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I basically picked this book up on the discount shelf and to my surprise found I consult it regularly. The menus are so simple to make and so far it has all been delicious.

A cook book a guy can give his friends.

I cooked things from this book and everyone said "ooh" and "yumm". Usually when I cook they say "no thanks" and "uck".

Move over Martha Whats-her-name.

this is the best cook book of all time. move over martha whats-her-name.

Arriving at the home of best selling crime writer Miles Dane after receiving a cryptic phone call from the reclusive author in the middle of the night, attorney Charley Sloan doesn't know what to expect. Entering as instructed through the back door, he comes upon a disoriented Dane, who takes him to the master bedroom, which contains the bludgeoned corpse of Dane's wife, Diana.

After Charley summons the police, Dane relates the story of how he discovered his wife's body upon returning to their bedroom after completing a late night writing session. Minutes later, he tells the police he heard a loud noise, ran upstairs and came upon an intruder, who then leapt out the window. Miles' odd behavior, and the subsequent discovery of seemingly incontrovertible evidence against him, does little to inspire Charley's confidence in his client. Nevertheless, he resolves to do his best to win Dane's freedom, in what the media quickly blow up into the next "trial of the century."

Despite the familiarity of it's plot--a beleaguered defense attorney battles aggressive detectives, a wily prosecutor, unreliable witnesses, and an irascible judge, all in an effort to secure a "not guilty" verdict for a less than forthcoming client--Proof of Intent should prove popular with most readers, due in large part to the presence of it's likable narrator, the colorful Charley Sloane. Painfully self aware and self deprecating, the alcoholic attorney provides a wry running commentary on the case, never missing an opportunity skewer a hypocrite, whether it be an opponent, an ally, or even himself.

St. Martin's has made a canny business decision in resurrecting Charley Sloane and placing him in the hands of the capable Walter Sorrell. Hopefully, sales will justify another entry in this newly energized franchise.

William Coughlin has been dead for years, yet the books keep coming. His latest posthumous legal thriller is "Proof of Intent," written by Walter Sorrells. This novel brings back Charley Sloan, a slick criminal defense attorney who is a recovering alcoholic. Charley has a shaky relationship with his grown daughter, Lisa. She, like her father, is an alcoholic and she has recently dropped out of law school. While her father has remained sober for seven years, Lisa is having trouble staying on the wagon.

Charley and Lisa team up to defend Miles Dane, a writer of pulp fiction who is accused of bludgeoning his wife, Diane, to death. Miles claims that he worshipped Diane, and he would never think of harming her. Sloan faces a hostile judge, a skilled prosecuting attorney, and a mountain of circumstantial evidence that points to Miles Dane as the murderer. Charley and Lisa have their work cut out for them in this difficult case.

Sorrells does a creditable job of setting up the characters and making them believable. Charley is, as he has been in the past, sharp, funny, resourceful, and not above pulling shady courtroom stunts to help his client. His daughter, Lisa, is not fully fleshed out, but she is an intriguing character and I would like to see more of her.

The courtroom scenes in "Proof of Intent" are dramatic and suspenseful and the murder mystery is engrossing. The problem with this novel is the contrived ending, which seemed tacked on to "surprise" the reader. However, I still recommend "Proof of Intent," since it moves forward briskly and does what a legal thriller should do. Sorrells holds the reader's interest until the end and he does so with considerable style.

With great aplumb, Walter Sorrells revives the late Walter Coughlin's infamous alcoholic attorney, Charley Sloan. A middle-of-the-night phone call from local tough-guy writer Miles Dane propels Sloan into a case that appears as flimsy as tissue paper.
Charley, with the help of his drop-out, alcoholic, daughter, Lisa, set out to determine the truth of 'who bludgeoned to death Miles Danes beloved wife. "Proof of Intent" is non-stop action at its very best, a well crafted who-done-it that left me unprepared for its suprise ending. I hope Sorrells will pen more Charley Sloan narratives.
Beverly J Scott author of "Righteous Revenge" and "Ruth Fever" ...

Horace Logan was the emcee and program director for the famed "Louisiana Hayride," a nationally broadcast weekly radio show that for the better part of the 1950s was the main competitor of the "Grand Ole Opry." Known as "the cradle of the stars," the Hayride had a reputation for developing hot new talent, and has long been an object of fascination for me since it was here that Webb Pierce got his start. As the main creative director of the Hayride, Logan's path intersected those of many top-flight hick musicians, including Webb, Johnny Horton, Johnny Cash, Kitty Wells, Jim Reeves and a slew of others whose careers took off when they became regulars on the show. This book concentrates the bulk of its effort towards two oft-mythologized stars whose lives are amply documented elsewhere - Hank Williams and Elvis Presley -- and while it's cool to get insights from a person who helped start both their careers, in a sense the book feels like a missed opportunity, since Logan must have had plenty more to say about the "early" days when country music made the transition from rinky-dink local operations into a major industry with a nationwide scope. He broke into the business at the tail end of a period when all the action was on local radio stations, and helped usher in the era when things became increasingly professionalized and big-league. While the book is very readable, it's unfortunate that Logan and his ghost-writer, Bill Sloan, didn't see fit to explore "the old days" a little bit more, and bring out more of the flavor of what the hick music business was like back when. It's understandable that they would emphasize the bankable big boys like Elvis and Hank, but considering how much has already been written about them, the "witness to history" approach doesn't add as much to the historical lore as more under-the-radar observations might have. In short, it would've been cool if the story had been more about Logan himself, and the world he saw, and not simply about the stars that lived in it. Still, Hayride enthusiasts should definitely check this one out!

I grew up in east Texas, and listening to country music during the late 40's and 50's ,along with rock and roll.We would listen to the radio and the Louisiana Hayride was one of several saturday night music programs that we listened to. this book "Elvis Hank and Me" was a plesant suprise, I found the book to be easy and informative reading. 'Hoss' Logan,gives you a warm and personal glimse into the everyday lives of some of the biggest stars to ever come along. Thanks 'Hoss'. If you start this book , you'll finish it.

Being a country music disc jockey for almost a half-century as well as a song-writer and columnist, I found Horace Logan's "Elvis, Hank and Me" a genuine "refresher", a work of true art that not only informs but captures the attention of the reader by revealing the raw facts pertaining to the entertainment industry and the rough and rowdy trails many of the super-stars blazed in order to make the marquees of big-time show business. Horace mentions in this book the fact we toiled together for awhile at a radio station in the Dallas/Fort Worth market. He always had a most-interesting story to tell on the air. Now, many of those true, interesting and oft-times sad tales have been put into print for true enjoyment. -Bill Mack (Grammy winning songwriter of LeAnn Rimes', "BLUE"; Radio's "Midnight Cowboy", heard nightly on the "Bill Mack Trucking Network", and host on "Country Crossroads", syndicated nationally each week on radio & television.)

Aird always has ingeniously plotted crimes and very good characterization, and this is no exception. Her humor is dry, understated and one of the reasons I liked to read her as a teenager. Many of her titles are a play on words, like "Little Knell" and "A Religious Body." Hadn't read her in years, then I inherited my mother's paperbacks of just about all her books. I read them all one right after the other they held up to a second and third reading really well. Which leads me to the quibble...she's given a character name that shouldn't be here. Oh well. He's still the same sort he was in Last Respects. Obviously a solid English name and doesn't spoil the story a bit.

Aird's a little like Agatha Christie as a writer about crime in the English village. She's a better writer than Christie, thourh. She is better with characterization--her characters behave more like real people. Christie tended to write rather flat, cartoonish, if easily identifiable characters--sometimes her villians often seem a bit two-dimensonal and overdramatized, her heroines (particularly in some of the earlier ones) oversentimentalized. I don't reread Christie unless I NEED a book and there's nothing else.

Partly I guess it's the passing of years and changes in writing technique. I enjoyed some Christies in elementary and junior high school but don't think I would have "gotten" as much of the humor in Aird back then. Christie was good with puzzles, of course, and was very productive over her career. And her estate has managed her "brand" wonderfully.

Aird's writing overall is more complete and more complex. The tags that identify her characters seem more naturally woven into the story (Sloan's roses, Crosby's driving, Leyes' attempts to use material from some evening class or other in possibly apposite reasoning). Her puzzles are satisfying without being too outrageous or silly and she does get a lot of good sharp jabs at human nature. Recommended.

Ms. Aird's writing is superb in all of her books, and this one is no exception. I love correct English grammar and spelling and Ms. Aird is superlative at this, and she does it all with a dry wit and careful characterizations. I'm almost getting to the end of all her books, and I'm certainly sad about that. Ms. Aird is like no one out there. She is a little like a modern day Agatha Christie, but she's far funnier, her writing actually has more clever twists in it that most of the golden age detective writers. If you enjoy fine writing and clever plots, I suggest that you begin to read all Ms. Aird's books. You will totally enjoy them. In this book we see an intelligent look at the modern day drug scene. In her inimitable way, Ms. Aird captures this slice of humanity with a very sure hand. A body of a young girl turns up in a 2000 year old sarcophagus that is supposed to hold an Egyptian mummy. The girl is much fresher than 2000 years (in fact the corpse is about a week old when she is found.) Tracking this killer leads Sloan and Crosby into the drug world and they take a crash course on drug smuggling and money laundering. What a treat!

When the body of a young woman shows up in place of an Egyptian mummy, the investigation leads in many directions. Detective Inspector Sloan, assisted by Detective Constable Crosby, finds trails that lead to a museum, accounting firms, an animal shelter, a suspected smuggler, and unknown drug dealers. Illegal drugs involve large amounts of cash. There are questions about which people have become tainted, and about how money is being laundered. As the case finally draws to a conclusion, justice has its own way of meting out punishment.

The 201 page novel is divided into 17 chapters printed in an easy-to-read font (I am looking at the hard cover edition). The novel has no significant sexual content, and violence is by reference. There are some technical details concerning anthrax - this was published before the recent problems in the USA. The novel is suitable for teenage readers.

Can the autobiography of a mild-mannered academic, whose revolutionary acts were primarily inside his head, write an interesting autobiography? As a matter of fact, yes.

Herb Simon is best known for his nobel-prize winning work in economics, but he in fact made amazing contributions to several fields. He began in political science and management, focusing on the question of how managers make choices. His unorthodox (at the time) view was they are not fully rational--their rationality is bounded by a limitation on the number of options they can consider, and how deeply they can consider them. This insight and perspective was later applied to economics and to cognitive psychology with great profit. This contribution was far from his only one, however; in psychology, Simon (with Cliff Shaw and Alan Newell) came up with the profound insight that the human mind could be considered a symbol-processing device.

How gripping is the telling of these achievements? In truth, not very, and Simon wisely doesn't dwell on them, nor try to turn them into a detective story. (I think the description of the writing of the first artificial intelligence program covers all of about 5 pages.) Instead, Simon simply tells the story of his life as it was, doling out observations as he goes. Simon is such an interesting and wise storyteller that you are quite happy to sit at his knee and listen to his stories spin. And if the story slows (as some of them do) your pleasure won't dim if you flip forward a few pages and begin the next one.

Along the way, you'll be treated to a number of interesting observations and rules of thumb about how to live one's life, for example, Simon's rule of travel. It says, in paraphrase, that if the purpose is to learn, it is more effectient to read about travel than to travel.

There are worse ways to spend one's time than to listen to a very old genius tell you what he has learned about life.

The late Herbert Simon was a veritable renaissance man. His autobiography, "Models of My Life," discusses the single thread that underlined all of his intellectual conquests in artificial intelligence, sociology, cognitive science, psychology and economics. This one thread, animated by philosophical positivism and ripe scientific thirst, was his deep obsession with modeling and researching decision-theoretic behavior.

It's interesting to note that even though decision theory (how intelligent agents percieve and act upon choices amid various modalities) serves as the impetus for Simons work, he uses "Models" instead of "Model" in the book's title. This is no accident. For you see, beautifully fitting of his memoir, this book delves into how Simon's one passion was his "heuristic" in choosing which of many paths he could have taken througout his life. The upshot: Simon's own life emulated the heuristic search (in AI) that he helped invent! Consequently, this lead him all over the globe, from Wisconsin to UChicago to Berkeley to Carnegie Mellon to China.

This book is also about the times of Simon: the positivistic turn in social sciences, the scientific fermet of the 1950's, the cultural tumult of the 60's, the death of behaviorism and the rise of cognitivism -- all along, peppered with intrigue of the politics of academia. Although the writing can get quite dry at times, his book is highly recommended.

Herbert Simon's research contributes to human knowledge in many different areas, including economics, artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology, and organizational behavior. In each of the mentioned areas, his contributions are ranked among the most important and influential that even a scientist who focuses solely in one area finds hard to achieve. The testimony is the top awards that the community in each discipline bestowed upon him--the Nobel prize is only one of which.

The secret of this interdisciplinary success is that he is, in his own word, a "monomaniac", studying only one thing--human decision process--for fifty years. The field of his own choosing is not bounded by usual academic disciplines, however, and he did study it from many different aspects, from the levels of individual cognition to organizational decisions, using tools as varied as mathematics, computer simulations, and human subjects.

This book detailed his own account of the various aspects of his life, personal and professional, in a sincere and direct prose. From the childhood that undoubtedly helped set the tone for his later accomplishments, the way he managed and nurtured new academic thoughts that later grown into full-fledged disciplines (artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and, less prominently, bounded rationality), to the philosophy of working and living including brief exposures to familial life, we can learn tremendously from hise xperience, decisions, and actions.

How could he achieve as much as he did? We can glean several lessons from his stories. He collaborated extensively. He learned a great deal from the outstanding individuals he respected. He had a love for truth and rigor in reasoning. An empiricist who firmly believed that any valid theory must be based on empirical facts, he did not hesitate to fight against widely held beliefs conflicting with facts. His work on bounded rationality which helped earn him the Nobel Prize is an outstanding case which his stubborn, and valid, arguments against mainstream theories brought a valuable alternative viewpoint to the world. Strong passion and the ability to break out of the mold and stand tall under storms are important characteristics exemplified by many past giants, including Galileo, Columbus, and Einstein.

Not just a normal autobiography, but the story of a distinguished life we all can learn from.

Even artwork as stunning as these illustrations need to be showcased on their own...and Alice Carter has done a fine job.
As would be expected, a publication like National Geographic would require a higher level of artwork to complement its writing and this book delights us with lush, wonderful illustrations selected from Nat'l Geographics archives-- as well as insight into their creation and/or history.
In today's digital age, it is awe-insptiring to see such a wonderful handcraft placed on a pedestal.

Hats off to Prof. Carter!

There are not enough art books in the world like this one. Alice Carter has not only selected a great number of outstanding illustrations, from artists who are houshold names, she has also introduced a new generation of young illustrators to artists who have been unfairly forgotten by time. As a professional illustrator and a "book junkie", I am constantly searching online, in used book stores and anywhere else to find good art books for personal enjoyment and professional growth. This book is one of those rare gems, a well written book, with images that will impress. National Geographic has had a distinguished history marked by outstanding research and artwork of the highest quality. To encapsulate their illustrious history is one coffee table book is no easy task. This book does justice to that great history. This book is in the same fine tradition as Carter's other acclaimed book, The Red Rose Girls.

"The Art of National Geographic" collects a wealth of stunning illustrations by many different artists. Altogether, these illustrations take the reader on an epic journey through time and space, across the worlds of both nature and technology.

There are many memorable images in this book: dinosaurs in fierce battle with each other, a sailing ship battered by a storm, a transcendent-looking Einstein haloed by celestial bodies, an army of ants on the march, majestic-looking World War II-era naval vessels, a close view of Saturn's rings, etc. Amidst all of the "big" pictures, there are also smaller and gentler sights, like Mary Eaton's delicate botanical watercolors. This is a marvelous collection of illustrations that invites you to return again and again.

Great step-by-step instruction manual on various appliqué methods, but I found the designs for the lessons to be uninspiring. Nothing jumped out and screamed "Make-Me, Make-Me".

The book has twelve lessons including: Cutwork Applique and the Tack Stitch, Onliad Cutwork Applique, Inlaid Cutwork Applique, Straight-edge Applique, Unit Cutowrk with Folded Fabric Flowers, Interrupted Cutwork, Stuffed Applique, and Mixed Applique techniques. The book also has 27 patterns, and a 16 page color section with the lesson blocks and finished examples of contemporary and classic Baltimore Quilts.

This book takes you through the steps of Baltimore quilts by hand sewing. Elly is an expert and experienced historian of Baltimore quilts as well as an expert in hand piecing Baltimore quilts. At the end of the 10 lessons you become an experienced in piecing Baltimore quilts. The book includes over 50 pages of quilt patterns to piece. Have fun with this great book.

My love of Hawaiian quilting attracted me to this book and Baltimore album quilting. The instructions and patterns are clear and the designs are awesome. I particularly like the simpler patterns like double hearts, fleur-de-lis, and you are perfect (a pineapple design). I think it may be possible to machine applique as well as hand applique these designs. Of course, there are many intricate designs too--many that require rouched flowers and curved stems and intricate applique that I can only imagine being quilted by the most devoted. The directions on how to cut out the patterns with paper folding are clear and helpful. You could spend a lifetime making the quilts in this book--and what a beautiful life you'd have!

Like other reviewers I really enjoyed this book. It's probably Catherine Aird's best.

Grace Jenkins is knocked down by a car and killed, which leaves her 20-year-old daughter Henrietta alone in the world. Bewildered Henrietta is then told that on the basis of the autopsy examination Grace Jenkins couldn't possibly be her mother- she had never had any children.

Meanwhile,in one of the best scenes of the book, the police are examining the scene of the traffic "accident", and coming to the grim conclusion that it was a case of murder by motor car.

The police have to solve a murder, and Henrietta has to find her true identity. The book is a comfortable read without being too soft-headed, and the dialogue is first-rate. The book is fairly short- there is no unnecessary padding. If you like English village who-dun-its you won't be disappointed!

Ms. Aird writes a detective story in the truly classic way. Her plots are tight and there are just enough red herrings to make it interesting. This book is no exception. Poor Henrietta Jenkins loses her mother in a hit-and-run accident and then discovers that she's not Henrietta Jenkins at all, and the woman that she knew as her mother could not possibly have been. So who is she and who were her parents? The hit-and-run turns out to be murder and DI Slonae is called in to investigate. He's got a real puzzler on his hands with this one because no one is who they seem. An excellent little who-dun-it that is truly fun to read.

The village of Larking is one of those quiet small towns where everyone fancies they know everything about everyone else, especially quiet-living widows like Grace Jenkins, bringing up one daughter, now away at university. It's so small that Harry Ford the postman does his round on a bicycle - and he's grateful for it when he finds Mrs. Jenkins dead in the road not far from home, clearly a victim of a hit-and-run driver the previous night. But the formalities of a road traffic accident require a formal identification and an autopsy, so Henrietta is recalled from school to identify Grace Jenkins.

Then Dr. Dabbe delivers his report, and the case goes to Sloan of the CID rather than Harpe of Traffic Division - because Grace Jenkins was run over twice, once each way, and it looks like murder by motorcar. But the most troublesome fact has no immediate bearing on the death, and goes to show that even in a village, some secrets can be kept: Dr. Dabbe's expert opinion is that not only did the deceased never give birth to any child, but she's not likely ever to have been married, either.

So Henrietta isn't Henrietta Jenkins - but who is she? Somebody has been very thorough in covering his or her tracks; the Jenkins cottage was broken into, and Henrietta's birth certificate is missing. Where do you begin when a very discreet woman covered up all traces of her own identity and that of the child she raised almost from birth? Worse, Grace brought Henrietta to Larking in the middle of WWII - not the best time to try to find records for.

Very good character development - Henrietta has lost the only mother she ever knew, not once but twice, and has to question everything Grace ever told her, and it hits about as hard as you'd expect. There's comic relief, too, when Sloan and Crosby begin tracing people Grace Jenkins mentioned having worked for once, and they find out a lot about her sense of humor. The murder is a fair puzzle, with all the clues artfully concealed in plain sight, if you're paying attention.

I found this book easy to read and understand. It patiently lays out various elements of getting published. It is very useful as a starter guide to beginning writers such as myself.

I took a workshop that Cheryl taught a few weeks ago, and she really knows her stuff. I left highly motivated. Definitely pick up this book!

I found this book to be extremely helpful & appreciate the way the author so obviously cares about helping the reader to be successful.

Rather than say that the human genome project raises "challenging issues" or "unique problems", let's tell it like it is: The human genome project is going to destroy mankind. The same scientists that brought us weaponized anthrax (and some loony scientist is running loose right now with it), biological warfare (who are these scientists and how do they sleep at night?) cannot guarantee us any safeguards on the way that the genome project info will be used. They don't care. they are too busy patenting their findings so they can become billionaires. This is the beginning of the end and it is already too late to keep people from breeding humans like cattle and altering them so that they can become anything from ferocious soldiers to passiver, non-complaining worker bees. Thank, Mr. Wizard.

The Human Genome Project will complete mapping the human genetic structure in just another four or five years and constitutes the single largest project ever undertaken in the life sciences. It will help to pinpoint the genetic basis of virtually any human trait or frailty. It offers the possibility for medical interventions for virtually all diseases and disabilities related to genetic processes. Controlling Our Destinies: Historical, Philosophical, Ethical, And Theological Perspectives On The Human Genome Project surveys and analyses the complex, far-reaching issues and values surrounding the Human Genome Project including new forms of positive "eugenics", and the challenge of the project for theological perspectives on human life. Controlling Our Destinies is an interdisciplinary assemblage of humanistic scholars that will prove an invaluable, benchmark publication for both humanists and scientists for discussions of the religious, ethical, and moral considerations attendant to such a radical advance in human control over human biology.

The Human Genome Project seeks to pinpoint the genetic basis of virtually any human trait, but it also offers ethical and theological issues which will change human perspective and meaning. Contributors discuss the project's background, issues, and impact with an eye to revealing the many underlying social changes which will occur as a result of the project.