MY SISTER FROM THE BLACK LAGOON : A Novel of My Life

Amazon.com

Lorna is good, Lonnie is bad. In the Persons family, these are the roles of the two daughters--equally troubled but unequally equipped to handle the absurdities of everyday life. Though Lonnie is the "officially crazy one" in the eyes of the world, the rest of the clan is far from normal--at least, in Lorna's eyes. Her mother is a frustrated housewife, worn down by the struggle to appease Lonnie's fits of rage and dementia, while father--exhausted by the tensions of the corporate world--has little energy left over to abide Lonnie or appreciate Lorna. Although younger than her sister, Lorna feels responsible for Lonnie's welfare, for the well-being of the entire family--a losing battle, if ever there was one.

To escape the pressures and unpleasantness of reality, Lorna relies on her imagination: She becomes a ballerina, a Broadway songstress, a Miss Universe contender. The interiors of her mind provide relief from the role she must play in her family and elsewhere: She is the good girl to everyone but herself. ("Ever since I was six and halfway aware that something about Lon didn't work right, I've been vigilant about ... counting the things I am grateful for. Or could be grateful for, if I were a good person.") The only difference between her and Lonnie, she is convinced, is that she is simply a better actress.

Lorna guides us through her real and fantasy life, from the angst of lonely adolescence to the trials of finding and losing love, and finally to the relief and reward of acceptance. Through it all, Lorna remains true to herself. And though she doesn't always think much of the person she is, she emerges from childhood a strong, passionate, and compassionate figure, realizing that--despite all the pain and guilt of growing up with a mentally ill sister, a "sister from the black lagoon"--Lonnie represents the best and worst of her own life and identity. --Leah Ball

Book Description

"I was born into a mentally ill family. My sister was the officially crazy one, but really we were all nuts."

So begins My Sister from the Black Lagoon, Laurie Fox's incandescent novel of growing up absurd. Lorna Person's tale is wrested from the shadows cast by her sister, Lonnie, whose rages command the full attention of her mother, a Rita Hayworth lookalike, and her father, a television network accountant full of Jackie Gleason bluster. Their San Fernando Valley household is offkey and out-of-kilter, a place where Lonnie sees evil in the morning toast and runs into the Burbank hills to join the animals that seem more like her kin. Lorna, on the other hand, is an acutely sensitive girl who can't relate to Barbie. "Could Barbie feel sorrow? Could Barbie understand what it's like to be plump, lonely, Jewish?" she asks. Imprisoned inside a cuckoo's nest of a family, Lorna faces the world armed with nothing but an unshakable faith in Art -- and perhaps the healing power of show tunes. Her childhood is spent as a failed Sugarplum Fairy, dancing around in her living room for an audience of none, hoping to transcend her parents' inadvertent neglect and her own awkwardness.

As Lorna searches for acceptance in her teen years -- buoyed by Shindig! and Joni Mitchell -- she must also disentangle herself from her beloved sister's wild and morbid underworld. In high school, Lorna finds her place by not fitting in, finding solace and mutual support with a troupe of hippie friends as luminous and wacky as herself. High school also ushers in the arrival of The Boy and a gift for making poems. The imagination that sustained Lorna as a girl now carries her into the theater, placing her center stage for the first time in her life, where she finally finds the room to come to terms with her sister and parents.

My Sister from the Black Lagoon is a wise-cracked bell jar, a heartbreaking study of sane and crazy that heralds the debut of a considerable talent. Knowing yet wide-eyed, lyrical, and witty, Laurie Fox's voice is a delight to listen to, one that sings the song of innocence and experience in an utterly new way.

Customer Reviews:

My Sister from the Black Lagoon.......2006-03-01

Excellent & unique book. Well written & with phrases one wants to remember. The author has experiences living with & loving a "mentally challenged" sister that most people can only imagine.

A whopping good tale.......2005-03-19

My Sister from the Black Lagoon, A Novel Of My Life
by Laurie Fox

Laurie Fox's other great novel, Lost Girls, made me laugh out loud. My Sister from the Black Lagoon didn't, although, as the author notes in her preface, I think she should be "able to say that I was born into an unfunny family, and laugh." That is what she helps us with, as readers.

Both novels are poignant, touching, clever, full of wit, insight and sustained imagination. Even though My Sister is semi-autobiographical, the craft by which the narrative is structured and climaxed, through an amazingly beautiful story within the story, is high fiction, high art.

Toward the end the narrator, Lorna Person, observes:

"Could it be that my family is handsome in some way I
can't detect? Because I'm a part of the picture, I can't
really step back and know this. I squint, imagining a
beautiful portrait of the Persons-one taken on vacation in
Lake Tahoe or at the San Diego Zoo. Could such a photo
lie? I mean, can you take a beautiful picture of a
disaster? Just consider the ethics."

My Sister from the Black Lagoon is such a beautiful picture.

I didn't laugh out loud because reading Lorna Person, her encounters, reactions, determination, effort, and reflections, my breath, caught in my throat. I was filled with recognition, affection, pain, disappointment, and hope. Particularly as the book raced to it's end, my appreciation of the honest revelation of the life of the narrator and her knowledge of the flaws and beauties within herself, her family, her friends - but particularly her sister, Lonnie -- made my heart grow.

That sister, as the narrator acknowledges, is crazy, is damaged, and is in increasing pain and almost unavoidable abandonment as she grows into adulthood. But also, by god, she is a truth teller and almost too much, too real, too good for this world. And, as Lorna recognizes while considering a snapshot of herself and Lonnie during an awful vacation, as little girls, to Disney Land -- which some one else might look at as capturing a magic moment -- she has, and through this exquisite story telling we readers do also have, "a soft spot for girls who look damaged, who look beautiful because they are damaged."

That girl, whom Laurie Fox listened to for endless hours in order to write this story, finds out in this way, having been put at the "forefront" of this retelling, that "everything was all right. That love has been with her all along." That girl, of course, is the sister of the Sister from the Black Lagoon, she who, in the Author's note before the text begins says:

"Life with Lonnie was the only story. Until this story,
which I hope to God is my own."

It is, indeed, and a whopping good one, too!

Insanity and Family Dynamics.......2004-11-01

This story is both amusing and devastating at the same time. One can see the struggle within the family to deal with mental illness until it eventually breaks them appart. Lorna, the main character/ narrator and younger sister to "Lonnie the monster," seems to have the hardest time of it and ultimately tries to ignore it completely with little success. I identified with her internal struggles with depression and conflicts with her family's dainamics. A pleasing book to read in the end.

Exquisitely written and unflaggingly honest.......2004-03-29

This is an exceptional book that I believe has been underappreciated. It is trenchantly observed, exquisitely written and unflaggingly honest. Bravely honest. Fox's skills and gifts of observation, memory, imagination, and storytelling are formidable. I am not usually a fan of memoir, and frankly read women's books only rarely, but this was not just her story. It was an invaluable description of growing up. The chapter "Normal" should be in The New Yorker or Harper's. It and her writing throughout are just lovingly and skillfully crafted. The ending touches down like a feather. This is a first-rate, important book that people should know about.

Worth a look, but not what it could've been.......2003-03-25

Fox caught my attention with the first line of this novel, as she writes that "I was born into a mentally ill family. My sister was the officially crazy one, but really we were all nuts." This statement is simple on the surface, and yet it speaks to the overall impact on a family system when one person has an illness, be it mental or physical. In the first part of the book, she keeps a clear, steady focus on the Person family, and it works beautifully. I started to get a sense of knowing not only Lorna, but the whole family.

Even in the second and third parts of the book, the writing is still top quality. Fox has a clear narrative voice, and some of the prose is as poignant and heartbreaking as any I've read. Lorna is a delightful blend of innocent and cynic. She's smart, she's insecure, she's funny, she's brave, she's cowardly - she's human, and on some level, all of us, even if we've left our adolescence and can't remember that far back, can still feel an echo of recognition in reading her story. Despite that, the pacing drops off so much in the middle part of the book that the reader is pulled out of the story. It seemed like Fox was being careful to not portray anyone (specifically Lonnie and her parents) in a negative light. Rather than risk casting such a shadow over the rest of Lorna's family, Fox simply pulls them out of the book for a key period in Lorna's life. The book devolved from a compelling tale about the nature of family, love, sisterhood, and mental illness into a standard insecure teen girl comes of age tale.

Despite what seems to be a low mark, and some serious criticisms, this is still a worthwhile book to read, simply to experience the depth of Fox's adroit use of the English language. Just don't read it expecting to learn a great deal about mental illness. I'm glad I bought it used.

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My Sister From The Black Lagoon - A Novel Of My Life
Laurie Fox
Manufacturer: Scribner / Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IX17WO

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MY SISTER From The BLACK LAGOON. A Novel of My Life.
Laurie. Fox
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MZ310Y

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Fun and sexy ride.

Self published author lays a smack down

I LOVED IT!!! Bring on the Royal Flush!

For the true vampire at heart

Can't wait for the next one!
The Guilty Innocent: Knights of the Darkness Book Two (Knights of the Darkness Chronicles)
D.N. Simmons
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Desires Unleashed: Knights of the Darkness Chronicles

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ASIN: 1420862871

Book Description

"Simmons exhibits a very straight forward and stylized job with narrative, and succeeds in incorporating originality and substance in a genre which sports its clichés to the point where we all either yawn and yearn for something new, or love the genre so much that we appreciate virtually any work involving vampires or werewolves. This particular novel is as fresh and original as the genre has to offer."-Best-selling author, Nicholas Grabowsky (Halloween 4) "Suspenseful and unafraid to delve into erotism never before exposed. This is a new dark fantasy world guaranteed to make readers' temperatures rise." -Publisher Even the guilty can be innocent...a heinous set-up leads to the arrest of a very powerful vampire. Now, those who know him best must risk their lives to discover the truth before it is too late. Warning This novel contains the following warnings. Please be advised AL-Adult Language V-Violence AC-Adult Content S-Strong Sexual Situations D-Suggestive Dialogue FV-Fantasy Violence AS-Adult Situations and a whole lotta good stuff that makes a novel so entertaining it's irresistible! Enjoyment and satisfaction guaranteed.

Customer Reviews:

Fun and sexy ride........2006-11-18

I have 3 of the books in this series, and I found it refreshing compared to some have I've read.

The books are fast paced, the plot(yes there is a plot) moves smoothly.

The descriptions of Chicago takes me back to when I lived there, I can see the places she describes, and only an exceptional writer can do that.

Yes, the supernaturals are beautiful, what supernaturals in what series are not. There are sex scenes in the books, what supernatural novel being written now does not, yet the sex is believable, well writtten and there is no "F**ck me while I'm tight" being screamed at every encounter, and sex is not the energizer bunny powering up everyone within a 10 mile radius. Yes some of the characters are homosexual, and no I do not remember reading that all of them were submissive, they are well written characters. Characters who some can relate to, characters that although are supernatural have problems of life and love and resolve them in the way you woule expect supernaturals to do so.

Yes, there are typos, but once informed of this, Ms. Simmons has promised to correct them in the next release of these books. I applaud and commend her, she is a self-published author, she did not have proofreaders, editors, a husband or reading group to help her along.

I'd gladly pay 25 bucks for her next novel.

Self published author lays a smack down.......2006-11-18

There have been authors and then there have been authors.
As a love leter to D.N.Simmons, first let me say, "Do Your Thang!"
The Guilty Innocent, gave me the best ride of my book reading life, I love that although Natasha is the one telling the story, that Natasha is not the story.
I love that the vampires aren't campy or have fallen head over heels for her simply because Natasha is the one telling the story.
I love that there are other strong women in this series, who aren't a threat to her and if they are she says it and so be it.
I could pull a recap of what another reveiewer said and tell you the story, but I have a better idea for you, buy the book, it's worth the price.

I LOVED IT!!! Bring on the Royal Flush!.......2006-07-29

This book has me laughing from cover to cover, but I loved the ACTION! I mean there was bullets flying, people dying, it was awesome. And the ending of this book just blew me away, one of the sexiest scenes I've EVER read in this type of novel and done so well.

I like that D.N. isn't vulgar about her sex scenes and each character, you can't help but respect because they're written so well. I love D.N.'s supernaturals, unlike many other books, I like that they have a loyalty to each other that really stands out and they don't angst, whine and cry about everything. They do what's gotta be done and kick butt in the process. D.N.'s a great writer and I can see that she's improving her writing style in this book because it really shows. I can't wait for the third book, it can't get to me fast enough. The forum/website said it's coming in August and that's almost too far away.

For the true vampire at heart.......2006-07-20

Bored to death after reading many other so called vampire books out there, I researched on-line for the next vampire thrill. I stumbled upon a website and Desires Unleashed (1st book) was mentioned on the blogs. Caught my curiosity and purchased it. Fell in love with it regardless of the misspellings. It's lustful (not in a girly/Fabio way) it's sinful, and it's so erotic. All in a vampire-lish way. It's animalistic, it's raw. I even purchased another one for a friend. DN Simmons has a cult following now these days and I am one of them. Bought the second book, The Guilty Innocent, and I am presently reading it for the second time. I am totally hooked. I want more. These books are addictive. Can't wait for Royal Flush!!!!

Can't wait for the next one!.......2006-06-07

Great book! Better editing than the first book, so that was good. Awesome storyline! Sergio, who is my favorite character kicked butt in this book! D.N.'s writing style is improving with each book it seems and I'm really enjoying this series.

I'd totally recommend reading the KOTDC.

Customer Reviews:

Ellison's second volume is too much of a good thing........2000-05-30

Flush with the success of the briliant Dangeraus Visions, Harlan Ellison and his publishers leapt into the creation of a mulit-volume sequel. They should have quit while they were ahead. Most of the stories are good, but they have not dated well. Also the book runs needlessly long, with Ellison's hyper ego prattling on in the introductions and needless double header works by the writers. It took me a year to read it all and, for someone who goes through 3 to 5 books a month, that is NOT praise.

Forbidden Science Fiction from the 70's.......2000-04-08

To anyone who has read the original collection of science fiction stories by renowned Sci-Fi masters of the 70's that Harlan Ellison released, this sequel packs all these that were missed, such as Philip Jose Farmer's "Riders of the Purple Wage". Even doubters of repeat success will enjoy this book, as the one refreshing rule (rarely broken) is that each author could only submit ONE story. There were no other rules.

Oh yeah, and Kurt Vonnegut's in it too!

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Again, Dangerous Visions Vol 1 (46 Original stories)
Harlan (ed) Elllison
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000KKCREC

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-Umen- are the finest fightin force in the en-tire planetary military establishment.

Again, Dangerous Visions, 46 Original Stories Edited By Harlan Ellison

Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000BP5H3O

Product Description

A collection of 46 Original stories

Customer Reviews:

-Umen- are the finest fightin force in the en-tire planetary military establishment........2007-05-20

Again, Dangerous Visions happens to include my favorite story 'Moth Race' by Richard Hill. It also has 'Things Lost', a memorable story about colonists on a long space flight who usually wear decorated masks in public. And it contains, 'Getting Along' a delicious story by James Blish, done in the writing style of Sir Conan Doyle/Jules Verne/HG Wells. For the most part tho, the stories are below average.

It also includes, 'With the Bentfin Boomer Boys on Little Old New Alabama' by Dick Lupoff. A story about a colony of whites at war with a colony of blacks.

This story was hyped by the editor as, "Friends, there has never been a thing like this one before, in or out of the field of SF. One expects some eye-openers... but nothing like Lupoff. He takes the solid gold award for chutzpah Above and Beyond the limits of Gall... frankly, had no other story than this one been written for Again, Dangerous Visions, the book would have been worth reading." It ended up being nominated for the Nebula award.

'Boomer Boys' is dangerous because it's told from the point of view of the racist 'New Alabamans' who are at war with the planet 'New Haiti'. The story is told in part thru a succession of speeches the New Alabama leadership give - as observed thru the eyes of the servicemen 'gyrenes' in the story.

The first speech is given at commencement... - "who ever said anybody needed - a commencement speech - to tell him to blast the uppities out of black space... some bigbellied Senator from Talledega? Sheeh! What if it was the Governor himself? what could he say about the war that everybody didn't know already anyhow? We all knew what would happen... the same thing that happened on O'Earth, before the Jewrabs pushed everybody else out and left the colony worlds to shift for themselves. Who needs speeches?"

The second speech is seen from guard duty at a conference of the friendly planets, 'N'Missa', 'N'Maddoxia', 'N'Transvaal', 'N'Boer Republic' - "I can well imagine how some of you - Ole Guv Youngerman, he lookin around to see who's pain attention & who's more interested in studyin his fingernails - how some of you - Ole Guv resumes - matt wonder how come we can't smash them nigra brutes with proven superiority of our kind... I'll be perfectly frank with yall, - Old Guv he looken almost fit to cry now - we taken a thorough whompin in this war... yall have to give us some help. Now that's all there is to it."

The third speech is before a big battle in space, "Colonel-General 'Pissfire' Pallbox, addressed the men. -Umen- are the finest fightin force in the en-tire planetary military establishment. - He spit on the deck., Some swabby wone like that! -M the N'Alabama planetary military establishment - his voice rising - being the finest fightin force among the pure surn white planets under God & His Son Jesus George Christ! - M the pure surn white planets - ole Pissfire hollern rantin now, snappin his official spacerine issue galluses m turnin from side to side - being the toughest, meanest, wild-spit-in-the-eye-&-kick-em-in-the-nuts bunch of ball-barren men in the entire galaxy! - He jumped up and down with a red face & shoutin... Spacerines cheerin an whoopin an huggin each other (sometimes with a leetle more hug than you might think for spacerines, but what the H, they wuz a long way from home)."

It's not hard to like the young 'gyrenes' in the story Gordon Wallace III and Freddie, tho the story does poke fun at them or at least their society - in one case they walk by a newspaper box, "Noozes: WARGOZWELL ENEMYFALLZBACK BLACK CASUALTIZRIEZ PAPADOCS LOZING. Y Bi Noozes? Headlines allasame allagame allafine allatime. Win win win. So: Why no fizem sidewalcracks, streetlights, build some houses? Afterwarz uvocrz". Sayings have changed over time, "Rise Agin!", "Lawnorder", "I'm dreaming of a white kiss miss."

Talking about the different colonies... Gordon mentions, even, "a few worlds colonized by homosexuals of both types, but they didn't breed true in captivity and they died out." Whenever they pass by another man in town they always scope him out, "Fatman was short (5'2" 2'5"? 52"? Short), perspiration too on that noble brow helped. He jiggled as he walked but the sarge (not to mention Gord & Freddie) didn't mind, watched his big behind, a find."

The crux of the story takes place in a seedy night club. Sarge takes Gord and Freddie to a show there last night before deployment. 'Miss Markum' performs a dance there for the crowd. Her dance is interrupted by a black male 'masher', even sarge "does a double take", "but no. He's white only daubed", "Curled around her jelly hip what's that black what's that? A handle it has she grasps and uncoils a whip. Maidenhood defended. Now willya see him cringe and crawl... hear him whine (phwapp!) good O God O finefinefineO go Miss Markum and crack! the people lose their mind the cheers the screams the hips, hips working, losing minds, pelvis grinds tears cheers, Miss Markum Truimphant calls defiant independent slogan: Never!"

N'Haiti does win the war. They solve their manpower shortage by reanimating the war dead: creating zombies. At one point in the story Gord asks to himself, "Why so many N'Alabama ships carry N'Missa names?"

The story ends back at the same night club after the war. Freddie now works there. Miss Markum still works there too, catering now, to the 'new visitors'. Only, things are reversed. She's made up to look quite quite dark, and a white N'Alabama surn man, jumps out and tries to grab her. The show must go on. At the start of the show the Emcee proclaims, "A dramatic interpretation ladies m gentlemen, music m drama m dance combine to present a traditional reenactment." Freddie, is actually the surn man in the show, facing the whip, "Freddie howls (it's part of the act, right, but Miss Markum do you gotta make it so real!)." A very dark Miss Markham gives him one final push down with her heel.

What seems dangerous to me, is, do the 'N'Alabamans' (who have an entire planet to themselves) really have to be so obsessed with race/the greatness of their race? Of course the words 'traditional reenactment' there at the end were a bit unnerving as well.

Generally, people who read this story today, take it to be a veiled reference to our own time. There are a lot of allusions to our times in the story like the veiled reference to Gloria Steinum above. Myself I don't limit the story to just an allegory. I see 'With the Bentfin Boomer Boys' as being more than just story about our times. I see it as a story of the future that happens to comment on our time. Mankind very well could colonize the galaxy one day. With that there are all kinds of dangerous possibilities too.

Again, Dangerous Visions (46 Original stories)

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Again, Dangerous Visions (46 Original stories)
Harlan (ed) Elllison
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KKAY74

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Again Dangerous Visions 1
Harlan Ellison
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JERN2U

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Again Dangerous Visions Book 1

Manufacturer: Pan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000G8FXL2

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Again Dangerous Visions Volume 1
Harlan Ellison
Manufacturer: Signet
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Again Dangerous Visions Volume 1
Harlan Ellison
Manufacturer: PENGUIN PUTNAM * TRADE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SF18SK

Book Description

Edith Stein lived an unconventional life. Born into a devout Jewish family, she drifted into atheism in her mid teens, took up the study of philosophy, studied with Edmund Husserl, the founder of phenomenology, became a pioneer in the women's movement in Germany, a military nurse in World War I, converted from atheism to Catholic Christianity, became a Carmelite nun, was murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1942, and canonized by Pope John Paul II. Renowned philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre here presents a fascinating account of Edith Stein's formative development as a philosopher.

MacIntyre, Alasdair. Edith Stein. A Philosophical Prologue 1913-1922.(Book review): An article from: The Review of Metaphysics

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MacIntyre, Alasdair. Edith Stein. A Philosophical Prologue 1913-1922.(Book review): An article from: The Review of Metaphysics
Alice Ramos
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Review of Metaphysics, published by Thomson Gale on March 1, 2007. The length of the article is 1899 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: MacIntyre, Alasdair. Edith Stein. A Philosophical Prologue 1913-1922.(Book review)
Author: Alice Ramos
Publication: The Review of Metaphysics (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 60 Issue: 3 Page: 670(4)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

• Journey through the 10 Parisian restaurants awarded Michelin's coveted stars rating
• Interviews with 10 of the best chefs in the world
• 30 recipes from their cuisine and descriptive pictures

Focusing on ten Parisian restaurants that hold Michelin's rating stars —which ranks them among the hottest dining destinations in the world—Haute Cuisine Paris provides an in-depth look at each of these fine eateries. A complete section is devoted to the history of each restaurant, interviews with the chefs, as well as gorgeous photographs and recipes from their kitchen.

For tourists, Haute Cuisine Paris will also take readers on a walking tour of the sites of interest in the vicinity of each restaurant. Whether it's nearby museum, park, or romantic café, the book will provide readers with all the information they need to explore the district surrounding the restaurant and at the same time work up an appetite in anticipation of dining at one of the world's best restaurants.

Customer Reviews:

Francophiles Unite.......2007-07-11

This is an absolute must have for those who do a lot of travel and culinary excursions to France. Almost every michelin starred chef in Paris is featured (save Alain Ducasse, but he has enough books) with an in depth interview and three or four recipes from each chef. Photography and binding quality is first rate. Many of the chefs featured do not have books of their own, so this is really the only way you'll get a peak into their culinary style and execution. Highly recommended for those who can't make up which restaurant to visit first.

Book Description

This unique homage to Cuba's astonishing wealth of antique cars is also a paean to the extraordinary people who keep their weary cacharros running with resourcefulness, ingenuity and great humor. In a collection of vibrant images, this book reveals the timeworn splendor of classic American automobiles spanning eight decades.

Customer Reviews:

Cars & Cuba Knockout.......2004-12-05

Yes, we've all seen great photos of classic cars in Cuba--but this book will make you swoon. Your knees will buckle, and you will become feverish with desire to get yourself to Cuba as soon as possible. Magnificent.

A Classic on Cuban Classic Cars.......2004-08-14

Chris Baker is the preeminent travel writer covering Cuba today. His guidebooks for National Geographic Traveler and Moon Publishing are biblical Baedekers for anyone traveling to the island. "Mi Moto Fidel," his book-length journey around the island on a BMW motorcycle, reads like a Hemingwayan novel -- and has garnered prestigious writing awards. Now, with "Cuba Classics," Baker has taken his already impressive act to a new level, displaying his skill as a photographer, which is nothing short of artistry. His stunning photographs of vintage American autos -- so plentiful in Cuba -- are not only wonderful depictions of cars not seen in the U.S. for decades, but are the subjects of photos that demonstrate a photographer's instinctively artistic command of format, color, tone, and lighting. Settings for the autos often speak to the greater issue of the Cuban landscape, both urban and rural. It's a must book for car buffs, for anyone interested in photographic artistry, for anyone enamoured of beautiful writing. As a long-time fan of Baker's journalism, I have found myself asking what else could he possibly do to present another aspect of this island country he knows and loves? "Cuba Classics" is the latest answer to that question. Kudos.

Customer Reviews:

The best book for making all your accessories!.......2003-04-14

I found this book in the library and checked it out continuously. Here are instructions for making all those high-priced accesories, like the frilly stuff for toasting glasses and cake knife sets. I got all that for a lot less than buying a set and it looked so much better. You can buy the toasting glasses and cake knife and server individually (and cheaper) and then decorate them yourself. Ring pillows, purses, garter, whatever you like. It's all here in this book.

A little bit of everything for a great price........1997-06-28

Need something that touches on a little of everything you need to know to plan a wedding? Try this book. It gives you a timeline of how far ahead you should plan, a very useful template for planning your budget, planning what style wedding to have, and even what styles of wedding gowns are best for different body types. While this book doesn't have ALL the information you need, it certainly is a great planning book, including crafts for those who want to make items for their (or someone elses!) wedding.

For the price, I think it's a great book to help you keep track of what things you need to get done, without pulling out your hair

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Easy & Elegant Wedding Accessories
Lenae Gerig
Manufacturer: Hot Off the Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1562313592

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Elegant Silk Ikebana: A Complete Manual for Japanese Silk Flower Making and Arranging, Including Fashion Accessories, Corsages, and Wedding Bouquets
Diane H. Thomas
Manufacturer: Hunter Publishing Company (AZ)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Decorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Decorating | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0918126088

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So Easy Wedding - Create Elegant Accessories
Mary Holman-Allen
Manufacturer: Design Originals
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Pamphlet
ASIN: B000S0E8Y6

Product Description

Follw the never-fail patterns and instructions Make elegant accessories beautifully, professionally and inexpensively

Customer Reviews:

One of the best armour books ever written!.......2006-05-18

This is a highly detailed study of the metallurgy of medieval and Renaissance armour. It reveals some surprising facts and challenges some commonly held beliefs. The level of accuracy and detail are unmatched in this book. It features hundreds of pieces of armour from collections all over the world.

I highly recommend this book!

Knight and the Blast Furnace: A History of the Metallurgy of Armour in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period

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Knight and the Blast Furnace: A History of the Metallurgy of Armour in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period
Alan Williams
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MBPT5S

Book Description

Considered the "Oscars" of the advertising industry, the Clio Awards, in collaboration with Rockport Publishers, is pleased to publish the first annual Clio Awards publication, Clio Awards Annual 2000. Although this is its first time in print, the Clio Awards have been recognizing the best advertising design worldwide for forty-one years. A jury of top advertising and design industry professionals cull the more than 18,000 entries and awards the top one percent with gold, silver and bronze citiations, as well as recognizing a handful of work for honorable merit.

Each winner is presented in these pages, in full-color with detailed design credits, making this book the ultimate resource and reference for the design and advertising industry. This book also provides an inspirational collection of top work for the students of advertising in the design community.

Customer Reviews:

O, Broonzy Where Art Thou?.......2002-03-31

This book, the autobiography of bluesman Bill Broonzy as told to a British fan/writer, is a favorite among a cross section of blues lovers and book collectors ... Broonzy was a key figure in the birth of the blues (and therefore rock, country, hip hop etc), but most people have never heard of him.

This book is very colorful. It gives a good idea of what life was like in his day, the first half of last century. It reminds me of Adventures of Huck Finn by Mark Twain (which is obviously about a different era) and The Glory of Their Times by Lawrence Ritter. Also, You Know Me, Al by Ring Lardner. (I guess I'm implying that one can learn about the history of our culture by reading about blues and baseball). Read this book if you liked O, Brother Where Art Thou? (the movie.

I hope enough people read, buy this book so that someone will put out a new edition. Maybe with a disc of his recordings (are you listening, Rhino Records)?

The Happy Blues.......1998-10-21

Big Bill Blues is a wonderful, folksy autobiography by one of the top blues musicians of the 20th century. Bill was poorly educated but he has a wonderful sense of irony (especially about race relations) & self-depricating humor that come out in both his songs and his book, which covers growing up black in the Jim Crow South, trying to make it as a blues musician, & recalling good times with his friends. A very quick and fun read. Skip the introduction, though--it's a bunch of academic observations by some egghead. Bill's story is much richer and more compelling.

Big Bill Blues : William Broonzy's Story

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Big Bill Blues : William Broonzy's Story
William Broonzy
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PS0FTS

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Big Bill Blues; William Broonzy's Story
Yannick Bruynoghe
Manufacturer: The Jazz Book Club
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J2N0FQ

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