Aaron, Approximately: A Novel

Amazon.com

Anyone who was already an adult in the '80s might remember those years as the decade of conservative politics, Wall Street dirty dealings, and a Reaganesque "Morning in America" as pretty as cotton candy and just about as filling. Those who came of age then probably recall a pervasive sense that the baby boomers had already skimmed society's cream for themselves, leaving just the whey for those who came after. Zachary Lazar's first novel, Aaron, Approximately is definitely meant for the latter population--twentysomething readers will no doubt have a keen appreciation for the hopes and fears (mostly fears) that motivate protagonist Aaron Bright. When we first meet young Aaron, he is 26 years old, involved with a gorgeous, wealthy, and talented young woman and unable to bring himself to take that final step: marriage. The reason for Aaron's ambivalence lies, of course, in his childhood, and most of Lazar's novel is dedicated to excavating his troubled hero's rather bizarre past.

We learn, for example, that Aaron's father, a popular children's television show host, died in a parachuting accident as 8-year-old Aaron looked on, and from that moment on, Aaron became both an object of fascination and of ridicule to his peers. After years as the school outcast, he gains a degree of acceptance as class clown and eventually finds a place on the outskirts of popularity. Lazar then follows his hero through angst-ridden college years and beyond until the novel returns full circle to the point where it began: Will Aaron marry Clarissa or won't he? If past is prologue, readers of Zachary Lazar's novel won't have any trouble accepting Aaron's decision.

Book Description

"It starts with my family, of course. Childhood, adolescence, the American way of sorting out what is real from what is not. My family was credulous, idealistic, odd, old-fashioned. I trained myself to be otherwise. The result has been a kind of tetherball existence, an orbiting around the parental pole with more speed than grace, more movement than progress. "

Aaron, Approximately, first-time novelist Zachary Lazar's uniquely poignant coming-of-age novel, tells with heart-wrenching clarity the story of Aaron Bright, a fiercely intelligent and resilient young man struggling toward self-acceptance, identity, and human connection in the aftermath of his father's death. When 26-year-old Aaron's relationship with his girlfriend, Clarisse, threatens to crumble, he revisits the trials of his past in an attempt to unearth the root of his lifelong alienation.

Aaron, Approximately powerfully details the narrator's moving and often darkly humorous journey out of isolation and self-doubt and into adulthood. "The Horace and Waldo Show" is the most popular children's television hour in Colorado, but being the only son of Horace Bright, the show's top-hat-and-purple-tuxedo-wearing clown, is a dubious honor for eight-year-old Aaron. When the local radio station's resident shock jock comically spoofs Horace's show as a front for sexual misconduct, Aaron is ruthlessly ostracized by his peers. In a last-ditch attempt at positive publicity, Horace challenges the deejay to a parachute jump. But when the stunt ends in tragedy, Aaron is thrust prematurely into the adolescent sphere of dislocation, insecurity, and rebellion, struggling to find his way without his father.

Intelligent, sensitive, and profoundly concerned with issues of identity, Aaron turns himself into a would-be clown, wearing strange vintage clothing and cracking jokes to hide his uneasiness, as he first rejects but ultimately comes to understand his inextricable link to his dead father.When Aaron's mother later remarries, proving she has escaped the torment of loneliness caused by Horace's death, Aaron is confronted by his core dilemma: Should he conform to his mother's wishes, sacrifice the comfort of his insular life, and move beyond his rage and self-pity, or should he continue to live in his self-styled world of purposeful isolation and boundless cynicism? Only by facing up to the reality of his situation can Aaron break free of his lifelong pattern of alienation and confusion. And only then will he be able to salvage his relationship with Clarisse.

Portrayed with both humor and compassion, Zachary Lazar's Aaron Bright searches for answers to the questions that plague us all. An outsider from the very start, the hilariously endearing yet overwhelmingly conflicted Aaron shows us what it is like to need attention so desperately that one would sabotage both family and love to satisfy its call. Aaron, Approximately rings with the truth of what it means to have grown up at the tail end of the 20th century and marks Zachary Lazar's debut as a refreshing and profoundly intelligent new voice in American fiction.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing.......2007-02-06

If you want to give a voice to what you went thru in the late 70s early 80s, this is the book for you. I bought this book and had it on my shelf for over a year before reading it, then I couldn't put it down. It really made me look at the past in a different way. It showed me that my life wasn't really as out of the ordinary, or as dysfunctional, as I thought.

Pretty good first novel..........2004-01-12

I read this book a few years back and reread a good chunk of it while I was home over the Xmas break. This book is a real tearjerker. You just can't help but feel so sorry for this guy, probably because everyone can relate on some level to how he feels. Aaron Brite is a Jewish boy living near Littleton, CO, and this is his story from prepubescence to the tequila-laiden shores of a tropical island where he seeks solice from the burden and fear of monogamy during his mid 20s. Aaron's story is raw and straight from the heart, and it almost makes you feel as though Lazar has ripped open a diary and is exposing a real person who has fought, and is still fighting, to find his place in the world. I liked this book but I disliked many of the chracters and really couldn't stand several short chapters written all in one-liners of dialogue with no identification for who's saying what. This book is really raw, so make sure you're ready to relive some of your own growing pains the story may churn up.

Just get it.......2003-06-06

Lazar was my creative writing teacher last semester at Hofstra. He was incredibly creative and fun to sit in class with. He had listened and critiqued our work, so I wanted to see what he had to offer. I read Aaron, Approximately and Lazar proved to be as creative on the pages as he was in class. This is a wonderful novel that shows how a tramatic youth affects the process of becoming an adult. Aaron goes through many different phases, friends, and quests in his journey becoming a man.

You won't be bored when reading this novel, there is a perfect blend of comedy and seriousness that keeps the reader interested. Pick it up and read it. You won't be dissapointed.

Great writer with a lesser-abled editor.......2002-06-06

I meet this guy at a party and he has a book published, so I figure I'll read it. The first chapter ended with my turning to my wife and saying, "Oh man, I don't want to read this book." From the second chapter on I couldn't put the thing down. Near the end I found myself slowing down and reading it less often - Our relationship (the book and I) had grown and I knew it would end soon. So I tried to prolong it. I thought it was terrifically well-written. The first and last chapters seemed off somehow. A wonderful sandwich on stale bread. But who am I to critique: I don't have a book publshed. Read this book - but don't look too closely at the cover photo - it will detract from the image you form of Aaron in your mind's eye.

Great Read.......2000-08-01

I was at some bargain store and saw this book. It surprised me a lot. Although I am 17 in 2000, I can still relate to everything Aaron went through. I am in his punk phase right now. he he.

Average customer rating:

Aaron, Approximately
Zachary Lazar
Manufacturer: New York: Harper Collins,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000U2CLQ4

Average customer rating:

Aaron, Approximately
Zachary Lazar
Manufacturer: ReganBooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEMOBK

Customer Reviews:

Very enjoyable military fantasy.......2007-06-30

Moon was a junior USMC officer for a short while back in the early `70s, which apparently is supposed to give verisimilitude to her storytelling, but I don't think association is really necessary. She does a very workmanlike job with this first volume in a trilogy, a combination of military SF, medieval fantasy, and bildungsroman. Paks is a tall, strong young woman from a farm way out in the boonies who has no intention of following her father's orders to marry the pig-farmer down the road, so she leaves home in search of glory and adventure by way of joining a mercenary company. There are good, honorable companies and very bad ones, but (of course) she ends up as a recruit in one of the best, gaining friends and respect as she learns the trade of an infantryman. But (also "of course") there's more in store for Paks than just life in the ranks, and as she passes from novice to blooded veteran to acting noncom, those around her begin to receive hints that she's someone special, that there's something uncommon in store for her -- even though, being practical and hardheaded, she'd rather not think much about such things. Moon plays fair with the reader; the entire story (except for one slightly odd chapter late in the book) is told from Paks's POV, so she doesn't always appreciate the larger strategic picture. We, the omni-observant readers, see things happen in the development of a campaign that she doesn't quite understand, and that's the way it works in real life. And plans go awry, and friends get killed, but the hero survives, even if she sometimes wishes she hadn't. A very enjoyable book.

Captivating Military Fantasy With Strong Female Characters.......2007-03-26

Wow. Big time wow. How else do I say that, eh? I loved this book. I've already added this book to the shelf that contains those books I like to reread at times. And I'm moving onto book 2, Divided Allegiance, next.

Paksenarrion (Paks) is the daughter of a sheepfarmer, hence the heroine of this tale. Her father has arranged a marriage for her to a pig farmer, but she has grander dreams. She runs off to join the army.

We follow Paks through all the pieces of learning to become a soldier--everything from having to dig ditches to winning a battle. We are shown all the nitty gritties of military life. Marching exhausted in the rain. Making the kind of friends you'd die for, then losing them to battle. Yes, there are many heartbreaking moments in this book. But the focus, as it should be, is on Paks and how she survives and rises over such things with a continued drive and an ever growing internal strength.

The author did an excellent job of making the story feel real to me. What I mean by that is that often times the ground troupes have no idea what's going on, but they follow orders anyway. People die too. One minute person A is standing next to Paks. She'd lose sight only to find out later that he or she didn't make it. At the end of the battle she'd take stock (if there was time) and try to figure out who of her friends had survived. Then she'd take a moment to collect herself and gear up for the next battle.

I like Paks. She's a strong character, firm in her convictions and honest to a fault. I look forward to reading more of her story.

Strong military fantasy with a compelling female lead.......2007-01-08

When her father insists that she marry a local farmer, sheepfarmer's daughter Paksenarrion (Pak) runs away to become a mercenary. Enrolled in the Duke's army, she learns to march, dig latrines, and eventually to fight. Although she's a woman, Pak is larger than most of the other recruits and gradually develops into a strong warrior. First, though, she must overcome the prejudice some have against women--and their willingness to use and disgrace her.

Paksenarrion's career takes a strange turn when, while she's part of a garrison at a small fort, a leader who wants to rule the entire land takes her party captive--with Paksenarrion escaping only because she was hunting berries at the time. Pak manages an epic journey across the country--with the enemy lord, Siniava the 'Honeycat' desperately hunting for her to prevent her from getting warning to the Duke. On this journey, skeptical Pak seems to develop some kind of linkage to a long-ago hero and saint--Gird. Gird's help saves her several times, but it's always Pak's own determination that drives her.

Author Elizabeth Moon creates a compelling sense of adventure and character growth in SHEEPFARMER'S DAUGHTER. Pak, with her drive to become a soldier rather than accept the life of a farmer, is a sympathetic character and the world she finds herself in, while familiar to fantasy fans with its paladins, orcs, and dark gods, is fully realized and interesting.

SHEEPFARMER'S DAUGHTER was Moon's first novel and is a compelling one that launched her into a successful career. This is the first of three books that make up the DEED OF PAKSARRION (which can be bought as a single volume collection). I read this book when it came out and was blown away. On re-reading in 2007, nearly twenty years later, I'm still impressed by the strong characters and action that Moon develops.

Warriors Are Made in Basic Training.......2006-10-31

Sheepfarmer's Daughter (1988) is the first fantasy novel in the Deed of Paksenarrion series. High in the hills above Three Firs, Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter dreamed of being a warrior. Growing up with her brothers and herding her father's sheep, she was used to hunting and wrestling and being outdoors. Then her cousin Jornoth told her about the mercenary companies and she knew what she wanted to do with her life.

In this novel, Paksenarrion is betrothed to a pig farmer against her wishes. She argues with her father and, when he refuses to return the dowry, she gathers her few belongings and starts to leave the house. Dorthan refuses to let her go and takes a swing at her. The belt hits her once, but then she has the family sword in her hand and threatens her father. When he flinches back from it, she runs out the doors.

Paksenarrion first goes to Three Firs, but the recruiters have already left. Then she runs to Rocky Ford and reaches it about noon. The recruiter for Duke Phelan's company takes her name, tests her strength and then signs her up. When asked for a shorter form of her name, she selects "Paks". She eats some sandwiches to make up for the missed breakfast and then joins the other recruits. After some preliminary instruction on marching as a unit, the small group marches on to the next town.

For days they march along the road, camping out at night. She makes friends with Saben, Arne, Vik, Jorri, and Coben among the recruits and she knows that Korryn and Jens will never be anything but enemies. Finally they reach the stronghold where they will receive basic training.

In this story, Paks finds that being a soldier is not as easy as she assumed. She has run away from home to avoid bedmaking, cleaning, and dishwashing, but now she does those chores as well as carpentry, masonry and other odd jobs around the stronghold. Of course, she also has to dig latrine trenches and cover them up, make and smother cook fires, and many other camp chores. Then there are the mules to harness, load and ride.

Weapon training is a long, hard and painful process. Siger pushes her hard and she tries even harder. Unknown to her, Paks soon becomes Siger's pet recruit because of her perseverance and stoicism; no matter how often Siger passes her guard and hits her, Paks never complains and keeps working on her movements until he tells her to stop.

Paks is a good recruit, but she spends some time in a cell when Korryn accuses her of violence against a fellow soldier. Corporal Stephi seems to be under the influence of a potion or spell and agrees with Korryn's statements. However, Sargeant Stammel ferrets out a different story than that given by Korryn and insists on a public hearing with outside witnesses. Paks is found innocent of the charges and her accuser and another recruit are dismissed from the Company.

At the end of their training, the recruits march south to join the rest of Duke Phelan's Company. Their first battle is against the Czardian militia. In the confusion of battle, Paks forgets her training and keeps lunging at the enemy. She is knocked down once and then cut on her leg, but keeps on fighting until the battle is over. In her daze, however, she only becomes aware of the lack of enemies after being shouted at by her unit commander. After that, she is not fully conscious for several days due to her wound and its treatment.

This is the first novel published by the author. Although this story is fantasy, most of it reflects the situation and conditions of mercenary companies during the late Medieval period, particularly in the Italian campaigns. Her more recent writings have been science fiction, but she started in fantasy and gained her fame in the epic sword and sorcery genre; maybe her studies in history and her service in the US Marine Corps had something to do with it. After Paksenarrion came Herris Serano and Esmay Suiza.

Highly recommended for Moon fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of military training and combat in a sword and sorcery setting.

-Arthur W. Jordin

enjoyable military fantasy.......2006-03-03

I bought the single bound trilogy and just finished reading the "Sheepfarmer's Daughter" portion. I must say it was thoroughly enjoyable. It was a nice change to read a fantasy novel where the main character didn't immediately march off on a dangerous quest upon which hinged all of civilization without so much as simply being asked to go.

This novel centers on a young woman who runs away to become a mercenary to escape being married off by her father. The reader follows her from basic training all the way through a major military campaign. What I enjoyed about the story is the patience Elizabeth Moon shows in merely hinting at what I suspect will surely become a much more important issue -- that is -- Paksenarrion's larger role in shaping events to come and some special guidance or protection that surrounds her. I look eagerly forward to starting on the second book to see where this leads.

I would like to note that I first came across Elizabeth Moon's science-fiction novels -- which are outstanding, by the way -- and had seen this trilogy mentioned on her website and here on Amazon. I must say I am glad I finally decided to give this story the chance it so richly deserves.

Average customer rating:

Sheepfarmer's Daughter
Elizabeth Moon
Manufacturer: Easton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000IFK4GW

Average customer rating:

Sheepfarmer's Daughter
Elizabeth Moon
Manufacturer: Baen Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000M7TA4S

Sheepfarmer's Daughter Collector's Edition

Average customer rating:

Sheepfarmer's Daughter Collector's Edition
ElizabethMoon
Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000M9FEY6

Product Description

Masterpieces of Fantasy bound in geniune leather

3 Book Set of "The Deed of Paksenarrion" [Fantasy]; Sheepfarmer's Daughter, Divided Allegiance, Oath of Gold

Average customer rating:

3 Book Set of "The Deed of Paksenarrion" [Fantasy]; Sheepfarmer's Daughter, Divided Allegiance, Oath of Gold
Elizabeth Moon
Manufacturer: Baen Books Fantasy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

Packed with an Astounding Amount of New and Never-Before-Collected Material.

Why are people born? Why do they die? Why do they want to spend so much of the intervening time wearing digital watches?

No one but Douglas Adams could have pared life’s meaning down to these three questions, and they remain as inspired and head-scratchingly clever today as they did twenty-five years ago when they appeared in the first edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Showcasing his quick wit, comic genius, and wide-ranging intelligence, Hitchhiker’s has become nothing less than a cult classic and cultural phenomenon.

To celebrate its quarter century and the extraordinary legacy of Adams, this gorgeously designed, mostly harmless deluxe edition gathers never-before-collected photographs, original artwork, memorabilia (from the strange to the sublime), and wisdom gleaned from a first read or first encounter as Douglas’s friends remember how the galaxy was forever changed a mere twenty-five years ago (not to mention the original text of the novel) into a one-of-a-kind Guide as stunning as two suns setting over Magrathea.

Whether you are well versed in the antics of Arthur Dent, a mild-mannered Earthman plucked from his planet seconds before it’s demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, and Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy posing as an out-of-work actor, or are hitching a ride for the first time, this is the book that has everything you’ll nee to know about anything.So please do not be alarmed. Definitely don’t panic. Just be sure to grab a towel.

Customer Reviews:

Absurd. Clever. Satirical. Quirky. And, sadly, just not as funny 17 years later........2007-01-02

There are books that you should read, re-read, and re-re-read. This, unfortunately, turned out not to be one of those books, at least for me.

When I first read this as a teenager, the whimsical English humor, sudden digressions, metafictional interruptions, and probing satirical questions kept me in stitches. This novel (such as it is), held together by a singular smart-assery, profoundly appealed to my own new found sense of adolescent rebellion. Coincidences, meaningful and otherwise, non sequiturs, and bureaucratic balderdash leavened the side-splitting dialogue and made it impossible to put down.

Alas, upon re-reading the novel at the conclusion of 2006, I was struck by how much of the writing didn't strike me anymore. To say that the plot of the book is thin would be a compliment, and to call the characters, well, characters, would be a stretch. Most of the jokes just weren't as funny this time around, and the few that did crack me up were tinged with the bittersweet recognition that they would never be groundbreaking again.

Because I read the 25th anniversary edition, perhaps it is fitting that it conjured up such mixed emotions. The author, Douglas Adams, had died three years before this edition was published, and so many of the extras in this volume involve tributes from luminaries like Terry Jones and Neil Gaiman. The introductory chapters are also chocked full of reproductions of flyers, book covers, and other such emphemera that will only be important to die-hard fans of the book, radio show, and/or movie.

Remember, though, that this review is just my opinion. Whatever you do, Don't Panic.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Deluxe 25th Anniversary Edition

Average customer rating:

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Deluxe 25th Anniversary Edition
Douglas Adams
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MU4MEI

Average customer rating:

Lovely book, but a few missed opportunities and odd choices

Beautiful little prayer book

Bread Of Life: Prayers For Eucharistic Adoration
Marie Paul Curley , and Madonna Therese Ratliff
Manufacturer: Pauline Books & Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound

Inspirational | Catholicism | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Prayerbooks | Worship & Devotion | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Communing With Jesus' Real Presence: Holy Communion Meditations and Eucharistic Adoration

Praying in the Presence of Our Lord : Prayers for Eucharistic Adoration

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Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Reasons to Believe: How to Understand, Explain, and Defend the Catholic Faith

ASIN: 081981167X

Customer Reviews:

Lovely book, but a few missed opportunities and odd choices.......2005-06-09

As a daily Mass attendee and daily visitor to our local adoration chapel, I was thrilled to discover this book. And, on the plus side, it is a beautifully-produced little volume. It is sturdy, attractive, nicely sized. And it does contain some lovely prayers and readings. However, some odd choices have unfortunately marred the usability of this book. First is the questionable decision to include a prayer by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a Jesuit priest whose writings received a monitum in 1962 (still in effect) for the ambiguities and grave doctrinal errors found in his somewhat pantheistic writings. The present volume does have an imprimatur, and the one prayer by Teilhard is relatively unobjectionable; however, it might lead readers to his other texts, which would be problematic. It is always surprising to me when the Paulines, who publish Papal encyclicals and whose charism is spreading Catholic truth via the media, make questionable choices such as this. Another problematic section of the book is the section called "Nourishing Our Lives: Prayers from the hearts of believers." this section contains prayers for specific needs, such as death of a spouse (that prayer is truly lovely), loss of a job, etc. Many of the prayers in this section are written in a language that is so specific that they will not apply to many who might wish to use them. For example, the prayer for "Facing A Difficult decision" begins "O God, would I love to get up from this kitchen table and shift into a different gear..." What if I am not a the kitchen table (which, if I am at Eucharistic Adoration, I am unlikely to be)? Some prayers are gven odd titles. For example, Psalm 49, which is so rich with many meanings and nuances, is bluntly titled "For A World Freed From Consumerism." I wish the promotional material I had read about this book made it clear that the three included hours of Eucharistic Adoration were arranged according to the Pauline method, which is a very particular format which does not resonate with me. Most of my complaints are personal stylistic issues, and many will love this book, but I was disappointed by these choices. Lastly, although the book is, as it states, designed for Eucharistic Adoration, it could have been made infinitely more usable if a section of prayers before and after Communion had been added. It would have continued the Eucharistic theme, and made it unnecessary to have a separate prayerbook for Mass.

Beautiful little prayer book.......2005-03-09

This is a wonderful book containing many prayers and prayer-starters. They are grouped in different categories:1) Prayer-Starters, 2) Listening to Love (Eucharistic Readings), 3) Kneeling Before Our God (Prayers of Adoration), 4) Delighting in His Presence (Prayers of Praise and Thanksgiving), 5) Encountering Merciful Love (Prayers for Conversion and Healing), 6) Drawing Near in Confidence (Petitions and Prayers for Personal Transformation), 7) Nourishing Our Lives (Prayers from the Hearts of Believers), 8) Interceding for the World (Prayers for Particular Needs), 9) Favorite Eucharistic Hymns, 10) Hours of Adoration.

This book contains many prayers and quotations from Scripture, but also many from other notable people and saints, such as Mother Teresa, St. Thomas Aquinas, John Henry Newman, St. Teresa of Avila, Pope John Paul II, etc.

There are prayers for specific needs, some examples are "Prayer After Miscarriage", "Prayer When a Parent Dies", "Prayer on the Loss of Employment", "Prayer Upon Diagnosis", "Prayer for Unity", "Prayer for Peace", "Prayer for Vocations", etc.

The language is poetic but modern in style, and most prayers speak to God quite confidingly and directly. The tone is quite accessible. There is something for everyone here, both traditional and modern prayers, and should be a great help to those who want to deepen their prayer life and honor the Lord through Eucharistic Adoration.

Average customer rating:

A Must For Expatriates!

Chef's Recipes and Cooking Tips

Don't Miss These Recipes!

What a great find!

Supper Swapping: Cook Four Days a Month with Chefs' and Restaurants' Easy Recipes
Susan Thacker
Manufacturer: Shenanigans 1-5-7
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Essays | Gastronomy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Cooking Among Friends: Meal Planning and Preparation Delightfully Simplified

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Super Suppers Cookbook

ASIN: 0975905201

Book Description

Cook Once a Week...
Live Low Carb...
Plan Bad Carbs...
Use Chef's Easiest Recipes...
Bond with a Friend...

In our book, you'll find simple recipes from restaurants and chefs across America. Recipes range from Coconut Soup (seven ingredients) from the famous Beach and Tennis Club, Pebble Beach to Black Bean Asparagus Salad (seven ingredients) from The Taste of Texas to Crab Cakes from Joe's Stone Crab in Florida.

You'll also see tips for swapping meals with a friend so you only have to cook once a week! Read interesting stories about ways other people in America trade meals. Learn more about the chefs behind the recipes and enjoy their interesting tips.

Last, you'll even find some simple, irresistible recipes when you plan to have a high carb, like Owner/Chef Wendy Jordan's version of peanut butter balls from top rated Rosemary's in Las Vegas.

Customer Reviews:

A Must For Expatriates!.......2006-06-21

As an expatriate family living in the Middle East, utilizing Susan Thacker's ideas in Supper Swapping with other expatriate families is a fantastic way of savoring meals indigenous from other parts of the world. For our family, swapping meals has led to experiencing foods from South Africa, Lebanon, Turkey, Malaysia, Iran and Scotland. What better way to share of one's culture than through food!

One of the numerous quotes from the book, "A recipe doesn't have to be hard to be good," by Executive Chef Kraig Thome, is a perfect statement in relation to Thacker's selection of recipes. She's put together a variety of recipes, with few (yet very tasty) ingredients, that are a delicious and healthy way to start sharing meals. Our personal favorites from Thacker's book are:

Amuse Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Blueberry Spinach Salad with Toasted Pecans and Blue Cheese
Thai Soong
Chicken with Cranberry Mustard Sauce
Grilled Flank Steak with Lime Garlic Mojo Sauce
Buttery Cilantro Ginger Sauce
Corn Spoonbread

Supper Swapping is an easy-to-read book that shares an interesting concept of supper swapping--how to get started, things to consider when swapping and how to make it work--along with extraordinary, simple, yet delicious recipes. Buy one for yourself and buy one for a friend...then start cooking and swapping!

Chef's Recipes and Cooking Tips.......2006-05-24

"Supper swapping is an arrangement to share dinner cooking responsibilities with a friend. You divide what you make and "swap" the extra portions with a friend who reciprocates. This works well whether you live alone or have a family." ~Susan Thacker

Susan Thacker asked restaurant owners and caterers for their simplest recipes and features each chef with their recipes throughout this intriguing novel sized cookbook. She doesn't believe in making 30 meals in a day and suggests fun ideas like lunch groups where people share a lunch at work.

The recipes are divided into main chapters:

Soups
Salads and Vinaigrettes
Vegetables and Side Dishes
Chicken
Beef and Pork
Fish, Shrimp and Crab
Bread
Desserts

"Cooking together, creating together, eating together...there's no better way to communicate." ~Executive Chef Steve Mannino

Recipes include:

Pumpkin Bisque
Champagne Vinaigrette
Arugula Salad with Lemon/Garlic Vinaigrette
Grilled Vegetable Gratin
Asparagus with Pistachios and Roasted Fennel Vinaigrette
Chicken Curry
Grilled Lemon Rosemary Chicken Salad
Pan Seared Sea Bass
Zucchini Bread
Sweet Tart Dough
Warm Chocolate Cake with Double Whiskey Cream

I don't know about you, but after reading this book I have been thinking..."why share?" These recipes sound so delicious. However, if you want to make your life easier, buying a friend a copy of this book sounds ideal. With recipes this interesting I think you may want to cook more than four days a month. This book is useful for supper swapping, but can also be used by anyone who loves gourmet food at home and enjoys reading
chef's cooking tips.

~The Rebecca Review

Don't Miss These Recipes!.......2006-04-29

I have made 4-5 of the recipes now from Thacker's book and have to say I have not found one that was anything less than excellent. Thacker explains the dinner swapping concept well, giving advice on the best way to get started, pitfalls to avoid, and even nutrition information for those trying to live a more low-carb lifestyle. The recipes are fantastic and the "Kid Tested" icon found at the bottom of recipes that tested as kid-favorites is a great concept.

If you are looking for gourmet tasting recipes, without the complexity, this is the book for you. Whether I end up swapping meals with a friend or not, I will make these recipes again and again.

What a great find!.......2005-02-21

Supper Swapping is fantastic! The recipes are quick, easy and delicious! I loved reading this book as it's well-written and witty too!

Average customer rating:
Kilim Rugs: Tribal Tales in Wool (Schiffer Book for Collectors and Designers)
Susan Gomersall , and Bruce M. Waters
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Rugs | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Antique Kilims of Anatolia

Oriental Carpets: A Complete Guide - The Classic Reference (Oriental Carpets)

Oriental Carpet Design: A Guide to Traditional Motifs, Patterns and Symbols

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Oriental Carpets: A Buyer's Guide

ASIN: 0764311581

Book Description

For those seeking inspiration from these striking, tribal rug designs and those who want to own them, this is the perfect guide. It's packed with 235 big, striking color photos, and simply presented as a guide for both would-be buyers and for rug owners seeking the story behind their precious finds. Buying a rug can be a traumatic experience. Author and rug dealer Susan Gomersall sets out to answer the questions you always wanted to ask a rug dealer, but felt too intimidated to do so. Each chapter tells one tribe's story: a little bit of their history, a little bit about their present-day circumstances, and descriptions of the rugs they weave. Both antique and modern rugs can be found in each chapter, and some indication of what these generally cost in a retail situation.

Book Description

The papers in this volume offer examples of how historians, writers, playwrights, and painters in the early modern period used ancient history as a rich field of raw material that could be used, recycled, and adapted to new needs and purposes. They focused on classical antiquity as a source from which they could recreate the past as a way of understanding and legitimizing the present. The contributors to this volume have addressed a number of important, common issues that span a wide range of subjects from fifteenth-century Italian painting to the teaching of Greek history in eighteenth-century Germany. This volume is of interest for historians of the early modern period from all disciplines and for all those interested in the reception of classical antiquity.

Book Description

“I want people to know there is more to life than what we can see—and it is not as far beyond our reach as we imagine. It is ordinary, everyday, here and now. And it is magical, a gift.”

Mia Dolan was twenty-two when she first heard a voice she could not explain. She had always considered herself to be a down-to-earth person and certainly never believed in psychic phenomena. But now that this voice had spoken to her, strange things began to happen: she “left” her body and walked through the house; she “saw” a plane crash in horrific detail, then witnessed the same scene on the news that evening. She thought she was going insane.

This was the beginning of Mia’s discovery that she had a rare psychic ability. Although she was tragically unable to help her brother, whose death she foresaw but could not prevent, Mia has dedicated her life to helping others with her power. She is now one of the world’s foremost psychics, connecting loved ones to those they have lost.

I Know Why We’re Here is the fascinating story of an ordinary woman’s extraordinary gift and an inspirational life lived with raw honesty, humor, and compassion.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting psychic awakening........2007-03-23

I read this book in a day. It was that absorbing. I was touched by Mia's challenges and impressed by her desire to help others. The stories of her awakening psychic life were fascinating and told in a way that was quite down to earth. I truly enjoyed this book.

Biography of a Reluctant Psychic.......2006-02-14

The title catches your eye, but Mia Dolan's lifelong struggles against poverty, abusive men, and family losses makes an interesting memoir even if the psychic parts were omitted. It details her efforts to survive verbal and physical abuse and to make a life for herself and her children and to overcome the circumstances and poor choices that try to drag her down.
Adding another dimension to this, is the awakening of her "gift" which enables her to help others. For those skeptical of anything they cannot see for themselves, this may seem too airy-fairy. For those with open minds, it's fascinating to see the development of Mia's psychic skills.
This book was published in Britain under the title, The Gift.

The title says more than I ever could!.......2005-11-10

This book called out to me at the library yesterday and I picked it up, not even knowing whether it was fiction or non-fiction, what it was about even. At home, I began reading it after lunch and ignored everything I had to do around the house as I turned page after page, totally enthralled by Mia's world. I ended up staying up until midnight to finish this wonderful book and wishing I had another book to start immediately! It was fantastic.

I Know Why We're Here: The True Story of an Ordinary Woman's Extraordinary Gift

Average customer rating:

Biography of a Psychic
PROOF OF ETERNAL LIFE
Un-put-downable!!
An Excellent Read

I Know Why We're Here: The True Story of an Ordinary Woman's Extraordinary Gift
Mia Dolan
Manufacturer: Harmony
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

New Age | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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The Gift

ASIN: 1400052165
Release Date: 2004-03-23

Book Description

"Why me?" I said aloud.
There was no answer, so I carried on.
"Why not pick on a nun, or someone really spiritual?"
The answer, when it came, was dry.
"Your guess," he said, "is as good as mine."

Mia Dolan was twenty-two when she first heard a voice she could not explain. She had always considered herself to be a down-to-earth person and certainly never believed in psychic phenomena. But now that this voice had spoken to Mia, strange things began to happen: she "left" her body and walked through the house; she "saw" a plane crash in horrific detail, then witnessed the same scene on the news that evening. She thought she was going insane.

Finally, Mia discovered that she had a rare psychic gift and learned how to control and use it. Though she realized that she could not cure grief, she decided to use her gift to connect loved ones to those they had lost. This power took on a new, deeply personal dimension when, a few years later, Mia tragically foresaw the murder of her own brother and had to endure the loss of her young son.

I Know Why We’re Here is the fascinating story of an ordinary woman’s extraordinary gift--an inspirational life lived with raw honesty, humor, and compassion.

Customer Reviews:

Biography of a Psychic.......2006-02-14

PROOF OF ETERNAL LIFE.......2004-11-06

I believe the title is misdirected and should be what I have captioned this review. There was nothing I could discover of explaining why we're here. Nevertheless, this is a fine book that does reassure us of an afterlife from an author who has had more than her share of life problems and heartache. Some of it was brought about by herself, such as allowing her husband to almost kill her more than once and not leave him 'til around 15 years had passed. This is an autobiography and most interesting indeed. She talks of events that happened to her and of her realization that she could communicate with the other side of life and how she has helped others for many years now. A good read!

Un-put-downable!!.......2004-06-04

I read this in one late-night sitting. What a life!!! I was fascinated by the subject, in turns horrified by the terrible trials of the author, uplifted by her resilience and humour, moved to tears at her ability to forgive her old abuser. Her handling of the deaths of her brother and son give hope. A great book that I plan to buy for at least three friends who are either interested in the subject or struggling with grief. I highly recommend it!

An Excellent Read.......2004-05-31

I loved this book - found it very personal and convinving about psychic ability and how it feels to suddenly receive this unusual "gift." Mia Dolan's insights into why we are here and how much influence we can have are thought-provoking and offered with simplicity and no preachiness. Her final words, that "we learn through suffering" are consoling to those who always wonder why life can be so difficult. Readers will wish for a little psychic ability after reading this book.

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