MY

As a baseball fan, I found Fred Claire''s book very enlightening. As a Dodger fan, I found this book a must read! His tenture as Dodgers GM as well as working his way up the storied organization's ladder, was a thriiling ride and I highly recommend this book to baseball and sports fans alike. Fred touches on the ever changing world of major league baseball and how a family run business gave way to corporate ownership. A classy man and a classy story about his dealings with the O'Malley family as well as dealing with sports agents and the players themselves. A man of intregrity, Fred's book shows us how difficult it was dealing with the transfer of a family run business to corporate ownership. It also brings full circle the last 30 years of Dodger history. I absolutely loved it!

Unlike the typical self-aggrandizing sports memoir, this one puts a very honest face on a 30-year career that spanned enormous changes in baseball, good and bad. Consider that when Claire joined the Dodgers, Steinbrenner had not yet bought the Yankees--for $10 million. And, when Claire left the Dodgers after Fox bought the team, that was a decent salary for one top player for one year.

He does not spare himself in terms of a hard look at the record, including great trades made, and not made. The book has dramatic moments, including dealing with the drug addiction of Maury Wills and Darryl Strawberry, or the legendary Kirk Gibson home run, and funny ones, as in what player stole the wheels from Walter O'Malley's golf cart in spring training?

For most fans, who sit in the stands as armchair GM's, this is a look at how that job is really done...

Anyone who is a Dodger fan (or was a Dodger fan until the bumbling Fox regime got their grubby hands on the team) will find this book to be an interesting and candid look at three decades of Dodger baseball. Claire's book is great because it lets you know what made the Dodgers win with class (a front office under Walter O'Malley all pulling in the same direction), and what recently made the Dodgers a sad laughingstock (a Fox TV exec making a terrible trade to finalize a cable TV deal). And the best part about the whole book is that Claire isn't out to glorify himself or grind an axe towards the Fox people --- he simply tells his story like it was at Dodger Stadium.

Words cannot do justice to my high opinion of this outstanding cooking resource. Ms. Diana Kennedy (whom I already held in high esteem as the Julia Child of authentic Mexican cuisine) has outdone herself. She not only answered every unanswered question I had about ingredients and food preparation . . . she also taught me what I didn't know that I didn't know. Although my humble skills and impatience with scratch cooking will prohibit me from ever making more than a handful of these outstanding dishes in the proper manner, whatever I do make will be much better for what I learned From My Mexican Kitchen. I am especially indebted to the many photographs that portray the ingredients and the tricky steps of preparation.

Although the book is encyclopedic in its coverage from my perspective, clearly Ms. Kennedy was just scratching the surface of her knowledge. I hope she will consider taking some of the sections here (such as Making Antojitos, Tamales and Utensils) and making them into full length books.

To appreciate how detailed her knowledge is, you need to realize that she tells you about how the same dish is prepared in every part of Mexico . . . and how those practices differ among younger and older chefs. So there's an element of cultural anthropology here, too. I was especially grateful for her help in straightening out the various names applied to ingredients and dishes (which vary a lot from area to area) because they often contradict one another in meaning.

If you just buy the book and learn about what she has to say about preparing fresh and dried chiles, you will feel more than rewarded. That section was a masterpiece!

She also explains the many mysteries of lard . . . including how to prepare it, how it compares in flavor to vegetable oils, how the appearance of the dishes are helped, and what the health pros and cons are.

The section on tamales was equally fascinating. I have never seen them made, and was reluctant to try. With this book, it should be a snap.

If you are wondering how the book fits in with her many other books, Ms. Kennedy cross-references recipes and sections in those books. There are also a few basic recipes (many of them repeats from the other books) so you can start applying what you learn here.

If you have read none of her books, you have a great series of treats (and taste treats, as well!) ahead of you. I suggest that you buy this one first and graduate to The Art of Mexican Cooking as your next resource.

The book's sections cover:

-- Cheeses and Cream
-- Cooking Fats and Oils
-- Fresh and Dried Chiles
-- Fresh and Dried Herbs
-- Vegetables, Beans, and Fruits
-- Meat, Poultry, and Seafood
-- Rice and Pasta
-- Spices, Aromatics, and Sweeteners
-- Making Antojitos
-- Making Moles
-- Making Table Sauces
-- Making Tamales
-- Making Tortillas
-- Making Vinegar
-- Making Yeast Breads
-- Utensils

Via con Dios!

Is the key to happiness having a great love who is nice enough to kick the bucket many years before you? Or, dreaming of a ripe tomato while shivering through another Illinois winter?

From My Mexican Kitchen: Techniques and Ingredients by Diana Kennedy conjures up life,love, lemon zest and a zest for living that begs the above question. A beautifully photographed book, including references to her previous cookbooks, she inspires us to reach beyond tacos.

Diana Kennedy is a Mexican food anthropologist. Kennedy, a Brit, has taken on south of the border cuisine and the country as her second home. Her spouse, a guy who looked like Spencer Tracey (Coming from the Mrs. herself.) passed away in 1967. In the time since, his widow has gone on to be THE expert at mining what goes into great Mexican food and being awarded that country's highest civilian honor.

Would she?...Could she?...have accomplished that had her spouse been by her side all these years? Is there something to be said about mad passion and seeing it buried that allows some women to bloom in rich soil in a way not seen among retiree couples playing shuffle board in Florida today?

I immediatly liked Diana Kennedy. There is a crusty, damish, no guff quality to her that makes the reader feel as if sitting on a kitchen stool, watching her work and digesting tidbits to get through life in a gutsy way.

When life throws tomatos, make salsa. Ole! --Laurel825

Diana Kennedy's new book on Mexican cooking is the gold standard for books on country / regional cuisines. The credit to Ms. Kennedy is enhanced by the fact that the material in the book was quite plainly not written and produced by a team. The depth of the material is exceptional, considering the fact that Mexican cuisine is as broad and as regionally diverse as the more widely storied cuisines of Italy and France.

The book is much more than a collection of recipes. In many ways, it is a Larousse Gastronomique for Mexico, with all of the weight of authority that name carries,including sections on:

Menus - A small section, very informative for Mexican newbies, but not very deep.
Ingredients - All sections are deep and rewarding.
- Dairy
- Fats
- Chiles
- Herbs
- Vegetables and Fruits
- Meats
- Grains (Rice and Pasta)
- Seasonings
Techniques - Exceptional, doubly so because it includes both weights and metric units of measure.
- Antojitos
- Moles
- Table Sauces
- Tamales
- Tortillas
- Vinegar
- Yeast Breads
Utensils Native to Mexico - Some blemishes here. See below
Mexican Food Terms - Some blemishes.
Sources of Ingredients - By state in the US.

Note that unlike the situation with French and Italian ingredients, Ms. Kennedy generally has a low opinion of the quality of Mexican ingredients available in the United States. This makes it doubly useful that she has provided the means of making several of these base ingredients in the home.

As Diana points out in the introduction, she is both the food stylist and the hand model for all of the excellent photographs by Michael Calderwood. The photographs clearly enhance the value of the book.

I am not very familiar with Mexican techniques myself, so, to evaluate the recipes, I concentrated on the baking sections and can say that they are worthy of the best presentations I have seen by baking specialists. In baking even more than with other techniques, measuring by weight, more especially measuring by the more precise metric scale, is essential to achieving consistant results, and Ms. Kennedy gives you the 'full 9 meters' to good measuring, tempered by techniques to compensate for humidity. It even includes some tips I have not found in books dedicated to baking.

One of the greatest and most unexpected pleasures to be found by reading this book is the sense Ms. Kennedy gives you of her belonging to a community of cookbook authors. She does not simply drop names. She cites and credits people like Julia Child and Paula Wolfert for their insights and facts uncovered. The thrill is not so much in acquiring this information as it is in seeing the author and her subject placed within a broader world of culinary ethnology.

There are three sections to the book which could have benefited from some judicious copy editing. The first is the introduction where many Mexican terms and locations are used before they were explained. It would have been better to place this section after the section entitled 'Mexico'. The second is the Mexican Food Terms section. It is said that some terms cannot be translated into English, yet the explanation of the term does not succeed in really communicating the sense of the term. The third is the 'Utensils Native to Mexico' where a similar problem occurs. A term has no English equivalent, yet the book does not provide a picture of the utensil, even though pictures of translated terms have excellent pictures accompanying the text. Don't get me wrong, this section is very, very good. It just has some things which could be better. One last criticism, also in the pervue of a copy editor, is some awkward word usage, such as when people 'waft' between Mexico and the US. Doesn't work for me.

A rare but excellent feature of this book is the references to recipes and techniques in Ms. Kennedy's earlier books. I'm sure this can be annoying for someone who does not own these books, but it ultimately adds to the value of the present value as well as enhancing the value of her earlier books. At the very least, it means you are not paying for things which have been published elsewhere. I can think of more than a few cookbook writers who would benefit from this feature.

Anyone who has any interest in Mexican cuisine will be richly rewarded by reading this book from cover to cover. Anyone who has a general interest in good cookbook writing will be rewarded by reading this book from cover to cover. Anyone who has an interest in the origins of cuisine will find much here, but this is a cookbook, not a book of history or linguistics. Anyone with an interest in trying new types of baking (or suggestions on how to write a good baking recipe) will find many rewards here. I would look to this book before executing any Mexican recipe by any author. This is a book against which others should be judged. I would hope other authors would go to school on this volume.

I keep telling people that aspergillus fumigatus, sporotrichosis, cryptococcosis neoformans were fun things- and Arthur Dorros and David Catrow have made it come to life. The illustrations are goey and as dimorphic as their real life branching hyphal counterparts! What fun for children to learn a bit about the ubiquitous world of mycology-- and end up in the Museum of Fungus and Industry to boot. As the administrator of a university-based of the Mycology Study "Unit" there are aspects to the "discovery" and "experiment" process that are truer than life, especially some of the zany characters and ultimate culminating dog and pony show! Thank you! Thank you! I can finally explain to my kids what I do every day! Fungus Fighters Unite! And what ever you do.....don't inhale!

This is a delightful book which you will definitely enjoyreading to your child. My second grader read this book to me and heloved it and was laughing and commenting on the pictures throughoutthe book!

The story is cute and nonsensical about fungus taking over and eating the school! The author, David Catrow did a wonderful job as his illustrations are most colorful, exagerrated and funny! They will sure keep your interest as you explore each and every page.

As a parent I loved this book!

This book is a winner and I thoroughly recommend it! ! It is sure to capture your child's imagination.

As the children's librarian at the community library, I'm always looking for a book that will appeal to the kids and when I read this one, I know for sure the kids would love it!

When three science students leave their fungus experiment unattended over spring break, the fungus grows and grows until it becomes out of control. It appears to be eagerly eating up the school. The illustrations are outlandish and a delight with full pages of yellow and green fungus that takes on various shapes.

The humor is contagious and I can hardly wait to hear the laughter of the kids when they begin to read this book!

I found this article to be right on target. Except for the fact that it tends to ignore enlisted males, the fears hopes, and aspirations of those interviewed fit very neatly into what has been my life for the last 18 years. Even though I'm not an officer, I still empathize with their struggle for a career. Cliton and his promise to lift the ban are made me stay in. It came at the point in my career when it was time to stay for 20 or get out and move on. I made the decision to stay, but 9 years latter, I'm not sure I made the right choice. I would urge any gay person who is thinking of joining or staying in the military to read this article and think hard about what you are doing. I have two more years to go and then I thinks it's time to call it a day. <>

When I finished the book, I had to laugh nervously. It acutely reminded of the tightrope I walk every day in the infantry. I graduated from West Point in 1987, so I'm just a little ahead of Brett in my career. (The main character portrayed here.) So much of his story was like recalling my own life. I thought I was good to go starting out as a platoon leader. I didn't know I was gay, I didn't believe it until I had my first experience during my years as company commander. That scared the bejesus out me, but sooner or later I had to face facts. It has been worth it, but it is always a struggle.

I'm glad to know others are out there. I haven't met too many myself. I wish I could have read this story when I was first facing it alone. I tried talking to the chaplain but he freaked and I backed off. That left no one. Finally the Internet, but civilians just don't understand.

If you're in the Army and you're gay and you think you're alone, this is the book to read. (I can't speak for the other services.) If you're civilian and you want to understand us, this is the real story.

Thanks for the heart rending story. That is definitely the term.

Wow. I had no idea. I thought I had read everything there was to read about gays in the military, but this took me places I had never imagined. The main stories here aren't political, they are about the lives of three captains trying to fall in love, but tragically constrained. Gripping stuff. I read through the whole thing in one long sitting.

Watching the expressions of my adult children and my grandchildren as they read this story was wonderful. Smiles all around. That Ms. Schulz could put in writing what we have all experienced with "man's best friend" was an excellent accomplishment. The vocabulary and sentence structure are perfect for the "rookie reader." The illustrations were unique to the story. MORE!!! I just may go to the shelter to find a dog of my own. HUNTSVILLE, Al.

Kathy Schulz has written a wonderful book that is well loved and requested in our school and we are privileged to have our own author here. The children love to read the book aloud and enjoy every word of it and the wonderful illustrations that go along with it. A great book that is definitely worth the money!!!

Cleverly written. Can't believe she did all this with just 28 words!! Our first graders will love it!

Getting There Staying There: How Looking At Weight Loss Differently Changed My Life by certified personal trainer and professional weight loss coach Jennifer Klein is the personal weight-loss success story of a woman who learned how to avoid the pitfalls of fad diets and make genuine, lasting health changes for permanent weight loss success. Nutrition specialist Jennifer Klein articulately shares her hard won wisdom for improving one's life and physical well-being making Getting There Staying There a very highly recommended guide for readers of all fitness levels and background.

I first went to see Jennifer in 1997 when I was only 12 years old. I was desperate; my weight had ballooned to almost 300 lbs (that's right, 300lbs as a seventh grader). I'll admit, although the program made perfect sense to me, I didn't have the maturity level as a twelve year old to implement Jen's teachings into my life, and I failed again and again. Jen was incredibly patient with me; I think she saw in me the power to change myself that I didn't know I had.

During the summer of 1999, I had finally had enough; summer clothes just didn't work. Not only were they tight, but I looked awful. I was interested in girls, but they weren't interested in me. And worst of all, I knew my health would be in serious jeopardy if I didn't do something. So I started really paying attention to Jen when we met for our weekly sessions, and as I began changing my lifestyle, my eating habits, my exercise habits, the weight came off.

I'm now 17 and I stand 6 feet tall and weigh 220lbs. I have achieved a level of confidence now that would only have been a pleasant dream two years ago. I'm happy with the way I look and my cholestorol and blood pressure have gone down, which are really the best effects of my weight loss.

I'll be honest with you; losing weight is possibly the toughest thing you will ever do in your life. But Jennifer has a program that actually works (!!!) and that you can live with for the rest of your life. I strongly urge you to read this book; if you're serious about a life change, and not just going on a diet (which don't work by the way, I've been on enough to tell you this, you need to change your entire way of eating and exercising) then this is definitely the book for you.

I'll be the first to admit, I was a bit intimidated to start reading another weight loss/health related book. I figured I'd be told once again I have to eat only tasteless foods worth "2 points." I'm one of those people looking for the effortless weight loss plan of eating nothing but chocolate chip cookies.

Just a few paragraphs into Getting There Staying There, I was thinking "me too." This book made me realize I'm not the only person that dreads dieting, thinking the day is ruined if I start it off with something unhealthy like a fattening muffin. Jennifer's book has taught me to understand that I can recover from any "muffin" mishaps.

I was so surprised at how much I could relate to in this book, it almost made me laugh aloud at times. More importantly, it has motivated me to start taking the first steps (once again) towards a healthy lifestyle. Only, this time I'm confident my steps will continue to move forward.

I am trying to figure out how to tell my family and friends to read it without offending them. Hopefully, with a little time they will see improvements in me, and ask about how I got 'healthier' so I can tell them I learned from reading Getting There Staying There. I definitely recommend reading this book.

Great book for witnessing and answering some of the toughest questions often asked. This guy has a morning TV show as well as a church in CT. He also can be found in some areas on radio. His book came highly recommended to me when I asked a local Christian book store what books would be best for new believers as well as for non-believers. This book is refreshing and the answers are clear to understand. Refreshing because he doesn't use just the Bible and Christian views to backup what he says, he uses science, mathematics, or what ever there is to back up what he says.Diane

Give Me An Answer is a great tool for anyone who is looking to share their faith in the Lord with others but feels unprepared to respond to some of the usual criticism and questions non-believers have. The author, Cliff Knetchle, presents the material in a very matter-of-fact yet no-holds-barred style that makes it easy to read and remember to reiterate later. The book is a quick read but an important one to anyone, believer and non-believer alike. Check it out.

Knechtle travels to different universities across the U.S., setting up shop in free speech areas with a microphone and offering to answer any question anyone might have about Christianity. I first heard him speak when I was a student at the University of Florida. At the end of the day there would be over 300 people circled around as Cliffe handled every challenge. He points people to a relationship with Christ - disarming their pre-concieved notions with hard facts and a loving and honest attitude. This book is a synopsis of the his stock responses to the most common questions he is asked. It is intelligently yet accessibly written. It has been a invaluable tool when I have had friends who were honestly seeking, but had intellectual questions. I have passed this book on to many people.

This is a funny, uplifting book for all mothers/homemakers. I found myself laughing so hard I would cry. She focuses on everyday events that each and everyone of us think only we go through. I would definitely recommend this book for any homemaker/woman who needs a good laugh! I couldn't put it down.

I read this book and can't stop telling my friends about it. I love the short stories she tells with the biblical applications and lessons. I really want to find and get all her books. I am so upset they are not in print.

I read this book (God Loves My Kitchen Best) many years ago and loved it. I loaned my only copy out and never got it back. Unfortunately, I can't remember who I loaned it to. This book is VERY hard to find, so I'm delighted to find it here.

This book will leave you wondering about your own faith...would you have the same strength Esther shows? I didn't...and so I wrote to her after reading the book, in one evening, when she still lived in Pa. I lost a baby in 1988 at 5 mths pregnant...it was only 8 years later, after reading Esther and David's story that I felt peace at last. She wrote me back and told us to come visit on our next trip there, which was that same week! That was 8 yrs ago and in that time, I came to know Esther, David and the children. We visited them at their home, took Esther out shopping with us, had pizza and popcorn at their place, watched a cow born on their farm, watched our children off playing together, and we drove them both and 2 of their freinds around Lancaster County, to look at examples of barns to build before they did move to Indiana.
And now...I miss my dear friend so. She gave me back a reason to find my faith again. She is a very special person with a special message to share! :)

This book is a must read for those going through or having been through the loss of a child. Esther's strength and courage, you will soon feel in yourself!

This book is fantastic! Friends of mine over a period of 2 years had lost a son or daughter. I found this book by accident in Lancaster. Read it in 1 night ( you will not be able to put it down) Then passed it on to my dear friends (4). Esther has since moved to Indiana We keep in touch and have shared special feelings about her writings. I have lost a brother, Esther and David have lost 2 sons. They share such wonderful feelings. Thoughts and letters from all involved. This is truly a wonderful experience please read. L

This is an essay by a mother who lost her six year old son in a motor vehicle accident. I cried throughout but could not put it down. It was one of the most moving books I have read.

For a book with only 31 pages to say volumes is an understatement. Written with compassion, Love, and Tenderness. It will help any animal lover through the grieving process of a loosing a friend.

This little book is only 31 pages in length, but it packs a lot of support and understanding within it's pages. Beautiful pencil-drawn illustrations accompany each "chapter". The authors have included brief stories from others as a spring-board into understanding the different phases all grieving pet owners go through.

One bit of comfort addresses the feeling a pet owner may have about being a "bad owner" for not preventing their pet's death.(As in an accident.) I'm quoting...."Although your thoughts may be filled with regrets, in your heart you know that you would never have intentionally harmed your pet. Once you acknowledge that-once you really embrace that fact-you can begin to forgive yourself. When you are forgiving with yourself, your guilt will lessen and your grief will begin to heal."

If you are looking for solace in a nutshell, or want to give a gift of understanding to someone who is hurting, this is a wonderful choice.

I am so thankful that this book is available. When my dog Shasha became terminally ill with cancer and had to be put to sleep, the vet suggested this book to me. It was through my tears that I read the book and it was through the pages of the book that I was able to come to grips with my loss. As all pet lovers know, our pets are as valuable and important to us as any other family member. The writers have performed a great public service by making this book available. I thank you Herb and Mary for helping me when I needed it. I shall save the book and pass it on to anyone who may find themselves in need of it.