This novel really surprised me. I was just browsing in the library one day, and the title and jacket description were intriguing, so I picked it up on a whim. I was amazed at how well-written it was, but that aspect of it is overshadowed by the wonderfully wry humor and very endearingly flawed characters, not to mention the many surprising insightful observations about everything from Catholicism, lawyers, therapy, Washington, opera, how to most successfully promote a landscaping business- all the sorts of things people often think, but put in Ackerman's very able hands, made laughing out loud funny. The most surprising part is the fact that this novel didn't receive more attention, and that Ackerman hasn't published anything else- but when he does, I'll be waiting in line to buy it.

This breezy, fresh novel explores a modern day love story with charm and style. It's witty and full of feeling, with a laugh-out-loud moment on every page. Great fun! Loved this book, and can't wait to see more from this writer.

The emotions between Jack and Nina are so real I feel as if I have had their relationship myself. I have read this book three times and each time it is laugh out loud funny. The characters are truly characters, unique and hilarious. You feel Jack's angst and Nina's uncertainty and yet you can laugh at their heartache. A wonderful book!

If you have easy access to squab, pheasant, loin of rabbit, quail, buffalo, antelope, Mexican oregano, blackberries, poblano chiles, gualjillo chiles, serrano chiles, chile molido, chile carib, chipotles in adobo sauce, Apaloosa beans, calypso beans, Steuben yellow beans, fresh hoja santa leaf, dry aged goat cheese, smoked gouda, chanterelles, Silver Queen corn, fresh marjoarm, fresh epazota, pumpkin seeds, cumin seeds, dried blueberries, huckleberries, etc., then you might find the recipes in "Red Sage: Contempoary American Cuisine" the kind that will give a fresh and creative twist to your culinary endeavors. Otherwise, you are likely find very little in this book that you can put to use in your kitchen.

that guy who wrote the derogatory one must live in a closet.

Not only have I read the book, which is well written and quite insightful, but I have had the priviledge to create many of the dishes presented. The techniques are fairly simple for a seasoned chef, and the only trick is finding the ingredients if you live in a smaller town. One item I have discovered cannot be substituted is the can of chipoltes in adobo sauce. If you find them, buy many cans, as you will be using them often! The beauty of this book is the diversity of dishes featured. Vegetarians can find many recipes to entertain, and the poultry, game, and beef dishes are quite intriguing. This cookbook is fabulous, and I consider the recipes to be invaluable. A must for any cook!

I never really liked Newt and I was hoping this book was going to be 200 pages of more reasons to dislike him or at the least more facts to sustain my current dislike of his politics. The tittle sure said to me that that was the focus of the book, unfortunately for me that was not what the book turned out to be. The authors decided to review 1995 and the battles between Newt and the rest of the world on policy. It was interesting and well written but the book Showdown by Drew did a much better job of covering the period of time.

With such a campy title I was looking for a lot of wit and humor and that really was not the strong point of the book. Overall the book lays out the facts in an easy to read way and it is well written, it just did not have the detail to make it the one complete record or the story and it did not have the sharp wit to make it satire.

From all aspects of the political spectrum left and right we should read this book and learn the cost of democracy. Newt Gingrich had a dream to spearhead a Republican Revolution and to bring it about as forcefully as possible. Unfortunately for him his nemisis William Jefferson Clinton knew how to counter him and how to do it well. The writing in this book is honest, and doesn't attempt to take sides. Anyone who truly wants to know why Congressman Gingrich exited from public life, you need not look further.

This book gives a good profile of the major figures of the Republican leadership of the 104th Congress. I have always enjoyed books such as this one, and Bob Woodward's "The Agenda," which give more insight into the personalities of their subjects than you would ever get from TV or newspapers. In the last two chapters in the book, which wonderfully describe the tedium of budget negotiations at the end of 1995, I could definitely feel some of the frustration that this group felt in their impasse with the White House.

"This is the ultimate guide to romantic weekend getaways."

"The authors introduce travelers to lesser known treasures of Maryland and Virginia."

"Wraps up lodgings (including many inns), restaurants and attractions in appealing weekend getaway packages.... A nice attention to detail."

It's obvious from Voyage of a Summer Sun that Robin Cody loves the wilderness and the river, but he does an excellent job of presenting its importance without sliding very far into environmentalism per se, by which I mean he also shows the people and projects that have tampered with the Columbia, sometimes drastically, and he shows them with a minimum of slant.

Cody's prose is easy to read, and his focus shifts pleasantly between the people he meets, the river itself, the issues surrounding it, and the workings of the canoe trip.

The real problem I see is that Cody took his trip in 1990. Some of his information, obviously, is still solid, but in other areas, Voyage is getting dated. There's been a whole new round of power generation arguments, salmon policy changes, and weather shifts since then. The Hanford tank farms, in particular, have completed a major cleanup project, and a lot of the menacing toxic-waste threats he announces have been solved, softened, or shown to be less dangerous than thought. So it's a good book, but you have to read it with its age in mind.

Of the hundreds of books I have on the Pacific Northwest, this is easily one of my favorites. Aside from Robin Cody simply being an excellent writer, enjoyable to read, easy to follow, this book specifically invokes a true sense of place of the Columbia. It has a flavor of the classic Farthest Frontier, adventure, outdoors, wide open Northwest in the spirit of David Thompson, Theodore Winthrop, James Swan and the like (not to mention Lewis & Clark). Robin Cody evokes a sense of place right up there with the best like Stewart Holbrook, Murray Morgan, Ivan Doig, etc. The books touches on places here and there along the Columbia giving the reader a good feel for not only the Columbia of today, but in the past, before the Damns! Man thinks he's "tamed" the Columbia, but the majesty & power is still there and Cody conveys some of it. The main problem with the book is that it is much too short, I wanted more - I'd like to see the full journal of his travels. You couch potatoes (ok me too) dont really understand what it really means to spend nearly 3 months and 1200 miles in a itsy bitsy canoe on one of the world's biggest river. Clearly the mighty Columbia spoke during his journey, Cody listened well, and did a good job telling us about what the River said. A must read, along with the similar flavored The Good Rain by Timothy Egan.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Cody's observations on the impact of technical advancement on an ecosystem were candid and not overly political or strident. This would be an excellent book for students of atmospheric and earth sciences. Robin Cody is a gifted story teller and narrator.

Washington Irving's biography on Washington is by far the most detailed review on our first President from youth through his post Presidential years. Given that Mr. Irving personally met George Washington at the young age of 7, Irving's book has all the more relavence than today's revisionist historians can ever provide. However, the "old english" that Washington used in his correspondence makes for difficult comprehension. It is interesting to note that by 1850 the change to a more modern writing style by Irving presents a clearer picture of Washington's time, but it still requires an occasional re-read to fully understand Irving's point. A person with a limited interest in the Revolutionary War may be better suited to purchasing a more contemporary biography for ease of reading.

However, this book does provide such insite into the minds of Washington and those around him and it allows the reader to finally start to understand why our Founding Fathers risked all for the sake of freedom and liberty from the English. Today we take for granted rights that never existed anywhere in the 1770's and such historical works penned in the mid 1850's provides an insite that should be required reading for both liberals and conservatives. Overall, the book is long and difficult to read, but well worth the time, effort and cost.

The life of Washington should be required reading for everyone. The amount of difficulty he faced throughout his life is unimaginable to modern man. Washington had a life of privilege which is the main reason he was placed in a position of responsibility so early in life. However, in all of his campaigns he was dealing with shortages, sicknesses and other difficulties that make our own seem not so difficult.
Reading this work will provide the reader with an understanding how lucky America was to have a man of such temperament at her founding. Washington was a man of great intellect. He proved that by defeating the British on a number of occasions. He was a man of high honor which he proved when the various cabals tried to remove him from his office and he answered them with excellent performance and an absence of the acrimony so many would have used. He was a man of incomprehendable determination. The crossing of the Deleware, the winter at Valley forge and hundreds of other examples prove this. He was a man of tremendous resourcefulness as is shown by his ability to field an army when provisions were always in want for many years and at the same time attend to so many other details.

Washington Irving's work will provide the reader with an excellent understanding of all of these qualities. I recommend this book to anyone interested in Washington's life. The vast majority of this work deals with the revolution so if you are interested in the early years or the later years you will not find a great deal of detail in this particular work.

The life of Washington should be required reading for everyone. The amount of difficulty he faced throughout his life is unimaginable to modern man. Washington had a life of privilege which is the main reason he was placed in a position of responsibility so early in life. However, in all of his campaigns he was dealing with shortages, sicknesses and other difficulties that make our own seem not so difficult.

Reading this work will provide the reader with an understanding how lucky America was to have a man of such temperament at her founding. Washington was a man of great intellect. He proved that by defeating the British on a number of occasions. He was a man of high honor which he proved when the various cabals tried to remove him from his office and he answered them with excellent performance and an absence of the acrimony so many would have used. He was a man of incomprehendable determination. The crossing of the Deleware, the winter at Valley forge and hundreds of other examples prove this. He was a man of tremendous resourcefulness as is shown by his ability to field an army when provisions were always in want for many years and at the same time attend to so many other details.

Washington Irving's work will provide the reader with an excellent understanding of all of these qualities. I recommend this book to anyone interested in Washington's life. The vast majority of this work deals with the revolution so if you are interested in the early years or the later years you will not find a great deal of detail in this particular work.

This book has broad and informative contents. You can also see various maps of important regeons in Northwestern part of the continent. I visited Seattle, Portland, Mt. Rainier and Oregon Coast with it. Very helpful for travellers in Washington and Oregon.

We used several guides in planning a recent trip to south and central Oregon, with a stop at Mt. St. Helens on the way home, and this one was by far the most informative! Before we went to a particular destination, I would tell my family, "First you have to listen to this!" Then I would read Lonely Planet's description and historical/geological background of the site we were about to visit. I think we all enjoyed our trip much more because of this "anticipatory set."

Highly recommended, not only for first-time visitors to a region, but for natives to learn more about the beauty and history right in their own backyard.

For the visitor, there are a lot of possibilities in the Pacific Northwest. LPs coverage is the best I've encountered in a single book. The historical background, accommodation, prices, maps, and general logistics listed, are a great foundation for someone visiting this awe-inspiring part of North America. The breakdown and explanation of the cities of Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland were excellent and accurate. As for the scenic and rustic areas, LPs description of the coast, National and State parks, & eastern WA and OR give the traveler plenty to play with. The Native American background was good, as with most LP works where there was such an indigenous population. Pack your LP on this trip.

Part history, part civics lesson, part horny coming-of-age story, "Master Jones Goes To Washington" describes a few weeks in the life of a (somewhat) innocent high school student picked to serve as a congressional page. Think "Almost Famous" with the rock stars replaced by politicians.

It is the late 1960's, and our hero has several weighty issues on his mind: the Vietnam war, civil rights, and how much is too much to spend on drinks for strippers. While in Washington he baby-sits a congressman's trouble-prone kids, has several rowdy after-hours adventures with his fellow pages, and gets caught doing something naughty by a future President of the United States. He even learns a thing or two about government. By the end of his story, Master Jones has lost his innocence in more ways than one.

Hugh Brown has a humorous, conversational writing style that makes you feel as if you're hearing these stories over a few beers at the local pub. This book is not for everyone. The far right crowd won't like the politics or some of the more R-rated episodes, while those just looking for crazy high jinks may be bored by the digressions into political trivia and news of the day. But if you don't mind a little sex with your politics (or a little politics with your sex) then you'll enjoy going to Washington with Master Jones.

i travel often, and when i'm on the road i look for books that can get me through the trip.not to long or to short.m.j. goes to washington was just the book for me. i planned on reading it coming and going home, but when i got to my destination i kept on reading into the night.anyone who grew up in the 60's will remember a master jones type from their school. it was a different look at what goes on inside the beltway and one of those books that you can't put down.easy reading, good story line, with a good mix of history. master jones rocks!

Described frequently as a coming-of-age tale, MJ Goes to Washington is a sweet trip down memory lane for those of us who remember 8 track tapes, the Student Protest Movement, and trying to move into adulthood despite our high school teachers. Brown's love of politics and history shine throughout this book. This book has more than one main theme. The preoccupation that teenage boys have with sex is one theme that occurs throughout. There are some touching parts such as the kid (Brown) who can't get enough of Washington strip clubs at night while he limps around in a pair of blister-making shoes during the day. In addition to the part of the story that appeals to everyone who remembers what it was like to be a teenager, MJ Goes to Washington is an incredibly well-researched summary of the late 60's.

This is an interesting look at what was going on in the nation's capital during the war with a look at the hospitals, nursing care, saloons, and man on the street of 19th century DC.

or one of those long running soap operas from the golden age of radio. Characters coming & going then reappearing later in the story. There are villians, heroes, heroines, conspiracy & even murder.
This excellent, informative work evokes two eras. First its subject matter giving us a history of Washington during the Civil War. This subject has not been covered as heavily as the various battles & endless biographies of the notable figures of that war. The book was written 76 years after the war. Here we are 62 years after that listening to Ms. Leech words, also of a different era than our own. The language in which it was written is quaint, colloquil & even offensive to some in our time. That is part of it significance as an important work. It is also an entertaining history book. Imagine that.

Margaret Leech's "Reveille in Washington" is a fact filled book that betray's her origins as a novelist.

For the Civil War afficianodo, there are many tidbits that add to one's understanding of the Civil War as viewed from Washington, D.C. These involve fascinating interactions among the players (Lincoln, members of the Senate, Stanton, Seward and Chase), and also reminders that even in the midst of war, Washington still minded the habits and customs of society in our nation's capital. Lincoln still had (as the first host) parties, endured the countless details of administration and grinding demands of petitioners, and found time for levity and respit.

Like its counterpoint "Ashes of Glory," an excellent account of wartime Richmond, Reveille in Washington will broaden the understanding of those of us who have waded through countless military oriented books of the Civil War. Ms. Leech also includes a helpful timeline and an excellent appendix on scores of the characters in her book. For those who often wonder "what happened after..." to historical personages, the appendix will satisfy by tying up a lot of loose ends. More history books should follow this habit.

My only slight criticism is Ms. Leech's overuse of adjectives. She describes every person and proper noun, sometimes to the point of distraction like a florid romance novel. This both helps and hinders the tale. While it makes the events and persons more imaginable to the mind's eye, she undoubtedly takes some literary license in describing thoughts, feelings and descriptions that can only be surmised. All in all it is not a major distraction, but does sometimes become tiresome.

That having been said, this portrait of Washington fills the gaps to a great story. Not only are the principals covered, but ordinary people, nurses, city jailers, prostitutes, hucksters and regular folk are given their due in this fascinating book that at times throbs with the pulse of a City that struggles to accomodate a war often at its borders and its need to reflect it's own normalcy and image as a first city in the midst of the great distraction outside it's gates.

An enjoyable read.

an interesting book. Memoirs by their very nature lack perspective and balance and this one is no different. It has a certain effervesence to it and you admire her perseverence through all her challenges - many self inflicted. It sure isn't a advertisement for the benefits of therapy though.

Initially planned as a side read, I was immediately engrossed in the text, completing this book in one evening. Within This Is How I Speak, readers follow this 24 year old woman as she struggles to find her place within a society that lacks appreciation of artists, their aspirations, and accomplishments.

Interestingly, little was changed from the journal format that initially held these musings, to the actual publication. Although she was often encouraged [via publishers] to rewrite large portions of the content, Sandi Sonnenfeld explains that she didn't want to alter the presentation, and held out for a publisher that would work with her. This reader is glad that she did! Her perseverance ensured that the material was presented as the thoughts and feelings from the particular timeframe intended, versus what would be her current interpretation of occurrences. The result is an intimate snapshot of actual events and the feelings that accompanied them.

This is How I Speak: The Diary of a Young Woman offers well-written prose, with good organization. I was surprised that the majority of entries related to dance, versus being direct references to writing, but I wasn't disappointed. In actuality I felt that the content of this book showed how creative endeavors interlace, and allowed realistic glimpses of the disappointments and elation's that artist's face.

I recommend This is How I Speak to those that appreciate diary glimpses that are well presented. Aspiring young artists, particularly women, are likely to enjoy this book. This truly is a book full of emotion, that is portrayed well by Sandi Sonnenfeld. I felt her fear, clinched her disappointments, eagerly read toward the results of her auditions and creative writing submissions, and celebrated her successes. A message laces the pages with regard to finding your own voice within a world full of voice, hence the title, This is How I Speak.

The author, then 25, finds her place as a dancer and a writer as she struggles to overcome a sexual assault set up by a close friend. The diary form maintains the youthful voice with its passions and questions in a way that an older, wiser narrator-looking-back could not. Written with aching clarity, the book captures what it is to be 25, to be violated and to find one's strength for the first time.