Times )  </p><p>A spooky page-turner . . . barrels through Victorian England with the narrative drive of a runaway train.” (People )  </p><p>“Plenty of detail and fast-paced action.” (Denver Post )  </p><p>“A ripping good tale. It effervesces like champagne.” (Washington Post Book World )  </p><p>“Compelling . . . bizarre.” (San Francisco Chronicle )  </p><p>“Dark, brooding . . . a heart-thumping, bizarre tale.” (Buffalo News )  </p><p>“[A] clever series...classical-style, slam-bang adventure.” (Publishers Weekly )  </p><p>“A knockout . . . remarkable . . . engrossing . . . strange and terrifying.” (Booklist )  </p><p>“Dark and compelling entertainment . . . an irresistible page turner.” (Clive Barker ) </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>_The ancient holy texts are missing.<br />The death of the world approaches._</p><p>Six extraordinary men have shared one vision of a black tower and a river of blood. Somewhere in the desert wastelands of America, the ultimate battle will be waged. The greatest experiment in evil since the beginning of time is under way, with all humanity its designated sacrifice.</p><p>The future is in the hands of the Six.</p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p><em></em>Three devious prisoners vow murderous revenge.<br />Now the second is free.  </p><p><em></em>With her stalker captured, antiques dealer Amanda Crosby can finally sleep at night. Having worked hard to put the nightmare behind her, Amanda has vowed to never be a victim again. But when her business partner, Derek England, is found with a bullet through the back of his head just hours after she left an incriminating message on his voice mail, Amanda finds herself in danger of becoming a victim of another sort.  </p><p>All the evidence points to Amanda as Derek’s killer, and Chief of Police Sean Mercer is building the case against her. But when another of her colleagues is found brutally murdered, it’s obvious that someone other than Amanda is behind the killings. Suddenly Amanda is a target once again, as a diabolical killer circles ever closer—and the only thing that stands between her and becoming the third and final victim is the man who had tried to put her behind bars. . . . </p><h3>From the Inside Flap</h3><p><em></em>Three devious prisoners vow murderous revenge.<br />Now the second is free.<em></em></p><p>With her stalker captured, antiques dealer Amanda Crosby can finally sleep at night. Having worked hard to put the nightmare behind her, Amanda has vowed to never be a victim again. But when her business partner, Derek England, is found with a bullet through the back of his head just hours after she left an incriminating message on his voice mail, Amanda finds herself in danger of becoming a victim of another sort.</p><p>All the evidence points to Amanda as Derek's killer, and Chief of Police Sean Mercer is building the case against her. But when another of her colleagues is found brutally murdered, it's obvious that someone other than Amanda is behind the killings. Suddenly Amanda is a target once again, as a diabolical killer circles ever closer—and the only thing that stands between her and becoming the third and final victim is the man who had tried to put her behind bars. . . . </p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>“Mariah Stewart is fast becoming a brand-name author.”<br /><em>–Romantic Times</em></p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Three devious prisoners vow murderous revenge.<br />Now the third is free.  </p><p>FBI Special Agent Miranda Cahill has always played by the rules: always maintain a respectful professionalism, and never mix business with pleasure. Except when it comes to fellow agent Will Fletcher. Their on-again, off-again relationship has left painful scars even he has never seen.<br />Now, a series of murders has the two agents racing to outwit a killer before he can strike again. Miranda and Will know that lives depend on identifying intended victims and tracking them down before the killer does. But as they begin to unravel this homicidal agenda, it becomes clear that Miranda may be the last and final target in a twisted game. With the clock ticking, time is running out on a killer who is determined to cross Miranda’s name off his hit list . . . permanently. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>While writing a biography of Graham Hayward, the upright and highly regarded former president of the United States, journalist Simon Keller, the books rather colorless protagonist, comes across landscape designer Dina McDermott, who may be Hayward's illegitimate daughter. The latter has grown up believing that Jude McDermott is her mother. Jude, torn between telling her daughter the truth and protecting her from it, is afraid that revealing her parentage may prove dangerous, especially since Dina's real mother, Blythe, was killed in a suspicious, unsolved hit-and-run years earlier. As Simon pieces together the events of the past, both he and Dina become the targets of people who will do anything to keep her true parentage a secret and the president's reputation intact. Stewart (Voices Carry) occasionally interrupts her narrative with mundane details, describing everything from how Dina enters a room to the music preferences of her hired help. For the most part, however, the novel swings from one surprising twist and turn to another at a breath-catching clip. A satisfying political thriller marked by believable intrigue and a touch of romance, this book, though not on par with those of Lisa Gardner or Linda Howard, is a worthwhile read.<br />Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>With good friends, a growing business she adores, and a mother who has always been there for her, landscape designer Dina McDermott thinks things are just about perfect until journalist Simon Keller uncovers a 30-year-old secret that could totally rearrange her life and possibly that of the country as well. But scandal isn't the only thing looming. A murderer has become active once again, and this time Dina's world is being targeted. Featuring careful plotting, especially good character descriptions, and enough red herrings to keep readers off balance, this engrossing contemporary romantic mystery provides an occasionally disconcerting glimpse into the lives and resources of the politically powerful and their obsession with public image and the destructive lengths some will go to maintain it. It will appeal to Stewart's growing fan base and readers who enjoy women-in-jeopardy tales. Stewart lives in the Philadelphia area.<br />Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Sketch artist Kendra Smith, the heroine of Mariah Stewart's (The President's Daughter, etc.) Until Dark, has experienced more than her share of sorrow: her father died of cancer, her brother and cousin are presumed murdered and her mother recently committed suicide. Still, she agrees to lend her skills when her ex-boyfriend, Special Agent Adam Stark, asks for her aid in searching for the Soccer Mom Killer, who targets blonde single mothers. The sexual chemistry between Adam and Kendra simmers on the back burner as they work the case, which may disappoint those looking for more sparks. But when Ian's watch shows up near one of the murder scenes and victims turn up bearing crosses and butterfly clips identical to the ones Kendra wears, tension of another sort heats up. Savvy readers may immediately suspect who the killer is, but this thriller packs a few extra punches for those who are overconfident in their powers of deduction. <br />Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>Review</h3><p><em></em>“Mariah Stewart is fast becoming a brand-name author.”<br />–_Romantic Times_<br /><em></em><br />“A heart-pounding book that had me enthralled from the first page to the last.”<br />–CARLA NEGGERS<br /><em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of <em>The Harbor</em></p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Jennifer Egan's spellbinding interlocking narratives circle the lives of Bennie Salazar, an aging former punk rocker and record executive, and Sasha, the passionate, troubled young woman he employs. Although Bennie and Sasha never discover each other's pasts, the reader does, in intimate detail, along with the secret lives of a host of other characters whose paths intersect with theirs, over many years, in locales as varied as New York, San Francisco, Naples, and Africa. We first meet Sasha in her mid-thirties, on her therapist's couch in New York City, confronting her long-standing compulsion to steal. Later, we learn the genesis of her turmoil when we see her as the child of a violent marriage, then as a runaway living in Naples, then as a college student trying to avert the suicidal impulses of her best friend. We plunge into the hidden yearnings and disappointments of her uncle, an art historian stuck in a dead marriage, who travels to Naples to extract Sasha from the city's demimonde and experiences an epiphany of his own while staring at a sculpture of Orpheus and Eurydice in the Museo Nazionale. We meet Bennie Salazar at the melancholy nadir of his adult life--divorced, struggling to connect with his nine-year-old son, listening to a washed-up band in the basement of a suburban house--and then revisit him in 1979, at the height of his youth, shy and tender, reveling in San Francisco's punk scene as he discovers his ardor for rock and roll and his gift for spotting talent. We learn what became of his high school gang--who thrived and who faltered--and we encounter Lou Kline, Bennie's catastrophically careless mentor, along with the lovers and children left behind in the wake of Lou's far-flung sexual conquests and meteoric rise and fall. A Visit from the Goon Squad is a book about the interplay of time and music, about survival, about the stirrings and transformations set inexorably in motion by even the most passing conjunction of our fates. In a breathtaking array of styles and tones ranging from tragedy to satire to PowerPoint, Egan captures the undertow of self-destruction that we all must either master or succumb to; the basic human hunger for redemption; and the universal tendency to reach for both--and escape the merciless progress of time--in the transporting realms of art and music. Sly, startling, exhilarating work from one of our boldest writers.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>In the latest sizzling Victorian novel from the compelling world of the mysterious Arcane Society, a paranormal killer pushes an unlikely duo's powers and passions to the limit.Virginia Dean wakes at midnight beside a dead body, with a bloody knife in her hand and no memory of the evening's events. Dark energy, emanating from the mirrors lining the room, overpowers her senses. With no apparent way in or out, she's rescued by a man she's met only once before, but won't soon forget.Owen Sweetwater inherited his family's talent for hunting the psychical monsters that prey on London's women and children, and his investigation into the deaths of two glass-readers has led him here. The high-society types of the exclusive Arcane Society would consider her an illusionist, a charlatan, even a criminal, but Owen knows better. Virginia's powers are real - and they just might be the key to his investigation.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>The classic vampire story that started it all gets new life for a generation of connected teens 18-year-old Jonathan Harker is diagnosed with a rare blood disorder after visiting a Romanian Count. His girlfriend Mina and a pre-med student named Van Helsing team up to investigate the source of the disease. The teenagers discover a horrifying truth: the Count is a vampire. The harrowing events unfold through emails, text messages, web pages, Twitter feeds, and instant messaging-the natural modernization of Bram Stoker's original Dracula, which was written in letters, diary entries, and news clippings. Praise for A Trace of Smoke: "An excellent job of projecting the fear of the time through her characters. Strongly recommended."-Library Journal (starred)</p>


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<p>In a Japan still rigid with tradition, an apprehensive fifteen-year-old tea-house girl prepares to welcome her first client. In his gleaming white uniform, Lieutenant Pinkerton walks up the hill to a house in Nagasaki to find the female he has purchased for a few weeks. When he sails away, she waits, aching for his return.It is one of the world's great love stories. And, as the curtain falls on Madame Butterfly, Cho-Cho hands over her son to his American father, before killing herself. In a daring imaginative leap, Lee Langley takes this searing moment as a springboard, sending Puccini's characters spinning into a future undreamed of in the original. In America with his father and new step-mother, Joey grows up torn between two cultures. And in different ways, they are all haunted by that fateful day, by a secret that, once revealed, will change everything.Struggling towards self-discovery they are caught in the shifting perspectives of the twentieth century -- the...</p>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>"Equal parts Hitchcock and James Bond, it's the perfect literary cocktail...One of Baldacci's best." (<strong><em>Richmond Times-Dispatch</em> on <em>Deliver Us from Evil</em></strong> )  </p><p>"It's his eager, expansive imagination that drives his books . . . Like other thriller writers, Baldacci depends on a mixture of inventive plotting, appealing characters, luck, and consistency. Unlike others, his books rely more on characters' relationships than whiz-bang technology or procedural twists . . . What he offers is in some ways more unusual." (<strong><em>Newsweek </em>on <em>First Family</em></strong> )  </p><p>"A rousing success . . . Baldacci shows once again that he is a sort of thriller Renaissance man: a master of plot, dialogue, and character." (<strong><em>Booklist</em> (starred review) for <em>Divine Justice</em></strong> )  </p><p>"High-stakes action, shadowy government agencies, and [a] neo-Cold War backdrop . . . Baldacci pushes his plot ahead at such a blistering pace." (<strong><em>Washington Post </em>on <em>The Whole Truth</em></strong> )  </p><p>"Gripping, chilling, and full of surprises." (<strong><em>Publishers Weekly </em>on <em>Stone Cold</em></strong> ) </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>After the #1 <em>New York Times</em> bestsellers <em>Split Second</em>, <em>Hour Game</em>, <em>Simple Genius</em>, and <em>First Family</em>, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell return in their most shocking case: a high stakes struggle where the relentless needs of national security run up against the absolute limits of the human mind. <strong>THE SIXTH MAN</strong> Edgar Roy-an alleged serial killer held in a secure, fortress-like Federal Supermax facility-is awaiting trial. He faces almost certain conviction. Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are called in by Roy's attorney, Sean's old friend and mentor Ted Bergin, to help work the case. But their investigation is derailed before it begins-en route to their first meeting with Bergin, Sean and Michelle find him murdered. It is now up to them to ask the questions no one seems to want answered: Is Roy a killer? Who murdered Bergin? With help from some surprising allies, they continue to pursue the case. But the more they dig into Roy's past, the more they encounter obstacles, half-truths, dead-ends, false friends, and escalating threats from every direction. Their persistence puts them on a collision course with the highest levels of the government and the darkest corners of power. In a terrifying confrontation that will push Sean and Michelle to their limits, the duo may be permanently parted. </p>

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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Giffin's sophomore effort-which tells the story that her bestselling Something Borrowed did from a different character's point of view-stars such an unsympathetic narrator that it's a little like reading a Cinderella story featuring one of the wicked stepsisters. Perhaps beautiful Darcy Rhone isn't really wicked, but she is one of the most shallow, materialistic, self-centered and naïve 29-year-olds around. Ostensibly a high-powered PR person in Manhattan (though she never seems to work), Darcy spends most of her time shopping, partying and getting ready for her wedding to perfect guy Dex. But an alcohol-fueled Hamptons fling with one of Dex's pals, Marcus, starts to break Darcy's perfect life down; and discovering Dex hiding in her best friend Rachel's closet really shatters it. Pregnant with Marcus's baby, Darcy decamps for London, where she crashes in high school pal Ethan's flat and annoys the heck out of him with her endless shopping and complete disregard for her impending motherhood. But after a good lecture from Ethan, whom Darcy has started to fall for a little, Darcy embarks on a self-improvement plan, thereby demonstrating she can think about someone besides herself. And if readers don't mind the first 200 pages in which she doesn't, they'll enjoy her happy ending and the few surprises along the way. Fans of Something Borrowed, too, may relish the "she said, she said" fun. <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p><em>Starred Review</em> Readers who enjoyed Giffin's stellar debut, <em>Something Borrowed</em> (2004), might be surprised to find that the villainess of that novel is the heroine of this one. Selfish but beautiful Darcy is reeling from the betrayal of her best friend, Rachel, and her fiance, Dex, even though she cheated on Dex with his friend Marcus. Darcy is carrying Marcus' child, so she assumes he'll take care of her. After all, she's always gotten everything she's ever wanted. But when Marcus dumps her, she finds herself pregnant and alone. Always the opportunist, Darcy contacts her childhood friend Ethan, now a writer living in London, and gets him to agree to let her visit for awhile. She jets off to the UK envisioning a charmed life where a handsome, rich Englishman will sweep her off her feet. The reality isn't so blissful--Ethan is critical of her selfish behavior and she finds herself incredibly lonely and unprepared for motherhood. After a confrontation with Ethan, she decides it's time for radical change. Making an unsympathetic character likable isn't an easy thing to do, but that's just what Giffin succeeds at in her second outing. Giffin's writing is warm and engaging; readers will find themselves cheering for Darcy as she proves people can change in this captivating tale. <em>Kristine Huntley</em><br><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>

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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><strong>Product Description</strong>  </p><p>The smash-hit debut novel for every woman who has ever had a complicated love-hate friendship.</p><p>Rachel White is the consummate good girl. A hard-working attorney at a large Manhattan law firm and a diligent maid of honor to her charmed best friend Darcy, Rachel has always played by all the rules. Since grade school, she has watched Darcy shine, quietly accepting the sidekick role in their lopsided friendship. But that suddenly changes the night of her thirtieth birthday when Rachel finally confesses her feelings to Darcy's fiance, and is both horrified and thrilled to discover that he feels the same way. As the wedding date draws near, events spiral out of control, and Rachel knows she must make a choice between her heart and conscience. In so doing, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk everything to be true to yourself.</p><p>This new tie-in edition will coincide with the release of the film, starring Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin and John Krasinski.</p><hr><p><strong> Amazon Exclusive: A Conversation Between Kristin Hannah and Emily Giffin</strong>  </p><p><strong> <em>New York Times</em> bestselling novels, including </strong></p><p><strong><em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of eighteen novels, including </strong></p><p><strong>Kristin Hannah:</strong> Well, first, I have to say, Emily, that I am just the tiniest bit irritated with you. When I got the call to do this interview, I was thrilled, to say the least. It came at a really busy time for me--right after the holidays and we all know how crazy that is--and my work in progress was giving me fits. Then I picked up <em>Heart of the Matter</em>, and lost myself. No more writing, no more cooking, no getting my hair done or reading my email. Once I started the story I literally couldn't put it down. Brava, girlfriend, I say. Your characters are so real and compelling, and they always say exactly the right thing. With so much honest emotion, I just have to ask how much of your work comes from your own life? </p><p><strong>Emily Giffin:</strong> It never fails to thrill me when someone responds to one of my novels--especially when it's another writer. Writers understand the alchemy involved in making up something from nothing. And I just finished your book, <em>Night Road</em>, and I found it so emotional, so moving, and so terrifying--especially since I have three young children who will someday be teenagers. In terms of how much does my work come from my own life, I would say that I'm absolutely inspired by people, places, conversations, relationships, and issues that I observe, and that the "what if" part of my novel is very much inspired by these things in my life. But the details of my plots and the specifics of my characters come from my own head. How about you, Kristin? I'll ask you the million-dollar question that every author gets asked: where do you get your ideas? </p><p><strong>Kristin:</strong> Ah, the idea question. I don't want to sound coy, but the truth is, I don't quite know. It's the most magical part of the process for me. I'm a pretty analytical gal, and I approach writing in the same just-the-facts-ma'am way I approach most things. I need to find an issue that engages me on an intellectual level, and then I need to marry that curiosity with a kind of passion. I need to feel genuinely passionate about each story before I ever write a word, and I have to actually have something to say. It takes me at least a year to research and write a novel, and so I have to really adore each part of it--the characters, setting, story. Most of all, it has to make me feel something genuine. That's really the most important component. Usually it begins with a single "what if" question--what if you discovered your mother had a whole secret life about which you knew nothing (_Winter Garden_) or what if your husband were accused of a crime you believed he hadn't committed (_True Colors_)--and then I write and re-write until the characters seem as real to me as old friends.</p><p><strong>Kristin:</strong> I'm amazed by how much we have in common. We're both moms, both lawyers, both lived in London for a time. You're like a younger, cooler version of me. How did you make the transition from lawyer to writer, and do you think you'll ever practice law again? </p><p><strong>Emily:</strong> I would hardly say I'm cooler than you, Kristin! I hear you live in Hawaii part time! What is cooler than that? I made the transition from lawyer to writer because I was so miserable being a lawyer that I needed some escape from the day-to-day of it. And inventing stories was that escape. I can say, without hesitation, that I will never practice law again. Would you? What kind of law did you practice, and for how long? What did you find appealing (or discouraging) about law? Did you find that it gave you fodder for any of your novels? </p><p><strong>Kristin:</strong> Honestly, I have met very few lawyers who don't say that what they really want to do is write. Like you, I can say with certainty that I will never practice law again. Not that anyone would want me to. But I still keep my Bar membership up...just in case this whole writing thing doesn't work out. And yes, in the past few years, I have finally begun to put some of that law school education to work for me. I find that I'm really enjoying adding legal issues to my work. Of course, I have to talk to <em>real</em> lawyers to make sure I'm getting it right... </p><hr><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>An unexpected love affair threatens a long-lived friendship in this soap opera–like debut from Atlanta ex-lawyer Giffin. Since elementary school, Rachel and Darcy have been best friends, with Darcy always outshining Rachel. While single Rachel is the self-confessed good girl, an attorney trapped at a suffocating New York law firm, Darcy is the complete opposite, a stereotypical outgoing publicist, planning a wedding with the handsome Dex. After Rachel's 30th birthday party, she knocks back one drink too many and winds up in bed with Dex. Instead of feeling guilty about sleeping with her best friend's fiancé, Rachel realizes that Dex is the only man she's really loved, and that she's always resented manipulative Darcy. Rachel and Dex spend a few weekends in the city together "working" while Darcy's off with friends at a Hamptons beach share, but finally Rachel realizes she'll have to give Dex an ultimatum. The flip job Giffin pulls off—here it's the cheaters who're sympathetic (more or less)—gives Dex and Rachel's otherwise ordinary affair extra edge. Rachel would be a more appealing heroine if she were less whiny about her job and her romantic prospects, and rambling dialogue slows the story's pace, but this is an enjoyable beach read—one that'll make readers cast a suspicious eye on best friends and boyfriends who seem to get along just a little too well. <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p>

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<h3>Review</h3><p><strong>Praise for the novels of Iris Johansen </strong></p><p>“Action-packed!”—_Publishers Weekly _on <em>Eight Days to Live</em></p><p>“With an imaginative plot and gut-wrenching action…this novel packs a wallop and is impossible to put down.”—_Tucson__ Citizen _on <em>Eight Days to Live</em></p><p>“You’ll want to keep the lights on while reading!”—_Romantic Times BOOKreviews_ on <em>Blood Game</em>__</p><p> “Johansen is becoming a master of the macabre and paranormal thriller, and her latest riveting Eve Duncan tale has it all, from ghosts and secret cults to supernatural avengers.” <em>—Booklist </em>on <em>Blood Game</em></p><p>“Readers won’t soon forget either the enigmatic hero or the monstrous villain. This one’s chilling to the bone!”—_Romantic Times BOOKreviews _on <em>Deadlock</em></p><p>“Johansen’s knack for delivering robust action and commanding characters kicks into high gear.”—_Booklist _on <em>Dark Summer</em></p><p>“Action-packed, adrenaline-fueled…will keep [you] eagerly turning the pages.”—_Publishers Weekly _on <em>Quicksand</em></p><p>“Keeping the tension high and the pace relentless, prolific and compelling Johansen adds depth to her popular characters as she continues this suspenseful series.”—_Booklist _on <em>Quicksand</em></p><p>“Bestselling author Johansen captivates readers with her latest suspense thriller…the suspense escalates toward an explosive conclusion.”—_Library Journal_ on <em>Pandora’s Daughter</em></p><p>“An exhilarating thriller…suspense that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.”—_Booklist _on <em>Pandora’s Daughter</em></p><p>“A fast-paced, non-stop, clever plot in which Johansen mixes political intrigue, murder, and suspense.”—_USA__ Today_ on <em>The Face of Deception</em><br />_ <br /><em>“[A] thrill ride…Action, romance, castles, bomb plots and booby-trapped hideaway in snowbound Idaho—what more could Johansen fans want?”—</em>Publishers Weekly _on <em>Countdown</em>  </p><p>“Intriguing suspense…her new tale will please both fans and new converts.”—_Booklist_ on <em>Blind Alley</em>  </p><p>“Thoroughly gripping and with a number of shocking plot twists…packed all the right elements into this latest work: intriguing characters; creepy, crazy villain; a variety of exotic locations.”<br />—_New York__ Post_ on <em>The Search</em></p><hr /><h3>Product Description</h3><p>A CIA agent’s two-year-old child was stolen in the night as a brutal act of vengeance. Now, eight years later, this torment is something Catherine Ling awakens to every day. Her friends, family, and colleagues tell her to let go, move on, accept that her son is never coming back. But she can’t. Catherine needs to find someone as driven and obsessed as she is to help her— and that person is Eve Duncan. She knows that Eve shares her nightmare, since closure is also something that eludes Eve after the disappearance of her daughter Bonnie. Now, Eve must take her talents as a forensic sculptor to another level, using age progression as a way to unite Catherine with her child. As Eve gets drawn deeper into Catherine’s horror, she must face looming demons of her own. </p><p>Bonnie’s killer is still out there. And a new killer is taunting Eve and Catherine at every turn. Is Catherine’s son alive, or not? These two women endure the worst fear any mother can imagine in Iris Johansen’s latest thrill ride, a gut-wrenching journey into the darkest places of the soul.</p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>“The stories here are the raw heart of Michael Moorcock. They are the spells that first drew me and all the numerous admirers of his work with whom I am acquainted into Moorcock’s luminous and captivating web.”<br />–from the Foreword by Alan Moore, creator of V for Vendetta  </p><p>When Michael Moorcock began chronicling the adventures of the albino sorcerer Elric, last king of decadent Melniboné, and his sentient vampiric sword, Stormbringer, he set out to create a new kind of fantasy adventure, one that broke with tradition and reflected a more up-to-date sophistication of theme and style. The result was a bold and unique hero–weak in body, subtle in mind, dependent on drugs for the vitality to sustain himself–with great crimes behind him and a greater destiny ahead: a rock-and-roll antihero who would channel all the violent excesses of the sixties into one enduring archetype.  </p><p>Now, with a major film in development, here is the first volume of a dazzling collection of stories containing the seminal appearances of Elric and lavishly illustrated by award-winning artist John Picacio–plus essays, letters, maps, and other material. Adventures include “The Dreaming City,” “While the Gods Laugh,” “Kings in Darkness,” “Dead God’s Homecoming,” “Black Sword’s Brothers,” and “Sad Giant’s Shield.”   </p><p>An indispensable addition to any fantasy collection, Elric: The Stealer of Souls is an unmatched introduction to a brilliant writer and his most famous–or infamous–creation.  </p><p>“The most significant UK author of sword and sorcery, a form he has both borrowed from and transformed.”<br />–The Encyclopedia of Fantasy </p><h3>Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.</h3><p>Chapter One   </p><p>“What’s the hour?” The black-bearded man wrenched off his gilded helmet and flung it from him, careless of where it fell. He drew off his leathern gauntlets and moved closer to the roaring fire, letting the heat soak into his frozen bones.   </p><p>“Midnight is long past,” growled one of the other armoured men who gathered around the blaze. “Are you still sure he’ll come?” “It’s said that he’s a man of his word, if that comforts you.”   </p><p>It was a tall, pale-faced youth who spoke. His thin lips formed the words and spat them out maliciously. He grinned a wolf-grin and stared the new arrival in the eyes, mocking him.   </p><p>The newcomer turned away with a shrug. “That’s so—for all your irony, Yaris. He’ll come.” He spoke as a man does when he wishes to reassure himself.   </p><p>There were six men, now, around the fire. The sixth was Smiorgan—Count Smiorgan Baldhead of the Purple Towns. He was a short, stocky man of fifty years with a scarred face partially covered with a thick, black growth of hair. His morose eyes smouldered and his lumpy fingers plucked nervously at his rich-hilted longsword. His pate was hairless, giving him his name, and over his ornate, gilded armour hung a loose woolen cloak, dyed purple.   </p><p>Smiorgan said thickly, “He has no love for his cousin. He has become bitter. Yyrkoon sits on the Ruby Throne in his place and has proclaimed him an outlaw and a traitor. Elric needs us if he would take his throne and his bride back. We can trust him.”   </p><p>“You’re full of trust tonight, count,” Yaris smiled thinly, “a rare thing to find in these troubled times. I say this—” He paused and took a long breath, staring at his comrades, summing them up. His gaze flicked from lean-faced Dharmit of Jharkor to Fadan of Lormyr who pursed his podgy lips and looked into the fire.   </p><p>“Speak up, Yaris,” petulantly urged the patrician-featured Vilmirian, Naclon. “Let’s hear what you have to say, lad, if it’s worth hearing.”   </p><p>Yaris looked towards Jiku the dandy, who yawned impolitely and scratched his long nose.   </p><p>“Well!” Smiorgan was impatient. “What d’you say, Yaris?”   </p><p>“I say that we should start now and waste no more time waiting on Elric’s pleasure! He’s laughing at us in some tavern a hundred miles from here—or else plotting with the Dragon Princes to trap us. For years we have planned this raid. We have little time in which to strike—our fleet is too big, too noticeable. Even if Elric has not betrayed us, then spies will soon be running eastwards to warn the Dragons that there is a fleet massed against them. We stand to win a fantastic fortune—to vanquish the greatest merchant city in the world—to reap immeasurable riches—or horrible death at the hands of the Dragon Princes, if we wait overlong. Let’s bide our time no more and set sail before our prize hears of our plan and brings up reinforcements!”   </p><p>“You always were too ready to mistrust a man, Yaris.” King Naclon of Vilmir spoke slowly, carefully—distastefully eyeing the taut-featured youth. “We could not reach Imrryr without Elric’s knowledge of the maze-channels which lead to its secret ports. If Elric will not join us—then our endeavour will be fruitless—hopeless. We need him. We must wait for him—or else give up our plans and return to our homelands.”   </p><p>“At least I’m willing to take a risk,” yelled Yaris, anger lancing from his slanting eyes. “You’re getting old—all of you. Treasures are not won by care and forethought but by swift slaying and reckless attack.”   </p><p>“Fool!” Dharmit’s voice rumbled around the fire-flooded hall. He laughed wearily. “I spoke thus in my youth—and lost a fine fleet soon after. Cunning and Elric’s knowledge will win us Imrryr—that and the mightiest fleet to sail the Dragon Sea since Melniboné’s banners fluttered over all the nations of the Earth. Here we are—the most powerful sea-lords in the world, masters, every one of us, of more than a hundred swift vessels. Our names are feared and famous—our fleets ravage the coasts of a score of lesser nations. We hold power!” He clenched his great fist and shook it in Yaris’s face. His tone became more level and he smiled viciously, glaring at the youth and choosing his words with precision.   </p><p>“But all this is worthless—meaningless—without the power which Elric has. That is the power of knowledge—of dream-learned sorcery, if I must use the cursed word. His fathers knew of the maze which guards Imrryr from sea-attack. And his fathers passed that secret on to him. Imrryr, the Dreaming City, dreams in peace—and will continue to do so unless we have a guide to help us steer a course through the treacherous waterways which lead to her harbours. We need Elric—we know it, and he knows it. That’s the truth!”   </p><p>“Such confidence, gentlemen, is warming to the heart.” There was irony in the heavy voice which came from the entrance to the hall. The heads of the six sea-lords jerked towards the doorway.   </p><p>Yaris’s confidence fled from him as he met the eyes of Elric of Melniboné. They were old eyes in a fine featured, youthful face. Yaris shuddered, turned his back on Elric, preferring to look into the bright glare of the fire.   </p><p>Elric smiled warmly as Count Smiorgan gripped his shoulder. There was a certain friendship between the two. He nodded condescendingly to the other four and walked with lithe grace towards the fire. Yaris stood aside and let him pass. Elric was tall, broad-shouldered and slim-hipped. He wore his long hair bunched and pinned at the nape of his neck and, for an obscure reason, affected the dress of a southern barbarian. He had long, knee-length boots of soft doe-leather, a breastplate of strangely wrought silver, a jerkin of chequered blue and white linen, britches of scarlet wool and a cloak of rustling green velvet. At his hip rested his runesword of black iron—the feared Stormbringer, forged by ancient and alien sorcery.   </p><p>His bizarre dress was tasteless and gaudy, and did not match his sensitive face and long-fingered, almost delicate hands, yet he flaunted it since it emphasized the fact that he did not belong in any company—that he was an outsider and an outcast. But, in reality, he had little need to wear such outlandish gear—for his eyes and skin were enough to mark him.   </p><p>Elric, Last Lord of Melniboné, was a pure albino who drew his power from a secret and terrible source.   </p><p>Smiorgan sighed. “Well, Elric, when do we raid Imrryr?”   </p><p>Elric shrugged. “As soon as you like; I care not. Give me a little time in which to do certain things.”   </p><p>“Tomorrow? Shall we sail tomorrow?” Yaris said hesitantly, conscious of the strange power dormant in the man he had earlier accused of treachery.   </p><p>Elric smiled, dismissing the youth’s statement. “Three days’ time,” he said, “Three—or more.”   </p><p>“Three days! But Imrryr will be warned of our presence by then!” Fat, cautious Fadan spoke.   </p><p>“I’ll see that your fleet’s not found,” Elric promised. “I have to go to Imrryr first—and return.”   </p><p>“You won’t do the journey in three days—the fastest ship could not make it.” Smiorgan gaped.   </p><p>“I’ll be in the Dreaming City in less than a day,” Elric said softly, with finality.   </p><p>Smiorgan shrugged. “If you say so, I’ll believe it—but why this necessity to visit the city ahead of the raid?”   </p><p>“I have my own compunctions, Count Smiorgan. But worry not—I shan’t betray you. I’ll lead the raid myself, be sure of that.” His dead-white face was lighted eerily by the fire and his red eyes smouldered. One lean hand firmly gripped the hilt of his runesword and he appeared to breathe more heavily. “Imrryr fell, in spirit, five hundred years ago—she will fall completely soon—for ever! I have a little debt to settle. This is my sole reason for aiding you. As you know I have made only a few conditions—that you raze the city to the ground and a certain man and woman are not harmed. I refer to my cousin Yyrkoon and his sister Cymoril . . .”   </p><p>Yaris’s thin lips felt uncomfortably dry. Much of his blustering manner resulted from the early death of his father. The old sea-king had died—leaving the youthful Yaris as the new ruler of his lands and his fleets. Yaris was not at all certain that he was capable of commanding such a vast kingdom—and tried to appear more confident than he actually felt. Now he said: “How shall we hide the fleet, Lord Elric?”   </p><p>The Melnibonéan acknowledged the question. “I’ll hide it for you,” he promised. “I go now to do this—but make sure all your men are off the ships first—will you see to it, Smiorgan?”   </p><p>“Aye,” rumbled the stocky count.   </p><p>He and Elric departed from the hall together, leaving five men behind; five men who sensed an air of icy doom hanging about the overheated hall.   </p><p>“How could he hide such a mighty fleet when we, who know this fjord better than any, found nowhere?” Dharmit of Jharkor said bewilderedly.   </p><p>None answered him.   </p><p>They waited, tensed and nervous, while the fire flickered and died untended. Eventually Smiorgan returned, stamping noisily on the boarded floor. There was a haunted haze of fear surrounding him; an almost tangible aura, and he was shivering, terribly. Tremendous, racking undulations swep... </p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>“Moorcock’s writing is intricate, fabulous, and mellifluous. Reading his words I was, and am, reminded of music. His novels are symphonic experiences. They dance and cry and bleed and make promises that can live only in the moment of their utterance.”<br />–from the Foreword by Walter Mosley, New York Times bestselling author of Blonde Faith and Devil in a Blue Dress  </p><p>Elric of Melniboné. The name is like a magic spell, conjuring up the image of an albino champion and his cursed, vampiric sword, Stormbringer. Elric, the last emperor of a cruel and decadent race, rogue and adventurer, hero and murderer, lover and traitor, is mystery and paradox personified–a timeless testament to the creative achievement of Michael Moorcock, the most significant fantasy writer since Tolkien.  </p><p>Now comes the second in this definitive series of Elric volumes. Gorgeously illustrated by acclaimed artist Michael Wm. Kaluta and including a new Introduction by Michael Moorcock, this collection features, along with Elric, such renowned characters as Erekosë, Rackhir the Red Archer, and Count Renark von Bek. Readers will delight in adventures that include “To Rescue Tanelorn . . .,” “Master of Chaos,” “The Singing Citadel,” “The Black Blade’s Song,” and the novella version of “The Eternal Champion.”  </p><p>Elric: To Rescue Tanelorn is essential reading for every fantasy fan and provides indelible proof–if any was needed–of the genius of Michael Moorcock.  </p><p>“The most significant UK author of sword and sorcery, a form he has both borrowed from and transformed.”<br />–The Encyclopedia of Fantasy </p><h3>Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.</h3><p>Chapter One   </p><p>BETWEEN WAKEFULNESS AND sleeping, we have most of us had the illusion of hearing voices, scraps of conversation, phrases spoken in unfamiliar tones. Sometimes we attempt to attune our minds so that we can hear more, but we are rarely successful. Between wakefulness and sleeping, I began, every night, to hear voices . . .   </p><p>_Had I hung, for an eternity in limbo? Was I alive–dead? Was there a memory of a world which lay in the far past or the distant future? Of another world which seemed closer? And the names? Was I John Daker or Erekos‘? Was I either of these? Many other names, Shaleen, Artos, Brian, Umpata, Roland, Ilanth, Ulysses, Alric, ﬂed away down the ghostly rivers of my memory. I hung in darkness, bodiless. A man spoke. Where was he? I tried to look but had no eyes to see. <br />_<br /><hr /></p><p>“Erekosë the Champion, where are you?”   </p><p>Another voice, then: “Father . . . it is only a legend . . .”   </p><p>“No, Iolinda. I feel he is listening. Erekosë . . .”   </p><p>I tried to answer, but had no voice. Swirling half-dreams of a house in a great city of miracles, a swollen, grimy city of miracles, crammed with dull-coloured machines, many of which bore human passengers. Of buildings, beautiful beneath their coatings of dust and of other, brighter buildings not so beautiful, with austere lines and many glass windows. Of a troop of riders galloping over an undulating countryside, ﬂamboyant in armour of lacquered gold, coloured pennants draped around their blood-encrusted lances. Their faces were heavy with weariness. Of more faces, many faces, some of which I half recognized, others which were unfamiliar, people clad in strange clothes. A picture of a white haired, middle-aged man who had a tall, spiked crown upon his head. His mouth moved, he was speaking . . .   </p><p>“Erekosë, it is I, King Rigenos, Defender of Humanity. You are needed again, Erekosë. The Hounds of Evil rule a third of the world and humankind is weary of the war against them. Come to us, Erekosë and lead us to victory. From the Plains of Melting Ice to the Mountains of Sorrow they have set up their corrupt standard and I fear they will advance yet further into our territories.”   </p><p>The woman’s voice: “Father, this is only an empty tomb. Not even the mummy of Erekosë remains–it became drifting dust long ago. Let us leave and return to Necranal to marshal the living peers.”   </p><p>I felt like a fainting man who strives to ﬁght against dizzy oblivion but, however much he tries, cannot take control of his own brain. Again I tried to answer, but could not.   </p><p>It was as if I wavered backwards through time, while every atom of me wanted to go forwards. I had the sensation of vast size as if I were made of stone with eyelids of granite, measuring miles across–eyelids which I could not open. And then I was tiny–the most minute grain in the universe, and yet I felt I belonged to the whole far more than the stone giant.   </p><p>Memories came and went. The whole panorama of the twentieth century, its beauties and its bitternesses, its satisfactions, its striﬁng, rushed into my mind like air into a vacuum. But it was only momentary, for the next second my entire being was ﬂung elsewhere–to a world which was Earth, but not the Earth of John Daker, not quite the world of dead Erekosë, either.   </p><p>There were three great continents, two close together, divided from the other by a vast sea containing many islands, large and small.   </p><p>I saw an ocean of ice which I knew to be slowly shrinking–the Plains of Melting Ice. I saw the third continent which bore lush ﬂora, mighty forests, blue lakes and was bound along its northern coasts by a towering chain of mountains–the Mountains of Sorrow. This I knew to be the domain of the Eldren, whom King Rigenos had called the Hounds of Evil.   </p><p>Now, on the other two continents, I saw the wheatlands of the West on the continent of Zavara, with their tall cities of multicoloured rock, the rich cities of the wheatlands–Stalaco, Calodemia, Mooros and Ninadoon.   </p><p>There were the great seaports–Shilaal, Wedmah, Sinana, Tarkar, and Noonos of towers cobbled with precious stones. <br />Then I saw the fortress cities of the Continent of Necralala, with the capital city Necranal chief among them, built on, into and about a mighty mountain, peaked by the spreading palace of its warrior kings. <br />Now a little more came clear as, in the background of my awareness, I heard a voice calling _Erekos‘, Erekos‘, Erekos‘ . . . <br />_<br />The warrior kings of Necranal, kings for two thousand years of Humanity united, at war, and united again. The warrior kings of whom King Rigenos was the last living and aging now, with only a daughter, Iolinda, to carry on his line. Old and weary with hate–but still hating. Hating the unhuman folk whom he called the Hounds of Evil, mankind’s age-old enemies, reckless and wild, linked, it was said, by a thin line of blood to the human race–an outcome of a union between an ancient queen and the Evil One, Azmobaana.   </p><p>Hated by King Rigenos as soulless immortals, slaves of Azmobaana’s machinations.   </p><p>And, hating, he called upon John Daker, whom he called Erekosë, to aid him with his war against them. <br />“Erekosë, I beg thee answer me. Are you ready to come?” His voice was loud and echoing and when, after a struggle, I could reply, my own voice seemed to echo also.   </p><p>“I am ready,” I replied, “but appear to be chained.”   </p><p>“_Chained?_” There was consternation in his voice. “Are you, then, a prisoner of Azmobaana’s frightful minions? Are you trapped upon the Ghost Worlds?”   </p><p>“Perhaps,” I said. “But I do not think so. It is space and time which chain me. I am separated from you by a gulf.”   </p><p>“Already we pray that you may come to us.”   </p><p>“Then continue,” I said.   </p><p>I was falling away again. I thought I remembered laughter, sadness, pride. Then, suddenly, more faces, I felt as if I witnessed the passing of everyone I had known, down the ages, and then one face superimposed itself over the others–the head and shoulders of an amazingly beautiful woman, with blonde hair piled beneath a diadem of precious stones which seemed to light the sweetness of her oval face. “Iolinda,” I said. I saw her more solidly now. She was clinging to the arm of the tall, gaunt man who wore a crown–King Rigenos.   </p><p>They stood before an empty platform of quartz and gold, and resting on a cushion of dust was a straight sword which they dared not touch. Neither did they dare step too close to it for it gave off a radiation which might slay them.   </p><p>It was a tomb in which they stood. The Tomb of Erekosë–my tomb. I moved towards the platform, hanging over it. Ages before, my body had been placed there. I stared at the sword which held no dangers for me but was unable, in my captivity, to pick it up. It was my spirit only which inhabited the dark place–but the whole of my spirit now, not the fragment which had inhabited the tomb for thousands of years. The fragment which had heard King Rigenos and had enabled John Daker to hear it, to come to it and be united with it.   </p><p>“Erekosë!” called the king, straining his eyes through the gloom as if he had seen me. “Erekosë–we pray.”   </p><p>Then I experienced the dreadful pain which I suppose a woman to go through when bearing a child. A pain that seemed eternal and yet was intrinsically its own vanquisher. I was screaming, writhing in the air above them. Great spasms of agony–but an agony complete with purpose–the purpose of creation. <br />At last I was standing, materially, before them.   </p><p>“I have come,” I said. “I am here, King Rigenos. I have left nothing worthwhile behind me–but do not let me regret that leaving.”   </p><p>“You will not regret it, Champion.” He was pale, exhilarated, smiling. I looked at Iolinda who dropped her eyes modestly and then, as if against her will, raised them again to regard me. I turned to the dais on my right.   </p><p>“My sword,” I said reaching for it.   </p><p>I heard King Rigenos sigh with satisfaction.   </p><p>“They are doomed, now, the dogs,” he said.   </p><p>They had a sheath for the sword. It had been made days before. King Rigenos left to get it, leaving me alone with Iolinda. I did not question my being there and neither, it seemed, did she. We regarded one another silently until the king returned with the scabbard.   </p><p>“This will protect us against your sword’s poison,” he said.   </p><p>I took it, slid the sword into it. The scabbard was opaque, like glass. The metal was unfamiliar to me, as John Daker, light, sharp, dull as lead. Yet the feel of it awaked dim remembrance which I did not bother to arouse. Why was I the only one who could wear the sword without being affected by its radiation? <br />Was it because I was constitutionally different in some way to the rest of these people? Was it that the ancient Erekosë and the unborn John Daker (or was that vice versa?) had metabolisms which had become adapted in some way against the power which ﬂowed from the sword?   </p><p>I had become, in that transition from my own age to this, unconcerned. It was as if I was aware that my fate had been taken out of my own hands to a large extent. I had become a tool. If only I had known for what I should be used, then I might have fought against the pull and remained harmless, ineffectual John Daker. But perhaps I could not have fought.   </p><p>At any rate, I was prepared from the moment I materialized in the Tomb of Erekosë to do whatever Fate demanded of me. Later, things were to change.   </p><p>I walked out of the to... </p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>“If you are familiar with Elric, I trust you will enjoy revisiting him in this present form. If you are new to him, I hope you find him good, if rather dangerous, company.”—Michael Moorcock  </p><p>“[Moorcock is] the most significant UK author of sword and sorcery, a form he has both borrowed from and transformed.”—_The Encyclopedia of Fantasy_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>“Michael Moorcock’s work as a critic, as an editor and as a writer has made it easier for me and a whole generation of us to roam the ‘moonbeam roads’ of the literary multiverse.”—from the Foreword by Michael Chabon  </p><p>Has there ever been a hero–or anti-hero–to match Elric of Melniboné, last emperor of an ancient civilization sunk into decadence and inhuman cruelty? Elric the albino, weary of life and enamored of death, bearer of the soul-devouring black sword Stormbringer, cursed to betray all he loves and to save that which he despises: In the unending battle between the forces of Law and Chaos, he is the wildest card of all.   </p><p>Del Rey proudly presents the fourth in its definitive collection of stories featuring fantasy Grand Master Michael Moorcock’s greatest creation. Here is the full novel The Sailor on the Seas of Fate, the script of the DC comic Duke Elric, the new story “The Flaneur des Arcades de l’Opera,” essays by Moorcock and others, and a selection of classic artwork.  </p><p>Lavishly illustrated by Justin Sweet, with a Foreword by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon, Duke Elric is essential for all fans of the fantastic. </p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>“The most significant UK author of sword and sorcery, a form he has both borrowed from and transformed.”—_Encyclopedia of Fantasy  </p><p>_“If you are familiar with Elric, I trust you will enjoy revisiting him in this present form. If you are new to him, I hope you find him good, if rather dangerous, company.”—Michael Moorcock </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Kinslayer. Soul reaver. Sorcerer. Thief. And last emperor of a cruel, decadent race. Elric of Melniboné is all of these–and more. His life is sustained by drugs and magic–and energy sucked from the victims of his vampiric black sword, Stormbringer, a weapon feared by men and gods alike. Denied the oblivion he seeks, poised between a tragic past he cannot escape and a terrifying future he is doomed to bring about, Elric is a hero like no other.   </p><p>Del Rey is proud to present the fifth installment in its definitive collection featuring the immortal creation of Michael Moorcock, named Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Highlights include an epic novel of Elric’s early years, The Fortress of the Pearl; the script of the graphic novel Elric: The Making of a Sorcerer;_ _a previously unpublished proposal for a new series; and Hugo Award—winning author Neil Gaiman’s moving fictional tribute to Elric, the short story “One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock.”  </p><p>Gorgeously illustrated by Michael Wm. Kaluta,<strong> Elric: In the Dream Realms</strong> is a dream come true for sword-and-sorcery fans. </p>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>“MICHAEL MOORCOCK IS MY RELIGION.”—from the Foreword by Tad Williams  </p><p>“The most significant UK author of sword and sorcery, a form he has both borrowed from and transformed.”—_The Encyclopedia of Fantasy_  </p><p>“The greatest writer of post-Tolkien British fantasy.”—Michael Chabon </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Foreword by Tad Williams  </p><p>Feared by enemies and friends alike, Elric of Melniboné walks a lonely path among the worlds of the Multiverse. The destroyer of his cruel and ancient race, as well as its final ruler, Elric is the bearer of a destiny as dark and cursed as the vampiric sword he carries—the sentient black blade known as Stormbringer.  </p><p>Del Rey is proud to present the sixth and concluding installment of its definitive omnibus editions featuring fantasy Grand Master Michael Moorcock’s most famous—or infamous—creation. Here is the full text of the novel <em>The Revenge of the Rose,</em> a screenplay for the novel_ Stormbringer,_ the novella <em>Black Petals,</em> the conclusion to Moorcock’s influential “Aspects of Fantasy” essay series and other nonfiction, and an indispensable reader’s guide by John Davey.   </p><p>Sumptuously illustrated by John Picacio, with a Foreword by Tad Williams, <em>Elric: Swords and Roses </em>is a fitting tribute to the most unique fantasy hero of all time. </p>

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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>""_Destined to be a runaway bestseller...There's no shortage of Goldman clients, rivals, and former employees willing to explain how greed and recklessness led Goldman to become too big, too powerful, and even too conflicted to fail_. As one Goldman alum puts it, 'I saw what they did to their customers...They'd steal from them, rape them, anything they could do.' It worked like a charm...[Cohan] has produced the frankest, most detailed, most human assessment of the bank to date. Cohan portrays a firm that has grown so large and hungry that it's no longer long-term greedy but short-term vicious. And that's the wonder -- and horror -- of Goldman Sachs." <br>-- _Businessweek  </p><p><em>"</em><em>_[</em>Money and Power_] offers the best analysis yet of Goldman's increasingly tangled web of conflicts_...The writing is crisp and the research meticulous, drawing on reams of documents made publicly available by congressional committees and the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission."<br>-- <em>The Economist</em>  </p><p>"[E]xhaustive, <em>revelatory account of the rise and rise of Goldman Sachs....engrossing....penetrating</em>....Cohan revels in a good bust-up and lingers over anecdotes involving intrigue....All the senior partners still living spoke to him, often very candidly, and only a few from the next ranks seem to have refuse....a vast trove of material"<br>--_The Financial Times<br>_<br>"A former Lazard Freres &amp; Co. banker and newspaper reporter, <em>Cohan brings the bank's sometimes 'schizophrenic' behavior to vivid life</em>...Drawing on more than 100 interviews with clients, competitors and Goldman leaders including Chief Executive Officer Lloyd C. Blankfein, Cohan evinces an eye for telling images and an ear for deadpan quotations."<br>-- <em>Bloomberg</em>  </p><p>"In MONEY &amp; POWER, journalist and former investment banker William D. Cohan launches a quixotic quest to show that Mr. Blankfein and his peers are money-sucking evil-doers that came to their riches mostly by nefarious means...(<strong><em>_full disclosure: I was once a Goldman Sachs employee myself</em>)._</strong>...Mr. Cohan's complaints against Goldman seem to be that it is 'ruthless' in pursuit of profit; doesn't do enough to protect its instutitional clients from making bad decisions; works too closely with government; too often advises clients on both sides of a deal; and skirts close to the line of 'insider trading'."<br>-- Mary Kissel, _The Wall Street Journal<br>_  </p><p>Praise for HOUSE OF CARDS  </p><p>"Like Michael Lewis’s ‘Liar’s Poker’ and Bryan Burrough and John Helyar’s ‘Barbarians at the Gate,’ this volume turns complex Wall Street maneuverings into high drama that is gripping .... [His] account of its death spiral not only makes for riveting, edge-of-the-seat reading, but it also stands as a chilling cautionary tale about how greed and hubris and high-risk gambling wrecked one company."--Michiko Kakutani, <em>The New York Times</em>  </p><p>“Fascinating.”--_The Wall Street Journal_<br><em> </em><br>"A riveting blow-by-blow account." --_The Economist_  </p><p>"Masterfully reported....[Cohan] has turned into one of our most able financial journalists....he deploys not only his hands-on experience of this exotic corner of the financial industry but also a remarkable gift for plain-spoken explanation... It's impossible to do justice to his reportorial detail in a brief review..." --_Los Angeles Times_  </p><p>Praise for THE LAST TYCOONS  </p><p>“Cohan’s portrayal of the firm's dominant partners—whose gargantuan appetites and mercurial habits provide the unifying force behind the book’s operatic melodramas— makes this an epic . . . In fact,_ The Last Tycoons_ bears a striking resemblance to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s_ The Last Tycoon_.”_—New York Times Book Review<br>_<br>“Breezy and highly readable . . . For those of us who enjoy high-level gossip (most people) and an inside look at the machinations, triumphs, failures, and foibles of some of Wall Street’s and America’s most exalted personages, Cohan’s book is entertaining and seductively engrossing.”—_Chicago Tribune_  </p><p>“Cohan not only knows where the bodies are buried but got a guided tour of the graveyard.”_—Financial Times<br>_<br>“Rips the roof off of one of Wall Street’s most storied investment banks.”_—Vanity Fair_<br><em></em> <br><em></em></p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>From the bestselling, prize-winning author of THE LAST TYCOONS and HOUSE OF CARDS, a revelatory history of Goldman Sachs, the most dominant, feared, and controversial investment bank in the world</strong>   </p><p>For much of its storied 142-year history, Goldman Sachs has projected an image of being better than its competitors--smarter, more collegial, more ethical, and far more profitable. The firm--buttressed by the most aggressive and sophisticated p.r. machine in the financial industry--often boasts of "The Goldman Way," a business model predicated on hiring the most talented people, indoctrinating them in a corporate culture where partners stifle their egos for the greater good, and honoring the "14 Principles," the first of which is "Our clients' interests always come first."  </p><p>But there is another way of viewing Goldman--a secretive money-making machine that has straddled the line between conflict-of-interest and legitimate deal-making for decades; a firm that has exerted undue influence over government since the early part of the 20th century; a company composed of "cyborgs" who are kept in line by an internal "reputational risk department" staffed by former CIA operatives and private investigators; a workplace rife with brutal power struggles; a Wall Street titan whose clever bet against the mortgage market in 2007--a bet not revealed to its clients--may have made the financial ruin of the Great Recession worse.  </p><p>As William D. Cohan shows in his riveting chronicle of Goldman's rise to the summit of world capitalism, the firm has shown a remarkable ability to weather financial crises, congressional, federal and SEC investigations, and numerous lawsuits, all with its reputation and its enormous profits intact. By reading thousands of pages of government documents, court cases, SEC filings, Freedom of Information Act papers and other sources, and conducting over 100 interviews, including interviews with clients, competitors, regulators, current and former Goldman employees (including the six living men who have run Goldman), Cohan has constructed a vivid narrative that looks behind the veil of secrecy to reveal <em>how </em>Goldman has become so profitable, and so powerful.  </p><p>Part of the answer is the firm's assiduous cultivation of people in power--dating back to 1913, when Henry Goldman advised the government on how the new Federal Reserve, designed to oversee Wall Street, should be constituted. Sidney Weinberg, who ran the firm for four decades, advised presidents from Roosevelt to Kennedy and was nicknamed "The Politician" for his behind-the-scenes friendships with government officials.  Goldman executives ran fundraising efforts for Nixon, Reagan, Clinton and George W. Bush.  The firm showered lucrative consulting or speaking fees on figures like Henry Kissinger and Lawrence Summers. Famously, and fatefully, two Goldman leaders-- Robert Rubin and Henry Paulson--became Secretaries of the Treasury, where their actions both before and during the financial crisis of 2008 became the stuff of controversy and conspiracy theories.   </p><p>Another major strand in the firm's DNA is its eagerness to deal on both sides of a transaction, eliding questions of conflict of interest by the mere assertion of their innate honesty and nobility, a refrain repeated many times in its history, most notoriously by current Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein's jesting assertion that he was doing "God's work."  </p><p>As Michiko Kakutani's <em>New York Times </em>review of HOUSE OF CARDS said, "Cohan writes with an insider's knowledge of the workings of Wall Street, a reporter's investigative instincts and a natural storyteller's narrative command." In MONEY &amp; POWER, Cohan has marshaled all these gifts in a powerful and definitive account of an institution whose public claims of virtue look very much like ruthlessness when exposed to the light of day.  </p>

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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>“[Elric is] among the most memorable characters in fantasy literature.”<br>–Science Fiction Chronicle  </p><p>“The greatest writer of post-Tolkien British fantasy.”<br>–Michael Chabon  </p><p>“Before Elric, my idea of a fantasy novel hero was a strapping fellow who rose from simple circumstances to lofty heights. Elric was decadent, sickly, and doomed. I loved him instantly.”<br>–from the Foreword by Holly Black, New York Times bestselling author of The Spiderwick Chronicles </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Elric of Melniboné. Traitor. Savior. Lover. Thief. Last king of a fallen empire whose cruelty was surpassed only by its beauty. Sustained by drugs and the vampiric powers of his black sword, Stormbringer, haunted by visions of a tragic past and a doomed future, Elric wanders the world in quest of oblivion. But the great lords of Law and Chaos have other plans for this tormented adventurer. <br>This volume is the third of Del Rey’s definitive collections featuring the tales of Elric and other aspects of Michael Moorcock’s Eternal Champion, along with essays, a selection of classic artwork, and new material never seen in book form.   </p><p>Gorgeously illustrated by Steve Ellis, and featuring a foreword by Holly Black, The Sleeping Sorceress is a must-have for all lovers of fantasy. </p>

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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Burleigh (_Earthly Powers_), one of the leading English-language scholars of the role of ideas in the modern world, makes another major contribution in this pull-no-punches cultural study of terrorism as it has been lived and practiced for a century and a half. Burleigh sees modern terrorism's roots in the mid–19th century, with the emergence of the Irish Fenians, the Russian nihilists, the Western anarchists who used fear induced by violence to compensate for their lack of political power. Their tactics were adopted in the mid–20th century by movements seeking decolonization, like the Palestinian Black September, Italy's Red Brigades and Germany's Red Army Faction. By century's end, terrorism further mutated into a tool for marginalized local nations like the Basques. Most recently, terrorism has become identified with what Burleigh calls the world rage of Islamism. Burleigh's case studies demonstrate mercilessly that terrorism is a career, a culture, and a way of life attractive for its own sake as well as its ostensible objectives. The terrorist milieu, the author demonstrates convincingly, is morally squalid, intellectually bankrupt and politically barren. Burleigh considers the lessons history has to teach us, though he eschews policy recommendations. <em>(Mar.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>In this sweeping and deeply penetrating work, distinguished historian Michael Burleigh explores the nature of terrorism from its origins in the West to the current global threat fueled by fundamentalists. Burleigh takes us from the roots of terrorism in the Irish Republican Brotherhood, the Russian Nihilists, and the London-based anarchists of Black International to the various terrorist campaigns that exist today. He also explores the lives of people engaged in careers of political violence and those who are most affected by the scourge of terrorism. Authoritative, illuminating, and masterfully written, <em>Blood and Rage</em> sheds an unflinching light on the global threat that we are likely to face for decades to come. </p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><strong>Amazon Exclusive: Gretchen Rubin Interviews Wendy McClure</strong></p><p><strong>Gretchen:</strong> If you had to pick the one scene from all of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books that makes you the happiest, what would it be? I'd pick the scene where Mr. Edwards brings back the Christmas gifts to Laura and Mary, after he meets Santa Claus in Independence. I cry every time! Or maybe when Laura tells Almanzo that she won't go buggy-riding with Nellie Oleson again. </p><p><strong>Wendy:</strong> For me it’s when the Ingalls family moves into the “wonderful house” in <em>On the Banks of Plum Creek</em>. The rooms are clean and new, with store-boughten hinges and china knobs on the doors, and everything is in its place. Every time I read it, I swoon over the details, from the calico-edged curtains to the smell of the pine boards. A close second is the scene where Laura gets to see the surveyors’ house for the first time in <em>By the Shores of Silver Lake</em>. </p><p><strong>Gretchen:</strong> Why do you think the Little House books have meant so much to you for so long? </p><p><strong>Wendy:</strong> I think it’s because the point of view is at once so subtle and vivid that it feels like I’m in Laura Ingalls’s head, looking with her eyes. I learned so much about how to see from these books, which in turn helped me learn to observe and think like a writer. </p><p><strong>Gretchen:</strong> Now that you've had all those adventures and written your own book about LIW, do you feel differently about Wilder and the books? </p><p><strong>Wendy:</strong> In some ways, yes. I’m able to separate the real Laura Ingalls Wilder from her fictional counterpart and see her in ways that my childhood vision of her didn’t allow for. I also now see Laura’s daughter, Rose, as part of the books because she contributed so much to them. At the same time, the world of the books hasn’t changed much in my mind. Even when I’ve seen the actual sites where the books take place, my imagined version of those places is just as real to me as it’s always been. </p><p><strong>Gretchen:</strong> Having written <em>The Wilder Life</em>, you must be approached constantly by people who are also ardent Laura Ingalls Wilder fans. Do you feel an instant connection to them, or is it a bit hard to relate to everyone's strong emotions about her work? </p><p><strong>Wendy:</strong> I feel more connected to other fans much more than I ever did when I was younger. As a kid, my relationship to Laura and the books was so solitary—I didn’t really know anyone else who loved the books. So when I started to meet and talk to others about the book, it took a little getting used to at first, because everyone’s fandom is different (some people really love the TV show, others consider it sacrilege); but I’ve since found that one of the best things about writing this book is being able to take part in this shared passion. </p><p><strong>Gretchen:</strong> How in the world do you come up with those hilarious Twitter comments as @HalfPintIngalls? Brilliant. My favorite so far: "Hey Almanzo, if you liked it then you should’ve built a shanty on it." </p><p><strong>Wendy:</strong> It takes longer than you’d think! I try to take advantage of the seasons and think, what would Laura be tweeting about this time of year? (Thanks to <em>The Long Winter</em>, it’s never too early or late in the year to complain about twisting hay!) I also go through the Little House books in search of inspiration. It helps that HalfPintIngalls doesn’t tweet too much...after all, she has to walk two miles into town to send her posts from the Twittergraph office! </p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Starred Review. Obsessed with Laura Ingalls Wilder and her Little House books about an 1880s pioneer family, children's book editor and memoirist McClure (I'm Not the New Me) attempts to recapture her childhood vision of "Laura World." Her wacky quest includes hand-grinding wheat for bread, buying an authentic churn, and traveling to sites where the Ingalls family attempted to wrest a living from the prairie. Discovering that butter she churned herself was "just butter," McClure admits she "felt like a genius and a complete idiot at the same time." Viewing a one-room dugout the Ingallses occupied that was "smaller than a freight elevator" prompted McClure to admit that "the actual past and the Little House world had different properties." McClure finally tells her boyfriend, "I'm home," after recognizing that her travels stemmed from her reaction to the recent death of her mother. Readers don't need to be Wilder fans to enjoy this funny and thoughtful guide to a romanticized version of the American expansion west. (Apr.) <br />(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Starred Review. With deceptive casualness, Frampton, assistant editor of the London Review of Books, renders a rigorous history of ideas in this engaging account of the life and the work of Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592). After enduring in short succession the deaths of his daughter; father; best friend; and brother, "killed absurdly, tragically, by the blow from a tennis ball," Montaigne retreated to his tower library, intending to write and prepare himself for his own death. Out of this dismal exercise came Les Essais, his eccentric and invaluable essays on his milieu, philosophy, and preoccupations. Frampton tucks a good deal of biography into his tour of the evolution of the essays and the events that inspired them—but his extraordinary achievement is in conveying—and inviting the reader to commune with—Montaigne's unique sensibility and his take on death, sex, travel, friendship, kidney stones, the human thumb, and above all, "the power of the ordinary and the unremarkable, the value of the here-and-now." This scholarly romp through the Renaissance is a jewel. (Mar.) <br />(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>“Excellent . . . Montaigne celebrates life in all its glorious messiness, while reminding us that nothing matters more than human connectedness and kindness to people and animals. An endlessly digressive writer, Montaigne is as much raconteur as moralist, and his book offers some of the best after-dinner conversation in the world . . . You can never be sure what this French humanist will say next . . . Frampton approaches Montaigne from unexpected tangents . . . Where [he] excels is in his sharply intelligent and sharply phrased insights . . . [An] elegant work.”<br />—Michael Dirda, <em>The Washington Post </em>  </p><p>“Winning . . . Perceptive . . . Frampton tells the story of how history, culture, and personal genius conspired to create a new literary genre—and a literary master for the ages . . . Although they were first published more than four centuries ago, Montaigne’s essays can seem as topical as the morning newspaper. As more than one admirer has discovered, Montaigne’s essential gift—the art of conversation rendered on the page—is a timeless one.”<br />—Danny Heitman, <em>The Christian Science Monitor</em>  </p><p>“Montaigne’s essays delight in human sensuality, uniqueness, even unpredictability. Though [his] early essays were about war, the later essays are playful, uninhibited, and in parts painfully intimate (sexual dysfunction; the passing of kidney stones, etc.). Frampton, in his lighthearted book, explores the shift in Montaigne’s thinking . . . [He] shows how Montaigne’s later essays are full of fascination and observation and how he approaches practical issues—his health, his political obligations, his role as a winemaker—with an enviable equanimity.”<br />—Susan Salter Reynolds, <em>Los Angeles Times</em>  </p><p>“Frampton offers a celebration of perhaps the most enjoyable and yet profound of all Renaissance writers, whose essays went on to have a huge impact on figures as diverse as Shakespeare, Emerson and Orson Welles, and whose thoughts, even today, offer a guide and unprecedented insight into the simple matter of being alive.”<br />—_The Washington Times_  </p><p>“[An] inventive exploration . . . [This book] attest[s] to the enduring fascination of [Montaigne’s] pieces: The sensibility behind them is at once centuries old and curiously modern.”<br />—Kwame Appiah, <em>Slate</em>  </p><p>“Scholarly, but not pedantic, this is a book to be savored over time. As with Montaigne’s essays, it is one which can be opened and read at any point without interrupting its flow. . . . Frampton’s extensive knowledge of literary history is evident.”<br />—Rosemary Repeta, <em>The Post and Courier</em>  </p><p>“The skeptical and humane French nobleman has always had his admirers, and Frampton’s learned, subtle, and engaging book shows why.”<br />—Brian Bethune, <em>Maclean’s</em>  </p><p>“In Montaigne’s intense self-absorption, Frampton discerns the rich literary fruit of a stunning midlife volte-face . . . Frampton underscores the essential humaneness of Montaigne’s life . . . Recognizing the twenty-first century’s own need for advocates of life-affirming tolerance, readers will embrace this insightful portrait.”<br />—Bryce Christensen, <em>Booklist </em>(starred review)  </p><p>“With deceptive casualness, Frampton renders a rigorous history of ideas in this engaging account of the life and the work of Michel de Montaigne . . . His extraordinary achievement is in conveying—and inviting the reader to commune with—Montaigne’s unique sensibility and his take on death, sex, travel, friendship, kidney stones, the human thumb, and above all, ‘the power of the ordinary and the unremarkable, the value of the here-and-now.’ . . . This scholarly romp through the Renaissance is a jewel.”<br />—_Publishers Weekly _(starred review)  </p><p>“Ingenious . . . Passionately written and full to bursting with digressions and anecdotes, Frampton’s book does an excellent job of bringing Montaigne and his historical context to life. It is this vivid evocation of the time that emerges as the book’s greatest strength. We see how the philosopher’s celebration of daily life . . . went against not only the dominant philosophical currents of the day but also the violent upheavals of 16th-century France. What comes through the strongest is an inspiring sense of the philosopher’s remarkable independence of thought and enduring relevance.”<br />—Edward King, <em>The Sunday Times </em>(London)  </p><p>“One of the best books I have read on Montaigne . . . Frampton argues that to read Montaigne is ‘to touch base with oneself’ and to learn how to act within our capacities, to accept and even to savour them . . . He demonstrates that the more Montaigne observed ordinary life, the more remarkable he found it, and the more he felt impelled to plunge back into its mess . . . Four centuries on, Montaigne still speaks to us.”<br />—Nicholas Shakespeare, <em>The Daily Telegraph </em>(London)  </p><p>“[Frampton has] written an introduction to Montaigne’s great work as well as setting it in historical context, showing how it influenced important writers, such as Shakespeare. Frampton’s book stands as a work in its own right and should encourage anyone unfamiliar with Montaigne to read the original.”<br />—Phil Bloomfield, <em>The Oxford Times</em> (UK)</p>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Starred Review. Cambridge University Egyptologist Wilkinson (Lives of the Ancient Egyptians) offers a revisionist view of the ugly life hidden by the splendors and dazzling treasures of pharaonic Egypt. He shows in rich detail that it was a brutal society where life was cheap, royal power absolute and established through fear and coercion. Wilkinson finds unequivocal evidence in royal tombs like that of First Dynasty king Djer (c. 2900 B.C.E.), surrounded by 318 buried retainers, probably victims of human sacrifice. Even if construction workers for Khufu's Great Pyramid at Giza ("the ultimate projection of absolute power") were reasonably fed and housed, they were virtual, if not literal, slaves, drafted to perform the perilous work. Later the fanatical, heretic king Akhenaten built a new model city with grand temples where mountains of food were offered to a sun god while his people were starving and severely overworked. The Ptolemies' punitive economic policies unleashed a peasants' revolt that fatally weakened their empire. This is a penetrating and authoritative overview of a violent ancient civilization often revered by contemporary scholars and enthusiasts. 24 pages of color photos; 44 b&amp;w photos; 12 maps. (Mar.) <br>(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Egyptologists constitute a relatively small subspecialty among professional historians. Perhaps that is why many express an almost fanatical devotion to and admiration for the culture of ancient Egypt. Wilkinson, an award-winning Egyptologist who teaches at Oxford, provides a fine single-volume history of ancient Egypt that covers more than 3,000 years, from prehistory to the Roman conquest. He uses a conventional chronological approach that inevitably uses archaeological sources to provide examples. Like his colleagues, Wilkinson expresses admiration for the continuity, stability, and relative harmony of pharaonic Egypt. Yet he is strikingly at odds with other Egyptologists in his efforts to present the darker side of Egyptian life. Egyptian rulers created and maintained the first true nation-state. As Wilkinson shows, however, the price of this stability was regimes based on fear, coercion, and, when deemed necessary, violent military suppression. This superbly written survey is ideal for general readers and likely to engender controversy among specialists. --Jay Freeman </p>

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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>A _New York Times_ Notable Book  </p><p>“It would be hard to find a fairer or more balanced account of how the American people and their leaders learned to grapple with their greatest economic crisis.” —_New York Times Book Review_  </p><p>“A thorough work of scholarship, a lively story, and a highly original feat of analysis.”—_Business Week _  </p><p>“This is essential reading.” —Studs Terkel </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>One of the classic studies of the Great Depression, featuring a new introduction by the author with insights into the economic crises of 1929 and today.</strong>  </p><p>In the twenty-five years since its publication, critics and scholars have praised historian Robert McElvaine’s sweeping and authoritative history of the Great Depression as one of the best and most readable studies of the era. Combining clear-eyed insight into the machinations of politicians and economists who struggled to revive the battered economy, personal stories from the average people who were hardest hit by an economic crisis beyond their control, and an evocative depiction of the popular culture of the decade, McElvaine paints an epic picture of an America brought to its knees—but also brought together by people’s widely shared plight.  </p><p>In a new introduction, McElvaine draws striking parallels between the roots of the Great Depression and the economic meltdown that followed in the wake of the credit crisis of 2008. He also examines the resurgence of anti-regulation free market ideology, beginning in the Reagan era, and argues that some economists and politicians revised history and ignored the lessons of the Depression era. </p>

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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>Historians, write Frances and Joseph Gies, have long tended to view the Middle Ages as a period of intellectual and scientific stagnation, a long era of backwardness, ignorance, and inertia. Many scholars of the Renaissance era, however, thought otherwise; the mathematician Jerome Cardan, for one, held that three medieval inventions--the magnetic compass, the printing press, and gunpowder--were of such significance that "the whole of antiquity has nothing equal to show."</p><p>In their lively history of medieval technology, the Gies team writes of such advances as the heavy plow, the Gothic flying buttress, linen undergarments, water pumps, and the lateen sail. During the medieval millennium, they suggest, a great technological and social revolution occurred "with the disappearance of mass slavery, the shift to water- and wind-power, the introduction of the open-field system of agriculture, and the importation, adaptation, or invention of an array of devices, from the wheelbarrow to double-entry bookkeeping." Many of those inventions or adaptations, brought into Europe from China and the Middle East, have scarcely been improved on today.</p><p>The medieval technological revolution, the authors conclude, came at a cost: much of Europe was deforested to make room for cropland and to fire kilns and furnaces, and mechanization made obsolete many handicraft skills. Yet, they add, the workers and inventors of the Middle Ages "all transformed the world, on balance very much to the world's advantage." <em>--Gregory McNamee</em></p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>Moving chronologically through a millennium (500-1500 A.D.), the authors (who have written numerous books on medieval life, including Life in a Medieval City , LJ 2/1/70) show that the term "Dark Ages" is a misnomer by deftly tracing the period's "main technological elements, . . . their known or probable sources, and their principal impacts." In addition to the technological developments highlighted in the book's title, the authors cover such topics as the textile industry and shipbuilding/rigging, plus obligatory topics like printing, engineering, and gunpowder. Throughout, they nimbly weave medieval cultural history into the discussion. Informative, readable, enjoyable, and well written, this work is directed to general readers. Highly recommended for all collections.<br><em>- Michael D. Cramer, Virginia Polytechnic &amp; State Univ. Libs . , Blacksburg</em><br>Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>

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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>Tony Hillerman is a national treasure, having achieved critical acclaim, chart-topping popularity, and a sterling reputation as an ambassador between whites and Indians. Fortunately, he's also still a marvelous writer, much imitated but never equaled. <em>The Sinister Pig</em>--his 16th novel to feature Navajo cops Joe Leaphorn and/or Jim Chee--isn't his best book, but it's still a pleasure from the first page to the last. Its plot is almost too complex to summarize, involving the mysterious shooting of an ex-CIA agent, financial shenanigans around oil-and-gas royalties, disappearing congressional interns, exotic pipeline technology, and the cross-border trade in both drugs and illegal aliens.</p><p>Officer Bernadette Manuelito has left the Navajo Tribal Police for the U.S. Customs Service, patrolling the barren borderlands of southern New Mexico. There, her curiosity and smarts land her in a growing peril that provides much of the book's suspense--and invokes the protective instincts of Sergeant Chee, who still hasn't quite been able to tell her how he feels about her. It's impossible not to care about Hillerman's exquisitely drawn repertory characters, nor to overlook the pleasures of his beautifully crafted and relaxed-seeming prose. In the midst of these virtues are a few warts: several sections are a little flat or awkward, and the villainous plutocrat behind it all is short on plausibility (though lots of fun to hate). But even a lesser Hillerman is still a richer, more satisfying read than most authors' top stuff. <em>--Nicholas H. Allison</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Bestseller Hillerman's 16th Chee/ Leaphorn adventure offers deeper intrigue and a tighter plot than his previous entry, The Wailing Wind (2002), in this enduring series. When the body of an undercover agent, who's been looking for clues to the whereabouts of billions of dollars missing from the Tribal Trust Funds, turns up on reservation property near Four Corners, Navajo cop Sgt. Jim Chee and Cowboy Dashee, a Hopi with the Federal Bureau of Land Management, investigate. But the book's real star is officer Bernadette "Bernie" Manuelito, Chee's erstwhile romantic interest, now working in the New Mexico boot heel for the U.S. Border Patrol. The miles have only strengthened her feelings for Chee-and vice versa. A routine patrol puts Bernie on the trail of an operation involving some old oil pipelines that connects to the Four Corners murder. Meanwhile, Joe Leaphorn is checking into the same murder from another direction. The three lines converge on a conspiracy of drugs, greed and power, and those who most profit, including the "sinister pig" of the title, will stop at nothing to keep it a secret. With his usual up-front approach to issues concerning Native Americans such as endlessly overlapping jurisdictions, Hillerman delivers a masterful tale that both entertains and educates.<br />Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Telling his story the Navajo way, Hillerman ( Coyote Waits ) fully develops the background of the cases pursued by Navajo Tribal Policemen, Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee, so that the resolutions--personal and professional--ring true with gratifying inevitability. A white woodshop teacher at St. Bonaventure's mission school is bludgeoned to death in his schoolroom; a student, a young boy from Tano Pueblo, is missing. The boy's uncle, a koshare, or sacred clown, in a kachina dance, is stabbed to death right after the ceremony in which he has symbolically warned of the dangers of selling sacred objects; an old man is killed on the highway in a hit and run. Chee, who is apprehensive about working for Leaphorn, tries to locate the missing boy, whose grandmother is on the Navajo Tribal Council, and to learn who ran down the old man, but he is distracted by his growing attachment to lawyer Janet Pete and by his desire to be a hataalii , or shaman, as well as a cop. Leaphorn searches for clues while simultaneously grieving for his wife who died 18 months earlier and considering his relationship with linguistics professor Louisa Bourebonette. Jurisdictional conflicts with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Apache County Sheriff's Office reflect the cultural differences that obtain among tribes and clans as this first Leaphorn story in three years, steeped in Navajo lore and traditions, draws to its convincing conclusions. 350,000 first printing; major ad/promo; Mystery Guild selection; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternates . <br />Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>YA-In Hillerman's latest mystery set in the Southwest, Navajo tribal policemen Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee work together with a runaway student as the only link between two seemingly unrelated murders-one of a well-liked art teacher in his classroom on the reservation and the other the uncle of the runaway boy. The author skillfully employs the elements of detection and routine police work while providing readers with an intriguing glimpse of Navajo culture. The relationships between the officers and between the other well-defined characters give depth to the story, which is spiced with both men's romantic interests. The thought processes of the characters are accessible; the narrative holds interest and moves smoothly; and the themes of good and evil, greed and generosity, ethical considerations and environmental issues provide conflict. Unique and masterful.<br /><em>Linda Sudduth, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA</em><br />Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p><em>Starred Review.</em> A picture cut from a glossy magazine, <em>Luxury Living</em>, draws retired Navajo tribal policeman Lt. Joe Leaphorn into a hunt for a soulless killer in bestseller Hillerman's enthralling 18th Leaphorn/Chee whodunit (after 2004's <em>Skeleton Man</em>). The picture's sender, Mel Bork, another cop retiree, wonders if the distinctive Navajo rug shown in the picture is the same one Leaphorn described to him long ago, a rug supposedly destroyed in a fire the two officers investigated that took the life of a person identified as among the FBI's most wanted. Bork's subsequent disappearance and murder herald the dangers awaiting Leaphorn from a most formidable enemy. As Leaphorn searches for evidence to confirm his suspicions, he enlists the aid of Sgt. Jim Chee and his bride, Bernadette Manuelito, just back from their honeymoon. Only Hillerman could so masterfully connect such disparate elements as an ancient cursed weaving, two stolen buckets of piñon sap and the Vietnam War. The conclusion is sure to startle longtime fans of this acclaimed mystery series. <em>(Nov.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Retirement has never sat well with former Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn. Now the ghosts of a still-unsolved case are returning to haunt him, reawakened by a photograph in a magazine spread of a one-of-a-kind Navajo rug, a priceless work of woven art that was supposedly destroyed in a suspicious fire many years earlier. The rug, commemorating one of the darkest and most terrible chapters in American history, was always said to be cursed, and now the friend who brought it to Leaphorn's attention has mysteriously gone missing. </p><p>With newly wedded officers Jim Chee and Bernie Manuelito just back from their honeymoon, the legendary ex-lawman is on his own to pick up the threads of a crime he'd once thought impossible to untangle. And they're leading him back into a world of lethal greed, shifting truths, and changing faces, where a cold-blooded killer still resides. </p>


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Old Joseph Joe sees it all. Two strangers spill blood at the Shiprock Wash-O-Mat. One dies. The other drives off into the dry lands of the Big Reservation, but not before he shows the old Navajo a photo of the man he seeks.  This is all Tribal Policeman Jim Chee needs to set him off on an odyssey that moves from a trapped ghost in an Indian hogan to the seedy underbelly of L.A. to an ancient healing ceremony where death is the cure, and into the dark heart of murder and revenge.


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>A lost gold mine, a corpse in an abandoned pickup truck, and an eerie wailing heard on Halloween are among the delicious plot elements Tony Hillerman cooks up in his 15th novel featuring Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. The two Navajo cops, one old and one young--who originally debuted in separate series but have been collaborating for many books now--are among the most engaging, fully human characters in crime fiction. As usual, Hillerman puts them to work in a suspenseful, satisfying tale that integrates a wealth of Navajo lore plus breathtaking evocations of the American Southwest, all delivered in prose as clear, clean, and easy-flowing as a mountain stream. Longtime readers will be delighted by several developments, including a prominent role for the appealing Officer Bernadette Manuelito and a glimpse at the phlegmatic Leaphorn's testy side. But Hillerman welcomes new arrivals as well, with enough exposition to get you oriented.</p><p>Many writers have tried to follow Hillerman's trail, setting murder mysteries in Native American cultural landscapes. Many do a fine job. But, as <em>The Wailing Wind</em> beautifully demonstrates, there's only one Tony Hillerman. In this book he's at the top of his game. <em>--Nicholas H. Allison</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>The 15th Chee/Leaphorn mystery (after 1999's relatively weak Hunting Badger) finds MWA Grand Master Hillerman back at the top of his form as his two Navajo peace officers look into both a past and present mystery. Religious fervency and single-minded greed become strange but necessary bedfellows in a plot filled, as always, with insights into the lives and beliefs of the "Dineh." When an abandoned pickup truck turns out to contain one very dead white man, Sgt. Jim Chee's instincts lead him to bring retired Lt. Joe Leaphorn into the case. Leaphorn's trademark curiosity sends him in search of possible links between this homicide and another two years earlier. The first murder occurred on Halloween day when Wiley Denton supposedly shot Marvin McKay in self-defense after McKay tried to sell him bogus information about an old gold mine. That same day Denton's wife, Linda, disappeared; she has never been heard from again. Leaphorn's recollection of what had been shrugged off as a Halloween prank out at old Fort Wingate now becomes the itch he has to scratch. It seems a group of teens shortcutting across the area had endured a close call with La Llorana, a mythical wailing woman. The information he gathers adds yet another piece to the puzzle of the missing Linda. Chee is up to his elbows in not only the investigation but also in sorting through his growing emotional confusion about the beautiful Bernadette Manuelito. The seemingly insignificant turns critical and the loose ends tie up in one tidy conclusion as Hillerman repeatedly shines in this masterfully complex new novel. <br />Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Vibrant with the spirit of the Navajo people of the Southwest, Hillerman's new story is a spellbinder, like his Edgar Winner Dance Hall of the Dead and other praised novels. Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee of the tribal police work together here, trying to solve crimes that resist logic. There are no clues to three homicides or to the attempted murder of Chee. Leaphorn thinks a "skinwalker," or witch, could have attacked the victims, all adherents of shamanism, as they are otherwise unrelated. The skinwalkers represent a schism between witchcraft and the traditional Navajo Way. A second attempt on Chee bolsters Leaphorn's suspicion since Chee is an aspiring shaman. The story gathers momentum and tension as the partners get closer to the moment when the murderer comes into the open, and the tragic reason for the crimes becomes painfully clear. 30,000 first printing; BOMC alternate; author tour. <br />Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>“Hillerman is unique, and Skinwalkers is one of his best works yet.” (Los Angeles Times )  </p><p>“Choice reading for plot, characters, and superb setting—don’t miss Skinwalkers.” (Chicago Tribune )  </p><p>“Superb and pure pleasure to read.” (Washington Post Book World ) </p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>"They sat for a while, engulfed by sunlight, cool air and silence. A raven planed down from the rim, circled around a cottonwood, landed on a Russian olive across the canyon floor and perched, waiting for them to die." </p><p>Nobody in the world could have written that paragraph but Tony Hillerman. Two old men sit, surrounded by the natural beauty of Canyon de Chelly, talking about death. The fact that one of the men is Joe Leaphorn, (the Legendary Lieutenant, as his younger colleague Jim Chee irreverently but accurately calls him behind his back) means that something serious has happened--a crime in some way connected to the Navajo people. But Leaphorn has retired from the Navajo Tribal Police, and the only person dead so far is a rich Anglo named Hal Breedlove, who fell while trying to climb Ship Rock 11 years before. Chee is busy on another, more prosaic matter, but he can't resist helping his thorny mentor on Leaphorn's first case as a private detective. <strong>The Fallen Man</strong> is brisk, beautiful, funny, and poignant--as good a place as any for first-timers to plunge into Hillerman Country. Then they can catch up on past triumphs with </p><h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>YA. The latest Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn mystery has vivid descriptions of Native American mythology and traditions but lacks the suspense and tightly woven plot of the earlier titles in this popular series. A skeleton is found on a high ledge of Ship Rock mountain, a place sacred to the Navahos. Tribal Police Lieutenant Chee and the now retired Leaphorn suspect correctly that it belongs to a wealthy rancher missing for 11 years, and Chee tries to discover if it is murder or an accidental death. Meanwhile, Leaphorn is hired by a lawyer to look into the investigation for the rancher's Eastern family, who want to own his land legally so they can accept a lucrative bid for the mining rights. The obvious suspects, if there was foul play, are the young woman who inherited the ranch and her brother who manages it. In addition to uncovering the cause of death, Chee must determine if the rancher died before or after his 30th birthday when he legally inherited the ranch from a family trust. The continuing rocky romance between Chee and tribal lawyer Janet Pete brings an interesting love angle to the story. Environmentalism and the survival of Native American culture are strong themes.?Penny Stevens, formerly at Fairfax County Public Library, VA<br />Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>"A beauty of a thriller . . . exotic and compelling reading." -- _-- <em>_Cleveland Plain Dealer</em>  </p><p>"A book to read with pleasure." -- _-- <em>_Colorado Springs Sun</em>  </p><p>"Background, characters, story--all first rate." -- _-- <em>_Amarillo Texas News</em>  </p><p>"Hillerman is first-rate . . . fresh, original, and higly suspenseful." -- _-- <em>_The Los Angeles Times</em>  </p><p>"Hillerman's best book in an already strong series." -- _-- <em>_The New Republic</em>  </p><p>"Tony Hillerman continues to teach and delight." -- _-- <em>_Ashville, N.C. Citizen-Times</em></p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The corpse had been "scalped," its palms and soles removed after death. Sergeant Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police knows immediately he will have his hands full with this case—a certainty that is supported by the disturbing occurrences to follow. A mysterious nighttime plane crash, a vanishing shipment of cocaine, and a bizarre attack on a windmill only intensify Chee's fears. A dark and very ill wind is blowing through the Southwestern desert, a gale driven by Navajo sorcery and white man's greed. And it will sweep away everything unless Chee can somehow change the weather. </p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>Joe Leaphorn, former Navajo tribal police lieutenant, is not a happy retiree. So when his successor asks him to look into how a young Hopi named Billy Tuve came by a valuable diamond the boy tried to pawn for a fraction of its worth, Joe finds himself involved in a five decade old mystery. It dates back to a plane crash in the Grand Canyon, one that took the life of a man whose putative daughter also has an interest in the diamond; it could lead her to her father's remains, from which she hopes to extract enough DNA to establish her birthright. For good measure, Hillerman adds a couple of villains determined to beat her to the site of the crash, a cache of other diamonds long since given up for lost in the Canyon's watery depths, and a Hopi ritual that's kept the site secret for years. It's a good yarn, well but twice told; Hillerman sets it up in a chronologically confusing opening chapter, in which Joe spins the story for a couple of former law-enforcement colleagues--not just to entertain or enlighten them but to demonstrate what he calls his "Navajo belief in universal connections. The cause leads to inevitable effect. The entire cosmos being an infinitely complicated machine all working together."</p><p>Hillerman is a name-brand writer with a huge and well deserved following. His evocation of the landscape of the Southwest is as compelling as it ever was, and many familiar characters from the other 18 novels in this prize-winning series appear here, notably Sergeant Jim Chee and border patrol officer Bernie Manuelito, the woman Chee hopes to marry. Joe Leaphorn remains his most fully-realized protagonist; his perspective on life, destiny, and the sometimes uneasy truce between Native Americans and whites gives this series a unique place in the genre. But as evidenced by his latest, Hillerman's hero needs more than a retired duffer's memories to keep him vital and alive, even for his most dedicated fans. <em>--Jane Adams</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Starred Review. In MWA Grandmaster Hillerman's sterling 17th Chee/Leaphorn novel, a 1956 collision between passenger planes high above the Grand Canyon leaves a courier's arm and attached diamond-filled security case unaccounted for after almost half a century. Enter retired Navajo Tribal Police Lt. Joe Leaphorn, who must try to connect the dots between an old robbery involving a valuable diamond and a more recent crime involving another diamond, both of which may somehow be related to the plane-crash jewels. The puzzle soon draws in fellow Navajo officer Sgt. Jim Chee and former cop Bernie Manuelito, Chee's soon-to-be bride. Billy Tuve, a cousin of Chee's lawman buddy Cowboy Dashee, is arrested after trying to pawn a gem believed to have come from the more recent robbery. Dashee enlists Chee's help to verify Tuve's story of a mysterious old man who gave him the jewel during a journey to a canyon-bottom shrine. But the good guys soon learn there are plenty more people in the hunt, and some will stop at nothing to get what they're after. The stakes are high and the danger escalates clear through to the final pages. Hillerman continues to shine as the best of the West. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>"...as with all of Hillerman's other books on tape, <em>Dance Hall of the Dead</em> is compelling, colorful, and just complex enough to keep you interested, but not confused." -- <em>_</em>Catalyst_, September 1997  </p><p>"An author's style has a lot to do with the success of an audio book...One writer whose works on the mark for listeners every time is Tony Hillerman...Hillerman is a former newspaper reporter, and his novels have a journalistic feel. His sentences tend to be straightforward, and they translate well to tape...An editor for Recorded Books said Hillerman's books are "very crisply written, and he leaves a lot to the imagination. Some writers put in too much detail. He leaves a lot of room for the listener."...Actor Michael Ansara, who has portrayed native Americans on television and in films, is the reader for Audio Partners' work. His reading is crisp and clear, with a touch of gravity." -- <em>_</em>Indianapolis Star_, September 1991  </p><p>"High entertainment, an aesthetically satisfying glimpse of the still-powerful tribal mysteries." -- <em>_</em>The New York Times_</p><h3>Product Description</h3>[HTML_REMOVED]


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<h3>Review</h3><p>"He makes the desert come, alive." -- _-- <em>_Denver Post</em>  </p><p>"Hillerman . . . is in a class by himself." -- _-- <em>_Los Angeles Times</em>  </p><p>"Hillerman deserves to be included in any list of the best living mystery writers." -- _-- <em>_Dallas Morning News</em>  </p><p>"Hillerman gets better with every book." -- _-- <em>_San Francisco Chronicle</em>  </p><p>"Hillerman is an expert puzzle-maker." -- _-- <em>_The Atlantic</em>  </p><p>"Hillerman is surely one of the finest and most original craftsmen at work in the genre today." -- _-- <em>_The Boston Globe</em>  </p><p>"Hillerman's mysteries are unique in American crime fiction." -- _-- <em>_Los Angeles Times</em>  </p><p>"Readers who have not discovered Hillerman should not waste one minute more." -- _-- <em>_Oklahoma City Oklahoman</em>  </p><p>"The only mysteries I read are Hillerman's." -- _-- <em>_Ursula K. Le Guin </em>  </p><p>"This series of Southwestern mysteries from Tony Hillerman is superb." -- _-- <em>_Daily News</em>  </p><p>"Whatever your pleasure, you can't go wrong with this gifted, skillful and . . . unique writer." -- _-- <em>_San Diego Union</em></p><h3>Product Description</h3>[HTML_REMOVED]


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<h3>Review</h3><p>“A good exciting mystery that has everything.” (Pittsburgh Press )  </p><p>“Hillerman’s mysteries are special . . . Listening Woman is among the best.” (Washington Post ) </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The blind shaman called Listening Woman speaks of witches and restless spirits, of supernatural evil unleashed. But Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Tribal Police is sure the monster who savagely slaughtered an old man and a teenage girl was human. The solution to a horrific crime is buried somewhere in a dead man's secrets and in the shocking events of a hundred years past. To ignore the warnings of a venerable seer, however, might be reckless foolishness when Leaphorn's investigation leads him farther away from the comprehensible . . . and closer to the most brutally violent confrontation of his career. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Plumbing more deeply than ever the Navajo culture of Tribal Police Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee, Hillerman ( Talking God ) weaves an understated, powerful tale from strands of ancient Navajo mythology, modern greed and ambition, and, above all, the sorrows and delights of his characters. Although Chee is badly burned in an attempt to rescue fellow officer Delbert Nez, who has been shot and left in his burning car, he blames himself for Nez's death. On medical leave and off the case, Chee tries to facilitate the prompt prosecution of elderly shaman Ashie Pinto, found near the murder site in a drunken stupor, the weapon in his hand still smoking. Leaphorn, too, becomes unofficially involved when he agrees to investigate the charges against Pinto on behalf of the latter's niece, a member of his dead wife Emma's clan. He and Chee follow parallel trails to the killing of a Vietnamese teacher and former ARVN officer, to a revision in the legend of Butch Cassidy and to the case's unexpected resolution. Central to the tale are two women, one Pinto's attorney; the other a cultural anthropologist who helps prize Leaphorn out of his continuing grief over Emma's death. Hillerman's spare and moving story eloquently illustrates Pinto's reminder to Leaphorn that Coyote, "the enemy of all law, and rules, and harmony," waits for everyone. Reader's Digest Condensed Books. <br />Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The car fire didn't kill Navajo Tribal Policeman Delbert Nez—a bullet did. And the old man in possession of the murder weapon is a whiskey-soaked shaman named Ashie Pinto. Officer Jim Chee is devastated by the slaying of his good friend Del, and confounded by the prime suspect's refusal to utter a single word of confession or denial. </p><p>Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn believes there is much more to this outrage than what appears on the surface, as he and Jim Chee set out to unravel a complex weave of greed and death that involves a historical find and a lost fortune. But the hungry and mythical trickster Coyote is waiting, as always, in the shadows to add a strange and deadly new twist. </p>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>“Fascinating...breathless suspense.” (Minneapolis Tribune )  </p><p>“Tony Hillerman’s novels are like no others.” (San Diego Union-Tribune )  </p><p>“[Hillerman] is a master at his game.” (Chattanooga Times ) </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>John Cotton was a simple man with one desire: to write the greatest story of his life and have enough life left to read all about it.</p><p>Reporter John Cotton knows what to do when he finds a great story, but he is a little afraid when a big story begins to find him.  It starts when a fellow reporter is murdered and his notebook, filled with information about a tax scam, ends up in John's hands.  Not long afterwards, a body is discovered in John's car.  Then John's car ends up in the river, a bomb is found in his apartment, and his girlfriend drops out of sight.  It's up to John to unravel the mystery of the notebook and why anyone would kill for the information it contains.</p>

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<div><p>Loaded with e-book extras (not available in the print edition), including Tony Hillerman's running commentary on his work, his series heroes Leaphorn and Chee, and a special profile of the Navajo nation.</p><p>Moon Mathias discovers his dead brother's baby daughter is waiting for him in Southeast Asia -- a child he didn't know existed. Finding her in the aftermath of the Vietnam War brings out a side of Moon he had forgotten he possessed.</p><p>Tony Hillerman's bestselling Navajo mysteries have thrilled millions of readers with their taut, intricate plotting, sensitive, subtle characterizations and lyrical evocations of landscapes and cultures. Now he departs his trademark terrain and applies his talents to a story he has wanted to tell for decades about an ordinary man thrust into total chaos.</p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Hillerman's latest is not quite up to his best standards, but it's still a wonderfully readable, involving mystery. Here he sets Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee in Washington, D.C., as each uses vacation time to follow separate cases that will connect in a clash of violence at the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History. Chee has come at the request of Janet Pete, a Navajo lawyer with a case that involves a ceremonial mask of Yeibichai, or Talking God, maternal grandfather of all the other Navajo gods, and a museum curator named Henry Highhawk, who claims Navajo ancestry and wants to be included on tribal rolls. Leaphorn's interest rises from a puzzling homicide case--an unidentified corpse found near Gallup, N.M., with a note mentioning a pending Yeibichai ceremony. Just as Leaphorn's tenacity reveals the dead man was a leftist Chilean terrorist, Highhawk is killed (in a spooky late-night scene in the Museum) and the pivotal role of the Talking God mask comes into play. Leaphorn's grief over the recent death of his wife, Chee's sorrow at the end of an impossible love affair, both men's sense of alienation in the capital city's urban sophistication suffuse this slim, somewhat contrived, tale with palpable melancholy. 150,000 copy first printing; $150,000 ad/promo; Mysterious Book Club dual main selection; BOMC and QPBC alternates; author tour. <br>Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>There are three things one can expect from a Hillerman mystery: a story that would make no sense without its rock-solid base of Navaho culture; a tale that moves within the rhythms of real time; and an intricate plot that calls for the particular skills of his two detectives, Jim Chee, shaman and officer of the Navaho Tribal Police, and Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, older, slower, and wiser. Talking God has all of these things in a plot that absolutely defies summary. Leaphorn and Chee track different paths for different crimes and both end up in the wilds of Washington, D.C., ostensibly on vacation. Instead of the sweet scent of the Southwest, Hillerman has a good time pitting his detectives against the "City of Navy Blue Suits." Welcome as a returning presence is winsome Navaho attorney Janet Pete, who contributes both to the structure of the mystery and to Chee's emotional disharmony. In 1970, LJ 's reviewer described Hillerman's The Blessing Way as "a mystery with literary value; one you can recommend to people who don't like mysteries." Indeed; enjoy. For more on Hillerman, see "Contributing Factors" in this issue, p. 00.<br><em>- Ed. -- GraceAnne A. DeCandido, "Library Journal"</em><br>Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>

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<h3>Product Description</h3>

I will seek Vengeance upon those who betrayed my family. I am Ezio Auditore da Firenze. I am an Assassin Betrayed by the ruling families of Italy, a young man embarks upon an epic quest for vengeance. To eradicate corruption and restore his family's honour, he will learn the art of the assassins. Along the way, Ezio will call upon the wisdom of such great minds as Leonardo Da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavelli ? knowing that survival is bound to the skills by which he must live.To his allies, he will become a force for change - fighting for freedom and justice. To his enemies, he will become a threat dedicated to the destruction of the tyrants abusing the people of Italy. So begins an epic story of power, revenge and conspiracy.

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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p><em>Starred Review.</em> Returning to Elmwood Springs, Mo., (where her sprawling 2002 novel, Standing in the Rainbow, chronicled the small town's inhabitants over five decades), Flagg keeps this outing much more tightly-focused; most of the novel takes place over a few days. Octogenarian Elner Shimfissle falls off a ladder after accidentally disturbing a hornets' nest while picking figs. After she dies at the hospital, the novel's bite-size chapters alternate between funny and touching vignettes showing how Elner's death and life has affected dozens of people in town, interspersed with scenes of Elner's laugh-out-loud assent into the hereafter. From there, the plot offers readers a series of delightful surprises. Perhaps Flagg's funniest novel since her debut, Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man, she's created a charming, life-affirming tale and a full cast of memorable characters, including Elner's late sister, Ida, who greets her in heaven still carrying her purse and a grudge about the bad hair styling she got for her funeral. Flagg is an expert at balancing pathos with plenty of Southern sass, and this could very well be the feel-good read of the summer. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Combining southern warmth with unabashed emotion and side-splitting hilarity, Fannie Flagg takes readers back to Elmwood Springs, Missouri, where the most unlikely and surprising experiences of a high-spirited octogenarian inspire a town to ponder the age-old question: Why are we here?  </p><p>Life is the strangest thing. One minute, Mrs. Elner Shimfissle is up in her tree, picking figs, and the next thing she knows, she is off on an adventure she never dreamed of, running into people she never in a million years expected to meet. Meanwhile, back home, Elner’s nervous, high-strung niece Norma faints and winds up in bed with a cold rag on her head; Elner’s neighbor Verbena rushes immediately to the Bible; her truck driver friend, Luther Griggs, runs his eighteen-wheeler into a ditch–and the entire town is thrown for a loop and left wondering, “What is life all about, anyway?” Except for Tot Whooten, who owns Tot’s Tell It Like It Is Beauty Shop. Her main concern is that the end of the world might come before she can collect her social security.  </p><p>In this comedy-mystery, those near and dear to Elner discover something wonderful: Heaven is actually right here, right now, with people you love, neighbors you help, friendships you keep. <em>Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven</em> is proof once more that Fannie Flagg “was put on this earth to write” (Southern Living), spinning tales as sweet and refreshing as iced tea on a summer day, with a little extra kick thrown in. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>In Edgar-winner Liss's enjoyable third thriller to feature the estimable Benjamin Weaver, an 18th-century London thieftaker (after <em>A Spectacle of Corruption</em> and <em>A Conspiracy of Paper</em>), Weaver finds himself working reluctantly for a mysterious gentleman, Jerome Cobb. On Cobb's orders, Weaver takes employment as a security man at the British East India Company's headquarters, where he tries to obtain information about the death of one Absalom Pepper, of whom virtually nothing is known. To keep Weaver in line, Cobb has blackmailed Weaver's friend Moses Franco, close confederate Elias Gordon and his beloved uncle Miguel. As usual, several beautiful women play roles in the complicated plot, which involves industrial spying and the international textile trade. Weaver's two previous adventures could sometimes bog down in arcane financial and political detail, but Liss keeps the suspense at full boil and the action rolling swiftly ahead. <em>(July)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>“A treat for lovers of historical fiction. . . .accomplished, atmospheric, and thoughtful.”—_Washington Post_  </p><p>“As distinguished by the compelling voice of its narrator as it is by its vibrant detail.”—_Denver Post<br />_<br />“Witty and stimulating”—_Kirkus _  </p><p>“More than just a finely written mystery. Liss injects thoughtful discussion of issues that should resonate in the best university business courses. Corporate ethics at the British East India Company appear to resemble those of Wall Street companies this decade.”—_San Antonio Express-News<br />_  </p><p><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em></p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>With such novels as <strong> and </strong>, Edward Rutherfurd has laid claim to <em>place</em>, in which the characters tend to play second fiddle to the setting. <em>The Forest</em> is the most ambitious example yet of Rutherfurd's art. This time the location is that bosky patch of English real estate known as the New Forest. Other writers have tackled the area before. But <em>The Forest</em> is surely the definitive chronicle, with all the local stories, legends, and apocrypha woven into an irresistible narrative--think of </p><p>Opening with the assassination of King William II in 1099, the book covers nearly a millennium's worth of history. Rutherfurd creates generation after generation of adroitly realized characters, the best of whom defy our generic expectations: the canny Brother Adam, for example, is that rarest of literary creatures, a virtuous man who doesn't end up being simply bland and anodyne. Rutherfurd may be at his best when dealing with big-canvas events like the bloody Monmouth Rebellion of 1685. But he's no slouch at detailing more microcosmic conflicts, like this head-butting contest between two buck deer: </p><blockquote><p>Her buck had hit firmer ground and his feet suddenly got a purchase on the grass. His hindquarters shivering, he dug in. She saw the shoulders rise and his neck bear down. And now the interloper was slipping on the wet leaves. Slowly, cautiously, their antlers locked, the two straining bucks began to turn. Now they were both on grass. Suddenly the interloper disengaged. He gave his head a twist. The jagged spike was aiming at the buck's eye. </p></blockquote><p>Bestial behavior? Perhaps. Yet the level of human folly and brutality scattered throughout <em>The Forest</em> makes the foregoing passage resemble an outtake from <em>Bambi</em>--and gives this sylvan saga a very memorable edge. <em>--Barry Forshaw</em></p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>As he did most recently--and with greater success--in London (LJ 6/15/97), Rutherfurd offers a sweeping picture of an area of England by focusing on a few families who lived there. This time he concentrates on the New Forest, part of the southern coast of England bounded by the English Channel. Rutherfurd traces the lives of peasants, smugglers, churchmen, woodsmen, and upper-class families from the 11th to the 20th centuries. These assorted men and women take part in the events surrounding the death of King Rufus (William the Conqueror's son), the failure of the Spanish Armada, England's Civil War, and more. Rutherfurd has always used his characters more as placeholders in history than as living human beings, but those in The Forest are particularly one-dimensional. That, plus the annoyingly Michener-like didactic tone of the narrative, makes this a hard book to recommend, even for fans of Rutherfurd. Still, readers looking for a fictional overview of English history will find it here in spades. Think of it as a Cliffs Notes with much heft.<br /><em>-Nancy Pearl, Washington Ctr. for the Book, Seattle </em><br />Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Set around the time of WW II, Pilcher's tale of youthful friendship and romance spent 16 weeks on PW's bestseller list. <br />Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Pilcher's novel is big, both in size and scope. Yet its charm is in its details. The book's heroine is Judith Dunbar, who is a schoolgirl of 13 when the tale begins in 1935. Sent to boarding school in Cornwall because her parents are posted to Singapore, Judith becomes friends with Loveday Carey-Lewis, who introduces her to a family and an estate, Nancherrow, that is to influence her for the rest of her life. Pilcher does a marvelous job of describing life in England before World War II. Readers, especially Anglophiles, will adore the care Pilcher gives to setting her scenes, decorating them with everything from Cornish wildflowers to china dogs to particular tartan plaids. The same care is evident later in the tale, as Pilcher chronicles the changes brought by the war to the fabric of British life. There is, of course, more to the novel than a carefully rendered historical backdrop. There is a story, too, and a quite involving one even if its outlines are familiar from other melodramas set against the dramatic events of history. As Judith makes her way to adulthood in the midst of great wealth, great tragedy, and, naturally, romance, Pilcher effectively balances the demands of plot with the pleasures of revisiting a different place and time. Fans of the author's previous books, such as <em>September</em> (1990), will know what they're getting into and willingly plunge in headfirst. A Literary Guild main selection and an 850,000 first printing indicate supreme confidence on the publisher's part. <em>Ilene Cooper</em></p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>Particle physics, false vacuum bubbles, an alternate universe--this is the stuff of Jonathan Lethem's novel <em>As She Climbed Across the Table</em>. The tale echoes __ in its mad tumble through a rearranged reality. Narrator Phillip Engstrand is a university professor who has made a career out of studying academic environments. Engstrand is in love with Alice Coombs, a particle physicist engaged in a bold attempt to replicate the origins of the universe. The result of the experiment is Lack, a very selective black hole that sucks some things into its void--a cat, a pair of socks, a strawberry--and rejects others, namely, a love-struck Alice. As Alice's unrequited obsession with Lack grows, Phillip becomes so desperate to save his beloved from this empty rival that he risks a journey down the metaphysical rabbit hole. </p><p>Here the language of physics becomes the language of love: describing physics' "observer problem," Alice says, "Some people think the observer's consciousness determines the spin or even the existence of the electron." Later, as he stumbles to explain Alice's importance to him, Phillip tells her, "I'm not sure I really exist except under your observation." In this memorable little book, Lethem explores the cosmic possibilities of love. </p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>In this witty but telling new work from the author of The Wall of Sky, the Wall of Eye (LJ 8/96), our hapless narrator has completed his dissertation on "Theory as Neurosis in the Professional Scientist" and landed a job at the University of North California at Beauchamp (pronouced beach 'em), where he studies academic envirorments, producing "strong but irrelevant work" and falling for physics professor Alice. But Alice is too caught up in Professor Soft's notorious experiment with a vacuum intelligence called Lack to pay her lover much heed, and soon Lack is the real love of her life. This is not your typically insular campus comedy; Lethem has something bigger in mind, and he succeeds admirably in skewering our pretensions, technological or not, in language that gently mocks the way we hide behind jargon. An ironical book that is, ironically, quite poignant; for public and academic libraries.?Barbara Hoffert, "Library Journal"<br />Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>Pearce's 1965 novel depicts the lives of chain gang convicts with brutal honesty. The story, of course, was the basis for the film Pearce also wrote the screenplay starring Paul Newman in the lead role. <br />Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Out of his experiences working on a chain gang, Donn Pearce created Cool Hand Luke, war hero turned "pretty evil feller," whose refusal to "git his mind right" becomes part of his fellow convicts' mythology of survival.</p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Arranged loosely in order of publication, the 16 diverse selections in this decade-spanning anthology add up to a plausible snapshot of cyberpunk's short-form evolution. Kelly and Kessel (_Feeling Very Strange_) clearly describe cyberpunk counterculture in a cogent introduction, yet draw only one story from a nongenre source (Greg Egan's Yeyuka) and greatly undervalue the subgenre's ability, at its most popular, to reach beyond SF's core audience. While some entries (Charles Stross's Lobsters; Cory Doctorow's When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth) focus strongly on techno-geek culture, others apply high-tech ideas in more down-to-earth contexts (Mary Rosenblum's Search Engine; Paolo Bacigalupi's The Calorie Man). The critical matter is too scant for academic readers and too intrusive for genre fans; discussion of specific stories is extremely sparse, and excerpts from correspondence between Kessel and Bruce Sterling distract rather than enlighten. Readers seeking a thorough critical study should look elsewhere, but those looking for well-told stories will be satisfied. <em>(Nov.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"Cyberpunk is dead. Long live post-cyberpunk!"  —_Kirkus Reviews_</p><p>"[The] strange, cinematically atmospheric story, 'Thirteen Views of a Cardboard City,' fits perfectly in <em>Rewired</em>."  —William Gibson, author, <em>Spook Country</em></p><p>"A short story collection filled with very good stories by very good science fiction writers offering very engaging ideas."  —PopMatters</p><p>"Sixteen inspiring, mind-altering stories . . . and every story in the bunch is a knockout."  —BoingBoing.net</p><p>"An excellent collection and a reminder that the short story is often the best venue for new ideas in the field."  —SF Crowsnest.com</p><p>"Cyberpunk has grown past its rebel stage and is now not only capable of dazzling us with surfaces but also of speaking of the human condition."   —_Tangent_</p><p>"Mind-altering . . . every story in the bunch is a knockout."  —Monstrous.com</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>A masterpiece that is breathtaking in its scope, SARUM is an epic novel that traces the entire turbulent course of English history. This rich tapesty weaves a compelling saga of five families who preserve their own particular characteristics over the centuries, and offer a fascinating glimpse into the future.From the Paperback edition.</p>


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<div><p>John Morgan and his wife can barely contain their excitement upon arriving as new teachers in a Yupik Inuit village on the windswept Alaskan tundra. Lured north in search of adventure, the idealistic couple hope to immerse themselves in the ancient Arctic culture. Their move proves disastrous when a deadly epidemic strikes and the isolated community descends into total chaos. When outside help fails to arrive, John's only hope lies in escaping the snowcovered tundra and the hunger of the other survivors. His thousand-mile trek across the Alaskan wilderness grows more improbable when he encounters a blind Inuit girl and an elderly woman. The two need his protection from those who would harm them, and he needs their knowledge of the terrain and their companionship to survive. The harsh journey and constant danger push him beyond his limits as he discovers a new sense of hope and the possibility of loving again.</p><p>"If you're not scared, be scared: Don Rearden's The Raven's Gift...</p></div>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>"Hands down my favorite book of the year." --Fear Zone </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Toby was just a boy the first time he saw the creature in the woods.  His parents convinced the terrified child it was only his imagination.  The next time Toby saw the creature he was a lonely, unhappy teenager without friends. But the creature would be his friend.  It would be there when Toby needed someone to talk to.  And it would take care of the bullies who wouldn't leave Toby alone. After all, the creature needed to eat.  And during their macabre, decades-long friendship, there will be other meals... </p>

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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>Praise for Meg Cabot:</p><p>“Cabot shows the dark side behind the bling-blingy superficial worlds.” —Teenreads.com</p><p>"[The] strong, amusing voice, the plot twists, and the possibility of romance will draw mystery and chick-lit readers alike." —ALA Booklist </p><p>“Bag the tiara and get out the gun ... Cabot delivers.” —Publishers Weekly </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>New from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld.</p><p>Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.</p><p>But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.</p><p>Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.</p><p>But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.</p>

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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>Syphilis, alcoholism, infidelity, and indeterminate parentage may seem improbable touchstones in the back story of one who didn't so much portray as embody the blithe Maria in <em>The Sound of Music</em>. But as this memoir of her formative years makes clear, there is more gravitas to Andrews than meets the eye. From her childhood in rural England and initial forays into British theater, to her first massive successes on Broadway and in the West End--notably as Eliza Doolittle in <em>My Fair Lady</em>--_Home_ puts her celebrated career in context. While arguably offering more detail about the Andrews family than necessary, it nevertheless dishes wonderful anecdotes about legends and Andrews contemporaries like Noël Coward, Rex Harrison, Robert Goulet, Richard Burton, and Rodgers and Hammerstein, in prose as crisp and immaculate as the author herself. It also offers a revealing look into the intricate, exhaustive craft of performing--skills often taken for granted in tabloid times. Since the book ends just as Andrews is about to launch into the celluloid stratosphere, can Volume II be far behind? After <em>Home</em>, it would be most welcome. --_Kim Hughes_</p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Starred Review. Andrews, who has written several children's books (_The Great American Mousical_; <em>Mandy</em>), both solo and with her daughter, now dances in a different direction with this delightful remembrance of her own childhood and engrossing prelude to her cinematic career. Spanning events from her 1935 birth to the early 1960s, she covers her rise to fame and ends with Walt Disney casting her in <em>Mary Poppins</em> (1963). Setting the stage with a family tree backdrop, she balances the sad struggles of relatives and hard drinkers with mirthful family tales and youthful vocal lessons amid rationing and the London Blitz: My mother pulled back the blackout curtains and gasped—for there, snuggly settled in the concrete square of the courtyard, was the incendiary bomb. A BBC show led to a London musical at age 12: My song literally stopped the show. People rose to their feet and would not stop clapping. Her mother's revelation of her true father left her reeling when she was 15, but she continued touring, did weekly BBC broadcasts and was Broadway-bound by 1954 to do <em>The Boyfriend</em>. The heart of her book documents the rehearsals, tryouts and smash 1956 opening of <em>My Fair Lady</em>. Readers will rejoice, since Andrews is an accomplished writer who holds back nothing while adding a patina of poetry to the antics and anecdotes throughout this memoir of bittersweet backstage encounters and theatrical triumphs. <em>(Apr. 1)</em> <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p>

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<div><h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>Grade 6–10—Alex Rider is only 14, but that hasn't stopped MI6, the British espionage organization, from recruiting him for dangerous missions. Here, Alex is enlisted in a seemingly quick and easy mission of downloading computer data while on a school trip to a lab immersed in the genetic engineering of plants. While there, he discovers a sinister plot involving a criminal turned preacher and philanthropist. As in the earlier installments, the book is chock-full of excitement and suspense from the first page to the last. It starts with a bomb at a nuclear plant in India, and along the way there is a charity black-tie card game, poison needles, car crashes, bullets, and exploding gel pens. Most of the backstory is explained, so no prior knowledge of the earlier books is necessary. Great for reluctant readers.—_Jake Pettit, Thompson Valley High School, Loveland, CO_ <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Alex Rider, teenage British secret service agent, returns. This time, a wealthy villain schemes to make millions by creating disasters and then pocketing the money from false relief agencies. Alex discovers the bad guy’s plan to cause famine in Africa, but he is able to expose the fake philanthropist, although he is nearly fed to hungry crocs in the process. Horowitz's series remains on top of the growing genre of YA novels that feature intelligence agencies employing teenagers. He knows how to pace a thriller and delivers one exciting scene after another. Alex Rider fans will rejoice. Grades 6-9. --Todd Morning </p>

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<h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>There’s the Freedom of Information Act, and then there’s Ventura’s way.</strong></p><p>The official spin on numerous government programs is flat-out bullshit, according to Jesse Ventura. In this incredible collection of actual government documents, Ventura, the ultimate non- partisan truth-seeker, proves it beyond any doubt. He and Dick Russell walk readers through 63 of the most incriminating programs to reveal what really happens behind the closed doors. In addition to providing original government data, Ventura discusses what it really means and how regular Americans can stop criminal behavior at the top levels of government and in the media. Among the cases discussed:   </p><p>     • The CIA’s top-secret program to control human behavior <br />     • Operation Northwoods—the military plan to hijack airplanes and blame it on Cuban terrorists <br />     • The discovery of a secret Afghan archive—information that never left the boardroom <br />     • Potentially deadly healthcare cover-ups, including a dengue fever outbreak <br />     • What the Department of Defense knows about our food supply—but is keeping mum   </p><p>Although these documents are now in the public domain, the powers that be would just as soon they stay under wraps. Ventura’s research and commentary sheds new light on what they’re not telling you—and why it matters. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>Jesse Ventura</strong> is the former governor of Minnesota and author of several bestselling books, including <em>Don’t Start the Revolution Without Me!</em> and <em>American Conspiracies.</em> Ventura is the host of the television show <em>Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura</em> on truTV. He lives in Minnesota and Mexico.  </p><p><strong>Dick Russell</strong> is a nationally respected activist, environmentalist, and author of critically acclaimed books, including, with Jesse Ventura, The <em>New York Times</em> bestsellers <em>Don't Start the Revolution Without Me!</em> and <em>American Conspiracies</em>. He is also the author of <em>On the Trail of the JFK Assassins</em> and <em>The Man Who Knew Too Much</em>. Russell is a prolific publisher in many of the nation's top magazines and has been a guest on many national TV and radio programs, including the <em>Joan Rivers Show</em> and <em>NBC Nightly News</em>. He lives in Los Angeles, California. </p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>In <em>She Walks in Beauty</em>, Caroline Kennedy has once again marshaled the gifts of our greatest poets to pay a very personal tribute to the human experience, this time to the complex and fascinating subject of womanhood. Inspired by her own reflections on more than fifty years of life as a young girl, a woman, a wife, and a mother, <em>She Walks in Beauty</em> draws on poetry's eloquent wisdom to ponder the many joys and challenges of being a woman. Kennedy has divided the collection into sections that signify to her the most notable milestones, passages, and universal experiences in a woman's life, and she begins each of these sections with an introduction in which she explores and celebrates the most important elements of life's journey. </p><p>The collection includes works by Elizabeth Bishop, Sharon Olds, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Mary Oliver, Pablo Neruda, W. H. Auden, Adrienne Rich, Sandra Cisneros, Anne Sexton, W. S. Merwin, Dorothy Parker, Queen Elizabeth I, Lucille Clifton, Naomi Shahib Nye, and W. B. Yeats. Whether it's falling in love, breaking up, friendship, marriage, motherhood, or growing old, <em>She Walks in Beauty</em> is a priceless resource for anyone, male or female, who wants a deeper understanding and appreciation of what it means to be a woman.</p><p><strong>She walks in beauty</strong><br />George Gordon, Lord Byron</p><p>I She walks in beauty, like the night<br />Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that's best of dark and bright  </p><p>Meet in her aspect and her eyes:<br />Thus mellow'd to that tender light<br />Which heaven to gaudy day denies.</p><p>II One shade the more, one ray the less,<br />Had half impair'd the nameless grace<br />Which waves in every raven tress, <br />Or softly lightens o'er her face; <br />Where thoughts serenely sweet express<br />How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.</p><p>III And on that cheek, and o'er that brow, <br />So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, <br />The smiles that win, the tints that glow, <br />But tell of days in goodness spent, <br />A mind at peace with all below, <br />A heart whose love is innocent!</p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>CAROLINE KENNEDY is the author and editor of seven bestselling books on constitutional law, American history, politics, and poetry. A graduate of Harvard University and Columbia Law School, Kennedy is the Vice Chair of the New York City Fund for Public Schools. She is the President of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. </p>


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Petroski reveals the science and engineering--not to mention the politics, egotism, and sheer magic--behind America's great bridges, particularly those constructed during the great bridge-building era starting in the 1870s and continuing through the 1930s. It is the story of the men and women who built the St. Louis, the George Washington, and the Golden Gate bridges, drawing not only on their mastery of numbers but on their gifts for persuasion and self-promotion. It is an account of triumphs and ignominious disasters (including the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which literally twisted itself apart in a high wind). And throughout this grandly engaging book, Petroski lets us see how bridges became the "symbols and souls" of our civilization, as well as testaments to their builders' vision, ingenuity, and perseverance. "Seamlessly linked...With astonishing scope and generosity of view, Mr. Petroski places the tradition of American bridge-building in perspective."--New York Times Book Review


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>The leap between dreamy child living in a provincial Australian neighborhood and journalist hopscotching through war zones is massive. In <em>Foreign Correspondence</em>, Geraldine Brooks (_chador_, much less a bulletproof vest," she says. Preserved in the cellar of her parents' home in Sydney were letters Brooks had received as a teenager from several international pen pals, around whom she spun a romantic view of the world. Wondering about the reality of their lives and the progression of her own, she tracks them down in France, Japan, the Middle East, and New York. En route, Brooks delivers a wonderful meditation on childhood and adolescence lashed with rich details and quirky humor. Speaking of a current pen pal, she notes: "Raed, from the West Bank, stoned my car in 1987; now he writes to tell me how he's faring in college." </p><h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>YA-Bored with her insular life in a suburb of Sydney, Australia, 11-year-old Geraldine Brooks turned to pen pals as an antidote. Her correspondence began across town with the daughter of a favorite journalist whose cosmopolitan life was a striking contrast to that of her own working-class family. Other pen pals included Joanie from New Jersey; Mishal, an Israeli Christian Arab; Cohen, an Israeli Jew; and Janine, a farmer's daughter who wrote from a tiny French village. Geraldine's global correspondence is enlightening, entertaining, myth shattering, and heartbreaking. In Joanie, she found a true and rare soulmate; however, the girl suffered a hidden anguish, hints of which were dismissed by her Australian friend. When Joanie died from anorexia, Geraldine's grief and regret moved her to greater knowledge and deeper compassion. The author grew up to become a foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, living the life she sought vicariously from her pen pals. Her return home upon her father's death and the rediscovery of the letters prompted her to find out what happened to those individuals. Her efforts were met with enthusiasm by all except Mishal, and the subsequent meetings with the reluctant Israeli as well as with Joanie's mother provided satisfying closure. The last pages of the memoir find the mature adventurer coming full circle to an appreciation for the small-town life she had once so derided. The desire to explore the lives of others and to express one's individuality is strong in most young adults, who will readily identify with this intriguing memoir.<br /><em>Jackie Gropman, Kings Park Library, Burke, VA</em><br />Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>Praise for <em>Ginger and Ganesh</em>  </p><p>“In the same vein as Elizabeth Gilbert’s <em>Eat, Pray, Love</em>, this book weaves together one woman’s encounter with Indian cuisine and culture and her own life, love, and spirituality. This descriptive, introspective narrative . . . is also informative for those wishing to focus on the food.” —_Library Journal_  </p><p>Praise for Nani Power  </p><p>"A formidable young writer . . . one who can put you in mind of both Mary Gaitskill and Denis Johnson." —_The New York Times Book Review_  </p><p>"[Power] has an astonishing talent . . . deeply affecting." —_Bookforum_  </p><p>"Power weaves a fine yarn of the lost and lonely seeking intimacy and love.” <br />—_Publishers Weekly_ on <em>Sea of Tears</em>  </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>“Please teach me Indian cooking! I will bring ingredients and pay you for your trouble. I would like to know about your culture as well.”  </p><p>And with this posting on Craigslist, so begins Nani Power’s journey to learn traditional Indian cooking in the most ancient of ways—woman to woman. Welcomed warmly into the homes of strangers, Power meets women of all ages and backgrounds, and from them learns the skills that were passed on to them from their own mothers.  </p><p>Through the senses of the kitchen, Power re-examines her own path as a woman. She takes the reader into a culture, a cuisine, and the female psyche, with recipes and stories from each chapter revealing the struggle of modern women. Along the way, she manages to fall in love when she least expects to.  </p><p>The recipes shared in this collection are far from ordinary; they are treasured family recipes from vegetarian homes in India—from homemade cheese cubes in a rich cilantro and almond curry to coconut-stuffed okra and luscious potato-curry dumplings. Power’s recipes and stories pave the road to understanding a culture that is at the same time ancient and so very much part of our modern world.  </p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>"In more than thirty-five years of practice as a psychiatrist affiliated with the Harvard Medical School, I have learned one thing very well: Human behavior is very hard to change. Now Victoria Boutenko is persuading me otherwise.… Thirty days of green smoothies will change how you feel, and how you feel about yourself. That’s no small achievement for one small book."<br />—A. William Menzin, MD, Harvard Medical School  </p><p>“_Green Smoothie Revolution: The Radical Leap Toward Natural Health_ is one among many naturopathic books available that attempt to get people eating healthily again… Filled with easy, quick recipes that combine familiar and unusual fruits, vegetables and greens, Victoria Boutenko serves up an excellent book to readers who will all be hungry for more.”<br />—Examiner.com  </p><p>"This book is groundbreaking and needed by a population whose health is threatened by its own processed food supply. From a naturopathic perspective, the most important constituents of healing are here in these new recipes—enzymes, amino acids, fiber, minerals, antioxidants, and much more. Victoria Boutenko has an intense sense of curiosity combined with a brilliant mind... Join the Green Smoothie Revolution! You may not buy a more important book this year!"<br />—Ariel Policano, ND  </p><p>“It is clear that Victoria Boutenko did her homework, because I found myself highlighting sentences on nearly every page. Though Victoria includes ample science in her book, the tone is very conversational and easy to read...This book has truly inspired me to get back on track with more green smoothies.” <br />—_Basil &amp; Spice_  </p><p>“I rarely say this, but I am a big fan of this book. I would recommend reading <em>Green for Life</em> and then picking up a copy of <em>Green Smoothie Revolution</em> to launch your new understanding of health and nutrition to the next level.”<br />—_Ridgefield Wellness_  </p><p>“Boutenko’s book is a simple guide for anyone who wants to find out what all the green smoothie fuss is about. Readers will learn why green smoothies are so healthy, why we should have more greens in the first place, and what health changes one might expect from this lifestyle change… I know right where to go for added health inspiration.”<br />—dkMommySpot.com  </p><p>“Public health could be completely revolutionized by following Victoria's advice… Green smoothies are for everyone, not expensive, and [Victoria Boutenko] even tells you which greens you can find through foraging… Highly recommended.”<br />—_Eco Mama’s Guide to Living Green_  </p><p>“[Green Smoothie Revolution] provides lots of info and inspiration — basically anything you could ever want to know about green, blended drinks.”<br />—_The Nutritionista  </p><p>_“In <em>Green Smoothie Revolution</em>, Victoria has truly created a companion guide to <em>Green For Life</em>… Together, both of these books create all you need to know about Green Smoothies. There are a vast amount of recipes included in this book, with bonus recipes for pets!”_<br />—Raw Food Right Now  </p><p>_“You may not think that reading about how humans and chimps share 99.4% of the same genes is exciting, but it is! Boutenko has unlocked the missing component in human nutrition…Her passion for healing is clear.”<br />—_The Raw Mocha Angel  </p><p><em>“</em>Green Smoothie Revolution_ is an educational and inspiring reference book, giving us an understanding of the power and miracle of greens… Everyone should have a copy of this book.”<br />—_Raw Epicurean_  </p><p>“What a great resource for overall health and nutrition!”<br />—_Naptime Reviews_  </p><p>“The great part about [_Green Smoothie Revolution_] is the variety of recipes…that are all fun and different…Overall this is a great book for those interested in raw foods, green smoothies and healthy new ways to get greens into ones diet.”<br />—_Cooking for a Vegan Lover<br />_<br />“One really important concept that I learned from <em>Green Smoothie Revolution</em> was…even if one does not adopt a ‘raw foods diet,’ but supplements a regular diet with one or two green smoothies a day, there are still immense health benefits.”<br />—_Lily of the Valley_  </p><p>“[_Green Smoothie Revolution_ has] lots of great information and ideas for smoothies… I love the idea of getting my favorite dark, leafy green vegetables into such an easy snack or light breakfast…They keep me full longer than fruit alone and are perfect before an early morning workout.”<br />—_Find Your Balance Health  </p><p><em>“[</em>Green Smoothie Revolution_] is a nice primer on a very easy way to amp up your nutritional habits… Raw foods can be intimidating but this is such an easy first step.”_<br />_—Best-SellingBooks.com  </p><p>“I love this book… I usually throw a little bit of everything into the smoothies I make (veggies, fruit, nuts, seeds, etc.), but this book gave me some inspiration for a slightly different approach. Boutenko stresses the importance of dark leafy greens, and gives lots of recipes for incorporating these healthy plants into smoothies.”<br />—_Mulberry Spot<br />_<br />“There are some amazingly good points in the book, and I absolutely support the daily consumption of green smoothies… If you want great smoothie recipes, I totally recommend this book.”<br />—_Julie Loves Dogs  </p><p><em>“[</em>Green Smoothie Revolution_] is a great book…I highly recommend it… [the book contains] loads of recipes and tips, and also provides a detailed understanding of why you should go raw, and the wonderful healing power of green smoothies.”<br />—_Wellwoman<br />_<br />“[_Green Smoothie Revolution_] will not only help you become personally greener, but it will spark your creativity gene and give you the green light to experiment.”_<br />—GoRawMe_  </p><p>“The book is crammed with recipes, but the basic idea is easy to run with.”<br />—_Star News_  </p><p>“I highly recommend [_Green Smoothie Revolution_]… reading this book has convinced me that green smoothies can truly deliver. Already, I have tried a few of the recipes in the book, I can definitely feel the nutritional boost in energy from this amazing beverage!”<br />—Carlos Rull, <em>Raw2Zen</em>  </p><p>“I had some questions and thoughts about the smoothies that I planned on figuring out by doing some e-search, but this book gave me all the info I was looking for! I finished it in under a day.”<br />—Sabine, <em>The Fruit Persuit</em>  </p><p><em>“Green Smoothie Revolution</em> provides comprehensive information with a large selection of recipes from the creator of green smoothies, Victoria Boutenko. It will appeal to dieters who are ready to make a dramatic lifestyle change as well as those wishing to improve the nutritional quality of their diet.”<br />—EveryDiet.org  </p><p>“An earthy, health enthusiast, informational collection of eating your veggies, greens, and fruits through smoothies.”<br />—_Reading For Sanity_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Thanks to processed and fast foods, being overworked, and feeling stressed while eating on the fly, it is increasingly difficult for most of us to eat anywhere near a balanced diet. We may not be obviously sick, but may suffer from lack of focus, insomnia, sluggishness, or any host of symptoms caused by nutritional deficiency. <em>Green Smoothie Revolution </em>takes aim at this silent epidemic by restoring balance to our diets.  </p><p>Combining nutrition and know-how with recipes that pack a powerhouse punch, Victoria Boutenko reintroduces long neglected fruits, vegetables, and greens in the most persuasive style for our busy lives: with fast prep and delicious results. Featuring 200 recipes, <em>Green Smoothie Revolution </em>offers both simplicity (4 ripe pears, 1 bunch parsley, 2 cups water; blend well) and enough variety to keep taste buds happy and nutrients coming from a wealth of options. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Picoult ( Songs of the Humpback Whales ) brings her considerable talents to this contemporary story of a young woman in search of her identity. Abandoned by her mother when she was five years old, Paige O'Toole has been left with painful doubts about her self-worth. She leaves her Chicago home for Cambridge, Mass., at 18 to fulfill herself as an artist, but must work in a diner because she can't afford art school. When she marries Harvard medical student Nicholas Prescott, his parents disown him, disapproving of their Irish Catholic daughter-in-law. Again Paige is forced to sideline her creative needs and work as a waitress in order to support Nicholas until he is able to establish his career as a cardiac surgeon. Paige is soon overwhelmed by the demands of Nicholas's socially sophisticated world, and after the birth of their son, Max, she becomes emotionally and physically exhausted. Unable to communicate her terrors about herself to Nicholas, she leaves him to search for her mother, who may hold the answers to her life. Told in flashbacks, this is a realistic story of childhood and adolescence, the demands of motherhood, the hard paths of personal growth and the generosity of spirit required by love. Picoult's imagery is startling and brilliant; her characters move credibly through this affecting drama. <br />Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>In her second novel, the author of Songs of the Humpback Whale ( LJ 5/15/92) recounts with power and grace a young woman's efforts to achieve "grandeur... andthe ability to be comfortable in the world." Paige O'Toole Prescott, a gifted portraitist, sets aside her art to support her husband, Nicholas, during his medical training. His wealthy parents reject Paige, who already suffers from self-doubt after being abandoned by her mother. Despite Nicholas's success as a surgeon and the young couple's love for each other, the birth of their son catapults them into emotional crisis. Paige's resulting quest for courage and self-confidence forces Nicholas, her parents, and her in-laws to reevaluate their attitudes, standards, and behavior. Picoult considers various forces that can unite or fracture families and examines the complexities of the human heart both literally and figuratively. Highly recommended.<br /><em>- Jane S. Bakerman, Indiana State Univ., Terre Haute</em><br />Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>This surprising book may appear to be about the simple things of life--forks, paper clips, zippers--but in fact it is a far-flung historical adventure on the evolution of common culture. To trace the fork's history, Duke University professor of civil engineering Henry Petroski travels from prehistoric times to Texas barbecue to Cardinal Richelieu to England's Industrial Revolution to the American Civil War--and beyond. Each item described offers a cultural history lesson, plus there's plenty of engineering detail for those so inclined. </p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>For armchair inventors or those who are curious about the way things work, this book offers hours of delight. Petroski (engineering, Duke Univ.) provides an intricate look, in lay reader's terms, at the technology and basic rationale behind a number of items we often take for granted. The list is comprehensive: kitchen utensils, zippers, tools, paper clips, fast-food packaging, and more. The text is far from a recital of mere facts. Petroski's anecdotes and stories about individual designers and inventors are told with warm regard. Petroski also provides illuminating thoughts on the theoretical, historical, and cultural frameworks that influenced these creations. Although this book will appeal to a somewhat specialized audience, many general readers will find it fascinating and educational. For circulating libraries.<br /><em>- Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, N.J.</em><br />Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>From Kirkus Reviews</h3><p>Lullaby Town is Chelam, Connecticut, where L.A. shamus Elvis Cole (The Monkey's Raincoat, 1987--not reviewed) goes in search of Karen Shipley, divorced ten years earlier by boyish filmmaker Peter Alan Nelsen, who's since developed deep pockets (courtesy of a string of action hits beginning with Chainsaw) and a conscience of sorts. Just when it looks like Elvis has found Karen and her son, Toby, all too easily, Karen turns out to be laundering money for the Mafia, and the story takes off like a two-stage rocket. It'll take all of Elvis's wise-guy savvy to pry Karen loose from those other wise-guys without condemning her to the witness-protection program or the East River. Elvis is as sharp as a West Coast Spenser, but without Spenser's nasty/noble attitudinizing--and this story is pure pleasure from the very first page. -- <em>Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.</em></p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Hollywood's newest wunderkind is Peter Alan Nelson, the brilliant, erratic director known as the King of Adventure.  His films make billions, but his manners make enemies.  What the boy king wants, he gets, and what Nelson wants is for Elvis to comb the country for the airhead wife and infant child the film-school flunkout dumped en route to becoming the third biggest filmmaker in America.  It's the kind of case Cole can handle in his sleep -- until it turns out to be a nightmare.  For when Cole finds Nelson's wife in a small Conneticut town, she's nothing like what he expects.  The lady has some unwanted -- and very nasty -- mob connections, which means Elvis could be opening the East Coast branch of his P.I. office . . .at the bottom of the Hudson River. </p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>Make Extraordinary Homemade Wines from Everything but Grapes! Exotic wines, honey meads, spicy metheglins, and fruity melomels-there's no end to the great-tasting elixirs you can make using ingredients from your local market and even your own backyard! You'll find easy, step-by-step winemaking instructions plus memorable recipes, including: Apricot Wine, Dry Mead, Marigold Wine, Almond Wine, Cherry Melomel, Cranberry Claret, Pea Pod Wine, Lemon-Thyme Metleglin, Strawberry Wine, and Rose Hip Melomel  </p><h3>From the Back Cover</h3><p>Go Wild!</p><p>Make Extraordinary Homemade Wines from Everything but Grapes!</p><p>Elegant, exotic wines, honey meads, spicy metheglins, and fruity melomels -- there's no end to great-tasting elixirs you can make using ingredients from your local market and even your own backyard!</p><p>You'll find easy, step-by-step winemaking instructions plus memorable recipes, including:</p><p>-- Apricot Wine</p><p>-- Dry Mead</p><p>-- Marigold Wine</p><p>-- Almond Wine</p><p>-- Cherry Melomel</p><p>-- Cranberry Claret</p><p>-- Peapod Wine</p><p>-- Lemon-Thyme Metheglin</p><p>--Strawberry Wine</p><p>-- Rose Hip Melomel </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Starred Review. Brooks's luminous second novel, after 2001's acclaimed <em>Year of Wonders</em>, imagines the Civil War experiences of Mr. March, the absent father in Louisa May Alcott's <em>Little Women</em>. An idealistic Concord cleric, March becomes a Union chaplain and later finds himself assigned to be a teacher on a cotton plantation that employs freed slaves, or "contraband." His narrative begins with cheerful letters home, but March gradually reveals to the reader what he does not to his family: the cruelty and racism of Northern and Southern soldiers, the violence and suffering he is powerless to prevent and his reunion with Grace, a beautiful, educated slave whom he met years earlier as a Connecticut peddler to the plantations. In between, we learn of March's earlier life: his whirlwind courtship of quick-tempered Marmee, his friendship with Emerson and Thoreau and the surprising cause of his family's genteel poverty. When a Confederate attack on the contraband farm lands March in a Washington hospital, sick with fever and guilt, the first-person narrative switches to Marmee, who describes a different version of the years past and an agonized reaction to the truth she uncovers about her husband's life. Brooks, who based the character of March on Alcott's transcendentalist father, Bronson, relies heavily on primary sources for both the Concord and wartime scenes; her characters speak with a convincing 19th-century formality, yet the narrative is always accessible. Through the shattered dreamer March, the passion and rage of Marmee and a host of achingly human minor characters, Brooks's affecting, beautifully written novel drives home the intimate horrors and ironies of the Civil War and the difficulty of living honestly with the knowledge of human suffering. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>Adult/High School-In Brooks's well-researched interpretation of Louisa May Alcott's <em>Little Women</em>, Mr. March also remains a shadowy figure for the girls who wait patiently for his letters. They keep a stiff upper lip, answering his stiff, evasive, flowery letters with cheering accounts of the plays they perform and the charity they provide, hiding their own civilian privations. Readers, however, are treated to the real March, based loosely upon the character of Alcott's own father. March is a clergyman influenced by Thoreau, Emerson, and especially John Brown (to whom he loses a fortune). His high-minded ideals are continually thwarted not only by the culture of the times, but by his own ineptitude as well. A staunch abolitionist, he is amazingly naive about human nature. He joins the Union army and soon becomes attached to a hospital unit. His radical politics are an embarrassment to the less ideological men, and he is appalled by their lack of abolitionist sentiments and their cruelty. When it appears that he has committed a sexual indiscretion with a nurse, a former slave and an old acquaintance, March is sent to a plantation where the recently freed slaves earn wages but continue to experience cruelty and indignities. Here his faith in himself and in his religious and political convictions are tested. Sick and discouraged, he returns to his little women, who have grown strong in his absence. March, on the other hand, has experienced the horrors of war, serious illness, guilt, regret, and utter disillusionment._-Jackie Gropman, Chantilly Regional Library, VA_ <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p>


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With a New Afterword As a prizewinning foreign correspondent for "The Wall Street Journal," Geraldine Brooks spent six years covering the Middle East throughwars, insurrections, and the volcanic upheaval of resurgent fundamentalism. Yet for her, headline events were only the backdrop to a less obvious but more enduring drama: the daily life of Muslim women. Nine Partsof Desire" "is the story of Brooks' intrepid journey toward an understanding of the women behind the veils, and of the often contradictory political, religious, and cultural forces that shapetheir lives. Defying our stereotypes about the Muslim world, Brooks' acute analysis of the world's fastest growing religion deftly illustrates how Islam's holiest texts have been misused to justify repression of women, andhow male pride and power have warped the original message of a once liberating faith. "From the Trade Paperback edition."


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>Renowned cookbook author Susan Herrmann Loomis has traveled extensively to collect recipes that incorporate every kind of nut—from almonds to Brazil nuts, and everything in between. In these delectable recipes, you'll see nuts as much more than a tempting snack. Loomis shows how they complement, and can be the centerpiece of, every single meal of the day. </p><p>Included in this imaginative collection are more than 100 easy-to-make recipes for small plates, salads, main courses, side dishes, and desserts. Start with breakfast and serve Waffles with Walnut Whipped Cream or Apricot and Pine Nut Compote. Share an evening with friends by serving Anise- and Fennel-Spiced Walnuts or Brazil Pesto with Pasta; next, move on to a main course of Gingered Fish on Spiced Macadamia Butter; and finish with refreshing Lemon Poppy Seed Ice Cream or Coconut Sticky Rice with Peanuts. Loomis provides an invaluable collection of The Basics—including recipes for Almond Milk, Lemony Hazelnut Butter, Poppy Seed Dressing, and Macadamia and Coconut Sprinkle—for stocking every pantry and adding a new dimension to daily meals. </p><p>Along with the wonderfully diverse recipes in this book, you'll find nutritional information, menu ideas, and different kinds of food—simple, exciting, flavorful, unusual, easy, and good for you, too. </p><p><em>Nuts in the Kitchen</em> is the ultimate culinary guide for using these wonderful, healthful ingredients in inventive, sophisticated, and astonishing ways. Whether you are a vegetarian, a vegan, or a meat eater, you'll find yourself turning to this book over and over as you prepare meals large or small. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Susan Herrmann Loomis is the author of eight books, including six cookbooks. She is a regular contributor to <em>Bon AppÉtit</em>, <em>Cooking Light</em>, <em>Food &amp; Wine</em>, and the <em>New York Times</em>. She owns and operates On Rue Tatin, a cooking school in Normandy, France. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Bestseller McCrumb (_St. Dale_; <em>Ghost Riders</em>) returns to the world of NASCAR in this middling tale of modern celebrity. Badger Jenkins, a shy, good old boy from Marengo, Ga., whose days of racing stardom have come and gone, is recruited by a syndicate of women investors to drive their new car. The car's primary sponsor is Vagenya (sounds like Virginia), a Viagra-like product for women, and the team will field an all-female crew. Besides the inscrutable but lovable Badger, there's Grace Tuggle, the gruff crew chief; Melodie Albigre, Jenkins's predatory agent; and Melanie Sark, a duplicitous publicist who's secretly planning to write an exposé of NASCAR. Add the competing agendas to an inexperienced pit crew, and Team Vagenya seems to be headed for a pileup long before it gets to victory lane. NASCAR fans will enjoy the time spent at the track, but the pedestrian plotting and unsurprising outcome hinder the novel like sugar in a gas tank. <em>(June)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>It's almost a giant step for womankind--an all-female NASCAR pit crew sponsored by the female equivalent of Viagra. But they still need a driver. Enter pretty boy Badger Jenkins, the poster child for passive aggression. With his polite, Southern, laid-back manner, Badger will agree to anything but never follow through. Once he puts on his fire suit, however, he morphs into the dangerously handsome, daredevil race-car driver who has stolen the hearts of females everywhere. McCrumb, who canonized NASCAR great Dale Earnhardt in her novel <em>St. Dale</em> (2006), imagines yet another contemporary racing legend. This book is populated with strong female characters, from the tough, competent crew chief to the determined attorney to Badger's ruthless manager. And McCrumb's detailed descriptions of the pit crew at work are so strong you can almost smell the motor oil. Readers who can't get enough of Pamela Britton's NASCAR series, including <em>On the Edge</em> (2006) and <em>To the Limit</em> (2007), will be happy to add McCrumb to their list of must-reads. <em>Shelley Mosley</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Starred Review. Possibly the only negative thing to say about Cole's intelligent and panoramic first novel is that it is a more generous account of the recent past than the era deserves. America's standing in the world is never far from the restless thoughts of psychiatry resident Julius, a Nigerian immigrant who wanders Manhattan, pondering everything from Goya and the novels of J.M. Coetzee to the bankruptcy of Tower Records and the rise of the bedbug epidemic. In other words, it is an ongoing reverie in the tradition of W.G. Sebald or Nicholson Baker, but with the welcome interruptions of the friends and strangers Julius meets as he wanders Penn Station, the Upper West Side, and Brussels during a short holiday, and amid discussions of Alexander Hamilton, black identity, and the far left--a truly American novel emerges. Julius pines over a recent ex, mourns the death of a friend, goes to movies, concerts, and museums, but above all he ruminates, and the picture of a mind that emerges in lieu of a plot is fascinating, as it is engaged with the world in a rare and refreshing way. (Feb.) <br />(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Nigerian immigrant Julius, a young graduate student studying psychiatry in New York City, has recently broken up with his girlfriend and spends most of his time dreamily walking around Manhattan. The majority of Open City centers on Julius’ inner thoughts as he rambles throughout the city, painting scenes of both what occurs around him and past events that he can’t help but dwell on. For reasons not altogether clear, Julius’ walks turn into worldwide travel, and he flies first to Europe, where he has an unplanned one-night stand and makes some interesting friends, then to Nigeria, and finally back to New York City. Along the way, he meets many people and often has long discussions with them about philosophy and politics. Brought up in a military school, he seems to welcome these conversations. Upon returning to New York, he meets a young Nigerian woman who profoundly changes the way he sees himself. Readers who enjoy stream-of-consciousness narratives and fiction infused with politics will find this unique and pensive book a charming read. --Julie Hunt </p>


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"Can a healthy diet prevent Osteoporosis or make a difference in the health of patients whom already have developed the disease? "In a word, yes. An estimation of 44 million Americans are at risk for Osteoporosis today. The disease eventually affects 1 out of every 2 women and 1 out of every 5 men, which is expected to double in the next 25years. Most physicians encourage not only an active lifestyle, but also a balanced diet to help strengthen bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Indeed, people with Osteoporosis often reportconsiderable improvement in their well-being after changing their eating habits. "Cooking Well: Osteoporosis" features over 100 recipes designed to improve dailyfunctioning and aid in the treatment of this disease. The book also features: * An overview on how to live with osteoporosis* A list of foods to avoid* A meal diary andchecklist to track your progress All recipes and meals in the "Cooking Well" series have been specially created by renowned health and diet expert, Chef Marie-AnnickCourtier, and "Cooking Well: Osteoporosis" is an invaluable resource for your nutritional healing.


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Petaybee was growing up. Day by day, the sentient planet--like any child--was learning to recognize and understand the meaning of outside stimuli, to respond to those stimuli, to communicate its own needs and desires...even to use human speech.Yanaba Maddock had appointed herself defender of her adopted planet, and she had even succeeded in proving its sentience to all the nonbelievers. But despite all her efforts, few outsiders truly cared for the feelings and intelligence of what they perceived to be a giant hunk of rock--or a mere oddity to be gawked at. Then Yana was kidnapped. The price of her freedom--the planet itself. But the only one who could speak for Petaybee was Petaybee--and no one knew what a living planet could do once it found its voice...


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Veteran food writer Chesman (The Garden Fresh Vegetable Cookbook) gives root vegetables a much-needed redemption in this thorough guide. Readers will learn how to buy, prep, and use Brussels sprouts, collard greens, the often overlooked rutabaga and salsify, and more. Beginning with toothsome sides like a simple Beet and Napa Cabbage salad with goat cheese dressed with an orange vinaigrette, and Cider-Braised Sweet Potatoes with Apples, Chesman gives readers a bounty of produce and plenty of options. Yes, some expected mains make an appearance: roast chicken, pork, salmon, pot pies. But inventive riffs like White Lasagna with Leeks and Butternut Squash, Mustard-Molasses Roasted Salmon and Vegetables, and Spicy Meat Lo Mein will keep cooks and their guests from getting bored. The vast majority of the many recipes are within the reach of even the most novice cook and require few, if any, hard-to-source ingredients. Whether readers are looking for a new riff on summertime classics like coleslaw (8 variations) or a hearty pot roast to take the chill off a bracing winter day, they'll find plenty of inspiration in Chesman's cellar. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Nothing tastes better than the seasonal bounty of local farms. Everyone loves the spring-is-here excitement of peas and asparagus and the summer sweetness of tomatoes and corn. Now it’s time to give the hearty, long-lasting bounty of the autumn garden its due. Whether these vegetables are eaten straight from the garden, out of a well-tended root cellar, or straight from the market, their flavors reward the home cook, and their nutritional benefits pack a powerful punch.</p><p>Sweet winter squashes, robust hardy greens, jewel-toned root vegetables, and potatoes of every variety are the staples that make eating locally so delicious and satisfying during the cold months of late autumn and winter. </p><p>These cold-weather treasures work wonderfully well in soups (Celery Root Bisque, Creamy Leek and Root Vegetable Soup, Portuguese Kale Soup) and baked entrees (White Lasagna with Winter Squash, Chicken Pot Pie with Root Vegetables, Winter Vegetable Pot Roast), but they also shine in winter salads. Warm Goat Cheese and Beet Salad; Endive, Pear, and Walnut Salad; and Thai Cabbage Salad can be the centerpieces of light winter dinners or delicious preludes to the main event. </p><p>With this collection of more than 250 recipes, veteran cookbook author and gardening enthusiast Andrea Chesman deliciously demonstrates how locavores in all parts of North America can eat seasonal produce year-round. Whether they’re eaten in soups or salads, side dishes or entrees, root-cellar vegetables can be a delicious part of every cooks winter kitchen.</p><p>Recipes include:</p><p>Split Pea Soup with Winter Vegetables  Roasted Beet and Blue Cheese Salad  Deep-Fried Root Vegetable Chips with Garlic Aioli  Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries  Cashew Carrots  Braised Collards with Bacon  Deep-Fried Onion Rings  Root Vegetable Bread Pudding  White Lasagna with Winter Squash  Ravioli with Smoky Greens  Winter Vegetable Lamb Stew  Red-Cooked Pork and Cabbage  Chicken Stew with Root Vegetables, and hundreds more.</p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Railroads might seem outmoded today, but they were originally dynamic, cutthroat enterprises, according to this byzantine business history of track laying in the American West. Independent historian Borneman (Polk) chronicles the post–Civil War scramble to build a web of transcontinental railroads, lavish land grants, and government subsidies. Dozens of railroads and their executives are featured, but the melee eventually gels into a showdown between the Southern Pacific, intent on monopolizing the routes into California, and the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe, determined to reach the Pacific by a prized snow-free southerly route. The regionÖs rugged topography forces railroads to compete for a handful of one-track-wide mountain passes and river crossings; rivals throw down miles of track per day to reach strategic junctions and occasionally send armed gangs to seize choke points. BornemanÖs evocations of railroad culture--the construction feats, boom-and-bust railhead towns, train robbers, and luxury cars--add color but are skimpy. He centers the story instead on boardroom maneuverings, and while railroad tycoons are a colorful lot, their deal-making begins to blur. As empire-building bequeaths corporate consolidation, BornemanÖs narrative runs out of steam before reaching the terminal. 16 pages of photos, 30 maps. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Before the Civil War, the most logical route for the planned transcontinental railroad was across the southern plains and the deserts of the southwest. Instead, for reasons more political than economic, the more northerly route was selected, and the two strands were joined at Promontory Point, Utah, in 1868. Almost immediately, the competition began for the rights to build a web of lines across the southern route. Borneman, a historian and attorney, has written an interesting, if uneven, chronicle of the political as well as physical struggles to complete these tasks. He profiles numerous competing companies and their sponsors, and he describes their often cutthroat tactics and greed. Eventually, two large companies, the Southern Pacific and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, squeezed out or absorbed other competitors. When he sticks to the actual process of construction, Borneman’s narrative is brisk, colorful, and exciting. It drags and confuses when it deals with the machinations in corporate board rooms. Still, this is a worthy look at a less-publicized aspect of railroad construction. --Jay Freeman </p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>The Most Incredible, Comprehensive Collection of Everything You Can Make, Drink, and Discover about Rum!</strong></p><p>Ray Foley, publisher of Bartender Magazine, presents 1,000 cocktails, food recipes, fascinating facts, and resources about the spirit that inspired such marvelous inventions as the Mojito, the Piña Colada, and Double Chocolate Rum Cake.</p><p>Discover:</p><ul> <li>     700 unbeatable rum cocktails </li> <li>     75 fascinating facts about rum </li> <li>     50 delicious food recipes </li> <li>     100 rum websites and resources </li> <li>     Information on 75 producers of rum </li></ul><p>Never before has this much information on rum been collected in one place. From the #1 name in bartending, The Rum 1000 is a must have for bartenders, cooks, and rum enthusiasts.</p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Ray resides in New Jersey with his wife and partner of twenty-five years, Jackie, and their son, Ryan. He is also the father of three other wonderful and bright children: Raymond Pindar, William and Amy.<br />Ray is foremost, and always will, be a bartender.  </p><p>Ray Foley has been a bartender for over 20 years and is the publisher of Bartender Magazine. He is the author of Bartending for Dummies and has appeared in major national media outlets including Good Morning America, Forbes and Playboy. Ray resides in New Jersey with his wife and partner, Jaclyn. </p>


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<h3>From</h3><p>Sarah Dearly has been a vampire for only a couple of months, and life is returning to normal. Well, as normal as it can be. She’s jobless and her master vampire beau, Thierry, is still married to (but separated from) his sire. But things are looking good with a job interview, her high-school reunion, and the chance for annulment. Too good, it turns out, when suddenly her contented, normal life goes very bad. The fourth in Rowen’s series bears the hallmarks of her smartly written chick-lit paranormal romances but takes a pivotal, darker turn as Sarah must finally embrace her inner vampire. --Nina C. Davis </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"I've been bitten and smitten by Michelle Rowen." (<strong>Sherrilyn Kenyon, New York Times bestselling author</strong> )  </p><p>"Rowen perfectly balances suspense and wit... A true modern girl's guide to (vampire) life." (<strong>Publishers Weekly on BITTEN &amp; SMITTEN</strong> )  </p><p>"You can't put this book down." (<strong>Charlaine Harris on FANGED &amp; FABULOUS</strong> ) </p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>'The fat attack French women swear by' -- Grazia 'The ultimate diet. The French have kept it secret for years... Today, more than 1.5million women swear by its dramatic - and long-lasting - results.' -- Daily Mail 'The secret that keeps French women slim.' -- Bella 'It's a four-stage plan that offers the ultimate fast track to weight loss and maintenance with delish French-inspired recipes to keep you inspired.' -- She 'Politicians, film stars and high-profile models, including Gisele Bundchen and Jennifer Lopez, live the Dukan life.' -- Daily Mail 'How do you fancy getting the legs and curves of Jennifer Lopez and Gisele Bundchen without having to go on a diet of lettuce? ... More than 1.5million French women already swear by the slimming regime devised by nutritionist Dr Pierre Dukan ten years ago.' -- Daily Mirror 'All over France right now, women are talking in hushed reverential tones about a certain Pierre Dukan... he is in fact, currently the biggest name on the French dieting scene.' -- Grazia 'French women don't get fat... But now we know the real reason why. for the last ten years, thousands of women across the channel have been following a plan called the Dukan Diet. And the results have been astonishing.' -- New 'Want to know why French women seem to be able to enjoy long Mediterranean-style lunches but still stay slim and gorgeous? It's all down to a diet formula worked out by eminent French doctor Pierre Dukan, based on four different eating phases that follow on from each other but result in speedy weight loss while eating unlimited quantities of real food, six days a week.' -- Reveal </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong># 1 international bestselling diet book coming to North America</strong>  </p><p>Devised by Dr. Pierre Dukan, a French medical doctor who has spent his career helping people to lose weight, the Dukan Diet rejects counting calories and promises permanent weight loss while allowing adherents to eat as much as they like.   </p><p>Originally published in 2000, the Dukan Diet swept across France, championed by people who successfully lost weight following its unique four phase regime. <em>The Dukan Diet</em> has helped millions in France, where it has been number one for more than ten years and adopted in twenty countries, including the United Kingdom, Poland, Korea and Brazil. All together, <em>The Dukan Diet</em> has sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. <br /><em></em> <br />The Diet: 4 Easy Steps to Permanent Weight Loss<br /> <em></em><br /><strong>Phase one: Attack</strong><br />Using Dr. Dukan's True Weight calculator, dieters determine a reasonable and healthy weight loss goal. Then they begin the Dukan Attack phase a two-to-seven-day period during which only unlimited lean protein and a daily Oat bran galette (or pancake) are consumed and dramatic weight loss is achieved.  </p><p><strong>Phase Two: Cruise</strong><br />Dieters alternate days of unlimited lean protein with days of protein combined with healthful vegetables until they reach their True Weight.   </p><p><strong>Phase Three: Consolidation</strong><br />Dieters stay on this phase for 5 days for every pound lost. At this point the diet allows unlimited protein and vegetables, and other foods (such as cheese and bread) are reintroduced.  Dieters are also allowed two weekly celebration meals to stave off boredom.  </p><p><strong>Phase Four: Stabilization</strong><br />This is the maintenance portion of the plan, in which followers are allowed to eat whatever they like without regaining weight – provided that they follow 3 unbreakable rules including eating only unlimited lean protein one set day per week.    </p><p>For each phase, The Dukan Diet offers clear simple guidelines for long term success.  The Dukan Diet is the perfect diet for people who want fast weight loss, that can be maintained without counting calories or weighing portions. </p>


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<h3>From</h3><p>Harmon’s debut is a combination of heartwarming holiday story and tough guy noir, an interesting mix that creates an enjoyable story. For over 1300 years Gumdrop Coal has served as an elite and highly dedicated elf for The Fat Man (aka Santa Claus) and is the well known creator of the Naught List; the list of children who will be getting coal in their stockings. After Gumdrop loses his job in what he comes to realizes is a frame-up he goes on a noir style revenge mission that encompasses all the neighborhoods of the North Pole, from the Misfits Island to the depths of dark Potterville. Littered with references to popular culture from both the noir and holiday traditions, with characters like Rosebud the journalist, Citizen Candy Cane and the not very bright misfit Sherlock Stetson. Harmon’s novel is a clever tale, but the ending swings too far into heartwarming land, making it much more of a holiday than a noir story and limiting its appeal to a larger audience. --Jessica Moyer </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean...and who wears jingle bells on his curly-toed shoes and stands about two-foot three. A man who is, in other words, an elf. But don't let the green tights and stocking cap fool you: Gumdrop Coal is the roughest, toughest punisher of the naughty since Mike Hammer, even if he does smell like peppermint and fresh-baked cookies." <br />-_New York Times_ bestselling author Steve Hockensmith (_Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls_) "Noir and Christmas go together like Santa and his reindeer in this stylish elf fable by Ken Harmon, a newcomer who knows noir like he apprenticed with Hammett. An excellent stocking stuffer for the mystery lover in your family." <br />-_New York Times_ bestselling author John Lescroart "This is one of those wonderful books where I hit my forehead and cry, "Why didn't I think of that?". As I read I kept hoping it wasn't as brilliant as I feared - but it is. It's the "Naughty List" for you, if you don't buy this book for Christmas!" <br />-Louise Penny, <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of <em>A Brutal Telling</em></p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>“Outstanding gluten-free goodies... this lovely cookbook, full of enticing photos, has my mouth watering.” <br />—_DeliciousLiving Magazine: Blog_<br /><em> </em><br />“The need is huge for cookbooks for celiacs on limited diets. They will welcome <em>The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook</em> when it arrives.” <br />—_Providence Journal_<br /><em> </em><br />“Flour Girl: Gluten-Free Almond Joy” <br />—Washington Post  </p><p>“Amsterdam’s recipes will carry you through the day, with pancakes for breakfast, pizza for lunch, and quiche for dinner. She takes classic recipes...and adapts them to almond flour, creating plenty of meal options.” <br />—_Cookbook Digest_  </p><p>"We all need to pay attention to the food we eat, all of the time. For people with celiac disease, this is normally an even greater challenge--but not for Elana! Her healthful and flavorful recipes taste as good as they are good for you. Made with almond flour and high in protein and fiber, these dishes are sure to even please the gluten eaters in your family!" <br />—Alice Bast, President and Founder of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA)  </p><p>“For many people, normal food becomes off-limits when they find they have an allergy or condition, such as celiac disease. To wrestle new limitations into foods that are every bit as delicious and appealing (if not more so) is a coup to be celebrated. Having tried the chocolate chip cookies, I speak from experience when I say there is nothing lacking in these recipes. They are truly wholesome and delicious!” <br />—DEBORAH MADISON, _Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone  </p><p>_“Elana has a tremendous gift for creating classic recipes using healthy ingredients. Her high-protein, gluten-free treats are incredibly tasty! I highly recommend this book if you are looking for good food that is also good for you.” <br />—DR. ROBERT ROUNTREE, _Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child  </p><p>_“Local hero Elana Amsterdam (straight out of Boulder) offers dozens of wheatless recipes from chicken parmesan to chocolate cake, all of which call for gluten-free almond flour. Enough of the recipes will appeal to gluten-eaters to make this collection a great go-to resource for blended families and/or hosts cooking for gluten-intolerant guests. Readers with a sweet tooth are especially well-served here, but savory recipes like salmon burgers round out the roster.”<br /><em>—The Denver Post</em>, “Causing a STIR: Best Cookbooks of 2009”  </p><p>“In her <em>Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook</em>, the ingenious celiac Elana Amsterdam offers another possible approach, a sandwich bread made from finely milled almond flour (do not use Bob's Red Mill brand) and almond butter that is nutty and versatile. Amsterdam's recipes are refreshingly simple, as the almond flour reduces the need for the expensive and obscure mix of flours other gluten-free recipes require.... But the ground nut has other virtues, including high amounts of protein and vitamins and low glycemic impact. Amsterdam employs it in a range of dishes, from shortbread cookies and carrot cake to a savory tart with kale. Her snappy herbed crackers, which are a welcome change from commercial nut-thins and dry rice crisps, are equally easy to make and delicious.”<br /><em>_</em>—_The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Gluten-Free But Still Tasty” </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The prevalence of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity among millions of adults and children has created the need for gluten-free recipes that are as nutritious and tasty as their traditional counterparts. Popular food blogger Elana Amsterdam offers ninety-nine family-friendly classics--from Pancakes to Eggplant Parmesan to Chocolate Cake--that feature her gluten-free ingredient of choice, almond flour. Because these recipes are low glycemic, low in cholesterol and dairy, and high in protein and fiber, they are also ideal for people with diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol.</p><p>So whether you’re looking for a quick breakfast treat, a comfort food entrée, or a showstopping dessert, <em>The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook</em> proves that gluten-free cooking can mean healthy eating for everyone.</p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p><em>New York Times</em> bestselling author Diana Palmer commemorates the bliss of courtship with two romances set in a rollicking Montana setting!</p><p>THE MEN OF MEDICINE RIDGE</p><p>For rugged ranchers Mack Killain and Gil Callister, setting pulses aflutter is all in a day's work. But these towering, tenacious men of Medicine Ridge Ranch won't be sweet-talked into marriage. Or will they...? Sparks fly when two beguilingly innocent bachelorettes pull out all the stops to charm their surly cowboys into trading in a life of stubborn solitude for love on the range!</p><p>THE WEDDING IN WHITE</p><p>From the moment Mack Killain branded her with his slow, sensual kisses, schoolteacher Natalie Brock knew the dynamic cattleman was her destiny. Now she just had to convince him of that! </p><p>CIRCLE OF GOLD</p><p>Never in her wildest dreams had Kasie Mayfield believed that her formidable boss could sweep her off her feet. Why then was it on the tip of her tongue to passionately profess her love to the ornery Gil Callister?</p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>Claudia Roden has updated and expanded her popular 1968 cookbook for a more savvy and knowledgeable audience. While still filled with old favorites, the third edition acknowledges food processors and other handy kitchen tools, as well as this generation's preference for lower-fat recipes. Not that every recipe is changed; many are not, but Roden does attempt not to rely too much on butter and oils. </p><p>Begin your meal with <em>mezze</em>, derived from the Arabic <em>t'mazza</em>, meaning "to savor in little bites." Try <em>Cevisli Biber</em> (Roasted Pepper and Walnut Paste) spread on warm pita bread. Serve with <em>Salata Horiatiki</em> (Greek Country Salad) and then move on to a main dish of Roast Fish with Lemon and Honeyed Onions or Lamb Tagine with Artichokes and Fava Beans. The cookbook wouldn't be complete without sections on rice, couscous, and bulgur--try <em>Addis Polow</em> (Rice with Lentils and Dates) or <em>Kesksou Bidaoui bel Khodra</em> (Beber Couscous with Seven Vegetables). Finish with a traditional dessert like <em>Orass bi Loz</em> (Almond Balls). </p><p>Mixed in with the recipes are Roden's personal experiences as a cook and recipe archivist, and Middle Eastern tales that illustrate the history of a particular recipe or food group. "It was once believed olive oil could cure any illness except the one by which a person was fated to die," Roden writes. "People still believe in its beneficial qualities and sometimes drink it neat when they feel anemic of tired." She also includes a detailed introduction to the terrain, history, politics, and society of the Middle East so her readers can more fully understand why the cuisine has evolved the way it has. "Cooking in the Middle East is deeply traditional and nonintellectual," she says, "an inherited art." It's our good fortune to inherit such a rich tradition. <em>--Dana Van Nest</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>When Roden published The Book of Middle Eastern Food in 1972, the cuisines of Morocco, Turkey, Greece, Egypt and their neighbors were mysteries in this country. Today, their fresh flavors are better known, and much loved, and Roden has expanded and updated her classic to meet modern needs. The new version includes more than 800 recipes, as well as folk tales, tips, anecdotes and just about all the information anyone needs to reproduce foods from that part of the world. Miraculously, Roden manages to be this thorough while never sacrificing her personal toneDthis is a book that is both encyclopedic and intimate. Much of Middle Eastern food is light tasting and vegetable-based, and the recipes reflect these qualities without neglecting more complex and unusual preparations. A chapter on appetizers and salads includes a Moroccan Lettuce and Orange Salad, Tabbouleh, Lemony Chicken Jelly and even a Brain Salad. While Roden is no stickler for starting from scratch, she always provides plenty of options for those who wish to do so. In a section on yogurtDa key ingredient in many recipes, such as Tagliatelle with Yogurt and Fried Onions, and Chickpeas with Yogurt and Soaked BreadDshe gives both guidelines for buying yogurt and instructions for making your own. A sub-section on Persian sauces for rice is outstanding, as is another on stuffed eggplants. Desserts include Egyptian "Bread-and-Butter" Pudding and Arab Pancakes with various filings. Roden won a James Beard award for The Book of Jewish Food in 1997. She will certainly be in the running once more with this impressive work. 24 pages of color photos. (Oct.) <br />Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Starred Review. This is the perfect cookbook for lovers of salt cod, and it just might be the perfect cookbook for those who dislike the mild, Atlantic fish. Leite, a three-time James Beard–award winner and proprietor of the Web site LeitesCulinaria.com, offers a wealth of recipes for the brackish dried fish, including a traditional version of <em>pastéis de bacalhau</em> (salt cod fritters). But cod is but one of the amaazing dishes offered here. By highlighting the eclectic ingredients and modern techniques that define the country today, Leite brings the often-overlooked foods of Portugal center stage. This fully illustrated book begins with an extensive glossary of Portuguese staples, plus a port primer and an introduction to Madeira, and ends with a chapter devoted to workhorse sundries such as fiery piri-piri paste and smoked paprika oil. Along the way home cooks are introduced to a delectable jumble of dishes that range from classic to contemporary. A comforting adaptation of the fabled stone soup is enlivened with spicy <em>chouriço</em> sausage; simple-yet-elegant duck breasts are sauced with white port and black olives; and a dip made with anchovies, green olives, cilantro, and whole milk is surprisingly harmonious. The desserts are comparatively docile—molasses cookies, baked custard tarts—but the recipe variation for <em>fatias douradas</em> (Portuguese sweet bread French toast) is truly over-the-top. <em>(Aug.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"A modern classic cookbook."<br />—BlackBook.com  </p><p>"Three-time James Beard Award winner Leite has written a foodie love letter to a European nation. The culinary profile of the 13 historic provinces, along with a shopping guide to the Portuguese pantry, are great, but the real payoff is the 130-plus recipes that range from the veggie-rich caldo verde to such new classics as scrambled eggs with asparagus and fresh cod."<br />—Dana Dickey, <em>Bon Appétit</em></p><p>"Iberian gem. <em>The New Portuguese Table</em> by David Leite, a prolific food journalist who founded the website LeitesCulinaria.com, is the best book on the subject of Portuguese cooking in years. Leite, whose parents emigrated to the U.S. from Portugal, is captivated by the way cooks there have pointed their under appreciated cuisine in new directions. He dutifully catalogs Portugal's iconic wines and traditional foods--we learn how to make clams and chouriço in a copper cataplana--but we also get decidedly new-school preparations like cheese-stuffed pork tenderloins and Filet-o-Fish-inspired salt cod sandwiches. Trad or mod, this is some winning home cooking."</p><p>—_Saveur_  </p><p>"Beautifully illustrated, _The New Portuguese Table_ is a smart, delicious and highly personal travelogue through both memory and terrain." <br />—Maricel E. Presilla, MiamiHerald.com  </p><p>"In Leite's <em>The New Portuguese Table</em>, the author performs a multitude  of feats: first, he provides [a] culinary travel guide to the country of his ancestors...introduces, with great  specificity, a multitude of regional delicacies...and finally presents recipes  ranging from the most remarkably parsimonious...to the more extravagant and modern. Leite's book is a stunning passport to a food and a people virtually unknown to most Americans, even though they are only five hours away from our mainland."<br />—Elissa Altman, The Huffington Post  </p><p>"This is the perfect cookbook for lovers of salt cod, and it just might be the perfect cookbook for those who dislike the mild, Atlantic fish. Leite, a three-time James Beard award winner and proprietor of the Web site LeitesCulinaria.com, offers a wealth of recipes for the brackish dried fish, including a traditional version of pastéis de bacalhau (salt cod fritters) and a newfangled mini salt cod sandwich that is the Portuguese equivalent of McDonald's Filet-O-Fish. By highlighting the eclectic ingredients and modern techniques that define the country today, Leite brings the often-overlooked foods of Portugal center stage. This fully illustrated book begins with an extensive glossary of Portuguese staples, plus a port primer and an introduction to Madeira, and ends with a chapter devoted to workhorse sundries such as fiery piri-piri paste and smoked paprika oil. Along the way home cooks are introduced to a delectable jumble of dishes that range from classic to contemporary. A comforting adaptation of the fabled stone soup is enlivened with spicy chouriço sausage; simple-yet-elegant duck breasts are sauced with white port and black olives; and a dip made with anchovies, green olives, cilantro, and whole milk is surprisingly harmonious. The desserts are comparatively docile–molasses cookies, baked custard tarts–but the recipe variation for fatias douradas (Portuguese sweet bread French toast) is truly over-the-top. <em>(Aug.)</em>"<br />—_Publishers Weekly _(Starred Review)  </p><p>"If your finances don't permit a trip abroad this year, perhaps this cookbook will provide some comfort–though it might just reinforce your urge to hit the sunny beaches of the Algarve. Leite, a noted Portuguese American food writer and publisher of the James Beard Award-winning web site Leite's Culinaria (www.leitesculinaria.com), begins by outlining Portugal's diverse regional cuisines and then describes traditional ingredients. From there it is a straightforward listing of appetizers, soups, fish, meat, poultry, vegetable/egg/rice dishes, breads, sweets, liqueurs, and condiments, with approximately 150 recipes overall. Each recipe begins with a paragraph relating its background, which adds to the book's homey feel. The recipes, many inspired by Leite's memories of his grandmother's cooking, are designed for the home cook and generally don't require exotic ingredients, although a supplier for salt cod may be necessary. A list of sources is provided for the few hard-to-find items, and color photos add to the presentation. Full of delicious-sounding recipes, this title is sure to appeal to adventurous cooks wanting to try a new ethnic cuisine and will also be popular with Portuguese American communities."<br />—Susan Hurst, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH (_Library Review_)  </p><p>"David Leite's <em>The New Portuguese Table</em> is in fact three superb books in one volume: a thrilling travelogue, a thorough guide to Portuguese regional dishes and ingredients, and a transporting kitchen companion. The recipes in it will not only spirit you to an exotic, alluring place, they'll change the way you cook. We'll wager that after making Potato Skin Curls with Herbs, you will never look at potato peelings the same way again!"<br />—Matt Lee and Ted Lee, authors of <em>The Lee Bros. Simple, Fresh, Southern</em><em></em><br /><em></em><br />"David Leite takes you right to the heart of the good stuff, scrupulously (and appetizingly) exploring and explaining an egregiously overlooked and unappreciated range of flavors and ingredients. Portugal once ruled the known world, and the recipes in this book are–in many ways–the history of the world–on your plate."<br />—Anthony Bourdain  </p><p>"This book begs the question why, in heaven's name, have we ignored Portugal for so long? David Leite's Portuguese dishes practically stand up and salute with flavor. And he is smart about the Portugal he portrays. The temptation is to look only to the past and the traditional, but David knows cuisines are restless, ever shifting beings. He gifts us with the land of his family as it was and as it is now. We'll be cooking from this book for a long time."<br />—Lynne Rosetto Kasper and Sally Swift, authors of _The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper  </p><p>_"I am very impressed with <em>The New Portuguese Table.</em> It is a welcoming, wonderful, satisfying, and passionate cookbook, an enticing view of Portugal through the lens of its food. David Leite is a terrific writer and he has a lot to teach us about one of Europe's most extraordinary and diverse cuisines. Bravo!"<br /> —Paula Wolfert<em></em><br /><em></em><br />"Long overlooked in our culinary literature, Portugal's rich, historic cuisine finally has a passionate and knowledgeable ambassador in David Leite. Keenly aware of what modern American cooks want these days, Leite has compiled an incomparable collection in which every recipe is as rewarding to eat as it is simple to make. Bravo David!"<br /> —Anya von Bremzen, author of_ The New Spanish Table_<em></em><br /><em></em></p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>You can't properly call yourself a gourmand (or even a minor foodie) until you've digested Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin's delectable 1825 treatise, <em>The Physiology of Taste: Or, Meditations on Transcendental Gastronomy</em>. Brilliantly and lovingly translated in 1949 by </p><p>Chocoholics will be satisfied to know that "carefully prepared chocolate is as healthful a food as it is pleasant ... that it is above all helpful to people who must do a great deal of mental work...." He examines the erotic properties of the truffle ("the truffle is not a positive aphrodisiac; but it can, in certain situations, make women tenderer and men more agreeable"), the financial influence of the turkey (apparently quite a prize in 19th-century Paris), and the level of <em>gourmandise</em> among the various professions (bankers, doctors, writers, and men of faith are all predestined to love food). Just as engrossing as the text itself are M.F.K. Fisher's lively, personal glosses at the end of every chapter, which make up almost a quarter of the book. These two are soulmates separated by centuries, and Fisher's fondness for the Professor comes through on every page. As she notes at the end, "I have yet to be bored or offended, which is more than most women can say of any relationship, either ghostly or corporeal." <em>--Rebecca A. Staffel</em></p><h3>From</h3><p>In contrast to a very pricey limited edition published </p>


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Where therea??s Hope therea??s troublea?| Ben Hope lives on the edge. A former ??lite member of the SAS, Ben is tortured by a tragedy from his past and now devotes his life to finding kidnapped children. But when Ben is recruited to locate an ancient manuscript which could save a dying child, he embarks on the deadliest quest of his life. The document is alleged to contain the formula for the elixir of life, discovered by the brilliant alchemist Fulcanelli decades before. But it soon becomes apparent that others are hunting this most precious of treasures - for far more evil ends. When the secrets of alchemy hidden within the pages remain impenetrable, Ben teams up with beautiful American scientist Dr Roberta Ryder to crack the code. It seems that everyone - from the Nazis during WW2 and powerful Catholic organisation Gladius Domini - wants to unearth the secrets of immortality. The trail leads Ben and Roberta from Paris to the ancient Cathar strongholds of the Languedoc, where an astonishing secret has lain hidden for centuriesa?|


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>After the death of their mother Summer Kuykendall and her brother travel to Texas to live under the protection of Sam McLean, a family friend. They arrive to find that Sam has been killed, but his son Slater will honour his father's promise. </p>


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<p class="description">A deadly conspiracy'Ś An ancient prophecy'Ś A race to prevent Armageddon'ŚA thrilling, high-octane race to save civilisation that will engross fans of Dan Brown and Sam Bourne.When ex-SAS operative Ben Hope decided to give up rescuing kidnap victims in favour of the Theology studies he abandoned years before, he should have known that fate would decide differently. Searching for missing biblical archaeologist Zoë Bradbury, Ben finds himself embroiled in his riskiest mission yet. What is the ancient secret that Zoë uncovered? And just who is willing to do anything to protect it? The investigation leads Ben from Greece to the American Deep South and the holy city of Jerusalem, and he soon discovers that it's not just his and Zoë's lives on the line, but those of millions, threatened by a fundamentalist plot to gain ultimate power. The stakes are terrifyingly high as Ben races to prevent a disaster that could kick-start apocalyptic events as foretold by the Book of Revelation...</p>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>British author Miriani makes his U.S. debut with the second in his series featuring ex-SAS warrior Ben Hope, a fast, exciting read in The Da Vinci Code tradition. Ben is on his way home from a mission when he receives a message from Leigh Llewellyn, an old flame and international opera star, saying she needs his help. Leigh is the sister of Ben's late friend, Oliver, who was at work on a book on Mozart when he died under mysterious circumstances. When Ben takes Leigh to the English countryside to guard her, deadly thugs attempt to kill them both. A lost Mozart letter, written in 1791 shortly before the composer's death and first discovered by Leigh's father, implicates a shadowy European group known as the Order of Ra, which remains a powerful secret force in Europe today. None of this matters much to either Ben or the reader as he singlehandedly kills his way to the top of the evil cabal. (Mar.) <br>(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>First-time author Mariani channels Dan Brown on steroids in this exciting (and violent) historical puzzle thriller that postulates a link between the secret order of Freemasons and the mysterious death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Former British SAS officer Ben Hope travels the globe as a crisis-response consultant (aka 'a hero for hire') performing good deeds like rescuing kidnapped children from pedophiles and protecting famous politicos from assassins. Fifteen years after Hope dumped her, ex-flame (and now famous opera star) Leigh Llwewllyn calls him out of the blue and asks for his help. Her brother, Oliver, who had been in Austria researching the death of Mozart, recently died under mysterious circumstances, and now she fears for her own life. The reunited couple attempt to complete Oliver's research but find they have aroused the malevolent interest of a sinister group of power brokers whose origins date back to the eighteenth century. Persistently under attack by murderous agents of the cabal as they get closer to solving the riddle of Mozart's death, Ben uses every weapon at his disposal to dispatch his assailants, including an iron skillet, a nail gun, a pool cue, and even his bare hands. Racing along at breakneck speed and promising more in a series, this action read will excite fans of Brown, James Rollins, and Robert Ludlum. --Michael Gannon </p></div>


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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><strong>The Woman Warrior</strong> is a pungent, bitter, but beautifully written memoir of growing up Chinese American in Stockton, California. Maxine Hong Kingston ( </p><h3>Review</h3><p>Maxine Hong Kingston grew up in two worlds. There was "solid America," the place her parents emigrated to, and the China of her mother's "talk-stories." In talk-stories women were warriors and her mother was still a doctor in China who could cure the sick and scare away ghosts, not a harried and frustrated woman running a stifling laundromat in California. But what is story and what is truth? In China, a ghost is a supernatural being; in America it is anyone who is not Chinese. In addition, underlying even the most exciting talk-stories of Chinese women warriors is the real oppression of Chinese women: "There is a Chinese word for the female 'I' - which is 'slave.' " In an attempt to figure out her world, Maxine Hong Kingston finds herself creating stories of her own, filling in the blanks her mother has not told her because her daughter is, after all, not true Chinese and thus cannot be completely trusted. Can these new stories explain why she had trouble speaking in the American schools? Can they help her understand the aunt who committed adultery and whose existence is denied? The new stories refuse to fall into traditional forms, and the realizations that come from them often bring out a beautiful, passionate anger that practically burns through the pages. This is powerful, experimental writing, a combination of love, hate, frustration, and sheer beauty. <em>-- For great reviews of books for girls, check out </em>. -- <em>From </em></p></div>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>“Block is one of the best!” —_The Washington Post_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>A small town with some very big libidos comes to life in this quirky erotic novel</strong></p><p>New Hope, Pennsylvania, offers a quaint country experience that tourists just adore. But what’s not in the postcards is the town’s web of liberated lovers, who switch bedfellows faster than you can say swinger. When Linda’s man Marc leaves her, she quickly becomes the new catch in town. Her landlord’s got a few ladies on the side, so what’s one more? And then there’s Pete, the sensitive theater guy who hits her up to get high but might be looking for more. </p><p>This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lawrence Block, including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from his personal collection, and a new afterword written by the author.</p></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>AN INTRODUCTION TO MAKING WHISKEY, GIN, BRANDY, SPIRITS, &amp;c. &amp;c. OF BETTER QUALITY, AND IN LARGER QUANTITIES, THAN PRODUCED BY THE PRESENT MODE OF DISTILLING, FROM THE PRODUCE OF THE UNITED STATES:SUCH AS RYE, CORN, BUCK-WHEAT, APPLES, PEACHES, POTATOES, PUMPIONS AND TURNIPS. WITH DIRECTIONS HOW TO CONDUCT AND IMPROVE THE PRACTICAL PART OF DISTILLING IN ALL ITS BRANCHES. TOGETHER WITH DIRECTIONS FOR PURIFYING, CLEARING AND COLOURING WHISKEY, MAKING SPIRITS SIMILAR TO FRENCH BRANDY, &amp;c. FROM THE SPIRITS OF RYE, CORN, APPLES, POTATOES, &amp;c. &amp;c. AND SUNDRY EXTRACTS OF APPROVED RECEIPTSFOR MAKING CIDER, DOMESTIC WINES, AND BEER. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>SAMUEL McHARRY </p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>One of the finest WWII naval action narratives in recent years, this book follows in the footsteps of Flags of Our Fathers, creating a microcosm of the war's American Navy destroyers. Hornfischer, a writer and literary agent in Austin, Tex., covers the battle off Samar, the Philippines, in October 1944, in which a force of American escort carriers and destroyers fought off a Japanese force many times its strength, and the larger battle of Leyte Gulf, the opening of the American liberation of the Philippines, which might have suffered a major setback if the Japanese had attacked the transports. He presents the men who crewed the destroyer Taffy 3, most of whom had never seen salt water before the war but who fought, flew, kept the crippled ship afloat, and doomed ships fighting almost literally to the last shell. Finally, Hornfischer provides a perspective on the Japanese approach to the battle, somewhat (and justifiably) modifying the traditional view of the Japanese Admiral Kurita as a fumbler or even a coward-while exalting American sailors and pilots as they richly deserve. (American admirals don't get off so easily.) Not entirely free of glitches in research, the book still reads like a very good action novel, indicated by its selection as a dual split main selection of the BOMC and History Book Club alternate. <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>This piece of World War II naval history reads like a particularly good novel. It is an account of the October 1944 battle off Samar, in which a force of American destroyers and escort carriers drove off a Japanese fleet at least 10 times its strength. The struggle was a part of the epic Battle of Leyte Gulf, which was the beginning of the campaign to liberate the Philippines. Hornfischer focuses on the men of the escort carrier unit Taffy 3 (the radio call signal for Task Unit 77.4.3 --easy to see why it is the preferred designation), who fought, flew, and fired to nearly the last shell in a battle that at least one commander commenced by saying, "Survival cannot be expected." Readable from beginning to end, this popular history magnificently brings to life men and times that may seem almost as remote as Trafalgar to many in the early twenty-first century. Of especial interest are its account of the process that turned civilians into sailors, and its carrying forward of those sailors' stories to the handful of aging survivors still gathering in commemoration today. One of the finest World War II volumes to appear in years. <em>Frieda Murray</em><br><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>End food boredom and diet burnout with more than 400 sophisticated, low-carbohydrate dinners that are bursting with flavor--and on the table in under 30 minutes!  </p><p>Hundreds of thousands have embraced the low-carbohydrate lifestyle finding that a diet based on lean protein, fruits, and vegetables and less dependent on simple carbohydrates has helped them look and feel better. But a monotonous menu of steak and salad or expensive, additive-laden prepared foods has been the undoing of many a successful diet regimen.  </p><p>The solution? Linda West Eckhardt and Katherine West DeFoyd have devised more than 100 protein-rich, low-carbohydrate dinners that will satisfy even the most demanding diners. Drawing on their experiences as award-winning cookbook authors, Eckhardt and DeFoyd have developed a tempting range of high-protein meals that are quick enough to make on a weeknight but elegant enough to share with guests -- and so delicious they'll never know they've been shortchanged on carbohyd rates, fat, and calories.  </p><p>Each entree in <em>The High-Protein Cookbook </em><br>* Provides at least 30 grams of protein, yet is light on fat and calories.<br>* Is styled for two people but can easily be doubled or tripled<br>* Uses short lists of fresh, healthful ingredients<br>* Is based on simple cooking techniques requiring no special equipment<br>* Avoids "artificial" products and flavorings<br>* Contains reasonable amounts of high-quality protein balanced by ample servings of vegetables and fruits  </p><p>With chapters devoted to side dishes and salads, sauces and condiments, and even sinfully satisfying desserts that won't break the carbohydrate bank, <em>The High-Protein Cookbook</em> is the perfect companion to many of today's most popular dietary regimens and an enticing argument for cutting back on excess carbohydrates. </p><h3>From the Inside Flap</h3><p>End food boredom and diet burnout with more than 400 sophisticated, low-carbohydrate dinners that are bursting with flavor--and on the table in under 30 minutes!  </p><p>Hundreds of thousands have embraced the low-carbohydrate lifestyle finding that a diet based on lean protein, fruits, and vegetables and less dependent on simple carbohydrates has helped them look and feel better. But a monotonous menu of steak and salad or expensive, additive-laden prepared foods has been the undoing of many a successful diet regimen.  </p><p>The solution? Linda West Eckhardt and Katherine West DeFoyd have devised more than 100 protein-rich, low-carbohydrate dinners that will satisfy even the most demanding diners. Drawing on their experiences as award-winning cookbook authors, Eckhardt and DeFoyd have developed a tempting range of high-protein meals that are quick enough to make on a weeknight but elegant enough to share with guests -- and so delicious they'll never know they've been shortchanged on carbohyd rates, fat, and calories.  </p><p>Each entree in <em>The High-Protein Cookbook </em><br>* Provides at least 30 grams of protein, yet is light on fat and calories.<br>* Is styled for two people but can easily be doubled or tripled<br>* Uses short lists of fresh, healthful ingredients<br>* Is based on simple cooking techniques requiring no special equipment<br>* Avoids "artificial" products and flavorings<br>* Contains reasonable amounts of high-quality protein balanced by ample servings of vegetables and fruits  </p><p>With chapters devoted to side dishes and salads, sauces and condiments, and even sinfully satisfying desserts that won't break the carbohydrate bank, <em>The High-Protein Cookbook</em> is the perfect companion to many of today's most popular dietary regimens and an enticing argument for cutting back on excess carbohydrates. </p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Liss (_A Conspiracy of Paper_) recycles familiar conventions—drug dealers, missing money, an innocent hero mixed up with bad guys—but salvages his novel from banality with a few quirky touches. In sticky south Florida of August 1985, Lem Altick, a 17-year-old door-to-door encyclopedia salesman, witnesses the murder of two potential customers in a mobile home. Fearing he'll be fingered for the crime—or worse, that he's next—Lem establishes a wary relationship with the likable killer, Melford Kean, who is either a violent psychopath or an animal rights vigilante fighting agribusiness. Lem must also watch out for Jim Doe, the corrupt, redneck police chief who saw Lem at the trailer on the night of the crimes. Lem's paranoia heightens when he learns of Doe's connection to his employers at the encyclopedia sales company, which turns out to be a front. While Lem repeatedly skitters away from danger as he gathers clues that reveal a web of corruption, he finds time to fall for fellow bookseller Chitra and to undergo a political awakening under Melford's tutelage. Liss provides enough entertainment to keep the pages turning, but this hybrid of a thriller and a coming-of-age story doesn't quite succeed as either. <em>(Mar.)</em> <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Readers expecting another historical thriller from Liss in the manner of <em>A Conspiracy of Paper</em> (2000) and <em>The Coffee Trader</em> (2003) are in for quite a surprise. Moving from Arturo Perez-Reverte territory to the very different world of Carl Hiaasen, Liss delivers a contemporary ecoterrorist romp shot through with elements of the absurd. It begins with a 17-year-old Jewish encyclopedia salesman working door to door in a South Florida trailer park (Is the absurdist angle apparent yet?). Lem Altick is saving money for college by tricking poor people into buying supermarket encyclopedias, but he gets more than he bargained for when an assassin with "Warholishy" hair saunters into a trailer where Lem is about to close a deal and efficiently kills the two would-be encyclopedia readers and then engages Lem in a chat about his favorite Shakespeare play (Lem is partial to <em>Twelfth Night</em>). It only gets weirder from there, as Lem finds himself a sort of comrade-in-arms with the ethical assassin, whose real purpose seems to be raising havoc with some distinctly unethical pig farmers. There's also a sicko small-town sheriff lurking in the wings, having apparently wandered into the action straight out of Jim Thompson's <em>Pop. 1280</em>. The jump from financial chicanery in seventeenth-century London to redneck craziness, South Florida style, seems daunting, but Liss sails across the abyss unscathed. Be careful to whom you recommend this: the Perez-Reverte crowd may not be amused, but Hiaasen's homeboys will feel right at home down in the muck with a gang of evildoing pig farmers. <em>Bill Ott</em><br><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p></div>


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<div><h3>From</h3><p>Nearly 50 years after Betty Friedan transformed the lives of American housewives, Coontz (Marriage, a History, 2005) offers a biography of Friedan’s seminal book, The Feminine Mystique (1963). Coupling meticulous research with first-person interviews, Coontz challenges a number of Friedan’s assumptions and exaggerations while also revisiting the climate in which the work appeared and giving voice to women for whom The Feminine Mystique was nothing short of a lifesaver. Though critical of the work on a number of fronts, including its omission of working-class and minority women, Coontz lauds other aspects of The Feminine Mystique, such as its condemnation of mainstream psychiatry, which promoted the notion that women had no need to search for meaning in their lives beyond their roles as wives and mothers. As women continue to struggle with the effort to balance life and work, Coontz argues that The Feminine Mystique remains as relevant today as it when it first appeared. In tracing the roots of current discontents, which Coontz dubs the “Supermom Mystique,” her book is no less required reading than Friedan’s trailblazer. --Patty Wetli </p><h3>Review</h3><p><em></em>Kirkus Reviews<br><em></em>“A sharp revisiting of the generation that was floored by Betty Friedan’s <em>The Feminine Mystique</em> (1963), and how the book is still relevant today…. A valuable education for women <em>and</em> men.”</p><p><strong>Daniel Horowitz, author of _Betty Friedan and the Making of The Feminine Mystique_</strong></p><p>“_It Changed My Life _was the title of the book Betty Friedan wrote after her transformative 1963 <em>The Feminine Mystique</em>. And change she did the lives of American women. Now in her biography of a classic, Stephanie Coontz imaginatively explores the impact of Friedan’s book. Weaving a rich fabric from what women said in letters and interviews, from articles in popular magazines, current scholarship, and her own astute reading of the 1963 work, Coontz compellingly reveals how generations of women—from the flappers of the 1920s to the bloggers and helicopter moms of today—have responded to the challenges modern women face.”</p><p><strong>Christie Hefner, former chairman and chief executive officer of Playboy Enterprises and longest serving female C.E.O. of a U.S. public company</strong></p><p>“As was written about <em>The</em> <em>Feminine Mystique</em>, <em>A Strange Stirring</em> is ‘a journalistic tour de force, combining scholarship, investigative reporting and a compelling personal voice.’ Stephanie Coontz has made a significant contribution to our understanding of the most transformative movement of our lifetimes. Much of what Coontz reports regarding the prevailing ethos of the 1950s as a time of conformity, cultural conservatism and social repressiveness will be fascinating and eye-opening for younger readers. This book is a must read for men as well as for women. And the transformational desire for a work/family balance in life is now reflected not just by gender, but by generation, as both men and women ‘need to grow and fulfill their potentialities as human beings,’ as Friedan wrote almost a half a century ago.”</p><p><strong>Elizabeth Gilbert, author of _Eat, Pray, Love_</strong> </p><p>“Stephanie Coontz is not just one of the most important historians in America, she is also a personal hero of mine and a brilliant writer. This book—like all her books before it—has been a marvel and education for me to behold. I am awed by the scope of this research, of this thinking, and I am struck once more by how much there is learned (and taught) about the slow, stubborn advancement of women in America over the last one hundred years. I will keep <em>A Strange Stirring</em> in the forefront of my bookshelf forever.”</p><p><strong>Library Journal</strong><br>“Coontz recaptures the impact of Betty Friedan’s <em>The Feminine Mystique</em> when it was published in 1963. Although Friedan claimed credit for initiating the modern feminist movement, Coontz places the book more dispassionately in its historical context as one of many factors working against entrenched gender roles. Still, Coontz demonstrates persuasively that women readers from many backgrounds found relief—some called it life-saving—in knowing that they were not crazy and not alone in their need to find some work independent of their family roles.”</p><p>_<br>_</p><p><strong>Donna L. Franklin, author of _Ensuring Inequality: The Structural Transformation of the African-American Family_</strong></p><p>“This book offers a nuanced perspective on the women’s movement by ending the invisibility of African-American women.”</p><p><strong>Nancy F. Cott, Trumbull Professor of American History, Harvard University</strong></p><p>“Stephanie Coontz’s new book takes you on an engrossing and enlightening tour of the past, with wisdom and meaning for the future.”</p><p><strong>John Bradshaw, author of _Reclaiming Virtue_ and the #1 _New York Times_ bestsellers, _Homecoming_ and _Creating Love_</strong></p><p>“Stephanie Coontz continues to amaze me. In her new book, <em>A Strange Stirring</em>, she chronicles the untold story of some of America’s greatest pioneers. This is a must read for all who care about our country’s growth and maturity. We owe the women described here the same gratitude and respect given to Lewis and Clark and the others who carved out this great nation.”</p><p><strong><em>Bitch Magazine</em></strong>_<br>_“As the author of several books that challenge the accepted historical narrative of ‘traditional’ families and institutions…Coontz soberly checks facts, corrects misinformation, and fills in holes in the record. Most important, she shows how assumptions and misinformation about the past are used not only to paint a distorted picture of how things used to be, but to justify insidious policies and legislation like the Defense of Marriage Act. In her latest work…Coontz focuses on a book we’ve come to take for granted, arguing that it deserves a closer look…. [S]he not only explores the actual content of <em>The Feminine Mystique</em> (going well beyond the usual proclamations about its controversiality and importance), but insists that readers (and, presumably, feminists) figure out how to reconcile our idealized version of history with information that complicates it.”</p><p><strong><em>Publishers Weekly</em></strong>_<br>_“This perceptive [and] engrossing…book provides welcome context and background to a still controversial bestseller that changed how women viewed themselves.”</p><p>_<br>_</p><p><strong><em>Booklist</em></strong>_<br>_“Coupling meticulous research with first-person interviews, Coontz challenges a number of Friedan’s assumptions and exaggerations while also revisiting the climate in which the work appeared and giving voice to women for whom <em>The Feminine Mystique</em> was nothing short of a lifesaver…. As women continue to struggle with the effort to balance life and work, Coontz argues that <em>The Feminine Mystique</em> remains as relevant today as when it first appeared. In tracing the roots of current discontents, which Coontz dubs the ‘Supermom Mystique,’ her book is no less required reading than Friedan’s trailblazer.”</p><p><em></em><em>The Daily Beast</em>, “This Week’s Hot Reads”<br><em></em>“A thoughtful reappraisal of Betty Friedan’s 1960s classic – and a meditation on the ever-evolving role of women in American society.”</p><p>_<br>_</p><p><strong>Christine Whelan, _HuffingtonPost_</strong>_<br>_“[An] excellent new social history of the impact of Betty Friedan’s landmark book on American women…. Coontz is the rare social historian who knows how to weave meticulous research into a compelling narrative of our not-too-distant past…. <em>A Strange Stirring</em> is, in many ways, better than the original. Today the problem has been named, and <em>A Strange Stirring</em> offers poignant personal reactions, accessible history and present-day comparisons to give voice to the modern quest for gender equality.”</p><p>_<br>_</p><p><strong><em>BUST</em></strong>_<br>_“[E]xcellent, eminently readable…. Coontz’s ‘demystifying’ of both the era and Friedan is an erudite, even-handed look at the explosive feminist undercurrents of the era.”</p><p>_<br>_</p><p><strong>Louis Menand, _The New Yorker_</strong>_<br>_“[A] useful revisiting of Friedan’s book.”</p><p>_<br>_</p><p><strong><em>New York Times Book Review</em></strong>_<br>_“[A] timely contribution to the conversation about what constitutes progress for women (and for which women) in these days of mommy wars and mama grizzlies…. By considering <em>The Feminine Mystique</em> as one sturdy strand in the complex arguments we’re engaged in to this day, Coontz does Friedan the tremendous favor of pulling her down from heaven and up from hell…. [I]t’s a relief to have the level-headed Coontz providing perspective and taking Friedan’s work and legacy for what it was: stirring, strange, complicated and crucial.”</p><p>_<br>_</p><p><strong><em>Salon.com</em></strong>_<br><em>“</em>A Strange Stirring_ gives voice to women whose lives were transformed by Friedan’s book, but most compellingly, it sets the historical record straight as far as its impact on families.”</p><p>_<br>_</p><p><strong><em>Wall Street Journal</em></strong></p><p>“[S]ocial historian Stephanie Coontz…takes a fresh look at <em>The Feminine Mystique</em> by examining its effect on the book’s original readers…. Ms. Coontz usefully debunks some of the myths that have grown up around <em>The Feminine Mystique </em>and Friedan…. [A]n illuminating analysis of the book that helped launch the movement that freed women to participate more fully in American society.”</p><p>_<br>_</p><p><strong><em>Bookforum.com</em></strong>_<br>_“Coontz reconciles Friedan’s flawed text with its seemingly outsized influence, and deftly depicts the social context for the dramatic testimonials uncovered in Coontz’s research, the revelatory proto-feminist experiences shared by women of her mother’s generation…. [Coontz’s] clear-eyed review of the social data and cultural contradictions of the time…comprise a fascinating and important study. <em>A Strange Stirring</em>…is a book of rigor and undeceiving, one worthy of Friedan’s tradition.”</p><p><em></em>_The Buffalo News<br>_<em></em>“For some of us, this is a jolting ‘remember when;’ for others, a slice of history forgotten all too soon. For all of us, there remains relevance.”</p><p><strong><em>Bookpage</em></strong></p><p>“Packed with fascinating statistics and research on 20th-century American social history, including the effect of ‘liberation’ on middle-class, working-class and African-American women, Coontz shines new light on a landmark work.”</p><p><em></em><em>Seattle</em><strong></strong>_ Times<br>_<em></em>“This book enriches Coontz’s impressive body of work on American family life…. She continues to deftly make history a personal science, persuading readers to ponder those societal yokes we’ve taken up to wear around our own necks…. _A Strange Stirring_ reveals the power of two writers; both are able to see beyond the conventional view and the untold history, and enable the reader to look ahead with new eyes and new questions.”</p><p><em></em>_Ladies Home Journal<br>_<em></em>“A fascinating examination of Friedan’s much-misunderstood classic, _A Strange Stirring_ should be required reading for any young woman today who believes that she’s ‘not a feminist.’ Not only does Stephanie movingly recount how revelatory _The Feminine Mystique_ was to the millions of discontented housewives who read it, but she also details – with examples that had me shaking my head in stupefaction – the unbridled sexism that characterized life circa 1963.”</p><p><strong>Michelle Goldberg, <em>The New Republic</em></strong></p><p> “Coontz recounts the catalytic effect that <em>The Feminine Mystique</em> had on a great many women. Her book is full of stories of desperate, suffering people who realized they weren’t crazy only when they picked up Friedan’s bestseller…. But <em>The Feminine Mystique </em>is not just an artifact of a benighted era. It still contains important lessons about one of the most important questions of all, which is how to create a meaningful, autonomous life.”</p></div>


