Two Yankees in Georgia: A True Tale of Whaling, War and Survival in the 1800s

Book Description

Blinded as a child, he invented the raised dot system for reading and writing. Numbers and the alphabet in Braille included.

Customer Reviews:

Includes a "braille" page.......2004-03-25

3/24/04 author David A Adler biography of Louis Braille is written and illustrated in a way that it will appeal more to children around 6 or 7 ,due to the illustrations(the illustrations are very warm and very colorful and a little less reflective of realism).. The book also concludes with "an important dates" page as well as a full "braille page" with embossed dots.

provides a respectable understanding for visual impairment.......2000-05-15

This illustrated children's book gives children an idea of how Braille was first invented. A story of Louis Braille is told, and it shows his triumphs. The book itself doesn't use braille, but a sample alphabet is given in the back to show children who have no experience with it what it's like. For educators, this book would be an asset to the elementary classroom because young children need to be informed and aware of blindness as an exceptionality.

Average customer rating:
Making Peace With Food-Freeing Yourself From the Diet Weight Obsession.
Susan. Kano
Manufacturer: Harper & Row
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S65Z88

Average customer rating:

Dessert Bible

Great Book

AWFUL!

Another winner from the Cook's Illustrated kitchens...

The Curious Baker

The Dessert Bible
Christopher Kimball
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Desserts | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Reference | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Cook's Bible

The Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook

The Kitchen Detective: A Culinary Sleuth Solves Common Cooking Mysteries With 150 Foolproof Recipes

The All-American Dessert Book

Baking Illustrated: A Best Recipe Classic (The Best Recipe Series)

ASIN: 0316496987

Amazon.com

The best part of The Dessert Bible is not the recipes--although they are wonderful--it's that Kimball, the founder and editor of Cook's Illustrated, shares his discovery process. You feel as though you are standing right next to him in his kitchen while he puzzles out the best lemon bar recipe. How do you make a bar that's zippy but not too sweet? How far should a Fallen Chocolate Cake fall? Can you substitute nondairy creamer in Crème Anglaise? (A resounding no!) Step by step, Kimball walks you through his experimentations, sharing both the triumphs and the failures. Cornstarch may beautifully thicken your lemon curd but it'll taste metallic. Each recipe is fronted by several paragraphs or pages of Kimball's baking process. He tells you which ingredients he tried and what happened. After each recipe are variations and a section called "What Can Go Wrong?" that points out common mistakes and misconceptions. The Dessert Bible covers cookies; brownies and bars; cakes, frostings, and glazes; brioche and fritters; pies, tarts, and fruit desserts; soufflés, puddings, and custards; frozen desserts; and restaurant desserts to make at home. In addition, several chapters offer tips and techniques on baking, baking sheets and pans, utensils, and kitchen appliances. "If The Dessert Bible provides you with a solid knowledge of dessert making," says Kimball, "you will gain the confidence to think for yourself in the kitchen, balancing a healthy mistrust of recipes (even mine) with enough common sense to rely on your own experience." --Dana Van Nest

Book Description

The best part of The Dessert Bible is not the recipes--although they are wonderful--it's that Kimball, the founder and editor of Cook's Illustrated, shares his discovery process. You feel as though you are standing right next to him in his kitchen while he puzzles out the best lemon bar recipe. How do you make a bar that's zippy but not too sweet? How far should a Fallen Chocolate Cake fall? Can you substitute nondairy creamer in Cr+me Anglaise? (A resounding no!) Step by step, Kimball walks you through his experimentations, sharing both the triumphs and the failures. Cornstarch may beautifully thicken your lemon curd but it'll taste metallic. Each recipe is fronted by several paragraphs or pages of Kimball's baking process. He tells you which ingredients he tried and what happened. After each recipe are variations and a section called "What Can Go Wrong?" that points out common mistakes and misconceptions. The Dessert Bible covers cookies; brownies and bars; cakes, frostings, and glazes; brioche and fritters; pies, tarts, and fruit desserts; souffl+s, puddings, and custards; frozen desserts; and restaurant desserts to make at home. In addition, several chapters offer tips and techniques on baking, baking sheets and pans, utensils, and kitchen appliances. "If The Dessert Bible provides you with a solid knowledge of dessert making," says Kimball, "you will gain the confidence to think for yourself in the kitchen, balancing a healthy mistrust of recipes (even mine) with enough common sense to rely on your own experience." --Dana Van Nest

Customer Reviews:

Dessert Bible.......2007-06-10

Gives you all the 'why things flop, or are a success' I should have read the description more carefully. Prefer a cookbook geared toward more recipes than the how to's & what products work best to make the best desserts.

Great Book.......2005-09-20

Seriously, I had to write this review because of all the people who gave it such a low rating. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. Ok there may be a few things wrong with the book. I wouldn't mind a few pictures here and there. However, to say that the whole book is terrible is a bit extreme. I have a bunch of cookbooks and this is the one I continually go back to to compare recipes. I sold baked good at a farmers market and his Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies got rave reviews. He also gives so many options on a way to change a recipe. Like his cheescake. He gives you a way to light it up or make a dense one. He troublshoots each recipe in case something did go wrong. Very good book.

AWFUL!.......2005-08-17

In a quest to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie, I followed this recipe with enthusiasm and excitement. When I served them, the expression on everybody's face was more than I needed to know, they were absolutely the most disgusting chocolate chip cookies I had ever tasted! Not only did the batches of cookies go in the garbage, so did the book.

Another winner from the Cook's Illustrated kitchens..........2004-04-27

I've said before that the gang at Cook's demonstrate the nicest, most useful possible deployment of mass obsessive-compulsive disorder, and here's another user-friendly manual for the home cook. If you follow these instructions as written, barring acts of G-d, you simply can't go wrong.

That said, some Amazon reviewers have asked others to give the positive and the negative aspects of cookbooks, rather than an unqualified rave or boo. Okay. Some of these recipes also appear in Kimball's "The Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook," but without quite as much detail. You might not care what the addition of corn syrup, light brown sugar, or for that matter, iron filings (I'm joking), will make to your pecan pie. However, the charts are a great way to acquire kitchen wisdom without suffering the failures that go along with experimenting.

Even old hands in the kitchen will learn new tricks. Only recently did Kimball confirm for me how important the specified temperature of butter before mixing is to the successful outcome of cake batters. And he can barely contain his excitement when his "silly" method of adding flour to a batter turned out to be the best way of all.

Kimball is not particularly interested in low-fat or even lower-fat recipes. He appears to burn off calories with the efficiency of a Bessemer converter, but that's not true of most of us. Using heavy cream or half-and-half in a simple vanilla pudding is too rich for my palate, and whole milk is plenty good. He gives offhand permission to substitute regular milk. The reader should realize that in some recipes--a delicate cake or pastry--deviation is treason. However, I'd like to see Kimball suggest a few more workable options than he does, especially for dairy-free baking.

Other Amazon reviewers appear dismayed at all of the equipment called for by some very comprehensive cookbooks, including Kimball's. Allow me to say that you should begin comfortably from where you are and what you can afford, without apology. I baked quite well long before I owned a standing mixer, food processor, blender, high-quality knives and an electric sharpener, or a bread machine (which I use exclusively for mixing yeast doughs). Even the low-budget, low-tech cook can bake with fresh flour, butter, oil, nuts (taste them first!), and can spring for such not-too-costly niceties as parchment paper (which can be washed, dried, and reused), a balloon whisk, and an instant-reading thermometer. A pound bag of yeast costs far less per recipe than using individual packets, and it keeps well in the freezer for a year. A bench knife, or dough cutter, costs about five bucks and allows sticky dough to be scraped off the counter, folded over, and kneaded without adding too much flour. And yes, Mr. Kimball, I HAVE made perfect brioche by hand that way!

The Curious Baker.......2003-10-16

This is one of the most interesting cookbooks I have ever read. There is much here to criticize, but there is much more to admire. All things considered, this book is a valuable addition to your bookshelf.

The main problem here is the title of the book. It should be called a Baking Bible, because it covers all the major areas of baking, including cakes, pies, cookies, custards, frosting, tarts, soufflés, puddings, and ice cream. The word "dessert" I do not think conveys the proper comprehensiveness of this cookbook.

Another rather irritating problem is that the recipes are unusually finicky. They have more steps and are more involved than most other recipes. There are extra instructions and steps you usually will not find elsewhere. The author also adjusts standard recipes to suit his own tastes. For example, he often cuts back the amount of sugar, but when I do them, I have to add the sugar back to get the "right" taste. He likes chewy brownies, but when I did the recipe, the texture sort of reminded me of that colored modeling clay we played with when we were kids. So, when you do one of the recipes, make sure you read the header information so you know what he is changing and why. Also, since he is fiddling around with standard recipes, some of them no longer, strictly speaking, qualify for the classic definitions. The frozen lemon soufflé, for example, belongs in the chapter with the Bavarian cream (since that is what it is, regardless of the name).

On the other hand, your chance of success when doing any of the recipes is very high. The author has a good feel for what works and what does not, and also what the average home cook is and is not capable of. Note that some of the recipes are difficult, and have some touchy steps; however, he always clearly notes these steps. Of more importance, he clearly indicates how to tell when something is done and ready to be taken off the stove or out of the oven (you cannot cook by the clock); this by itself is worth the price of admission. My personal pet peeve about cookbooks in general is that the soufflé recipes usually do not work; the author does an admirable job of demystifying the process. All this makes for recipes that are very long and have a lot of explanatory material, which can be daunting to the average home cook.

The most interesting feature of this book is the extensive recipe testing that the author documents. Have you ever wondered what would happen to various recipes if you change the amounts or type of ingredients? How about trying to improve a specific recipe? The author has done all things, and you can read about them. For most recipes, there is an accompanying essay about the search for the proper recipe. This gives the amateur chef plenty of grist for the mill. Whenever I need a recipe, I usually reach for this book first. It is the most used book of my cookbook collection, because I know that the recipes work as specified by the author. It is also an excellent learning tool. When I need to know something (for example, why my pot de crème recipe from another cookbook did not work), this is the book I reach for. Besides: the material relating to the author's tests are extremely interesting and fun to read about; this is one of my favorite cookbooks.

Average customer rating:

Will teach you a lot

Why is this out of print?!?!

The classic cookbook: The best of American home cooking : together in one volume, The cook's bible and The dessert bible
Christopher Kimball
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0316614343

Customer Reviews:

Will teach you a lot.......2006-12-07

This book is great! It doesn't have the insane range of traditional recipes of so many general books, but it will teach you very good ways to cook almost any kind of food. More importantly, it'll teach you how to get good results every time, and it'll tell you why recipes work or don't work so you'll be able to modify them to suit.

The first half of the book is general purpose and the second half is all about desserts. It's a bit of an odd balance, but it works. The dessert section is extremely effective. Baking is hard to get right, but Kimball explained everything so well that my first attempt at sugar cookies were a success.

The only negatives about this is that it's a compilation of two books, and therefore the tables of content and indexes are split. Also, the chapter divisions in the Cook's Bible are a bit strange, but since things are indexed so well it's not a barrier to use.

It's a tragedy this is out of print. I got my copy on the discount table and didn't realize what a lucky find I'd made at first, but it was one of the few books that were a must to find when I got divorced, because neither I nor my wife would part with it.

Why is this out of print?!?!.......2005-10-24

This is truly one of the best books I own. I get rave reviews from the cookie recipes, the pie crusts, the breads (I love to bake), and the best part is, he explains WHY certain things are added and used. He's already tweaked the recipes we've used for years, so they need little tweaking for ultimate perfection -- a must have if you can find it.

Average customer rating:

My daughter's FAVORITE !!!
Glucose: Not so hard to find.
Worst choIcolate pecan pie on the planet
A Visual Delight!
Chocolate Heaven

The Chocolate Bible
Christian Teubner , Karl Schumacher , Leopold Forsthofer , Silvio Rizzi , Edkart Witzigmann , and Schonf
Manufacturer: Studio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Chocolate | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Desserts | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Food Science | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0670873713

Amazon.com

Okay, we know you only read The Chocolate Bible for the articles, but will your friends believe you? After all, this stunning book is so overflowing with luscious photographs of chocolate in all its delectable varieties, shapes, and forms that it's hard to believe one could get any reading done under the circumstances. Still, if you can tear your eyes away from the illustrations, the text in this beautiful reference work is well worth perusing. From the history of chocolate in the first chapter to the recipes featuring a savory rather than sweet version of the bean in the last, The Chocolate Bible lives up to its name as the definitive resource.

Consider unusual dishes such as Noodles with Chocolate or Mexico's wondrous combination of chiles and chocolate to make Mole sauce; how about a recipe for modeling chocolate--a substance you're meant to play with, not eat--The Chocolate Bible has them all. Recipes for macaroons and tortes, wafers and candies, cakes, fillings, and beverages are at the heart of the book, but even if you never attempt a single one, you'll still get hours of pleasure just leafing through the pages--reading the articles, of course.

Book Description

The Chocolate Bible explores the history of cocoa and making chocolate as well as a selection of recipes for chocolate candies, desserts, drinks, and some unusual main courses. You can indulge your passion for chocolate with this visually amazing and comprehensive book.

Customer Reviews:

My daughter's FAVORITE !!!.......2005-04-03

I've been mailing a cookbook to my daughter about once a month.....sort of like "Christmas around the year" to avoid the terrible rush in December. I ordered this from Amazon.com and had it shipped directly to California without seeing it myself, so I was a little apprehensive about the quality and content. I was thrilled to learn that this is now my daughter's F-A-V-O-R-I-T-E cookbook. (She called me, raving about it!) She has already made the "cover cake" which took a lot of time but was not too difficult for a non-professional cook. The book is filled with beautiful photos and incredible recipes.

Glucose: Not so hard to find........2002-12-18

I just purchased this book. I find it excellent. Although I am a professional chef I think this book is very user friendly for the home cook. An earlier reviewer said they couldn't find glucose syrup. You can buy it in most super markets they just call it corn syrup. Use the white variety if available. It's also good for making sponge toffee.

Worst choIcolate pecan pie on the planet.......2002-04-16

I just finished tearing out the pages of this worthless book and sending them to recycling, while throwing the binder into the trash compactor with the dreadful chocolate pecan pie it spawned. Never have I seen such a degradation of Valrohna chocolate, Normandy butter, free range eggs and a great deal of time. What a dreadful, dry, disgustging mess this recipie is! Do not waste your time on it.

A Visual Delight!.......2001-12-12

What a treasure of a book. Not only visually delightful it is very educational as well. Makes you drool just seeing it on the table, thus it is dangerous to diets.

Chocolate Heaven.......2001-03-18

My job is to sell chocolate - when it comes to finding a decent book on the subject, nobody knows the truffles I've seen. This book will be a gift to many of my customers who want to create decadent desserts as well as know some of the basics around chocolate and cocoa.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Read!.......2000-04-06

Most people immediately think about dogs when the word "hero" is applied to our four-legged friends. However, cat lovers world-wide know better - that cats have wonderful life-saving experiences under their belt as well.

These are great stories about fabulous felines who risked their lives to save not only their own kittens and other animal friends, but fought diligently to alert and rescue humans from grave injuries and possible death...and sometimes, giving up their own life for their heroic rescue efforts.

A Touching Tribute.......2000-03-30

These "true stories of daring feline deeds" are a touching tribute to the many cats who have risked and lost their lives aiding both other animals and humans in life-or-death situations. A heartfelt collection of deeply moving, inspirational stories that will surely cause the reader to view cats in an much more appreciative light than ever experienced before.

Customer Reviews:

A Compliment to any Woodworker's Library.......2005-04-25

I bought this book to learn about dining table construction.
The instructions are clear and concise and includes ALL the steps required to make 9 tables.
Kim Carleton Graves is obviously a very good teacher and it really comes across in this book.
I found this book a great learning aid and I'm sure I will refer to it time and time again.
Please publish a book on chairs.

Just what you need if your going to build a dining table.......2005-01-04

Dining room tables are different in complexity than smaller tables, so its apropos that Taunton chose to put these tables in a separate book from their Tables book. I have both, and have built projects out of both. The Dining Table book deals has a nice layout and design section in the beginning where it describes the minimum and ideal dimensions for tables built for certain numbers of people.

The book contains a nice selections of projects, including a trestle table (pictured on the front cover), a shaker style kitchen table (which I built), various expandable tables, and a boat table constructed using a torsion box.

I would also recommend reading the Tables book by Taunton, as it has a dining room table designed by Frank Klausz which is awesome.

A true tutorial from the best in the business.......2004-12-16

Anyone interested in making any kind of a table should get this book. This book covers it all. There are so many things you think you know but are not aware of. This book shows how to design and make tables with ease. I read it and went on to make a table. This is a must for every woodworker.

Great Book , Great Authors.......2003-04-29

Taunton puts out great books with great authors, this book is no different. Great layout and information.
I can't add much to what was already stated in the earlier reviews except that Kim Carleton Graves was easy to contact through email. He responded quickly, professionally and was very informative.
In summary, buy the book you wont be disappointed.

Everything I Expected, and More!.......2002-11-14

I bought this book looking for a design I could use for a dining room table. What I found was not only a design that I loved, but clear step-by-step instructions, drawings, and great photographs. The section on table building basics which covers table size and clearance, wood movement, and torsion box construction was extremely informative.

Tables: Outstanding Projects from America's Best Craftsmen (Projects Book)

Average customer rating:

Misleading Intro
Great projects
Want to build a table? Buy this book!

Tables: Outstanding Projects from America's Best Craftsmen (Projects Book)
Anthony Guidice
Manufacturer: Taunton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Design & Construction | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Furniture | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1561583421
Release Date: 2000-10-01

Book Description

As a type of project, tables have perhaps the broadest appeal of any piece of furniture because they are relatively simple to build. From a professional woodworker, here are ten projects - from simple bedside tables to more involved drop-leaf tables - fully illustrated and explained with 124 color photos and 79 B&W illustrations. A chapter is also devoted to general construction strategies.

Customer Reviews:

Misleading Intro.......2005-09-14

I expect this to be a very useful book...and I look forward to trying a few of the projects. However, right from the start I find some misleading disappointments.

From the Intro chapter I quote: "If you own a table saw and a few fundamental hand tools, you'll do just fine." And then the very first project calls for a router, drill press, band or jig saw and a lathe. Sorry, but most medium-equipped work shops don't include a lathe.

Also, the Intro chapter presents five examples of "typical trestle tables" yet only the last project is in the trestle style, and it appears rather difficult...again calling for a lathe.

How about some honesty in the Intro section...as presented in the "Search Inside" found on the web page?

Great projects.......2004-01-10

I'm a big fan of Thomas Moser, although I think his furniture is priced a little over my league. So I thought I could make some pieces similar to his to replace the junky stuff I bought when I first got out of college. I bought this book because I liked the basic Shaker projects and I wanted to adapt them to my needs. This book is instructive in a generic sense (although I wish there would be a little more theory on chosing lumber, dimensioning the aprons and joinery, and building table tops) and it also has soom good projects, particularly in the Shaker style, although there are some contemporary and Craftsman style pieces as well.

I built the two variations of the table on the front cover. The first one I built with a drawer and finished it with Tried and True Oil Varnish. The second one I built without a drawer, shortened the aprons and finished with polyurethane. One thing he suggests is that you take your time when gluing up the legs and aprons to make sure that they are square. When I built the first table I measured for squareness then applied more pressure on the clamps. Being green to table building, I did not realize that this would throw off the squareness. It did, and by the time I realized it the glue was set. The moral of the story: the next time I used slow-setting white glue and took my time after the clamps were applied to meticulously test for squareness.

His best advice in the book is to not stain cherry, which I totally agree with. Cherry darkens nicely with age, so oil or polyurethane make it look very nice.

Want to build a table? Buy this book!.......2001-08-01

This book contains lots of information about building tables. There are several detailed plans, and not of just one style either. There are Shaker, Arts & Crafts and more styles. Small end tables, dining tables, ovals and glass topped tables.

As with most information from Taunton, it is very thorough. At the begining of the book is a section on the different ways to connect a table top to the base, and when you would want to use each.

Different methods are discribed in making the tables, and as usual for Taunton, there is a lot of hand tool usage.

Average customer rating:
Key to the families of flowering plants of the world
J Hutchinson
Manufacturer: Clarendon P
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Plants | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006BSS34

Average customer rating:
KEY TO THE FAMILIES OF FLOWERING PLANTS OF THE WORLD REVISED AND ENLARGED FOR USE AS A SUPPLAMENT TO THE GENERA OF FLOWERING PLANTS

Manufacturer: Clarendon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IB855I

Average customer rating:
KEY TO THE FAMILIES OF FLOWERING PLANTS OF THE WORLD, REVISED AND ENLARGED FOR USE AS A SUPPLEMENT TO THE GENERA OF FLOWERING PLANTS.
J. Hutchinson
Manufacturer: Clarendon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WH4CB4

Average customer rating:

Outstanding; the ideal treatment of a sensitive subject

So thankful for this book

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Natural Approach
Rosemary Nicol
Manufacturer: ULYSSES PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Holistic | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Irritable Bowel Syndrome | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Abdominal | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Diseases | Medicine | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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Accessories:

Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)

RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device

Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 1569751889

Book Description

Traditional medicine offers no cure for the extremely common irritable bowel syndrome. Author Rosemary Nicol shows how it can be dealt with by addressing the causes: diet and stress. In Irritable Bowel Syndrome, she analyzes the factors that may precipitate the syndrome and helps readers find creative solutions through dietary alternatives and methods for controlling stress.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding; the ideal treatment of a sensitive subject.......2001-03-31

No need to feel embarrassed: everybody suffers from IBS from time to time. I was looking for a book that would offer more than a study guide to the digestive system combined with an encyclopedia on dietary measures, and I wound up more pleased than ever! Author Rosemary Nicol's diverse handling of everything from symptoms (both physical and emotional) of IBS and similar ailments, to stress management, antidotes and diet is absolutely impressive.

I'm not sure what her background is, but Ms. Nicol's writing exhibits thoughtful, intelligent and especially sensitive insight in discussing IBS from the perspectives of biology, psychology, and personality. Then, she elaborates on a range of antidotes too numerous to detail in this space. The one thing that will forever stand out in my mind after reading this book is the absolutely outstanding sensitivity with which the author discusses the psychological and emotional aspects linked to IBS. Her writing is simple and personable, and she doesn't talk down to the reader by throwing in tons of technical terms. The section on diet is very good, but the greatest comfort comes from someone who knows how you feel, and who looks at every angle imaginable in helping you find solutions to this bothersome condition. I give this my highest recommendation.

So thankful for this book.......2000-03-27

This book has given me hope that there is relief from my IBS. It explains this condition in a way anyone can understand. I discovered things that might be contributing to my symptoms that I had no idea were even remotely related to IBS. It gives a comprehensive overview of the many treatments available, focusing on the natural and homeopathic. I have begun implementing many of the dietary and lifestyle changes covered in this book and look forward to feeling better. I am already feeling better, knowing that I am taking a proactive role in regards to my health. This book has given me the motivation and knowledge to take control of my own health and life again.

Book Description

The first nonfiction work by acclaimed novelist Julia Alvarez--twenty-four personal essays on the experience of immigration and the writing life

The rich and revealing essays in Something to Declare offer Julia Alvarez's dual meditations on coming to America and becoming a writer. In the first section, "Customs," Alvarez relates how she and her family fled the Dominican Republic and its oppressive dictator, Rafael Trujillo, settling in New York City in the 1960s. Here Julia begins a love affair with the English language under the tutelage of the aptly named Sister Maria Generosa. Part Two--"Declarations"--celebrates Alvarez's enduring passion for the writing life. From the valentine to mythic storyteller Scheherazade that is "First Muse," to a description of Alvarez's itinerant life as a struggling poet, teacher, and writer in "Have Typewriter, Will Travel," to the sage and witty advice of "Ten of My Writing Commandments," Alvarez generously shares her influences and inspirations with aspiring writers everywhere.

"Reading Julia Alvarez's new collection of essays is like curling up with a glass of wine in one hand and the phone in the other, listening to a big-hearted, wisecracking friend share hard-earned wisdom about family, identity, and the art of writing."--People

Customer Reviews:

beautiful and inspiring............2005-07-24

I am a great fan of Julia Alvarez's writing, and am also greatly appreciative of her strength of character as an inspirational Latina writer. Many of you may be familiar with her books "In the Time of Butterflies" and "How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents." In this book, we get a better sense of Julia Alvarez, the woman, the writer, the artist and (in her words) a "hyphenated American." (i.e, Dominican-American) These twenty-four essays offer a glimpse into her life, and what inspired her to persue writing. Alvarez had a lot of great material from her childhood, growing up the daughter of a revolutionary who was part of the opposition against Trujillo, the former dictator of the Dominican Republic. Julia also possessed a great wit and imagination, throughout her academic and personal life.

We are so honored that this great woman decided to convey her thoughts and stories through writing. This is definitely her true talent. What a true inspiration for all aspiring writers (Latina and otherwise). This book is engaging, warmly accessible and insightful. Highly reccomended!

At last! Nonfiction from Alvarez!.......2003-08-18

Alvarez has mined deeply into her childhood in Dominican Republic and her family's flight from Trujillo to Queens, NY, as sources for her lyrical fiction and poetry. At last she launches herself into nonfiction, and the result is Something to Declare. The book is a collection of 24 autobiographical essays focused on her life and her personal writing process. The first part chronicles her girlhood in DR, surrounded with a rich and varied cast of characters comprised of her huge family, the servants, her classmates and nursemaids. It ends with her family's escape to America and documents the beginning of the difficult assimilation process.
In the second part of Something to Declare, Alvarez talks about her writing process, the difficulty balancing a writing life with teaching and her "real life," and concludes with her Ten Commandments for writing, a poster of which hangs above my computer.
This book is a gift from Julia Alvarez to her many fans, and we thank her for it.

Take time to visit with Alvarez.......2001-02-26

Ever since reading In the Time of the Butterflies, I have been convinced that Julia Alvarez was a gifted writer. This collection of her essays was purchased for our library to add to our creative writing teacher's curricular tools. I couldn't resist being the first to sample same. Alvarez has a way of talking to the reader that makes her essays ever so readable. I especially love the personal illuminations of her family in the Dominican Republic and in the states. What a fascinating immigrant story! One of my favorite essays is "Chasing the Butterfies" which put chills on me as I recalled the power in her novel that made me into her fan. I am not surprised that she is connected to the Bread Loaf writers. What quality comes from that group! I was a late-in-life discoverer of writers outside of the CANON, but I never again shall believe that only the canon has quality. The multicultural writers that I have discovered since 1992 as a member of the NEH sponsored Common Ground at the University of Houston, have enriched my life and the lives of my students. Any would be writer should read these Alvarez revelations. Being able to come and go from the entries makes the work so very user friendly. Brava, Julia!

Great straight thoughts about the bi-cultural experience.......1999-09-18

In Something to Declare Julia Alvarez give us rich insights into the process of being a writer and living the full but difficult life of a bi-cultural citizen. Her book helped me a lot to understand my dual citizenship, but also it helped me to deal with the voices that fill my mind in at least two languages. A must for anyone who enjoys ethnic literature, or emmigrant fiction.

A marvelous chat with a fantastic author........1999-06-28

Julia Alvarez lets readers into her thoughts and imagination with a wonderfully readable collection of essays in "Something to Declare".

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Personal Francophilia
Not What the Title Promises, and Often Excruciating
Not What I Expected but Brilliant
A wonderful collection of pieces
It's not about France

Something to Declare: Essays on France
Julian Barnes
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375415130
Release Date: 2002-10-01

Book Description

Julian Barnes's long and passionate relationship with la belle France began more than forty years ago, and in these essays on the country and the culture he combines a keen appreciation, a seemingly infinite sphere of reference, and prose as stylish as classic haute couture.

Barnes's vision of France-"The Land Without Brussels Sprouts"-embraces its vanishing peasantry; its vanished hyper-literate pop singers, Georges Brassens, Boris Vian, and Jacques Brel ("[he] sang at the world as if it… could be saved from its follies and brutalities by his vocal embrace"); and the gleeful iconoclasm of its nouvelle vague cinema ("'The Underpass in Modern French Film' is a thesis waiting to be written").

He describes the elegant tour of France that Henry James and Edith Wharton made in 1907, and the orgy of drugs and suffering of the Tour de France in our own time. An unparalleled connoisseur of French writing and writers, Barnes gives us his thoughts on the prolific and priapic Simenon, on Sand, Baudelaire, and Mallarmé ("If literature is a spectrum, and Hugo hogs the rainbow, then Mallarmé is working in ultra-violet").

In several dazzling excursions into the prickly genius of Flaubert, Barnes discusses his letters; his lover Louise Colet; and his biographers (Sartre's The Family Idiot, "an intense, unfinished, three-volume growl at Flaubert, is mad, of course"). He delves into Flaubert's friendship with Turgenev; looks at the "faithful betrayal" of Claude Chabrol's film version of Madame Bovary; and reveals the importance of the pharmacist's assistant, the most major minor character in Flaubert's great novel: "if Madame Bovary were a mansion, Justin would be the handle to the back door; but great architects have the design of door-furniture in mind even as they lay out the west wing."

For lovers of France and all things French-and of Julian Barnes's singular wit and intelligence-Something to Declare is an unadulterated joy to read.

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Personal Francophilia.......2006-05-22

Julian Barnes is probably the British writer most associated with French influence over his literature. Most of his novels are influenced by France in one way or another, especially his acclaimed 1984 masterpiece, Flaubert's Parrot.

In the introduction to these essays, Barnes traces his personal affiliation with France. From nervous childhood holidays with his parents, to his immersion in French language and culture while studying Languages at Oxford, ending with a 1997 trip across the Channel to deliver the ashes of his parents. He cheerfully admits a bias towards French culture over his native Anglo-Saxon and this fact permeates the essays here.

The first part of the book features a range of essays on obscure French singers, the film director Francois Truffaut, Elizabeth David's cookery writing and, best of all, a lenghty piece on drug taking in the Tour de France.

In the second half of the book, the emphasis shifts to Flaubert, Barnes's self professed literary idol. The essays span the full range of Flaubert's life and his associations: his biographers, his mistresses, his relationship with other writers and film versions of Madame Bovary. Flaubert was given extensive fictional treatment in 'Flaubert's Parrot' and these pieces perhaps read like a reworking of the research notes for that novel.

Unlike most wannabe British continentals who think that to become au fait with European Culture one just has to eat at The River Cafe and take the occasional jaunt to Paris or Rome, Barnes has clearly read many pages of French literature and watched many metres of film. His depth and range of knowledge is impressive and the style is (as with all Barnes's writings) erudite, crisp and piercingly intelligent.

Not What the Title Promises, and Often Excruciating.......2004-08-10

The title of this book, as you can see, is "Something To Declare: Essays on France and French Culture." The blurbs on the back of my trade paperback version enthusiastically support this title. However, only a quarter of the pages of this book are devoted to a discussion of "France and French culture." The rest are spent on the very specific topics of particular French artists and authors, most particularly Flaubert and things related to Flaubert. Given that artists and authors often make a point of setting themselves apart from their cultural milieu (especially most if not all of the ones Barnes writes about) and are often, at a minimum, a bit out of touch with the reality of the world around them, writings on these folks can hardly be deemed to reflect "French culture," as promised by the title. Barnes is, of course, perfectly entitled to publish a book composed of these elements; however, it would be nice if the title and blurbs made it clearer that that is what he is doing, for those of us poor unenlightened souls who do not go into a swoon every time we see or hear the name Flaubert -- for those of us who, in fact, would be perfectly happy for the rest of our lives if we could avoid anything more than infrequent passing references to Flaubert. Simply put, the title does not fairly represent the major part of what is in the book. If you are looking for a book on France and French culture, you can do much, much better with your reading time and money. Moreover, the essays that are not general in nature assume an intimate, detailed knowledge of Flaubert and his writing. If you do not have such an intimate, ready-at-your-fingertips, working knowledge, you will often not know what Barnes is referring to and will consequently have no hope of understanding the point he is trying to make, even if you hang in there and read the whole thing, as I did. These essays are intended for an audience of initiates; reading them in a book like this that purports to address a much more general topic will just leave you feeling like an outsider to the club. Oh, and it will be even worse for you if you fail to hold the belief that "Madame Bovary" is worth intense worship as one of the greatest things to ever have come along, both before and after the advent of sliced bread.

Not What I Expected but Brilliant.......2003-01-29

Firstly, I did not gather all this book had to offer, as I do not have the knowledge that Mr. Barnes requires regarding French popular music of decades ago, including Georges Brassens, Boris Vian and Jacques Brel, and other topics that can only be fully appreciated if you have previous knowledge of them. Another example is his detailed discussion of French Cinema, again, hard to appreciate fully without prior and extensive knowledge. As a testament to his writing skill and style, these barriers did not keep me from reading every bit of this book. Unfortunately I had to read many parts as a novice, but his talent as a writer makes that effort an easy one to make.

There are many essays that will appeal to a wide audience, Edith Wharton, the Tour de France, Henry James, and his discourses on the writers George Sand, Victor Hugo, Stephane Mallarme, and Ivan Turgenev. No book such as this by Mr. Barnes would even be contemplated without a large portion being devoted to Gustave Flaubert, his friends, his actions, and the world he lived in and created. Flaubert is the basis for Mr. Barnes to explore the role of biography, the selective use of historical fact, personal papers, and the revisionist methods that can be employed when even identical source material is used to document the same individual. When Mr. Barnes makes an appearance in the book it is a picture of him standing by the final resting place of his much loved topic, the final resting place of Flaubert.

The topics I mention are not even close to an exhaustive list of the material that is covered. I have read virtually all of the books and essays that Mr. Barnes has published, and this book is decidedly unique. The book falls short of 300 pages only because the author chose to keep it dense. A slightly more verbose pen could easily have doubled the size of the book. You will likely spend more time on these 279 pages than you generally do, whether with Mr. Barnes or another author.

A very different book from a brilliant mind and very talented observer and writer, just be prepared for a very new experience from him this time around. He has not taken his readers on a trip like this before.

A wonderful collection of pieces.......2003-01-24

Barnes's collection falls into two halves. The first is a collection of pieces that might be said to have a French theme: a review and appreciation of Edith Wharton's account of a car journey taken through France, a piece of French songsters of the sixties, a very entertaining look at the perils of the Tour de France. The second half is nearly all given over to Flaubert, Barnes's obsession. The essays on the great writer are fascinating, especially those centered around his correspondence. Barnes's love for the writer and the man is contagious. I had no great enthusiasm for Flaubert, despite having loved Barnes's 'Flaubert's Parrot', but since reading this book I have read 'Madame Bovary' with a great deal of pleasure and have begun looking into the correspondence. All the essays are scrupulously and stylishly written and are worth reading for the prose alone.

It's not about France.......2002-12-28

"Something to Declare" is a clever title for a book about travel abroad; but, beyond its opening pages, that's not what this book is about. "Essays on France" is an equally misleading subtitle, for the book's erudite essays (beyond the opening chapter) are not on France but on a narrow selection of French writers and related movers and shakers, and one fictional character: Madame Bovary. After a fast-paced, dazzling opening sequence, hilariously describing the teen-aged Barnes' first encounters across the English Channel, we slow down to pick through some highlights in the lives of some of the top French authors, poets, filmmakers and other cultural icons, eventually easing to a crawl through exhaustive detail regarding the author's main interest, Flaubert and his world. If Madame Bovary is your cup of tea, you may enjoy steeping yourself further in Barnes. For me it was just too much.

SOMETHING TO DECLARE TWELVE YEARS OF FILMS FROM ABROAD

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SOMETHING TO DECLARE TWELVE YEARS OF FILMS FROM ABROAD

Manufacturer: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc. NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IAJ1CU

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Something to Declare
Julia Alvarez
Manufacturer: Algonquin Books Of Chapel Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H5543Q

Something to declare: 1000 years of customs and excise

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Something to declare: 1000 years of customs and excise
Graham Smith
Manufacturer: Harrap
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 0245534725

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Something to Declare: 12 Years Fi
Rh Value Publishing
Manufacturer: Random House Value Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0517549034
Release Date: 1984-12-13

Something to Declare: 12 Years of Films from Abroad

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Something to Declare: 12 Years of Films from Abroad
John Simon
Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NE43B0

Something to Declare: Study of the Declaration of Principle (of the Baptist Union of Great Britain)

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Something to Declare: Study of the Declaration of Principle (of the Baptist Union of Great Britain)
Richard; etc. Kidd
Manufacturer: Whitley Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RBC4QU

Something to declare; the story of my English theatre abroad,

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Something to declare; the story of my English theatre abroad,
W. Edward Stirling
Manufacturer: F. Muller Ltd
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Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0007JBKQW

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SOMETHING TO DECLARE
Julia ALVEREZ
Manufacturer: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RY4D8E

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