Triggerfish Twist

Book Description

Ensconced in a lovely tropical villa on idyllic Triggerfish Lane, Jim Davenport anticipates the good life to come. But this isn't living -- it's Florida and the neighborhood is not quite what it seems. It's got overly aggressive Little League parents, drug-free Rastafarians, homicidal hookers, unnatural sex and casual violence. Oh, yes, and there's a psychopathic serial killer-cum-Sunshine-State folklorist named Serge A. Storms living directly across the street. So it's only a matter of time before Jim up and actually kills somebody ...

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Customer Reviews:

Dorsey's Best (so far).......2007-08-06

Dorsey's novels all entertain to some degree, but this one had the whole package wrapped nicely in a Tampa-grown maduro wrapper. Serge is in his prime, here, and our kindly neighbor (Davenport) provides the perfect anchor and opportunity for Serge. I'd recommend reading this after a few other Dorsey novels - just to savor it's story.

"Tampa, Florida, the third best place to live".......2007-08-04

Even though this is the fourth book in the Dorsey's series, and they are intended to be read in publication order, this is the first book in the chronology. Therefore, we find a Serge A. Storms that already is a serial killer but who has doubts about whether he should change his lifestyle. You will also find some characters that have been killed in previous books.

Serge is currently living in Triggerfish Lane with his sidekick Coleman and his "girlfriend", Sharon the lunatic stripper. One day, Jim Davenport moves into the neighborhood with his model family, wife and three kids, after reading a report that due to an error in the crime statistics placed Tampa as the third best city to live in. This is when Serge starts to create a bond with the family and even though Jim is a coward, he becomes Serge's hero. We also get to see Serge as his usual self, but he kills only those that "deserve" it, so he really sees himself as moral.

At this point, Dorsey has done a great job in elaborating characters with really interesting personalities that allow him to deliver humor flawlessly and keep the pace up. The boilerplate includes besides the aforementioned characters a family of thugs that want revenge for the death of their brother, a bully car's salesman, a disgruntled employee, a quartet of old ladies who are investment wizards, and many more! If you are interested in a light read that will amuse you and keep you interested, you cannot go wrong with this book. Or this series!

Hopelessly Hooked!.......2007-05-21

I picked up the paperback version at Safeway one day on the way home from work, because I liked the cover and the blurb on the back caught my attention.

To say this book is "funny" would be the understatement of the century, make that millennium - wait, epoch. I was instantly hooked, like the fish on the cover, and I quickly devoured every one of Dorsey's books I could find. I bought the last four in hard-cover because I couldn't wait for the paperback versions. Face it, I'm addicted and since he only comes out with one new book each year, I spend 11 months going through withdrawal! There should be a treatment center for Dorsey fans, seriously.

Triggerfish Twist is still my favorite of the whole series. I don't know if that's because it's the funniest (I think it is) or if it's because prior to this book I was still a Serge "virgin" and still have such fond memories of my "first time" reading this stuff. I still fall into uncontrollable spasms of laughter whenever I recall the "beam of death" at the bank (finely polished glass + skylight + florida sun + noon = you do the math).

The story begins when a graphics intern messes up the order of "best places to live in America" thus initiating a whole series of events which wind up with poor Jim Davenport and his family moving to Tampa where they encounter their new "best friend" - Serge.

Serge is a really likable guy, but he's just a little "different." His hobbies include Florida history, collecting memorabilia, and killing people who really do deserve to die - in incredibly inventive ways. I will never think of hoola-hoops the same way again.

Jim's wife thinks Serge is a little "intense" - and she has NO IDEA. He takes intensity to a whole new level which may only be experienced by geniuses, or the criminally insane - or in Serge's case, both.

Serge takes an immediate liking to Jim, which is kind of a mixed blessing - because Serge looks out for his friends... and Serge's idea of "looking out" for his friends usually means detectives will be scratching their heads for weeks trying to figure out the latest crime scene. Hoola hoops???

If you disapprove of twisted, sick humor then stay away, stay FAR away from these books. But if you like your humor over-the-top with a little old fashioned vigilante justice mixed in - I look forward to meeting you in the Treatment Center for Hopeless Serge Addicts.

Twist Someone's Arm if You Have to But Whatever You Do Get a Copy of This!.......2007-01-27

Triggerfish Twist is Dorsey's fourth novel and takes the reader on a surreal journey into Tampa Bay Florida through the eyes of many a Carl Hiaasen type character. Serge, a criminal with an obsession with Florida history is back and so are two dim witted criminal side kicks who accompanied him in Dorsey's initial novel Florida Roadkill. If you don't read the blurb on the inside cover you would find this fact hard to understand as not mentioned in the actual story, but told to the reader in the blurb, this book is a prequel to that adventure. Along with Serge and the gang, we've got a bully used car salesman, Jim a mid western family man relocated to Florida by his work, a millionaire who isn't really, a dog owner who cares more about his lawn and baseball team then those who get attacked by his dog, the McGraw brother violent criminals who have a score to settle with Jim, stoned university students and an unethical real estate investor to name just a few of the characters who revolve around a street called Triggerfish Lane.

This is a lot less violent read than Florida Roadkill was and even though unlike with that novel this story is wrapped up at the end, and being it is a prequel can easily be read as a stand alone novel, it is still a good idea to read these novels in order to fully appreciate the characters and storyline.

If Dorsey is your first taste of surreal authors also check out Carl Hiaasen, Dave Barry, Bill Fitzhugh, John O'Farrell, Jonathan Tropper and Max Barry.

Hilarious & inventive.......2006-08-22

Mistakenly believing Tampa to be the third best city in the United States for raising a family, Jim Davenport moves his family to a lovely old home on Triggerfish Lane. But beyond the lofty facade of the Davenport's new residence lies the seedy underbelly of crime and murder, car salesmen and consultants, rental properties and urban renewal. It all comes together in Tim Dorsey's delightful "Triggerfish Twist."

The story comes complete with a laundry list of main characters, a large and unwieldy cast that, in many writers' hands, would collapse under its own weight. But Dorsey juggles them neatly, like an expert clown, and the tangled plotlines come together like, well, a game of Twister on the 4th of July without pants. (Read the book, you'll understand.)

Davenport is your average guy, a conscientious business consultant and family man. His wife, Martha, is a bit high-strung, it's true, but they and their children settle down on Triggerfish with high hopes for the future. Little do they know that Lance Boyle, who owns many of the properties on their street, is vying to buy up the rest so he can raze the houses and make a tidy sum on townhouses. To further that goal, he fills his rentals with the worst lowlifes he can find -- hoping to force a sharp decline in neighborhood values and encourage the few remaining homeowners, like the Davenports, to sell and move away.

There's more, but it'd be easier if you just read the book. Dorsey, an author of some note, is my latest discovery and a wonderful addition to my must-read list. The spiritual cousin of fellow Florida writer Carl Hiaasen, Dorsey is hilarious and inventive. This is the perfect time to visit his little corner of Florida.

by Tom Knapp, Rambles.NET editor

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The Stingray Shuffle, Triggerfish Twist
Tim Dorsey
Manufacturer: Harper Torch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000UOFBIM

Product Description

The Stingray Shuffle: When serial-killing local Florida historian Serge A. Storms is off his meds, no one is safe-not Russian hoods, Jamaican mobsters, spoiled frat boys, women's book clubs, drug dealers, bad Vegas-rejected locaal lounge acts-especailly when $5 million in cash in a bugged suitcase is still racing up and down the Eastern Seaboard. But in the oddball circus known as the Sunshine State, little things like astronomical body counts tend to get lost in the shuffle. Triggerfish Twist: Ensconced in a lovely tropical villa on idyllic Triggerfish Lane, Jim Davenport anticipates the good life to come. But this isn't living-it's Florida-and the neighborhood is not quite what it seems. It's got overly aggressive Little League parents, drug-free Rastafarians, homicidal hookers, unnatural sex and casual violence. Oh, yes, and there's a psychopathic serial killer-cum-Sunshine-State folklorist named Serge A. Storms living directly across the street. So it's only a matter of time before Jim up and actually kills somebody.

3 Titles By Tim Dorsey - Cadillac Beach - Stingray Shuffle - Triggerfish Twist

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3 Titles By Tim Dorsey - Cadillac Beach - Stingray Shuffle - Triggerfish Twist
Tim Dorsey
Manufacturer: Harper Torch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000MISTCQ

Product Description

3 massmarket paperbacks.

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Triggerfish Twist
Dorsey Tim
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UEUZ4C

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Triggerfish Twist
T. Dorsey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QSSKHG

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TRIGGERFISH TWIST: A NOVEL
Tim Dorsey
Manufacturer: William Morrow and Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J3Z648

Book Description

A young ghostwriter must track down a deadly arsonist in the first of an exciting new mystery series. Writer Lee Bartholomew spends more time dwelling on the terrifying possibility of her own grisly murder than on solving anyone elses. Yet she insists upon living alone in a gigantic London house, banishing her boyfriend Tommywho is eager to marry herwhile she quakes in terror at the thought of the rampant crime erupting just at the other side of her front door. The situation gets worse when someone begins setting fire to houses in Lees Notting Hill neighborhood. As Lee embarks on a new job to ghostwrite the autobiography of soap star Selma Walker, she finds herself catapulted into the center of the arson investigationand into the arms of a dangerous new lover. Now, she must discover who is setting these mysterious fires, learn the truth about Selmaand give Tommy an answer to his marriage proposalbefore she can return to her quiet life.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent mystery!.......2007-01-15

I just love finding a good "new" mystery writer (new to me, that is) and Hope McIntrye is one!

When I read a mystery, it's not only for the "who-done-it", it's also for the writing itself. Ms. McIntrye's writing is extraordinary--clear, concise, elegant--every beautifully wrought sentence advancing the plot and character development. There's no padding here.

The plot itself is gripping. While not a "thriller", it is nonetheless a page turner. The plot is believable, the twists intriguing.

Character development is good. Although the main character (Lee Bartholomew) does have some OC traits, this is not allowed to become a focal point of the story. Just a touch here and there, but not heavy-handed.

The behavior of the celebrity and her "manager" are consistent with real life. Ms. McIntrye has clearly done her homework and her presentation of how these two characters act and react is right on target.

I look forward to her next novel and hope for many, many more.

3 1/2 stars -- the second half of the book mkes up for the slow start..........2005-11-21

While I found "How to Seduce a Ghost" to be a fairly entertaining and absorbing read, I didn't think that it was that much of a page turner. I think that the difference in opinion may lie in how one reacts to the heroine of the piece, Lee Bartholomew. If you find this character to be an engaging and beguiling character that you can relate to, than the book automatically becomes a very absorbing read. If, on the other hand, Lee's constant self-involvement begins to grate after a while, then, like me you begin to have mixed feelings about "How to Seduce a Ghost."

When ghost writer, Lee Bartholomew's famous neighbour, Astrid McKenzie, dies tragically in a house fire, Lee begins to fixate on the notion that she might be the next Notting Hill denizen to die in a house fire. (Lee has several phobias; and one of them involves imagining painful forms of death.) Single and living rent free in her parents house, Lee has it rather good -- a nice boy friend (Tommy) who's dying to settle down with her (except that she's not ready and seems to be a little bored with their relationship right now) -- and a job she loves. So what if she seems to lead a rather solitary and circumscribed life. But all this changes suddenly when she lands the assignment of ghosting a noted soap opera actress's biography and finds herself in the middle of an affair with the actress' manager (talk about conflict of interest!); and then her parents drop the bombshell that they want to sell the house that she's living in -- this after she's rented out the summer house to a young girl who bares a passing resemblance to Marilyn Monroe. And when, one night while she's away her summer house burns down while someone is in it, Lee realises that her life has taken on the semblance of a nightmare -- and one she cannot seem to wake up from...

For me, the interesting thing about this book was not so much the plot (it was a bit easy to figure out who the murderer was), but "watching" how Lee finally grew up and became less self absorbed, difficult and snooty. Because, quite honestly, I couldn't really see why so many characters kept falling over themselves to please her for much of the book. Here was a character who had a rather nice boyfriend (not perfect, but nice) and all she did for much of the book was moan about him and push him away. And then there was how she allowed her parents house to fall apart because she valued peace and quiet over seeing to the rising damp problem. Apparently living with the smell of decay and the dirt was far easier than putting up with Tommy's untidiness. Fortunately, just as I was about to abandon the book, things changed and the pace picked up a bit. With Lee learning some unpalatable truths about her new lover, making some unwelcome discoveries about herself and her relationships with the other people in her life, and her reslove to solve the mystery of who the mad arsonist is, the novel became a more interesting and more challenging read -- a bit like a much lighter version of a good Nicci French urban thriller. And I must admit that the second half of the book really made for good reading -- the pacing was swifter and the plotting became tighter and more urgent. So that all in all, I'd rate this as a good 3 1/2 star read.

(And by the way, the character Lee Bartholomew is supposed to be a some kind of cross between Bridget Jones and Monk -- from the TV series -- not Colin Dexter's Chief Inspector Morse -- unless one is suggesting that Morse's partiality for a glass of beer is some kind of neuroses. I don't quite see the analogy myself but then I can be dim sometimes.)

Solving the Mystery of the Fires.......2005-11-19

Lee Bartholomew is pleased with her life. She lives alone in her parents' home while they are living in France. She has a boyfriend of eight years whom she sees occasionally. She is a ghostwriter for people who need help writing their autobiography. In addition, she just got a new client, a famous soap opera star. Little did she know that her life was going to change.

It all starts when Astrid McKenzie's house goes up in flames with her in it. Lee becomes scared since she lives right down the street. Then Lee meets Selma Walker to write her story. Instead, she becomes involved with Selma's manager Buzz. Then she learns that Buzz is also Selma's husband. After Lee's summerhouse catches on fire, Tommy, her boyfriend, moves in. Lee's mother shows up and Lee learns about having a full house. Meanwhile, when Lee is supposed to be writing Selma's book, she tries to solve the mystery of the fires.

How to Seduce a Ghost, though long, kept me interested. Readers will have trouble putting the book down. They will be puzzled as more and more facts and people get involved. Readers will guess repeatedly and be very surprised with the ending.

I can't wait for the next book!.......2005-11-09

The opening sentence, "When Astrid McKenzie went up in Flames at the end of my road I was fast asleep in my bed, dreaming about my mother," is stunning and compels the reader to continue turning the pages.

Lee Bartholomew ghost writes for a living and is much in demand for her talent. But her personal life is conducted with far less skill than her chosen profession. She's often almost paralyzed with fear and continually ruminates about all the catastrophes that could occur in her own life. Yet for all her fears, she prizes living alone in her parent's large home in Notting Hill. Her demands of privacy shut out her long time boyfriend, Tommy, who wants nothing more than to settle down and marry her.

Lee's neighbor, Astrid McKenzie, is a television hostess and the first victim in a series of fires; one of which takes place at Lee's home. While Lee (and the police) attempt to discover if the fires and subsequent deaths are arson and murder, Lee embarks on a new ghostwriting job.

Soap star Selma Walker is living in a world of personal horror and wants Lee to write her explosive, tell-all autobiography. When Lee succumbs to Selma's dangerous manager Buzz, she finds herself in uncharted and dangerous territory. Lee's quiet and idyllic life is on a downward spiral and could be hazardous to her own health. In order to bring back order to her life, she must discover who is setting the fires and give Tommy an answer to his marriage proposal.

Armchair Interviews says: How to Seduce a Ghost is a quirky, interesting and enjoyable read.

ultra lighthearted chick lit whodunit .......2005-10-25

In London ghostwriter Nathalie "Lee" Bartholomew is doing quite well professionally with her latest potential client being an American soap opera star Selma Walker who wants to hire her for sinful amount of cash to write her autobiography. However, on the personal front, her boyfriend of eight years Tommy wants to marry Lee; she has doubts about tying the knot so she tries to delay her response.

Meanwhile Lee makes love with Selma's manager Buzz only to learn that he is also her client's husband and that he abuses his wife. Even worse, Buzz apparently made it with Lee's neighbor Astrid who recently died in arson set fire. Lee wonders if Buzz committed the act even while the detectives query everyone remotely connected to the victim. However, soon Lee's house is in flames and a corpse resides in her summerhouse; someone is systematically reducing the Notting Hill Gate neighborhood population and interfering with lee's love life.

HOW TO SEDUCE A GHOST is a fun chick lit amateur sleuth tale starring an intriguing female who seems to enjoy being on the edge even when it places her long term relationship in jeopardy. Lee is fun to follow as she proves London swings though her numerous trysts (and that of Selma too) also take away from her arson-homicide investigation. Still fans of ultra lighthearted chick lit whodunit will enjoy Lee's antics enhanced by Selma's escapades.

Harriet Klausner

Customer Reviews:

Brutality and Catholicism.......2007-10-07

This is a bizarre tale about the rise and fall of an Italian priest. The Catholic Church is brimming with corruption, deceit, sex, and violence, to an almost gratuitous degree. The protagonist fills an oddly unsympathetic role--we watch him proceed through childhood, the uppermost ranks of the Church, and a fate which may or may not be fitting for him, depending on whether you like him or not. I was somewhat put off by his ruthless tactics, though there are indications that his goals are purer than his methods of obtaining them. If you're looking for something dark and unflinchingly brutal, this is your book.

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Not just about fasting

excellent book for people to start getting healthy

a great beginner's book on juice fasting

3 Days to Vitality: Cleanse Your Body, Clear Your Mind, Claim Your Spirit
Pamela Serure
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Beauty & Fashion | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books | Cosmetics | General | Hair | Skin Care
Healthy | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0060928867

Amazon.com

Pamela Serure was a highly successful but burned-out executive when mysterious stress-related ailments including stomach pains, severe headaches, memory loss, and seizures landed her in the hospital. The doctors couldn't find anything wrong with her. Addicted to painkillers and fearing for her life, she looked to alternative medicine for help. At Mount Sinai Hospital's Department of Environmental Medicine, they found that her liver was being overloaded with environmental toxins. Serure quit her job and fled to the beach, where she proceeded to detox herself using the techniques she learned during her search for a diagnosis. She followed a juice fast, practiced meditation and yoga, and slowly regained her health.

Armed with the wisdom gleaned from her physical and spiritual renewal, Serure built a new career as a highly acclaimed natural health consultant. Serure's cheerleader approach to detoxing has convinced stars such as Alec Baldwin, Kim Basinger, Christie Brinkley, Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, and Donna Karan to "get juiced." Although a glance at the title may trigger fad-diet flashbacks, Serure makes it clear that hers is no weight-loss program but a "spiritual jump-start into a new system and a new way of being." The carefully orchestrated juice and broth fast she advises incorporates meditation, ritual, and Eastern practices such as breathwork, skin brushing, and yoga to detoxify the body, mind, and soul.

Although it doesn't delve deeply enough into fasting for those already familiar with the subject, the book is designed to answer beginners' questions and assuage their fears about the process. It also gives the comforting feeling that your own personal guide is right there with you. Serure guides you through each step, from prefasting to breaking the fast, and lists all recipes and supplies needed for easy reference. Her program is so full of motivational pep talks, soothing activities, and guided journal writing that you won't have time to crave that morning bagel. The result, she says, is renewed energy, vibrant skin and hair, and an awakened spirit. --Brina Bolanz

Book Description

Seeking a fresh start? Feel better fast with this total body-cleansing experience and jump-start your life in just three days!

"I know what she has done for me and I can only imagine what her book will do for everyone else."
-- Donna Karan

"Pamela Serure is an extraordinary woman of vision and insight. I have the greatest respect for her. She is a woman of rare gifts."
-- Danielle Steel

"I got juiced with Pamela and felt great the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that...."
-- Christie Brinkley

"This much-needed book is invaluable to enhancing one's journey to optimal health."
-- Richard N. Ash, M.D.

"Pamela Serure is definitely clicking. On-trend for the new millenium."
-- Faith Popcorn, author of Clicking and The Popcorn Report

Customer Reviews:

Not just about fasting.......2000-08-03

If you are a beginner like myself, this book may not give you everything you're looking for... There is a lot of information about fasting and fairly detailed guidelines on how to do a fast, but there is also a large amount of info about spiritual healing and other subjects that kind of turned me off. The information was a bit confusing for me to sort through (not well organized). I was looking for more of a text book and this is more like a chicken-soup-for-the-faster kind of book. I found a little bit more science in Paavo Airola's books as well as some helpful info in a pamphlet on cleansing that I got from one of the Wild Oats chain supermarkets. For some general information and one of many daily guides to a short fast this is an ok book, but if you're looking for more hard facts or need more instruction, I would check this out at the library, and use it as a supplement to other more focused books.

excellent book for people to start getting healthy.......1998-10-23

I am very impressed with the book, it is easy to read, and explains clearly the material of how to jump-start your life to a healthy and happy lifestyle. The fasting is the easiest and tastiest I have ever done. I put Pamela on the top of my list, she is truly a wonderful and caring women. Thank you, Pamela for sharing your book with me, I have thoroughly enjoyed it!

a great beginner's book on juice fasting.......1998-06-02

This book gives the reader the opportunity to have a little bit of everything. In addition to a structured and detailed fast, Serure provides the reader with many different exercises to invigorate, soothe, and release the spiritual and emotional selves, as well as the physical. The only criticisms would be that at times, it was necessary to hunt through the book for a certain piece of information (e.g. finding out when it's best to take apple cider vinegar), thus giving the book a disorganized feeling. Also, although Serure mentions many things, she fails to give details on how one might find out more if desired (e.g. mentioning longer fasts are better in the beginning of the season, but not giving any advice or recommendations on longer fasts). Lastly, as a beginner with fasting myself, I went through the program carefully, following every detail as closely as possible. It would have been helpful if Serure had given some general lists of substitutes or things that are acceptable to put in the juice/broth. Otherwise, this book was wonderful. It leads the reader gently through a brief juice fast with not only the necessary plans and details, but enough information to excite and inspire anyone to improve lifestyle and eating habits.

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Sensitive portrait of a family, a culture and its many-flavored cuisine

Special Stories to go with Special Recipes

Trite and contrived

Warm memories

The Turmeric Trail: Recipes and Memories from an Indian Childhood
Raghavan Iyer
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0312276826

Amazon.com

The Turmeric Trail's beguiling author, Raghavan Iyer, arrived in America at the age of 16, steeped in the southern Indian cooking of his youth. In addition to his love for the extraordinary vegetarian Tamilian food that his grandmother and mother prepared, he had enjoyed the tempting street fare of Mumbai (Bombay), where he was born and raised. His book includes 125-plus recipes encompassing curries and stews, rice dishes, chutneys, poori and other breads, grilled kebabs, ginger-laced chai, and sweet fruit desserts. Readers will delight in authentic, approachable formulas for irresistible fare like Corn with Roasted Chilies and Coconut Milk, Chicken in Saffron Almond Sauce, and naan (grilled bread) with fenugreek and garlic--versions they're unlikely to encounter in other Indian cookbooks. But the greatest pleasure of the book is Iyer, who writes with a droll, impish wit and the sure ability to evoke scenes of Indian domestic and public life in all their teeming intimacy.

For example, after being slapped by his "otherwise favorite French teacher," Iyer recounts a trip, instigated by his "newly arrived sister-in-law," to eat lentil croquettes sold by a distant vendor. "There's nothing like Mumbai street life to diminish the shock of a slap," he continues. "The piercing horn of the three-wheeled rickshaw, noisy as a pressure cooker's whining, and the angry ringing of a bicyclist's bell jarred me back from my self-pity to the life-risking task at hand--crossing the street." The croquettes, finally, justify all. "After the first mouthfuls, I understood [my sister-in-law's] zealous fervor.... Suddenly, I was a disciple, too, having been blessed by their divine presence that nudged me to open my heart's door to my brother's wife."

With an enlightening introduction and comprehensive glossary on ingredients and techniques, good tips, and many more wonderful stories, the book is an entrancing and practical treat. --Arthur Boehm

Book Description

Growing up in Bombay, Raghavan Iyer was immersed in a colorful, flavorful world of homemade Southern Indian cooking and irresistible street food (forbidden by his mother and sisters, but too good to pass up).In this touching, vivid, and expert cookbook, Iyer--now a successful caterer and cookbook author--returns to the recipes and memories of his delicious upbringing: rich curries and stews, irresistible rice dishes, spicy chutneys, crispy poori breads, grilled kebabs, savory vegetable samosas, ginger-spiked chai, and sweet fruit desserts.With clear recipes that even a novice can master, this richly woven, deeply personal, and above all authentic cookbook brings Southern India to life.Anyone who likes to cook, loves Indian food, or is fascinated by Indian culture will relish the recipes, anecdotes, and reflections in The Turmeric Trail.

Customer Reviews:

Sensitive portrait of a family, a culture and its many-flavored cuisine.......2007-08-24

From the Orange County Register
November 3, 2005

by Judy Bart Kancigor, author of Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family

Picture yourself halfway around the world, isolated from family and friends, living in a completely different culture where your holidays are unknown. How do you spend your first Christmas?

In 1982 cookbook author and award-winning cooking instructor Raghavan Iyer, then 21, left his native India to study in the United States. Two months later, as his family in Bombay celebrated the joyous festival of Diwali, he sat in his room, consumed by loneliness and self-pity.

"Everybody was back home celebrating, having a good time and feasting on pal paysam (creamy rice pudding). Instead I was studying with a Cadbury's milk chocolate and potato chips."

Diwali, celebrated this week - the New Year falls tomorrow on the fourth day - is as important to Hindus, Sikhs and Jains as Christmas is to Christians. Known as the "festival of lights" - celebrants decorate the home with oil lamps - the holiday signifies the renewal of life. New clothes are worn, fireworks are exploded and sweets are exchanged.

"It also signifies the homecoming of Rama, who was banned into a forest for 14 years," explained Iyer by phone from his home in Minnesota where he is currently working on a new book, "660 Indian Curries", to be published in early 2008 by Workman. "But the bigger part of the celebration is a tribute to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth."

Iyer is the author of "Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking" (Wiley) and "The Turmeric Trail: Recipes and Memories from an Indian Childhood" (St. Martin's Press), which was the 2003 James Beard Awards Finalist for best international cookbook. Little wonder. More than a cookbook, "The Turmeric Trail" is a deeply personal, vividly recalled love letter to his family, to his native Mumbai (Bombay) and to the exquisite and varied flavors of his mother's and grandmother's cooking.

"...hold my hand along my turmeric-brick road," he beckons, "yellowed with ageless stories, perfumed with spicy aromas, and peppered with succulent dishes."

In "The Turmeric Trail" Iyer brings Diwali to life through the memories of his eight-year-old self arising with excitement. "In our family it was the tradition to wake up before sunrise and burst firecrackers early in the morning," he told me. "So you can see how popular we were with the neighbors, but it was something they expected."

His mother would always make fried noodles called sev for the holiday, he recalled. "You push the dough through a sev nari, a mold that is common in Indian cuisine - you can use a cookie spritzer - to produce strands as thick as spaghetti."

On Diwali friends and neighbors exchange sweets, "everything from kaaju katri (cashew squares) to gulab jamun, which are like beignets soaked in sugar syrup and flavored with cardamom or even saffron, to roasted garbanzo bean flour bars called mysore pak," noted Iyer. "We'd take plates of them to friends and neighbors, and they'd empty our plates and fill them up with sweets from their own kitchens."

To continue the tradition, Iyer will host a Diwali party this weekend. "During the day I will make the noodles with my son Robert, who is 6 1/2," he said. "I always make it a point to wear something traditional, and Robert will too. In southern India, where my family comes from, men wear a wrap-around garment that falls to the ground called a dhoti. For the holiday we buy new clothes and dress up." And of course it wouldn't be Diwali without his mother's pal paysam.

PAL PAYSAM (CREAMY RICE PUDDING)
From "The Turmeric Trail" by Raghavan Iyer

1/2 gallon whole milk
1/2 cup uncooked basmati or long-grain rice
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

In a large, wide-rimmed saucepan or Dutch oven, bring milk and rice to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Continue cooking milk down, 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping sides of pan to release collected milk solids, until milk is reduced to 5 cups. Pour in condensed milk and continue simmering about 15 minutes. Serve warm or chilled. Serves 6.

Special Stories to go with Special Recipes.......2006-10-13

The Turmeric Trail is one of my favorite cookbooks and I have scores of Indian cookbooks, as I'm sort of a gourmet chef. I wrote a cooking column for a sailing magazine for a couple years and one of my favorite articles was my "Two Ways to Tandoori" which you can read in one of my "Amazon So You'd Like to Guides," if you want. Tandoori chicken is just delicious. Anyway, while I was making the guide, I listed fifty cookbooks from my collection. I have more. I know, I know, one would think a couple books would be enough, but it's sort of an obsession with me, making food taste great and I just love to see how others have done it.

While I was doing the guide, I pulled out all my Indian Cookbooks, had them all stacked around me. Then I decided to pull out all the ones I didn't think I could live without. It came to an even dozen and The Turmeric Trail was one of the books. The recipes are just divine. I've never been to India, been a lot of places, but never there. Delhi, Bombay, Ganges, names that just ring with adventure. I imagine I'm there every time I cook up something Indian. I can feel the smells as they wrap their delicious flavors all around the kitchen, or galley, if I'm cooking on board the sailboat my husband Dub and I live on half the year. You won't go wrong with this book. Check it out. Check out my other eleven too. Cook up something from India tonight, taste the adventure.

Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

Trite and contrived.......2004-05-29

Sorry, I hated this. I actually tried out some recipes and they did not turn out well. I am an Indian and cook quite a bit of Indian food. So I was dissapointed. I felt the recipes slanted heavily towards "street food" rather than a good range of Indian cuisine.

I couldnt stand the text - it reads more like one of those travelogues that gives the "foreigners" a romanticised view of India. Blah, blah, blah ... I found the prose heavy-handed and annoying.

Warm memories.......2004-03-09

As another south indian settled in USA the book brought back very vivid and warm memories of southern india and mumbai. While the recipes are as standard and perhaps lacking in detail in some ways, the stories and memories associated with them are very real and common across many south indian households. The introduction with the grandmother's story brought tears to my eyes - and i also loved the flowing and somewhat natural way of relating food to people (the sindhi lady, sardari vendor) and the strong familial ties to his sister and family that are expressed through food.
That said - indian lifestyle, however, is fraught with tradition and rigid, lot of times oppressive beliefs that are not obvious and very hard to come to terms with, especially if you are a woman. I dont' believe it is within the scope of this book to address those issues but i do believe in some places the author tends to paint life as pinker than it is (arranged marriage, life with in laws, caste/community related issues).

The Turmeric Trail: Recipes and Memories from an Indian Childhood

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The Turmeric Trail: Recipes and Memories from an Indian Childhood
Raghavan Iyer
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTFJOO

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Hagen-Renaker: A Charlton Standard Catalogue, Third Edition (Charlton Standard Catalogue)
Gayle Roller , and Jean Dale
Manufacturer: Charlton International Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Ceramics | Other Media | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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Hagen-Renaker Pottery : Horses and Other Figurines

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Florence's Glassware Pattern Identification Guide: Easy Identification for Glassware from the 1920s Through the 1960s

ASIN: 0889682291

Book Description

Whether they know it or not, almost everybody has seen a Hagen-Renaker. That miniature ceramic frog, deer or bunny sitting in the curio cabinet is probably Hagen-Renaker. But miniatures are only part of what the company made. Perhaps the most highly sought after figurines are the Designers Workshop horses sculpted by Maureen Love, which stand as pieces of realistic art in their own right. But realism was only one aspect of the company's figurine styles, which also included comic and stylized pieces. Each style has its own charm and delight, which was solidly based on superb sculpting and decoration. In fact, Walt Disney, himself, praised the Hagen-Renaker Disney pieces as being the "finest three-dimensional reproductions of the drawings that he ever saw."

To honour Hagen-Renaker and its production, I wrote a Hagen-Renaker collector's catalogue (1989) and I am now pleased to announce that the third edition of the Charlton Standard Catalogue of Hagen-Renaker has just been released. As in the previous edition, there are chapters devoted to Hagen-Renaker history, designers, pottery production, and to Hagen-Renaker production lines: Designers Workshop, miniatures, Little Horribles, Pedigree Dogs, Disney, and others. For each piece, as much information as possible (mold number, dates of production, colours, designer, etc.) and value is listed.

This new edition features more information about Plaques and Trays and a completely new section: CP Line (Ceramic Planters); along with corrected, updated and newly discovered information about all the lines and best of all, a 32-page colour section. The colour section really enhances the colour descriptions and demonstrates the differences between the varieties of decoration, an important part of colourway identification.

The recent passing of Maxine Renaker reminded me once again of the stories behind the company and the passion that these bits of fired clay engender in both the producers and the collectors. Maxine gave me the opportunity to gather invaluable information about Hagen-Renaker along with the many, many collectors who have shared their collections and knowledge with me. I believe this third edition of The Charlton Standard Catalogue of Hagen-Renaker is a fitting tribute to that passion.

Book Description

For the past 200-300 years the art of lacquer has been one of the show industries of Burma. Early travellers to that country have commented most favourably on it and it would be a rare Burmese household or monastery which did not have at least a few prized pieces of lacquer.

The initial impetus for the development of the craft in all probability came from neighbouring China and Thailand, but Burmese creative genius channelled it in new and unique directions. Burma's polychrome incised wares are unsurpassed for their boldness and liveliness of design while its gilt moulded lacquer inlaid with glass mosaic 'outshines' European ormolu work in its sheer sumptuous effect. The best of Burma's gold-leaf design work is equal to that of Thailand, the leading exponent of the craft in South-East Asia. Painted wares too are emblematic of a robust folkcraft tradition.

Over the years the Burmese lacquer worker has been most adept at adapting to changing circumstances brought about by the colonial experience and post-war Independence. To meet the needs of a diverse clientele, artisans have added different colours, new forms and experimental techniques to the repertoire. Despite modern innovations, the lacquer artisan continues to draw strength from the past. Ancient temple murals continue to provide much inspiration and subject matter.

This book explains the various techniqies practised by lacquer artisans, and describes the various forms, and the use of a wide range of wares. It also introduces the reader to some of the leading exponents of the art in different parts of Burma. Lacquerware collections both within that country and abroad have also been described.

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A must for your personal stained glass library

Realistic flowers

Orchids in Glass
Chantal Pare
Manufacturer: Wardell Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Glass & Glassware | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Ornamental Flower Stained Glass Pattern Book: 83 Designs for Workable Projects (Dover Pictorial Archive Series)

Tiffany Windows Stained Glass Pattern Book (Dover Pictorial Archive)

390 Traditional Stained Glass Designs (Dover Pictorial Archive Series)

Faerie Frolics: Patterns for Craftspeople and Artisans

Nature Designs Stained Glass Pattern Book (Dover Pictorial Archive Series)

ASIN: 0919985394

Customer Reviews:

A must for your personal stained glass library.......2005-01-26

One of the most beautiful,excellently written and illustrated pattern books of stained glass that I have read in a long time.The patterns are absolutely unique to the artists personal style along with clear and explicit directions about how to make each of the different projects a success. Cannot praise her enough for the excellent work.
K.M.S.

Realistic flowers.......2004-06-26

Very realistic flowers made with beautiful glass. Much to my delight, all the patterns, including those for the large panels were FULL-SIZE, printed on an oversize folded insert! Yeah! No enlargement! The author has a web site were you can view the rest of the patterns in the book.

Jill Marie Landis Collection of 15 Romance Novels (Jade, Come Spring, Past Promises, After All, Last Chance, Day Dreamer, Just Once, Glass Beach, Blue Moon, The Orchid Hunter, Summer Moon, Magnolia Creek, Lover's Lane, Heat Wave)

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Jill Marie Landis Collection of 15 Romance Novels (Jade, Come Spring, Past Promises, After All, Last Chance, Day Dreamer, Just Once, Glass Beach, Blue Moon, The Orchid Hunter, Summer Moon, Magnolia Creek, Lover's Lane, Heat Wave)
Jill Marie Landis
Manufacturer: Jove
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000ROKA4A

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The Art Bulletin: A Quarterly Published by The College Art Association of America: June 1967, Volume XLIX, Number Two
George Levitine , Eleanor S. Greenhill , David R. Coffin , Peter S. Walch , Fred Licht , Duard W. Laging , Wayne V. Andersen , and Josephine von Henneberg
Manufacturer: The College Art Association of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000OY4A3A

Product Description

Articles: "Vernet Tied to a Mast in a Storm: The Evolution of an Episode of Art Historical Folklore"; "The Provenance of a Gothic Head"; and "The Plans of the Villa Madama." Notes: "Charles Rollin and Early Neoclassicism"; "Goya's Portrait of the Royal Family"; "The Methods Used in Making the Bronze Doors of Augsburg Cathedral"; "Cezanne, Tanguy, Choquet"; and "An Unknown Portrait of St. Ignatius."

La Disciplina del matrimonio concordatario dopo gli accordi di Villa Madama (Pubblicazioni di diritto ecclesiastico)

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La Disciplina del matrimonio concordatario dopo gli accordi di Villa Madama (Pubblicazioni di diritto ecclesiastico)

Manufacturer: A. Giuffre
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 8814014213

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Villa Madama
Guy Dewez
Manufacturer: Princeton Architectural Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1878271962

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Villa Madama Memoir Relating to Raphael
Guy Dewez
Manufacturer: Lund Humphries
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

The villa Madama, Rome;: A reconstruction

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The villa Madama, Rome;: A reconstruction
William Ernest Greenwood
Manufacturer: William Helburn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B00087U5B4

Villa Madama: Memoria sul progetto di Raffaello

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Villa Madama: Memoria sul progetto di Raffaello
Guy Dewez
Manufacturer: Edizioni dell'Elefante
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 8871760042

RoÌmischen Jahrbuch fuÌr Kunstgeschichte. [Offprint]

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RoÌmischen Jahrbuch fuÌr Kunstgeschichte. [Offprint]
Philip Ellis Foster
Manufacturer: Anton Schroll
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007KBH32

Uber szenographisches Entwerfen: Raffael und die Villa Madama

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Uber szenographisches Entwerfen: Raffael und die Villa Madama
Wolfgang Jung
Manufacturer: Vieweg
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3528081066

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The Villa Madama, Rome;
W. E Greenwood
Manufacturer: J. Tiranti & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0008C69QE

The Villa Madama: A Renaissance villa in Rome (Architecture series--bibliography)

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The Villa Madama: A Renaissance villa in Rome (Architecture series--bibliography)
Carole Cable
Manufacturer: Vance Bibliographies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Amazon.com

"Hands and feet are not difficult," counsels Robert E. Fairley, author of Drawing and Painting Hands and Feet, "but they do require acute observation and thinking. If you follow the exercises in this book your skills will improve, and you will start to think about your work in a fresh way." Fairley begins by exploring the structure and anatomy of hands and feet, and offers several exercises for understanding muscles in movement. The next section is composed entirely of exercises in drawing hands and feet. The author employs a refreshingly wide array of media, including charcoal and graphite, ink, silverpoint, and pastels. Several of the exercises are composed using one's own hands and feet as models. Fairley's passion for his subject comes alive in these simple exercises as he stresses and masterfully illustrates the inherent energy and expressiveness of hands and feet in movement and repose. He ends the book by exploring how to incorporate hands and feet in a natural way into one's painting, and shows his works in acrylic, watercolor, and oil by way of illustration. --Mary Ribesky

Customer Reviews:

Na!.......2003-12-16

Why not just take pictures of hands and feet to study from yourself. How about trying some anatomy books. I didn't find this book offered anything of real value in assisting with the ability to draw hands and feet at all. If you want to better understand how to draw hands get the book Drawing Dynamic Hands by Hogarth. His books actually assist one in gaining a better understanding of how to draw the human figure even if you don't want to draw in his style.

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Drawing and Painting Hands and Feet
Robert E. Fairley
Manufacturer: David & Charles Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0715310224

La mano y el pie/ The Hand and Feet: Forma, Proporcion, Gesto Y Accion/ Shape, Proportion, Gesture and Action

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La mano y el pie/ The Hand and Feet: Forma, Proporcion, Gesto Y Accion/ Shape, Proportion, Gesture and Action
Giovanni Civardi
Manufacturer: Ediciones del Drac
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Pencil | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Figure Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Customer Reviews:

Who is she kidding?.......2000-01-14

Please! As if we the TV audience could not see where real arrogance and hypocrisy lie and on whom! We can spot real compassion and humility from a mile apart, and these qualities are nonexistent in this Tv host! She is nothing but arrogant, inhuman and insensitive with her audience! Please!

Outstanding.......1999-11-16

I read this book and I profoundly recommend it. This book gives people that little push we sometimes need to get to where we want to be. I found it to be very inspiring to women in general because she struggled a lot and never gave up. This is how she has reached the point she is at now, which is mere success. I highly recommend it not only as a great book, but as a confidence and self-esteem boost.

Entertaining and good example of/and for the latino women.......1998-07-20

As a journalist and a latina woman when I read this book I really feel identify with all the troubles that Cristina had to deal altrough her career and with all the cultural things that we bring with us as working latino women that succeed. To all the latino women that want to do something in a country like the US or those who want to be successful in the media, this book its a good reading and encourage, to have an idea of what we can deal with in the same journey. Writing in the same way that Cristina speaks the reading of the book it's quick and entertaining, you simply can't stop reading it.

Excellent.......1998-04-17

I really enjoyed this book because she spoke of all the struggles she had to face as a woman, wife and as a mother. I really can compare myself in certain things with her because right now I am struggling as a mother and as a wife. But she let me feel that someday I would reach my goal. She gave me an inspiration with this book. I am going to recommend the book to my sister because when I like a book, I usually do that.

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