european

In 1976 a delightful book was published in the Netherlands. It was titled "Leven en werken van de Kabouter". Luckily for us, the Abrams publishing company found this book and translated it to the english version, titled "Gnomes", in 1977. Twenty five years later, a special edition has been released to the public.

For the art lover, this book is filled with wonderful illustrations! It was illustrated by Rien Poortvliet, and I will be doing an article on him later, for those who are interested.

This book is a must have for any fantasy lover. It is formatted as a diary of Gnome facts and sightings. Many of the illustrations are accompanied by hand-written notes. The book covers all aspects of Gnome life, from birth to marriage, and on to death. Each subject is carefully organized, and written about fully!

The book also briefly covers other mythological figures, of a more sinister nature. They discuss the conection that gnomes have with these creatures of darkness.

At the end of the book are a few fairy tales about gnomes, these brought back many fond memories of my father reading them to me before bed time!

One small note of caution; there is some nudity, and some graphic images of injuries, so I would not reccommend this book for small children. Parents, use your own judgement and preview before purchasing!

I love this book. The illustrations are absolutely
beautiful, and the facts and small entries
throughout the book are fantastic.
From how they live, to different types,
this book tells everything you could want
to know about gnomes. Some parts of the book
are so well written you get a glimmer
of hope in your heart that maybe they really
do exist. I would reccomend this
book to anyone. This is so much more
than a childrens book.

I absolutely love this book. I want every morsel of it to be fact, rather than fiction. I want it to be real. It's beautiful, well written... and makes a great story time for children. I really love this book!!

The Europeans' displacement and replacement of native peoples in the temperate zones were more a result of "superior" biology than military conquest, according to Crosby in this book.

Europe held an unassailable biotic mix that some native peoples and ecosystems could not withstand. This biota fucntioned as a team wherever Europeans took it. European germs swept aside native peoples. Europe's cattle, pigs and horses filled native biotic niches. European weeds and agriculture squeezed out native plants. This biological expansion of Europe created "Neo-Europes" which still function today in North America, Australia, New Zealand and southern South America.

European imperialism often failed or was considerably delayed in areas where Europe's biota could not prevail. In China much the same biota was already present. Africa, the Amazon and southeast Asia were too hot, too fecund and too disease-ridden for Europe's animals, plants and humans. These areas were among the last to be dominated as a result, and then only briefly, when Europe's technology gave temporary edge to its armies.

'Ecological imperialism: The biological expansion of Europe, 900-1900', by A. W. Crosby, is a cogently argued and well written book. The main thesis of the book is that the expansion by Europeans to the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, and a few other enclaves (what Crosby calls the Neo-Europes) wouldn't have succeded if the biota the Europeans brought with them had not suceeded. This biota included not only humans, of course, but pathogens, weeds and grasses, and horses, cattle, goats, and pigs, among the most important. Crosby addresses the reasons why this biota was so succesful in the new territories, and concludes that, in general, the climatic regimes there were sufficiently similar to those of its European origins and the indigenous biota was so 'naive' that 'victory' was almost assured to the invaders. To be sure, this is not an original conclusion, but the wealth of data Crosby uses, along with his synthetic power and sense of humor, makes of this book an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. People interested in searching for the biological causes of the successes (and failures!) of Europeans in the world should read this engaging book.

Cogent, thorough, poignant. Masterful expansive work. Enough adjectives -- it was simply a marvellous trip through history of earth and man, both in large strokes and in small detailed case examples.

I married into a Belgian family, and I have to say, I was intimidated by my mother-in-law's wonderful cooking. How would I ever measure up? In fifteen years, I've learned quite a few of her recipes, but after reading this book, I finally understand where she's coming from. Ruth Van Waerbeek not only introduces Belgian food and cooking, but an entire way of life. The recipes are great, and the stories and anecdotes are even better. This is one of those cookbooks you can sit and read cover-to-cover, even when you're not looking for a recipe. I'm ordering one for my mother-in-law --she'll love it!

I am trying these recipes one by one and they are excellent so far and I am no great cook. The sidebars are full of interesting tidbits and I am planning my garden around ingredients needed in these recipes. Anyone who has been to Belgium knows they have the best beer in the world. The people are lovely, their country is gorgeous, their food superb and their beer un-beatable. This is my very favorite cookbook. I only hope I can learn to grow Belgian endive and white asparagus. If you don't love this cookbook, you don't love food. It is a treasure!

I've lived in Belgium for over five years. When I got here I knew no one. I happened to meet a wonderful Belgian woman with whom I fell in love with and married. This book was given to us by very good friends on our third anniversary a few months ago. My wife laughed at this peculiar present from Americans and put it with the rest of our cookbooks. However, some months ago she was trying to remember a family recipe and was having a difficult time recalling all the stuff that when in it. So she got the cookbook out, found the recipe, and prepared the food according to the book. Now, she cooks from this book on a regular basis and I am the benefactor of this. This was a great present and it truly is a great cookbook. It is very accurate and reflects the fine Flemish and French cuisine of Belgium. I highly recommend this book for lovers of good food.

I read about this book here on Amazon.com, and wasn't sure I'd like it. We are not Catholic, and just from the review here alone, I knew that Catholicism was almost presumed. How would I explain the multitude of differences in our faiths to my five year old son? A priest versus a pastor. What on earth is a "brother," or a monk? Offering gifts to a statue of the Christ child, when we don't believe in making any graven image of God?

I checked the book out of the library to see what I thought. Yes, its Catholic flavor cannot be missed, but the message was an excellent one. The lesson the brothers taught Giovanni was one that I took to heart, that everything we do should be done for the glory of God. Though Giovanni wrote it off at the time, he ultimately got the message, and gave the best gift that he could to the Lord Jesus.

The only reason why I didn't give it five stars, was that my son didn't like the ending. He thought it was sad that Giovanni died, and therefore didn't especially want to hear it again. I used it, however, as an opportunity to teach him about death. Giovanni came to love the Lord Jesus, and the Lord Jesus loved him, so he went to be with Jesus when he died. That isn't a bad thing; rather it is good! There is no need to be sad that Giovanni died, because he went to a place where things were much better for him.

Part of me wants to give it five stars for the teaching opportunity about death that it provided! But I guess I'll leave it as I did. Too bad I couldn't give it a 4.5!

This easy to read and beautifully drawn children's story shows the intensity and power of God's love. The book's vision is that God's love is simple, straight-forward and more powerful than we could ever expect.

My 3 and 5 year old children love the book and want me to read it again and again. They say "'Read God's Clown' again daddy ...".

The ending deals with death but it is not death in misery or emptiness. The Clown of God reaches God's heart and I think it will reach your heart and your child's heart too.

Tomie de Paolo's The Clown of God is by far, one of the most beautiful stories for children around. I was read this story as a child and it still is one of my all time favorites. The beautiful, soft-colored prints throughout the book will delight children along with the story about Giovanni, the poor boy who becomes a juggling clown in a circus. Giovanni goes on to become a famous juggler, but towards the end of his life, he once again becomes poor. He finds himself back home in Sorrento on Christmas Eve and performs a miracle in his local church. A story that will delight both children and adults.

The road to Hell has been well-travelled by many poets, including Rimbaud (1854-91), who wrote about his season there in Une Saison en Enfer (1873). Abandoned by his father when he was six (pp. 12, 156), and "marooned in a seedy neighorhood" in Charleville (p. 12), Rimbaud's biography tells the story of a tortured soul imprisoned in the ever-changing persona of a "grim-faced urchin" (p. 128), "rebel," "pagan" (p. 81), poet, "seer," "genius" (p. 126), "marriage-wrecker" (p. 156), "shabby young man" (p. 237), factory worker (p. 244), tutor (p. 262), beggar, docker (p. 269), mercenary (pp. 277-78), sailor (p. 285), explorer (p. 289), "angel in exile" (p. 289), trader (p. 315), gun runner (p. 341, Chapters 33-34), and money changer (p. 409). Rimbaud wonders, "O seasons, O castles, What soul is without fault?" (p. 158).

"I came to find my mind's disorder sacred," Rimbaud tells us (p. 154). In this 445-page "reconstruction of Rimbaud's life" (p. xviii), Graham Robb insightfully reveals how his subject's life--and stormy relationship with Paul Verlaine--provided Rimbaud "with some splendid material for his poetry" (p. 211) before he took an "agile leap into silence" (p. 240), and abandoned poetry when he was 21. For Rimbaud, the "idea was 'to see everything up close, to describe modern life with fearless precision, the way in which it warps the human being'" (p. 55).

In Robb's superb biography, it is never easy to connect with Rimbaud, the person, but as a rebel poet he is mesmerizing, even as a silent poet "disappearing over the horizon of the page" (p. 281). Although the journey may be difficult for many of Rimbaud's admirers, Robb follows Rimbaud "into the badlands of his post-poetic career" (p. 289), and to the poet's funeral no one attended in Charleville (p. 441). You will probably not find the Rimbaud you expect in Parts Three and Four of this book. It was only posthumously that Rimbaud became a Symbolist, Surrealist, Beat, revolutionary, avant-gardes poet (p. xiv).

"For now, I am damned," Rimbaud writes near the end of his raison d'etre as a poet. "I detest the fatherland. The best thing would be a good drunken sleep on the beach" (p. 231). "Rimbaud gave up writing poetry," Robb notes, "but few people, having acquired the taste, ever give up reading it" (p. xviii). And with fascinating biographies such as this, it is unlikely readers will ever lose interest in Rimbaud.

G. Merritt

Rimbaud's life has been subjected to more myth-making and sentimental drivel than any other 19th century poet, probably because his life is such a great story. Teenage visionary turns thirtysomething gun-runner - what a headline! The great virtue of Graham Robb's biography is that he pays such close attention to the details of Rimbaud's life as it was actually lived, and doesn't allow the work, or indeed the correspondence, to dictate to him the meaning of it all.

The last great English-language Rimbaud biography was Enid Starkie's, now over forty years old, and while Starkie did massive valuable research (she later claimed, in classic biographer-rebel style, that she paid for her research by granting sexual favours to wealthy Frenchmen), her tone and approach were flawed by the temptation to rewrite Rimbaud's entire life in terms of his glittering adolescence, which was after all the time when he produced his poetry. Graham Robb combines an alert and vivid appreciation of Rimbaud's genius with a scepticism about Rimbaud's published statements about himself. This is a portrait of the artist as lifelong liar and shyster, and while Robb's Rimbaud is one of the least attractive heroes ever depicted, it seems all too true in the light of Rimbaud's withering, laser-like intelligence.

While Robb is exceptionally good at showing us the young, anti-social, utterly selfish teenage genius, you can tell from his crisp prose style and sardonic wit that while he admires the poetry, he finds the boy hard to like. This seems eminently fair in view of Rimbaud's youthful lack of any sense of gratitude, morality or decent behaviour. The older Rimbaud was more inclined to honour his obligations, but Robb convincingly demonstrates how the African Rimbaud's repeated complaints of having no money don't square up to his actual dealings with banks. It seems that Rimbaud the arms dealer was not the bungling innocent of legend, but a shrewd operator who made a considerable amount of money.

Robb's Rimbaud is a more modern figure, even a more (gulp) postmodern figure than we're used to in Rimbaud studies. This is no romantic dreamer (despite a dubious epilogue, the only false note in the book, I thought); Rimbaud seems to have dreamed the worst excesses of the 20th century before they happened, and reinvented himself as a man who could feel at home in them. It's a bracing, witty, scrupulous and searching biography of an exemplary figure - the brilliant boy who helped to create our idea of modern literature, and the brutally cynical man who regarded his early achievements as a drastically stupid dead end. The Rimbaud story will always be a fascinating and chilling cautionary tale; exactly what we're being cautioned against is only beginning to become apparent.

An enjoyable book-- it's well-written and apparently well-researched, if occasionally a little snarky in tone.

Robb has a rare talent (Mitford-esque, if I dare say so) for injecting his point of view in a way that is visible but not overly intrusive. I was glad to have him as a narrative presence throughout the book.

I haven't thought about Rimbaud in years. I read _A Season in Hell_ as a high school student, as you do, but wasn't converted. I never really made a serious effort to engage his poetry or his life. I was motivated to pick this book up after reading a review, and I can say that I'm glad I did.

What interested me in reading the biography is how much Rimbaud myth I'd unintentionally absorbed over the years. As I was reading I naturally picked out the little bits I thought I knew and nearly all of them fell under the category of the creative myth-making around him that Robb discusses in the book. He spends a lot of time on the subject of the Rimbaud myth and unwraps the layers for the reader, and the truth was actually a lot more interesting than the fiction in the end.

The book inspired me to go back to A Season in Hell and maybe pick up the collected letters. Rimbaud becomes a great deal more interesting if you look at his entire career and not just the period before he turned 19.

Generally: A good read & worth the time.

I think this book suffers mostly through translation because I've seen the Russian film versions any number of times, and found "The Twelve Chairs" to be utterly hilarious. However, the humor seems lost in the Northwest translation. I think of Mark Twain who lamented that "awful German language" for so badly maligning his "Celebrated Jumping Frog."

I think the Northwestern Univ. Press translations in general are weak. Imre Kertesz has recently taken them to task for the translations of two of his works. It seems that Northwestern's heart is in the right place, trying to capture some of the lesser known works in world literature, but that their selection of translations is rather shoddy.

I've read the novel together with its sequel, The Golden Calf, in Russian about a dozen times. Now I simply have to get an English copy to share it with my non-Russian speaking friends! It is true: the speech of an average Russian contains quite a few quotations from the novel (also due to a number of film versions). Twelve Chairs is something definitely worth having in your home library: you can open it at any time and start reading on any page. In minutes, you're guaranteed, if not to laugh, then to smile.

I never read this in English,so I'm not going to comment on the quality of the Northwestern U. translation,but I did read it in Russian. First off,everyone needs to read this book in order to understand Russians better. I re-read it many times in my teenage years simply because if you live in Russia(or any other Eastern European country for that matter),you will be able to understand those countless quotes taken from this masterpiece and incorporated into everyday language. The characters are hysterical in the least, and the story so seemingly simple contains much bigger messages than available to the naked eye.Please,read this book,and if you understand the humour and sadness of it,you'll be well on your way to understanding not just Russian culture but humans in general.

This is an exceptionally fine cookbook, for which Sonia Uvezian deserves the eternal gratitude of food lovers. Anyone seriously interested in Armenian food should own this groundbreaking classic written by one of the most knowledgeable experts in the field. The book offers hundreds of healthful and imaginative recipes (many of them previously unknown in the West). I have tried well over half of them, and all have turned out superbly. Uvezian's text is highly informative, her directions are wonderfully clear and easy to follow, and the ingredients called for are widely available. "The Cuisine of Armenia" is a user-friendly guide for beginners and an indispensable reference for advanced cooks. It has long been considered the standard work in its subject area and should make Armenians even more proud of their heritage than they may already have been.

Another great book by Sonia Uvezian is "Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen: A Culinary Journey through Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan." This is without doubt the most important volume on the region's cookery, offering a profusion of splendid recipes interspersed with enlightening text and evocative period illustrations.

About a year ago I purchased this classic as well as Uvezian's "Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen," and I am simply hooked! Everything I have tried has been first-rate, and I use both books all the time. "The Cuisine of Armenia" is a truly outstanding volume, full of exciting and easy-to-follow recipes that rely on readily available ingredients and simplified cooking techniques. Like "Recipes and Remembrances," it is one of the few cookbooks that will tempt you to test every recipe on every page. Not only is it a must for every Armenian household, it belongs in the library of every serious cook. It is hard to think of a book more warmly to be recommended to anyone with the slightest interest in Armenian food and culture.

This definitive guide is packed with authentic recipes for dishes that range from earthy peasant fare to elegant banquet creations. Here are some of my favorites: Lamb Soup with Potatoes, Apricots, Walnuts, and Cinnamon; Fish Kebabs Served with Grilled Peppers, Tomatoes, and Onions and Lemon Sauce; Chicken and Mushrooms with Wine, Tarragon, and Walnuts; Roast Rabbit with Sautéed Apples and Quinces; Artichokes Stuffed with Ground Lamb and Pine Nuts Served over Saffron Rice Pilaf; Melon Dolma (Cantaloupe Stuffed with Ground Meat, Rice, Pine Nuts, and Currants; Lentil and Bulghur Keufteh with Green Peppers, Scallions, and Herbs; Baked Noodles, Spinach, and Cheese with Garlic Yogurt Sauce; Braised Leeks with Tomatoes and Dill; Cinnamon-Glazed Pumpkin with Rice, Dried Fruits, and Toasted Almonds; Eggplant with Pomegranate Sauce and Pistachios; Phyllo Pastry Triangles with Apple and Nut Filling; Spiced Date- and Nut-Filled Cookies; and Armenian Cherry Brandy. I should also add that this book has some of the best vegetarian recipes I have ever seen!

This is a very fine cookbook that provides a large number of mouth-watering recipes written in a clear and straightforward style. Dishes from both Eastern and Western Armenia are included, as are a number of Uvezian's own creations that are steeped in the Armenian tradition. Although the book lacks color photos, it does have a stunning color shot of Ararat Pilaf (two peaks of rice shaped like Great and Little Ararat) on the cover and includes beautiful drawings of dishes that are placed at the beginning of each chapter. I especially like the two illustrations that make striking use of old Armenian churches as a backdrop as well as the elegant medieval Armenian manuscript illumination that borders both the title page and the table of contents. Since this volume is moderately priced (and a great value considering the treasure that lies within it), expecting it to contain color photos would be unrealistic; the cost would have been prohibitive. Actually, the directions are so easy to follow that pictures are unnecessary. I would much rather have a cookbook like this that offers an extensive selection of outstanding recipes in addition to a tremendous amount of helpful and necessary culinary information, plus some lovely illustrations. Although Uvezian has provided a generous amount of enlightening historical material that traces the roots of Armenian cuisine far back into antiquity, she has wisely avoided trying to pinpoint the origins of the dishes, a task impossible to accomplish due to the long tradition of cultural and culinary interchange in the Middle East and Caucasus. As she explains, in addition to preserving their repertoire of national dishes, Armenians have skillfully assimilated foods of other peoples in the region and, conversely, a number of Armenian recipes have become part of the cuisines of other cultures. Until a time machine is invented that allows us to go back into the past without being impaled on someone's sword, it is probably best for us not to argue about origins but to celebrate the extraordinary creativity and diversity of Armenian cuisine as presented to us in this exceptional cookbook and to savor the delectable results it produces with joy and gratitude.

History may judge him harshly, but this book is an incredible adventure story and worth reading for its coverage of Stalin's purges alone. Fitzroy Maclean was apparently Ian Fleming's model for his most famous creation, James Bond. Whether stooging quietly around the back of beyond in Stalin's Soviet Union, sneaking across the Sahara to launch raids far behind German lines in World War Two or hiking through the vertical mountains of Yugoslavia Maclean is both modest and reticent. But the adventures he has are so outrageous that anything but a self-deprecating approach would seem both boastful and wildly improbable. With Eric Newby and Wilfred Thesiger, this man was the last of a particular breed of Englishmen. The world will be a poorer place for their passing.

I want to keep this short, but so much could by said about this book and it's author Sir Fitzroy Maclean. What awes me about this book is that it is a true story . That one man could experience so much in about 8-9 years leaves me spellbound. This book is set from just prior to World War Two until just after. The experiences of the author are breathtaking. From travelling throughout Soviet Central Asia prior to the war, to being selected by Winston Churchill to lead the Allied Mission to Yugoslavia during the war. The panache, vigour, and willingness to experience life that the author displays should be lessons to us all. This book can be read purely as a very informative and enjoyable military history of the period. But, I believe it is much more valuable as a pure testament to the value and benefits of a positive outlook towards life and keen willingness to travel and learn about the world and the people and the cultures that it comprises.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Eastern Approaches documents the extraordinary travels and life of Fitzroy MacLean. Maclean was a British diplomat who while in Russia became one of the first westerners to explore Central Asia during the Soviet rule. He worked with the British special forces in the North African desert and worked on behalf of the allies with the partisans in Yugoslavia during the Second world war.

Well written, this book is a worthwhile read for anybody seeking a bit of adventure in their life. These miraculous tales (true none the least) will keep you entertained throughout.

Though Beckett is usually given the title of THE master of the Theater of the Absurd, in many respects, Ionesco's Bald Soprano encompasses all the revelant themes of the genre. Ionesco, through his black humor, psychological insight, use of language, and pragmatic critic of metaphysics, stands as one of the foremost playwrights of the past century. Recommended.

These four one-act plays of bleak absurdity and startling originality place Ionesco alongside Beckett and Pinter as one of twentieth century theater's most enigmatic iconoclasts.

"The Bald Soprano" begins as a seemingly placid comedy on proper English manners, but then weird things happen -- irregular clock chimes, contradictions with no logical basis, non-sequiturs -- which build to a crescendo of chaos like a dissonant string quartet. Corrupting every convention of traditional drama, defying every expectation of the audience, it is exactly the "anti-play" its subtitle suggests.

In "The Lesson," an aging professor's excessive zeal for a particular subject, made incomprehensibly esoteric by his own obsessive study of it, is the downfall of many a hapless student.

"Jack" is the age-old story of a boy who disappoints his family by not wanting to marry the girl they have selected for him, but, like a surrealist painting, the proceedings are rendered grotesque by nonsensical lines and colors. As though to accentuate the banality of the underlying plot, the actors go to dramatic extremes as if they were acting out a "real" drama.

But I feel that the most engaging of the four plays is "The Chairs," in which two actors not only must play a nonagenarian couple hosting a roomful of people who have assembled for a lecture, but must pantomime the presence of the (invisible) guests. The bitterly ironic (and very funny) "lecture" given at the end affirms MacBeth's notion that life truly is a tale told by an idiot.

I think these plays are more about form than content, as Ionesco is experimenting with visual and verbal imagery and challenging the audience's sense of comfort with the theater, intending to evoke unusual and unpleasant emotions like awkwardness or embarrassment. To get the most out of reading the plays, it is best not to read them as literature but to visualize them being performed, paying close attention to every detail in the stage directions and the instructed mannerisms of the characters.

I am directing the Bald Soprano soon. One of my major battles has been this: How do I translate Ionesco's ideas to my audience. Ionesco did not write his seemingly meaningless text to be a funny piece of sensless fluff. Ionesco saw in his work a profound meaning with deep implications. He shows us six people, whose interactions with each other are completely absurd and meaningless. The characters speak to each other in endless non-sequinters and cliches. They cannot communicate with one another. Their inablity to communicate unltimatally leads to conflict and the end, not only of the play, but of the lives of these characters (made alive only as long as the play lasts) the audience laughs at this. They look at these characters on the stage and think, "What aweful people they are." What they don't realize is that they are laughing at themselves. It is infact they who scurry about the earth speaking to one another with meaningless words, and in cliches. They are trapped in a world of political correctness, and useless sayings. They don't communicate, but say only what they are expected to say. They fight about things that have no eternal significance, and they fight until it is impossible for either side to win. The Bald Soprano shows us ourselves. The tragedy of the Bald Soprano is that we laugh at it, because we except that our relationships and indeed our existance is laughable. The tragedy is that we don't even know that we are laughing at ourselves, because we are blind to our own faults. WE don't allow ourselves to see that we are talking without speaking, and fighting without winning. The difficulty to the director is: How do we make the audience see Ionesco's point. If we made it completely obvious, than it would lose it's comic value, for who could laugh if they knew how desperate their circumstance was. And if they don't laugh, than the play loses it's tragedy. It would be simple if Ionesco had given us some text at the end to wrap it up, and tell the audience the meaning. But Ionesco didn't see the need to. To him, it was not possible for humanity to change. Even if he had made the audience understand that the characters were showing them themselves, they would not have been willing to change. To IOnesco, the world was headed on a downward spiral, so we night as well laugh about it, even if it is at our own expense.

This book is an invaluable staple in my kitchen. The recipes utilize fresh, delicious, readily available ingredients; they are flavored to please both the palate and the body. Tired of diet after failed diet, I wanted to find an alternative that was good for my health as well as my waistline, and this fits the bill. I am not only losing weight, I feel better, have more energy, and my blood pressure and cholesterol levels have dropped significanly. I highly recommend this book and this style of eating to anyone who wishes to improve his or her general health.

This book reads like a traditional mediterranean cook book. There is an intro describing the typical meditterean diet (italy, greece, middle eastearn) Pasta, beans, garlic, veggies and olive oil. Delicious recipes, that hardly feel diet. In general, I would say they are somewhat lower in sodium than the typical american diet. I think it is healthful to get used to a lower sodium diet. You can always add a bit of salt if you find the recipes a bit bland without it.

There is a great recipe for Hummus, not *too garlicy but lots of fresh lemon! very good.Very good greek white bean soup... most soups use water as a base, and i tend to use stock instead, for flavor.Another favorte is a wild mushroom risotto... i tend to use regular mushrooms as porcinis are expensive. There are many very good recipes. There are even desserts, altho i havent made any of them.

This is an excellent addition to a cookbook collection. It is a great meditterean cookbook and a great healthy cook book. Nutitional info is included so these recipes can be fit into any diet plan.

I bought this book mainly because I wanted to find a way to enjoy my vegetables, so that I'd actually eat them.

Not only does this book meet that goal wonderfully, it also contains some beautiful background stories and interesting results from nutritional research.

I'm going to spend a lot of time working through the book's recipies to find those I'll use the most. Not all recipies float my boat, but MAN is there some good stuff in here.