EH Books

After reading a few of Connelly's more recent novels, I decided to go back and read the Harry Bosch books in order. The Concrete Blonde is the third installment, and in my opinion, it is the best one so far. While Bosch is on trial for shooting a man suspected of being a serial killer called the Dollmaker, another victim is discovered who appears to have been killed after the shooting. Bosch must investigate the crime and determine if he shot an innocent man.

The Concrete Blonde is a masterfully told story featuring LAPD detective Harry Bosch. Author Michael Connelly is as comfortable writing about the courtroom as he is a murder case. And, he combines both of them in this novel. Connelly's characters are believable and the details are rich. In Concrete Blonde, Bosch is trying to solve what may be "copy cat" murders while he's on trial for shooting "The Dollmaker," a serial killer. But did Bosch kill the right person? Is the Dollmaker still out there somewhere? New murders and taunting letters seem to suggest Bosch shot the wrong man. The evidence points to a couple different suspects, but Connelly keeps you guessing the entire time. The Harry Bosch series is great.

The Concrete Blonde has Connelly at the top of his game. What's especially nice is how he has structured the story around a question of justice, which he ties into the title itself. There are three concrete blondes in this story. Victims become avengers and vice versa. Connelly's hero can't remember the name of the statue of the blindfolded lady holding the sword and scales, noted twice, which is Connelly's way of giving you the homework assignment to look it up yourself. If you do that you automatically learn more than you knew about conceptions of justice.

Very cool book, thanks Mr. Connelly.

I have read several of Michael Connelly's books. This is among the best of American writing. You cannot go wrong. This is not pulp fiction. In Borsch, Connelly has makes a fascinating character real. The plot twists and turns. Expect to loose some sleep because Connelly makes it come alive and you will not want to hit "stop".

Well written with good dialogue and good character development. Some things were predictable, like the defense lawyer getting killed and the newspaper reporter being the killer.

The plot was good and the story moved along well.

A good read.

Nick Bantock's 'Griffin and Sabine' series is a completely original work, combining art and story/plot in a way that I've never seen before. If you value originality and creativity, you'll love his work. The combination of his art (he did all the art work in the books, as well as writing the tale) and the story is incredible - ignore those who say that the story is thin. It's the interplay between the writing and the art that matters, like the connection between the visuals and the dialogue in a great movie, or the connection between the lyrics and the music in a great song. It seems some people just don't get it, but if you're one of those who think that original, creative art is something special, then you'll love this.

This story takes you on a wildly unexpected journey between Griffin and Sabine. Just when you think you know where it's headed... you are taken to a completely different place! Incredibly imaginitive... beautifully designed artwork... Loved it!

There is something incredibly exhilirating about reading other people's correspondence; that is essentially what you do when you read this trilogy. But there is more... it is a lovely and engaging love story with sufficient intrigue and mystery to keep you going from book to book. The illustrations are superb and are basically a feast for the eye.

These are just beautiful books...a thin but intriguing story line but extraordinary presentation with wonderful art. Read the letters in the envelopes or the postcards... They're unlike anything I've ever seen. We're giving each of our kids a set as gifts.

I give this book an "All the Stars in the Sky."

From that unforgettable opening line, right through the end, I was blown away by Nabokov's powerful narrative style. I am not a native speaker of English, and I was the more amazed by his grasp of an adopted language. The humorous, almost bitter style in which he goes through Humbert Humbert's childhood and first marriage, the fluency of his narrative when telling the story of their travels through the states of America, the poignancy mixed with humour right through the end makes this a great read. The delicacy of the subject matter, considering the novel was written 50 years ago, makes it even more mind-blowing. Although it is impossible to condone Humbert's actions, one cannot help feeling sorry for him and his weaknesses. Lolita's character is very well laid out as both a child and a contriving human being who has more control over her oppressor than maybe she even knows. Humbert's psychology, especially towards the end, his infatuation and his deterioration into almost an insane lover is very well depicted. Towards the end, the suspense becomes almost unbearable and it stays with you long after it is finished.

A must read.

For someone who natively speaks english and studies Russian, it is astounding to think someone could write so eloquently, so densely, and so poetically in a tongue that was not their own. The annotations are virtually vital to decode the layers of references and aphorisms seeded into this remarkable masterwork of fiction.

Whether you like 'Lolita' depends on whether Nabokov is successful in sucking you into his fractured world of longing for something impossible, persuading yourself you have it while knowing you don't. I really don't think Nabokov intends any value judgments about his characters, any moral conclusions, let alone any comparisons between old Europe and young America. I'm not sure he even feels particularly strongly about the evils of pedophilia (see the sanctimonious ending to the foreword by the book's fictional 'editor'). I think he plays with the situation and the psychology of Humbert Humbert in his lush, literary, inimitable way. For my own part, I can get sucked in, or find myself standing outside. And from there the view is disgusting, as a reviewer - who is highly positive nonetheless - has written on the online magazine Slate. One of Nabokov's many ways to this very point is starkly anatomical. HH describes Lolita as a small-framed 12 year old, 'hip girth, twenty-nine inches...weight, seventy-eight pounds', useful information in the context - HH is buying some clothes to please her. HH describes himself elsewhere as a large and virile fellow, equipped with 'a foot of engorged brawn'. One of Alfred Appel's annotations will underline the problem by drawing your attention - and this is easily missed because it is mentioned only once and Lolita appears under a kind of alias - to Lolita's death four or five years later in childbirth. Not common in the 1950s in the USA. So HH's misuse of Lolita injures and ultimately kills her?

In the field of erotic literature, this novel has probably touched the awareness of the public more than any other, to such an extent that the once innocuous name of Lolita has become another name for youthful feminine charm and sexuality, to put it mildly.

Those are the historical facts, but what of the novel's merits? What is most definitely is not is pornographic: it doesn't contain a word of even mildly bad language, nor is it a trashy series of sex scenes featuring a girl of that name. In fact - surprise, surprise if you've never read it - Lolita doesn't even contain a girl called Lolita.

Writing in the first person, Nabakov does not directly tell the story of his famous heroine, but that of Humbert Humbert, a man obsessed with the memory of his dead childhood girlfriend, Annabel, to such an extent that his life is dominated by her loss. As his teens pass, and then his twenties, he fails to mature beyond his loss. When he meets a girl of twelve, Dolores Haze, who resembles his lost love, he attempts to posses her, body and soul, and in his obsessed mind he re-names her "Lolita." The final result is that both he and Dolores are destroyed, along with several other characters.

Is it a sad story of an unfortunately obsessed man, who should perhaps be pitied as much as condemned? No, for there is more to it than that. Is it a simple story? No, for Nabakov is not a simple writer, telling a plain story of black versus white. If he were, then Dolores would be a naïve and innocent girl, and Humbert an absolute villain.

But Nabokov is not a limited moraliser, wagging a solemn preacher's finger at a wrong-doer seeking his evil way in a world of innocence. Instead he examines the complexities of both love and lust, for Humbert finds that his hidden, furtive desire has met its mate, as he discovers that Dolores has an open, natural tendency to depravity to match his. Moreover, most of the characters that the two are in contact with are flawed, and some are so self-deceiving and tacky that the reader may be drawn into preferring Humbert's admitted lechery, and the reader, not allowed to deal easily with absolutes in a simple situation of right and wrong, is made to journey in an intriguing world of comparisons.

Whereas Dolores's nature is a mixture of easily given love and defensive cynicism - she rapidly falls in love with the handsome, exotic Frenchman - Humbert is cowardly, conceited and stupid, with a talent for bungling everything he attempts, from emotional relationships to violent crime, a failing that he does not notice.

Failing also to see that Dolores is attempting to seduce him, he seeks to trick here into a physical intimacy that she would have awarded him willingly. As his stupidity becomes more apparent, so does his indifference to the well being of others, as he accepts marries a woman he detests to gain control of Dolores, and later contemplates murdering her.
But all his desperate, bungling manoeuvres fail, until to his surprise - Dolores casually offers herself to him, after revealing that she has already had a lover.

Technically this is the climax of the novel, and here Nabokov ends the first of the two books into which it is divided. Some critics say that the latter half is too long, and I agree with them, remarking however that it may merely seem to long, due to being the record of a highly unpleasant relationship.

At about this time, the death of her mother gives Humbert total control of Dolores. He has achieved his great ambition, but he proves utterly incapable of living with his success. Dolores, sullen at the wandering life that they adopt, but entirely dependent on Humbert, strives not to regain her freedom, but for the two to lead some kind of stable life. But Humbert, living in a world of his own, composed of ecstasy and fear - he has gained Dolores, but is terrified of discovery - fails to listen to her, or realise that the actuality that he has gained is living Dolores, not imaginary Lolita.

Trapped in his conceited self-image - he is a pedantic scholar, who has produced no work of his own, but imagines himself a sophisticated artist - he fails to communicate with Dolores, or lower himself from his pretensions to her simpler, healthier attitude to life - "speak English!" as she says at one point - and he destroys what remains of her love for him.

As Dolores grows older she is able to gain more control over her affairs, and she tortures him as he has tortured her, and eventually escapes him. After several years of agonised search Humbert finds her again. Dolores, prematurely aged by hardship, is no longer the cute nymphet that he lusted for, but Humbert still loves her. He has finally achieved a maturity of sorts. He gives her a needed gift of cash, and the two part forever. Later both are destroyed by exterior forces.

However, Nabokov is not such a sentimentalist as to make Humbert's redemption complete, and it is by a further lunatic act that he causes his own end.

Graham Worthington, author, Wake of the Raven

Appel's annotations are simply insufferable. It's pathetic and depressing to read his sniveling Kinbote impression--is he completely unaware that he represents exactly what Nabokov was mocking in Pale Fire? Even trying to use his annotations as merely a reference to help translate the French in the book will leave you quivering with rage, as Appel submits you to his Stanford ENG 300 course, draws absurd and positively indefensible parallels (some of which that he even admits--with the appropriate quotation from a letter as evidence--Nabokov expressly disavowed), reveals the entire narrative by page 70, and, in a meta-textual burlesque (which, ever self-aware and oh-so-meta, Appel audaciously compares to the effect created by Pale Fire) completely robs your reading experience of the chance to form its own impression of the work.

Under no circumstances buy this drivel. Nasha Vladishka deserves better.

Interesting plot and riveting writing style. A great quick read for all ages. I've read this book at least three times now. There is a great mix of dialogue, combat, and humor to keep things interesting. Plus, if you liked this story check out Paul Zindel's other books (Reef of Death, Raptor, Rats, the Doom Stone, etc.), they are all quite good.

I read `Loch' when I was eleven years old and I'll be quick to say that I loved every minute of it. It was fast paced, entertaining and adult enough to make me feel as though I was reading a meaty novel as apposed to a youth related beginner book. Paul Zindel is able to spin a web for the younger crowd that strays away from the corny overtones of too many young reader novels and gives them a taste of the more grown up science fiction ala Michael Crichton while numbing down the gore and language and providing a wholesomely entertaining ride that the your young reader can enjoy. That's not to say there is no action and or even violence here, for quite a few deaths ensue, but it's no where near the gore-factor of say `Jurassic Park'.

`Loch' follows young Loch and his sister Zaidee as they accompany their father on yet another expedition, this time to find descendents of `Nessie' who have been sighted in a Vermont lake. Along with they find a boat load of trouble, mostly found in the form of their father's boss, Anthony Cavenger who is so intent on capturing or even killing these prehistoric beasts just to make a name for himself that he places everyone around him in harms way.

Loch and his sister, as well as Cavenger's daughter Sarah decide to foil these plans when they stumble upon a baby Plesiosaurus they name Wee Beastie. Their plan ends up getting quite a few people killed, but its all in the name of justice right? `Loch' remains a splendidly written science fiction novel for the younger crowd that is sure to entertain and occupy and even encourage reading at a young age. All to often a novel is either too boring and or uninspiring or too graphic and complicated for the pre-teen crowd, but `Loch' is a perfect balance of suspense and censorship that it provides a wonderful stepping stone to even better reading.

Loch, by Paul Zindel, an award-winning author is an incredible adventure with an interesting plot and storyline. The plot of this amazing book involves the main characters: Loch(a fifteen-year-old boy, given the nickname because he claimed he saw a Loch Ness monster as a small kid), Zaidee (his younger sister), and Sarah (Cavenger's daughter and Loch's want-to-be girlfriend). Loch's father, Dr.Sam, works for this ruthless, merciless, bossy man, Cavenger. Cavenger wants to finally prove he's not an idiot and that carrying out all these unsuccessful expeditions was not pointless and capture one of the beasts trapped in a Vermont lake. His specifications, however, on how he will actually intend to "capture" these monsters are not to the best happinesses of Loch, Zaidee, and Sarah after the three youngings find, through a juvenile plesiosaur, that the sea beasts believed to be prehistoric that are called plesiosaurs only attack if they have to, to stay alive. Loch, Zaidee, and Sarah now have to solve this conflict because Cavenger doesn't care how he seizes the poor rare creatures -- whether they die or live -- both get him a lot of money. The resolution to this problem comes in the form of close calls to being eaten, people being devoured from these horrors of the depths, and Loch coming up with a plan. Loch, Zaidee, Sarah, and Dr.Sam work together to get the whole family of plesiosaurs into the open water, beyond the grid that once cooped up the plesiosaurs, without them being blown to bits or captured. But Cavenger's cold-hearted soul and wrathful crew (with the exception of Dr.Sam) try to divert this rebellion and blast away the poor creatures with urban warfare in an action-packed ending. Read this astounding adventure, Loch, to uncover the suspenseful end. I recommend this book to people who enjoy a lot of, at a few times hard to follow action, blood and gore, heroes, science, and if you are a kid, you can relate to the book pretty well.

Loch, by Paul Zindel, an award-winning author is an incredible adventure with an interesting plot and storyline. The plot of this amazing book involves the main characters: Loch(a fifteen-year-old boy, given the nickname because he claimed he saw a Loch Ness monster as a small kid), Zaidee (his younger sister), and Sarah (Cavenger's daughter and Loch's want-to-be girlfriend). Loch's father, Dr.Sam, works for this ruthless, merciless, bossy man, Cavenger. Cavenger wants to finally prove he's not an idiot and that carrying out all these unsuccessful expeditions was not pointless and capture one of the beasts trapped in a Vermont lake. His specifications, however, on how he will actually intend to "capture" these monsters are not to the best happinesses of Loch, Zaidee, and Sarah after the three youngings find, through a juvenile plesiosaur, that the sea beasts believed to be prehistoric that are called plesiosaurs only attack if they have to, to stay alive. Loch, Zaidee, and Sarah now have to solve this conflict because Cavenger doesn't care how he seizes the poor rare creatures -- whether they die or live -- both get him a lot of money. The resolution to this problem comes in the form of close calls to being eaten, people being devoured from these horrors of the depths, and Loch coming up with a plan. Loch, Zaidee, Sarah, and Dr.Sam work together to get the whole family of plesiosaurs into the open water, beyond the grid that once cooped up the plesiosaurs, without them being blown to bits or captured. But Cavenger's cold-hearted soul and wrathful crew (with the exception of Dr.Sam) try to divert this rebellion and blast away the poor creatures with urban warfare in a action-packed ending. Read this astounding adventure, Loch, to uncover the suspenseful end. I recommend this book to people who enjoy a lot of, at a few times hard to follow action, blood and gore, heroes, science, and if you are a kid, you can relate to the book pretty well.

Thank you for sending the book in a timely manner - also the book was in better condition than I expected.

Thank you again.

This novel is a fictionalized account of an all-female gang that forms in a working class community in upstate New York. The gang, Foxfire, is founded by a group of girls who've all suffered alientation and lack of parental attention. The girls share a sense of being alienated and restricted from any sort of real social benefits or meaningful relationships becuase of their age, gender, economic status, and family situation. The gang is formed, and begins, by using public humilation and minor violence to bring justice to local men who have abused the privileges of their gender. Quickly, though, their activities escalate, and it becomes clear that the gang is on a path to self-destruction. This book was a bit hard to get into at first because its written in the tone and style of one of the gang's members, but the writing becomes engrossing. Oates truly takes on the tone and spirit of a teenage girl gang. While this is part of what makes the book hard to get into, it ultimately makes for an engrossing story. It is striking just how anti-male Foxfire's violence is, and the book seems to suggest that this is one of the myriad of social responses to a world in which girls are expendable objects, sexualized, and undervalued. Indeed, Oates invites the reader to consider the gang and it's activities as part of a continuum of responses that individuals in a depressed, sexist, and emotionally alienated society might produce. The book is as much a critique of the word that made Foxfire possible as it is a narration of the gang's activities. While Oates does not excuse the violence she clearly assigns broader culpability to the world in which these girls live.

Legs Sadovsky is one of the greatest characters that I've ever encountered. She is absolutely larger than life. I only wish she could have been "heroic" while still being entirely female. Her androgeny is mentioned several times. I understand she is a tomboy with no mother figure, but why can't a girly girly be a tough leader who holds her group together?

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is sick of standard chick lit. The improper grammar is not too horrendous. I'm not sure why it bothers people so much, as it's done very purposefully. The shifting narrative perspective is a bit confusing at times. Yet it is done quite purposefully as well.

The one qualm I have is that this novel is a bit too self conscious regarding the prominent literary themes contained within. For example, there is some discussion of language creating thought and vice versa. It sounded like a page out of my junior year critical theory book. I believe there was also some talk of existentialism and religion as well. Not everyone's cup of tea.

I wanted to like this book. It started out good. As I read on, I started to get bored. Borrow it from a library if you can. Save your money.

I'm not done with it just yet, but I'm having a hard time putting this book down. It's the first Joyce Carol Oates I've read in about four years, and so far it's beating out Blonde as my favorite ( Less than halfway through that one, readers do get it that Marilyn had a lot of unpleasant sexual experiences; we don't need to have it constantly pounded into our heads for the whole course of the book, but I digress) Anyone foolhardy enough to try victimizing Legs Sadovsky and the girls of Foxfire in a similar way meets a sorry fate, and for that I love this book!
It would have been nice to see more complete character development of those Legs vows to protect, but their solidarity and sisterhood definitely gets across. 1950's upstate New York is a brutal and unfair man's world, where women are seen as little more than cattle, and these girls fight back with a vengeance that had me wanting to cheer for them. Oates is unquestionably a gifted writer and unafraid to put the reality of being a teenage girl right in our faces. I believe she omits a lot of the traditional grammar on purpose for the effect of this book's frenetic pacing. If you can get used to that, I highly recommend this book. I'm skipping the movie; I already know it can't even come close.

Reading some of the reviews for this book led me to believe that this book would be a good read. I was wrong.

One of my biggest pet peeves is authors who ignore good grammar and proper punctuation, and Joyce Carol Oates is one of those authors. This novel reads like it was written by a kid in junior high. All the switching between first and third person narrative left me confused. The book is written from the perspective of the adult Maddie, but tends to read like someone observing the girls of Foxfire from afar, rather than a member of the girl gang telling how things were.

The characters, with the exception of Legs, get very little development and come across as one-dimensional. As the narrator, Maddie should have gotten more character development, but instead, she is used as little more than the voice of and for Foxfire.

The concept of a girl gang like Foxfire in the 1950's is ridiculous. This book would have been more believable had it been set in a different time frame.

If you've seen the movie, stick with the movie. At least the idea of a girl gang in the 1990's isn't so far-fetched.

I am currently taking pharmacology, and this book compliments the course very well. If you worried about how in-depth this book goes, don't be. Almost everything we have talked about in class has been discussed in the BRS for Pharmacology. If it wasn't, then I can consult an online book through our library or simply google a topic.

Cheap book for sufficient and effective learning.

I am using this book to study Pharm in med school. It is organized well and fairly easy to read. It also has good organizational charts and important sidelights that help you retain what's important. I'd recommend this if you are a med student who is looking for an alternative to a traditional textbook. I also recommend using flashcards as an add-on studying tool.

I like the book so far. Its is compact yet readable. If you have used Lippincott for Biochemistry this book is similar in size, and has a similar layout as the Bichem book. If you attend SMU I recommend also ordering Katzung Board review for practice questions as Dr.K and Dr.G will recommend that you purchase it.

Great reference book! Graphics are useful (especially for quick look at common adverse effects). Gives succinct description of how drugs in a class work and examples of drugs in a class.

This book is the best pharmacology book I have ever read. It helped me put everything into perspective! It's a must have for any medical or pharmacy student!

I have been eating chinese food and fortune cookies all my life. It is amazing how much I didn't know about the subjects. Until now! The Fortune Cookie Chronicles is loaded with odd and interesting tidbits including the origination of fortune cookies, Chop Suey and the relationship between fortune cookies and state lotteries. To sum it up, this is a fun and educational book. Buy it, you won't be disappointed.

As a product of 1980's NYC Chinatown as well, I found myself having to pause while reading this book and interject my own similar memories to those that Jennifer describe.
Her writing style is flowing and intriguing. What is nice is that a chapter can be read every night and is practically concluded in itself. This is not to say that the book doesn't hold your attention. It does. Rather, to start the next chapter is to have to read all of it before reaching for the bookmark, as Jennifer takes you in another direction and another interesting chronicle.
To those who have read this already: I do have a authentic bottle of Kikkoman (lower sodium) in my fridge. I give the fortune cookies to my daughter, because Maria's bakery in NYC's Chinatown has the perfect light dessert. Never knew what General Tso's chicken or chop suey was til I left NYC.

If you're curious about things from lotto numbers in your fortune cookies to who actually invented them. If you wonder about those little packages of soy (or dark salty water) and duck sauce that come with your take out. You owe yourself a laugh and a read of this book.

Those who want a serious, thoughtful look at Chinese food and what it means to Chinese and other cultures should look elsewhere; Jennifer 8. Lee's book is nothing but a series of shallow, (sometimes) mildly amusing extended anecdotes.
Ms. Lee's claim that "(chop suey) is still found in some urban Chinese takeouts and in scattered restaurants around the country" is patently false. From Bloomington, Indiana to Hannibal, Missouri to Austin, Texas, I've never been to a Chinese restaurant that didn't serve chop suey. What she seems to think of as an exotic rarity is, in fact, a staple.
This might be charitably chalked up as a harmless error, but it really is exemplary of the careless manner in which the entire book is written. Instead of a detailed acccount of how Chinese food developed and was then brought to the United States and elswhere, she presents what she must think is a series of utterly fascinating stories about various aspects of the cuisine: competition among take out restaurants in 1970's New York City, how fortunes get written, a story about multiple lottery winners who chose their numbers based on their fortunes at Chinese retaurants. As I said before, some of these stories are mildly amusing, but is that enough?
As a final insult, Ms. Lee spends about forty pages searching for the best Chinese restaurant in the world. What was the point in going from Paris to London to Mumbai, India to eat out, often at fancy places frequented by celebrities and Beautiful People? Nothing against Leonardo DiCaprio, but I really don't care where he goes to eat when he's in Paris. Why did this detail make it into the book, and how does eating Chinese at upscale restaurants in various world capitals and financial/cultural centers shed any light on the way Chinese food is eaten by everyday people?

In The Fortune Cookies Chronicles (2008), Jennifer 8. Lee explores how dishes like these and Chinese food in general has "ceased to be ethnic" (19) and yet arguably and identifiably Chinese at the same. As one American military officer in Iraq noted, "What could be more American than beer and take-out Chinese?" (26). In order to understand how Chinese food can be both Chinese and American at the same time, Lee takes the readers throughout the United States and China to find the origins of some of our most popular dishes, and she travels around the world to find the "greatest" Chinese restaurant in the world.
Rather than a standard history of the little cuisine that could, Lee explores how Chinese food pushes the boundaries of how we define concepts like assimilation and authenticity (256-257). Lee posits that the old definitions of assimilation which emphasize minority populations blending into majority populations, the success of Chinese food demonstrates that convergence is the key to assimilation. And what actually constitutes authenticity? Potatoes are a staple in Irish food, but they are undeniably a New World food. Indian curries are enhanced by New World chilies. Lee considers all of these examples (including Chinese dishes like General Tso's chicken) to be "native foreign dishes" (257). Foreign in their inspiration, native in their creation. There are reasons why foods lend themselves so easily to blending of cuisines and ingredients. Lee points out that when people first come into contact with each other, language may be a barrier, but food lends itself immediately to opinion and evaluation (258). Food practices also tend to be one of the aspects of heritage that survives culture contact. Lee suggests that her grandchildren someday may not speak Chinese, but they will know how fry dumplings (258). Rather than the melting pot analogy that all school children are taught, stir-fry may be more apt; "our ingredients remain distinct, but our flavors blend together in a sauce shared by all" (259).
I found Lee's writing to be accessible and entertaining while at the same time theoretically interesting. While much of the book explores particular dishes, controversies, and the migration of Chinese restaurant workers, Lee keeps all of these topics grounded in her efforts to understand how food can be authentic and foreign at the same time. Lee does not hit the reader over the head with anthropological and sociological theory, but the concepts are there, grounded in the lived experiences of the people that Lee interviews and describes.

Jennifer Lee's "The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food" is a delightful read that provides an interesting perspective of American Chinese food. The author covers the origins of Chinese food in the American society, and how it has evolved. She also touched on various aspects of Chinese restaurants in the U.S. - from Chinese delivery guys to the origin of fortune cookies.

This was a insightful read as Lee was very comprehensive in her research. She covered topics such as the origin of General Tso's chicken, the myth of chop suey, and the company that started the soya sauce packets that came with any order of Chinese food. These quirky topics make this book such a fun and delightful read. What was even more important was that she was able to show how Chinese restaurants and food have become a part of the American culture. In addition, her writing was clear and conversational, interjecting facts with personal anecdotes. Highly recommended.

If you have ever loved a cat, this is the book for you! Norton was definitely one of a kind, and you will be charmed by his adventures. I gave away my first copy of this book and had to buy another so I could reread it! Norton definitely stole my heart!

Gethers is no Cleveland Amory, and readers who have savored Amory's wonderful CAT WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS will be a little disappointed with this book. The chief problem, for me, is Gethers as a person, not as a writer. He doesn't come off as someone I would like to know. That said, you who travel with your animal companions will be amused and impressed by the way Gethers and the feline Norton gad about. I used to travel around this continent in a van with my cats, and camp or visit cat loving friends - challenge enough! For the seven or so years reported in this book Norton has joined his dad on planes, trains, automobiles, ferries, subways, cross country skis and hikes. He is a seasoned and recognized traveller aboard the Concorde, a pampered favorite in Parisian hotels, a local celebrity on Fire Island, and an office cat in Manhattan. Jet setters take note: 1. always include two folding cardboard cat boxes and two five pound bags of litter in your carry-ons. (One box for the rental car and one for the hotel room.) 2.Paris restaurants not only permit, but encourage the inclusion of well-mannered pets in your dinner group. 3. The rich are not different, they are only annoyingly more so.

I found this book at the library yesterday - I'm halfway thru the book. It is hysterical!!! I'm laughing every other page!! This author has a great sense of humor and an excellent writer :) His cat Norton must have been a real sweetie - a Scottish Fold. I've decided to buy myself a copy AND will be buying a copy for 2 of my cat loving friends for Christmas. A great upbeat read! :)

Norton is just the sweetest little Scottish Fold kitten one could ever hope to meet. His folded ears, gentle disposition and loyalty to his owner, Peter Gethers, will astound you. Norton has a puss-in-ality extraordinaire. He trots obediently five steps behind his owner to the market, on the beach, and to visit friends. In a car, he sits perched atop Gethers shoulder and watches life go by. On a ferry ride, he puts his paws on the rail and follows the waves. Even Norton's father who is a confirmed "dog-lover, cat-hater" mellows up to the adorable little fellow and they become best friends. Norton even has the ability to help Gethers choose his girlfriends; some Norton likes, others he does not - and emphatically lets Gethers know which ones do not win his approval. Norton is a jet-setter. He accompanies Gethers on trans-continental flights to Paris and many other countries around the world. He dines in luxury at five-star dining establishments, sits in his own chair as if he had just graduated from the most exquisite Swiss finishing school, and enjoys his own fare specially prepared by the chef. However, according to Norton's palate, nothing tops a good can of Pounce!

No one could write a book about a cat in quite the same style and wit as Gethers. Norton is not a work of fiction; he is Gethers feline companion, soul mate and best friend. You will relish Norton's antics and adventures from start to finish. This book is an oldie but one of my all time favourites. If there were a hundred starts in the rating scale, this would shine at one hundred.

Norton, is a credit to Scotish Folds. And Mr. Gethers know excatly how fortunate he is in having the most Purr-fect of friends. This a joyful read of a cat who just can't help be lovable, and who loves the people he meets. Apparently some cats do on some level know exactly what's going on.

This is a delightful book, but I made the mistake of buying it for a 5 yr. old. One flip through and that was it. On to a tome on dinosaurs! It would help us out of the loop folks if there was a general age appropriate indication. I'd put this one in the 2-4 range....Er,right?

Not suitable for children under 2 years old because the pages are beautifully developed and might tear in their hands, but this is a really cool book for learning the alphabet and seeing the ways in which letters are constructed and tied together. Very neat to look at!

This book was much more than I expected. When I got it and opened it I was really impressed by its quality and craftsmanship. My husband who is a Graphic Artist keeps referring to creativity of the designs. Great on the coffee table!! Lori

Very cute book, great conversation piece. The idea of a book as art is very cool. However, other than flipping through it once or twice and showing your friends, which takes all of 5 minutes of your time, you'll never open it again most likely. If that's your expectation, no problem, but if you want something more for your money, you'll want to skip this one.

there are 26 letters in the alphabet.
about 10 of the pop-ups are really clever,
and the rest are merely a block letter in 3-D.
the cover is more fun than what's inside.

This has been an extremely helpful resource for framing and developing a good research paper. It takes the reader step-by-step through the process of finding a topic of interest, narrowing that topic into a question, making that question relevant to a wider audience, then moving to researching that question, developing arguments, and putting those arguments into a coherent structure. The authors have set up the book so that it can either be read through cover to cover or used as a reference guide for particular sections. For students beginning their first research papers, this is an exceptionally helpful book to make a daunting task much more manageable. Highly recommended.

It is very useful reference book for the person who want to write a paper for researching. It clearly describes the procedure for each step and gives some key points or thoughts for composing the paper. The method from the book is helpful for every field.

This book was on my book list for a college writing course. It is helpful but some of it is just tedious and common knowledge. Helps you write your paper if you have no idea where to start and some references to how to cite a book or article. There are some good tips when it comes to research, but take it with a grain of salt. Reusable, but there's a point to how much knowledge is just retained. Worth buying used, but not brand new.

This book is so well- written, that I actually enjoy reading it. All it talks about is how to be a good writer, but it was written as if the reader is having a conversation with the author. It is also offers extremely helpful strategies for improving academic writing.

As a seminary student in the midst of a master's thesis, 'The Craft' is a joy. It is helpful, and both easy to navigate and understand.