Far from being a self-aggrandizing memoir, a travelogue or a spiritual manual, this book reads like a rich, delicious novel. Sandra Boliver Boehm writes with a sense of humor about her college-age self, and with meticulous and sensual detail about her experiences in Japan in the 1970's. Her descriptions of the food she ate are enough to make a reader crave sushi every night. This is a phenominal coming-of-age tale, and a must for any intelligent young woman with a lust for adventure.

Some of the most exquisite writing I've ever encountered. This delightful memoir is quizzical, poignant, sparkling, honest and brilliant. It conveys the feel of a youthful search for spiritual adventure while unconsciously brimming with maturity and a rare kind of courage, both earthy and lofty. I'm eager for more, much more, from this exceptionally witty, literate and lyrical voice.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I have strong ambivalencies about the time I spent living in Japan, but reading this book evoked such strong, nostalgic images of all that is right and true about Japanese culture that I was ready to hop the next plane. I only wish that I had had her apparently excellent Japanese language skills, the more romantic locale of Kyoto over the more industrial Kobe where I lived, and the better luck with Japanese men!

I was so pleased to find this book! As a teacher, I found it compliments our study of Jamestown and the infancy of what would, in almost two hundred more years, become the United States perfectly. Although a fictional account of one of the boys who did, in fact, come over with the first three ships, it includes actual events faced by actual historical figures...Smith, Archer, Newport, Radcliffe, Pocahontas, and more. The book is well-researched and engaging, with lively dialogue that hints of old-style conversation, excellent detail, action, and adventure. My seventh grade students found the story fascinating as we read it over a period of two weeks. They were as interested in this as much they would be any well-told tale. They learned about the hardships, the struggles and occasional friendships the English forged with the Native Americans, the reasons for the English settlement and the fear of the Spanish, the terrible death of Archer and the wounding of Smith, the sickness and starvation in the "Starving Time", the desperation of the settlers -- all true events -- while feeling an empathy for teenaged Nat and his efforts to become a man in a foreign, difficult world. Some of my students even asked if there was a sequel to this book, so I directed them to history books that picked up after 1609, and they dove right in! What a way to get kids hooked on history! I highly recommend this for teachers of early American history or students who are looking for an teen adventure set in American history!

I live in Yorktown and am in middle school and my favorite books to read are historical novels. This one is about Virginia history but also American history. It is about two boys who come to Jamestown in 1607 and settle with the other men like John Smith. Nathaniel, the main guy who was an orphan in England, likes to be left alone. He is strong and brave when terrible things happen to him and to the colony. John Smith, who he likes at first, really gets on his nerves but I won't say why because you need to find that out yourself. Nat learns a lot of things and even falls in love when a new ship comes in 1609 and a new girl arrives. The author makes everything seem really real and I think anyone would like this book, and all ages.

...We are both teachers and have enjoyed the Young Founders series, which suit middle school and high school readers covering American history. A House Divided is appealing in its fast pacing, sympathetic characters, drama, and detailed glimpse at one moment during the Civil War. Gettysburg, like hundreds of other busy but ordinary little towns in the mid-1800's, was a colletion of homes, businesses, and churches, linked to the outside world by trade and train, until the war marched right through it. Much can be learned through well-written and well-researched historical fiction; it can bring events to life and engage readers, who may then develop an interest in history that might not have been there. I recommend this novel for classrooms as well as libraries.

I was so pleased to find this book! As a teacher, I found it compliments our study of Jamestown and the infancy of what would, in almost two hundred more years, become the United States perfectly. Although a fictional account of one of the boys who did, in fact, come over with the first three ships, it includes actual events faced by actual historical figures...Smith, Archer, Newport, Radcliffe, Pocahontas, and more. The book is well-researched and engaging, with lively dialogue that hints of old-style conversation, excellent detail, action, and adventure. My seventh grade students found the story fascinating as we read it over a period of two weeks. They were as interested in this as much they would be any well-told tale. They learned about the hardships, the struggles and occasional friendships the English forged with the Native Americans, the reasons for the English settlement and the fear of the Spanish, the terrible death of Archer and the wounding of Smith, the sickness and starvation in the "Starving Time", the desperation of the settlers -- all true events -- while feeling an empathy for teenaged Nat and his efforts to become a man in a foreign, difficult world. Some of my students even asked if there was a sequel to this book, so I directed them to history books that picked up after 1609, and they dove right in! What a way to get kids hooked on history! I highly recommend this for teachers of early American history or students who are looking for an teen adventure set in American history!

I bought 20 COMMON PROBLEMS IN DERMATOLOGY last week and finished it today.It's an excellent book with very fine pictures,illustrations,figures and explanation of common skin problems which we see in our daily practice.
I recommend this book to all medical students,trainee dermatologists and consultants.

I am a medical student who is getting his first taste of Dermatology. Since our notes do not include color photographs, I decided to buy a book. At first, I was tempted by color atlases but then I found this book. Not only does it contain color photos, but each chapter is dedicated to a specific problem (e.g. warts) and covers such issues as treatment and prognosis. Color atlases are nice but, if you want more info as to what to actually do about the disease, you might want to give this book a try.

A great recipe book to get those extra fruits and vegetables in your diet. Well written, nice layout with some wonderful, mouthwatering pictures. Some delicious recipes that aren't quite the ordinary, but yet aren't so different you're afraid to try them....or can't find the ingredients. Highly recommended!

5 A Day: The Better Health Cookbook is the collaborative effort of Elizabeth Pivonka (president of the Produce for Better Health Foundation) and Barbara Berry (vice president in charge of the Foundation's programs in education, marketing, communication, and research. On the well documented premise that eating five servings of fruits and vegetables will provide excellent health, this compendium showcasing 150 easy and delicious recipes will form a superb basis for any health conscious, palate pleasing menu. From Sweet Potato Pancakes with Apple-Walnut Topping; Citrus Salad with Raspberry-Vanilla Sauce; and Catfish with Tropical Fruit Salsa; to Artichokes Stuffed with Oriental Noodle Salad; Chicken and Grapefruit Stir-Fry; Watermelon-Blueberry Banana Split, 5 A Day offers wonderful recipes that are thorough "kitchen cook" friendly and certain to become both seasonal and year-round family favorites!

include Mexican revolution history as their history? I just started laughing. I said, ay mami! I said, do you consider me Mexican, she said yes, i said do you consider me American, she said yes, I said, do you consider me both, and she said yes, and I said, then both histories are part of my history, except that my history is different that just american history, so this book shows in pictures people I need to learn about, and stories I need to hear. She said, ok mija.... but anyway, this book is great. An old High School Teacher from El Cajon High School in San Bernardino teaches his spanish class with this book. It was $25 dollars back then, but this book is wonderful. It teaches us how we learn most easliy. I mean, most people like me who come from indigenous backgrounds learn orally and visually their traditions, and this book helped me learn about my history visually and literally too because it is bilingual. It has great poems from I am Joaquin to excerpts from Gloria Anzaldua, and of course all your favorite farm labor activists, and chicano activists from the 70's. I love this book. Its definately a must buy for all chicanos who want to teach their kids about their history. z

This book was very eye opening, it opens the minds of people to ideas that are not in the our American "HISTORY" books. Besides reading about the struggles that Chicanos faced, it also has pictures (to visualize). The book is not only informative but empowering. Anyone working for Justice should read this book, because it encourages the reader to fight the fight.

Elizabeth Vierck puts her audience at ease from the very beginning. The introduction covered stories of people, ranging from young atheletes to retirees, who have different types of bladder problems. I immediately was able to identify the type of bladder control problem I have. Vierck then explained very well the physiology of the urinary system and how to effectively train one's pelvic floor muscle (Kegel exercise). This is the only book I have read so far that made me fully understood how to do the kegel exercise properly. There are also many tips on how to avoid embarrasing situations. Within a week, I already feel much more confident and in control.

Elizabeth Vierck has written a very practical book for those of us who have been afflicted with a lack of bladder control. She explains the problem in simple language and offers very easy sensible solutions. I was surprized to learn that the problem is curable in most cases and that it's not an affliction one must bear as one grows older. I've tried her program for only two days and already I'm gaining control; I feel such relief. I liked the book so much I'm sending it to a friend as a gift.

I liked all the case studies, it makes it easier to learn. Also it was interesting to read and

well writen.

I read this book when I was a year two social work student. This book provides us a detailed examples and explanation for each type of mental disorders.

I bought this travel guide out of curiosity when I went back home to visit my parents. I grew up in N.H., went to school at UCONN, and spent a lot of time in Massachusetts - so I am familiar with the area.

Sometimes, when you live in a place, however, you take your home for granted and don't see the sights in your back yard. Traveling 1500 miles back home, however, I felt like I needed to get my moneys worth (the sure sign of a native east coaster). This book led me to some incredible old towns and restaurants and shops that I had missed while living there.

I highly recommend the book. It was great to have it on my laptop because after work, I was able plan the remainder of my day in a snap.

I've been toting Elizabeth L. Dugger's new Adventure Guide to Massachusetts & Western Connecticut around for about a month now, ever since I received it. I had all the best intentions of being the first reviewer to publish my commentary on the travel guide, but with one project after another eating up my hours, I'm not sure that I can claim that honor. I have, however, really bulked up my biceps by lugging the Adventure Guide around!

In a word, the book is "massive," and before I ever lifted the cover, I was perplexed as to how Dugger could possibly have found enough bungee jumping-, cliff diving-, and vine swinging-type adventures in the stately and somewhat subdued states of Massachusetts and Connecticut to fill 496 pages! When I opened to page 113 to find a section on "Antique Shopping on Cape Cod," I was surprised and delighted to realize that the range of adventures Dugger suggests includes those that pose great danger only to my credit card balance.

In the book's introduction, Dugger explains that adventure travel "doesn't have to mean hanging from a cliff by your fingernails. " Her enormous catalog of exciting escapes includes family-friendly ideas, outdoor fun for people of all ages and abilities, out-of-the-ordinary sightseeing suggestions, and, of course, the full complement of hiking, biking, fishing, boating, and other recreational opportunities in central New England. "Adventure travel makes you feel alive, wakes you up to yourself as well as to your surroundings," Dugger explains. "Just being in open lands or along the coast, most of the time, can give you that get-away feeling. ...Adventure travel gets the blood flowing, the heart pumping."

Also the author of the Adventure Guide to New Hampshire and the Adventure Guide to Vermont, Dugger quickly debunks the notion that Massachusetts is a tamer, less challenging playground than its mountainous northern neighbors. After a brief introductory section that includes a short history of Massachusetts, a map of and information on getting to the region, road rules, and safety information on such important topics as "avoiding bears," the book is broken up into six regional chapters: the Seacoast Region, Boston and Nearby Adventures, Central Massachusetts, the Pioneer Valley, the Berkshires, and the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut. Within each geographic section, adventures are organized in category groupings: On Foot, On Horseback, On Wheels, On Water, On Snow & Ice, and In the Air. Each chapter has information on Eco-Travel and where to Stay & Eat, as well.

While the emphasis of this guide is decidedly on the outdoors and on planning a Massachusetts vacation that takes you to the lesser known attractions that the state offers, it is actually one of the most comprehensive and delightful guides to the region available. While many travel guides contain the obligatory paragraph on each historic attraction and sightseeing venue, the Adventure Guide to Massachusetts & Western Connecticut artfully leads the traveler to those awe-inspiring, stimulating, and unique excursions that are likely to make for a most memorable trip. Detailed maps, black and white photos, cute graphics, and sidebars on special events, kid-friendly and accessible spots, recommended reading, and more break up the text and make it easier for the reader to find terrific tips, even when simply skimming.

In just a quick flip through the book, I uncovered a bed & breakfast just for women (Little River Farm in Worthington, MA, 413-238-4261), a cemetery famous for its art and sculpture (The Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston, 617-524-0703), and a horseback riding outfit on the beaches of Cape Cod (Nelson's, 508-487-1112).

Dugger's enthusiasm for sharing the region's best treasures percolates from every page, and as I've spent time reading her detailed descriptions of everything from trekking with llamas in Great Barrington to sea kayaking in Plymouth Harbor, I've been constantly compelled to ask myself what in the world I'm doing here on the couch with a book when all of these adventures lie just a short drive away!

If you live within easy driving distance of Massachusetts and Western Connecticut, Dugger's Adventure Guide for this region will provide an ever-flowing stream of inspiration and encourage you to explore the wonders we sometimes overlook. And, if you're planning only a short visit to this part of the world, the guide will ensure that your moments in Massachusetts are among your most exhilarating and enjoyable.

Elizabeth Prelinger's After The Scream celebrates the late paintings of Edvard Munich: haunting paintings which also reveal quite a different side of the artist. While his images of people remain striking, he painted a range of subjects and used a brighter approach later in life, and this accompanies the first major exhibition of his works since 1978 - and the first to focus on his later achievements.

munch is an artist who became so well known for an early work ("the scream") that his later work was eclipsed by it. the fact that nearly all of his later works hang in an oslo museum hasn't helped either. so it's a real surprise to browse this exhibition catalog and discover the many beautiful paintings munch created in the half century between "the scream" (1893) and his death (1944).

munch's technique is very interesting: using thinned oil paints, with direct application of single layers of color, his paintings approach watercolors in their spontaneity, light, and beautifully textured color harmonies. at the same time, his themes are very personal -- his illnesses, his large estate near oslo, his lonely life painting in the countryside, his struggle with alcoholism. technique and themes combine to give his work a uniquely poignant lyricism.

the accompanying text on munch's life and work is well written and comprehensive. this is a great gift for someone who loves painting -- even if they know art well, munch's late works will come as a happy revelation.