This book is a real gem, both for a twist on the usual Christmas story (the paw prints of 8 tiny gators) as well as the regional aspect. It is a hoot to read out loud, to yourself and others!

I have had this book for almost twenty years, and every Christmas my friends beg me to read it to them with my Cajun accent. This is such a FUN book for children and adults, and it is written in the Cajun dialect so that it is easy to have a Cajun accent. I have never met anyone who didn't fall in love with this book! Buy it! You won't be sorry, and it will become a family heirloom for many generations to come.

This book will be a great gift for any transplanted Cajun. I recieved this as a gift many Christmas"s ago. It has a special place on my bookcase, and is shown to all my guests. I brought it to work, read it in its true nature to my co workers and they all wanted a copy of it. This book is a must for all households, large and small. It is heart warming, and comical. Sometimes I take it out of my bookcase and hug it, that is how special it is to me. No home should be without it.

I have made several of the recipes in this book and continue to be extremely impressed. So many times, books that are centered around a specific appliance are too complicated and show-offy - they seem to forget that the appliance is supposed to make life easier and write recipes that use too many ingredients (several of them unrecognizable) and too many steps. My crock pot cookbook (and my crock pot, for that matter) remain unused as a result.

This cookbook doesn't do this. Many of the recipes are quite simple, and if esoteric ingredients are called for they are explained and described and are the focal point of the recipe. More than any other cookbook, this book gave me a food education as well. I learned an incredible amount about rice and about a variety of cultural adaptations of rice without feeling like a captive audience.

Finally, this book is extremely well organized and easy to understand and follow. The shopping section at the end with internet sources to purchase ususual rices, spices, and vegetables was an unexpected treat. I am recommending rice cookers highly, and in the same breath, I make sure to recommend this book. In fact, the next wedding I go to, the bride and groom get a rice cooker and this cookbook. It's that good.

This book was exceptional, original and well-written. If you don't have a rice-cooker, go out and buy one. The book has lots of great recipes. It'll have you cookin' outstanding food in no time.

I'd always heard that you couldn't mess up rice in a rice cooker, but I found it sure could be dull! I never explored cooking in my rice cooker, but with the help of this book have made some terrific rice side dishes (there are many other recipes as well). The explanations are clear, the layout of the recipes is good, and there's lots of information about what to expect with different types of rice and which brands to look for while shopping. I expect to use this cookbook regularly for years to come.

Fragile X: A powerful force bearing a voice of truth, compassion and courage.

Dr. Rice has artfully created a single story to the many which cleverly exposes the harsh and ruthless realities of Managed Health Care: a structured business whereby the decisions of physicians are compromised for the sake of capital gain.

Fragile X is the story of Molly Loomis. She is a young woman who by the wicked hand of Managed Health Care is wrongly surgically stripped of her God-given right to bear children. She is not, however, stripped of the keen, instinctual qualities that are ever-present in a woman's heart, being and spirit.

The characters are real: men and women who speak their truths with passion. And as I read, it was the courage of the characters, whose journeys to prevail, served as my hope for a future free of the pervasive predominance of Managed Health Care.

It is for a very personal reason that I find Fragile X to be so compelling. It is for the sake of my mother's struggle that I pray the masses embrace this captivating literary work for its overall precision.

I watched as my mother, in her last years of life experience the injustice and inhumanity of Managed Health Care. After receiving her last rites, my mother with her seemingly lifeless seventy-two pound frame, defied tremendous opposing odds and survived her battle with pseudomonas (a deadly bacterial disease of the lungs). From this point on in my mother's life she depended on an oxygen concentrator to breathe. After many months of red-tape, it was determined that the level of oxygen which ever-flowed through yards of clear tubing and into my mother's lungs, which was necessary for her quality of life as well as perpetuating it, did not meet administrative criteria. My mother was denied coverage. My mother was denied oxygen.

Thank you Dr. Rice

I think Fragile X is an awesome piece of work. The description of the "business" of managed care is very enlightening. The frightening practices of denying claims, accumulating market share, physician incentives and cutbacks to improve profit margins are presented candidly. The plot thickens with an adequate mixture of religion, politics and relationships as the story unravels amid the legal consequence. The characters are realistic and identifiable. Molly is the perfect "Plain Jane" heroine. The computer whiz (Reggie) seems like the next door neighbor's rambunctious teenager. We all wish for a few more humanitarian, rebellious Dr. Colder's in this world. The novelist, Mr. Rice, writes with the medical insightfullness of Robin Cook, the riveting suspense of John Grisham and the Midwestern flair of Tami Hoag. I predict for him a bright future in the literary world.

Dr. Rice presents an intricate plot, rich in mystery, while developing skillfully the many inter-related events. The setting is clearly contemporary and of pressing importance. The characters reveal that they are alive, real and poignant. The lesser characters as well, spring to life through each chapter. One hopes, perhaps, to meet them in future work by the author.

As the story progresses, one encounters the clash of the ethics of greed, avarice and hypocrisy with that of true professionalism and humanitarianism. As he or she reads, a person fears for the future of our care, our doctors and the once-greatest health care system in the world.

Durwin Rice has put together an informative, humorous and inspirational decoupage book. If you've never tried decoupage before, you will find clear instructions and tips for a successful project practically on every page. Mr. Rice also shows the immense diversity of design that decoupage offers. In his world, it seems that nothing is off-limits for decoupaging! Check out his kitchen! Sure to please and satisfy, this book is a winner!

There are so many good ideas to try in this book. It is full of delightful pictures and is written in a most humorous fashion. Not your typical how-to book at all. I loved it!

I can't believe I bought a decoupage book. But this book has all kinds of ideas for any decor, and it's written with lots of personality. I found it very inspiring. And may I add that from the two pictures of the author Durwin Rice that are in this book, I have a little crush. He is adorable.

Demi sweeps us away with this story of a little girl whose quick thinking and knowlege of mathematics teaches a raja a lesson and saves her village.

This story touches on many levels, the first of which is the visual. A few of its glossy pages, each the quality of a fine color print, unfold to over two feet in length for the purpose of illustrating a mathematic principle that could never be explained as well only in words, no matter how many. It also serves up a well-told tale, set in India, that holds a child to the last. Finally, it offers lessons in generosity, keeping one's word, providing for the future, and helping the poor. "A Grain of Rice" is truly original, however, in the way that it brings all of these elements, particularly the mathematic and the humanitarian, together in one arrestingly beautiful book.

This would make a touching gift to anyone who enjoys Indian art and design or mathematics, regardless of age. It is also a perfect gift for a child as it is both aesthetically pleasing and educational--what parent could want more in a children's book?

This book has stunning illustrations in the style of Indian miniature paintings, including some surprise fold-out pages. It is educational and entertaining on many levels: it illustrates a difficult math concept, it tells a dynamic fable from another country, and it is beautiful to look at. Art, literature, and math convene in one delightful children's book. It would make a wonderful gift. My son enjoys it even though he is only 5, because he often wonders about big numbers, and the story is adventurous enough to hold his attention. 5 stars plus!

A moral and a math tale rolled into one. What more could you ask, except for some delightful illustrations modeled after Indian art and culture? This book is such a pleasure that besides obtaining a copy from myself, I gave one to my mathematics advisor, who thought it was cute as well. It's a clever illustration of the doubling function and a useful teaching tool for the younger grades.

The text is well-written and appropriate for its audience, the pictures are colorful and elegant, and the pull-out poster is just plain fun. What child wouldn't like a scene that simply depicts 256 elephants marching across the page? And the story of a girl who teaches a ruler to be kind and just is classic-not to mention that, being a girl myself, I appreciate the message that is sent by the intelligent main character being female. Finally, the very last page of the book contains a helpful chart that corresponds the grains of rice Rani receives each day to the day she receives it on.

As a side note, parents might find it a fun project to replicate this tale in real life by giving a child a penny and then doubling it for seven days. At the end of the week the child would be the proud owner of $1.27, not to mention possess some newfound math skills. I would advise you to restrict it to a week instead of the thirty days that is used in the book, though. Unless, of course, you've got the $10,737,400 you would be obligated to give lying around the house in spare change. ^_~

Risotto has been a dish that I have loved ever since I was a child, and this book not only includes a truckload of recipes, ranging from the traditional to the truly creative, but it's also prefaced with an interesting account to the origins of this fabulous Italian creation. Not being a cook, I enjoy this book for its straightforwardness and lack of pretension. Risotto is also a versatile dish that can be easily prepared with various vegetables, cheeses, fish, beef, etc. As such, the chapters are broken down according to the kind of risotto one would like to prepare. This also makes the book easy to understand and thoroughly enjoyable. It takes a lot for me to invest in any kind of cook book, so if I say this one is worth it, I mean it.

This cookbook is a complete reference for cooking risotto, the classic dish of northern Italy. With 120 authentic recipes, covering everything from risottos with cheese, vegetables, meat, seafood, and fruit, there is definitely a recipe for everyone. You might try a tasty Risotto con Porcini e Rucola (mushrooms and arugula) which is one of my favorite recipes from the book, or perhaps a nice Risotto Rosso alle Vongole (clams in red sauce). The recipes are easy to follow, contain ingredients that are readily obtained, and most offer variations as well. As the Italian Food Host @ BellaOnline, I am always looking for books that share recipes containing ingredients that everyone can find.

Also included in this book,are also chapters that contain important information on risotto ingredients and traditional preparation methods. Although I found it disappointing that this book contained no photographs or illustrations, which would only have enhanced my opinion of this book, I feel that if you love risotto, you'll enjoy this book. When it comes to risotto, this book has everything you could ever need!

Great book for anyone who wants to excell at making risotto. I have tried many recipes and they all turned great. What a find for people who, like me, find risottos to be one of the great dishes ever!

This is a short and sweet little book that can be read in just a few minutes, but every minute will be filled with fun! In cleverly silly rhymes Maurice Sendak takes us through the twelve months and thoroughly entertains us with his characteristic illustrations featuring the little dark-haired boy we've come to know in some of his other stories. The non-sensical inclusion of "chicken soup with rice" in all of the rhymes makes the months all the more memorable and easy for kids to recite, a great little device. The paperback edition is very affordable but I suspect you'll love this one so much that you'll want the hardcover in your library.

This is a book of poetry about the months of the year. It goes through each month and has a cute little poem to go along with it. I love this book because it is a really fun way to learn the months and the poems are very creative. The author's purpose for writing this book was to give children a fun way to learn the months. The children can also learn things about poetry and rhythm through reading this book.

Each month in my kindergarten class we memorize the chicken soup poem for the month. The humorous rhymes, pictures, and predictable pattern make it easy to learn. Kids love it, and months later they can still recite all the poems from the preceding months! I bought the big book also, and cut apart the pages to make posters to display every month.

Like a lot of people, I was introduced to Anne Rice through the movie "Interview With a Vampire". I never liked Tom Cruise much, but this character he was portraying was unbelievable. A longtime fan of vampire stories, I have never met in my books anyone like Lestat. When I saw this book, I immediatly read it in just 2 days. Is it possible to fall in love with a novel character? If I wasn't in love with Lestat before, I was after reading this book. I felt for him, I felt him, I saw through his eyes. His mortal life, his vampire life, his loves and loses. I wanted to actually reach out to him. I have continued reading the Vampire Chronicles just to get more of him. I have never read a more well written and complex book. Anne Rice goes so deep and I am forever grateful to her imagination for giving me such a wonderful character to love and follow.

I'm actually in the middle of reading this book, but Anne Rice has captured me. With her exciting and terrifying tales of what's beyond our comprehension. The Vampire Lestat is the sequel of Interview with the Vampire and tells the story of the vampire who created Louis, the main character in the previous book. I think This sequel is better than the first one. Because I can see the landscapes and situations described so clearly in my head. My mom can't understand what's so great about vampires. I think the freak her out. Well, there's not really anything great about them. They're disgusting. But at the same fascinating. I just think man will always be fascinated by the supernatural. I sure find these vampires intrigueing. They're not like Buffy's vampires, brainless bloodsuckers. They are intelligent and special. Wondering what they are and why they exist. These books also deals with questions about life and death, Heaven and Hell. I can recommend them very much. I'm gonna have to read the rest of her books too. ***** out of ***** stars. Definitely.

If fictional vampire stories are up your ally, then I encourage you to read the novel "The Vampire Lestat" by Anne Rice. Although it is the second book in "The Vampire Chronicles" I strongly urge you to read it BEFORE book one: "Interview With the Vampire." Where do I begin? This book is a phenomonal tale of a vampire who could survive and flourish in any epoch of history, and have a Hell of a good time too! In this autobiography of Lestat de Lioncourt, he will take you to his mortal boyhood in France, to his later luxurious life in New Orleans, and right up to the present when he is in the midst of waking the most ancient of vampires and holding his first ever rock concert in San Francisco! So as you see, one of Lestat's best traits is that the possibilites are endless and he can accomplish anything he desires. I gaurentee that when you're done drinking up this story, you won't have left a drop...

I didn't know Anne Rice untill three weeks ago. I read her book 'Interview with a vampire' and i didn't stop reading untill i read it out. I love the story and the way she wrote it. The story is emotional, and sometimes a bit scary, but always beautiful, just like all of her other books. Anne, we love you!!

I found this documentary of vampire life simply enthralling. Anne Rice writes so convincingly that her tales appear to be nothing less than absolute truths. Everything the modern vampire needs to know and understand is here. Unfortunately, I felt that the film of "Interview...", using Tom Cruise as Lestat did not do this literary masterpiece justice. As a film in it's own right, it is amazing, but after reading the rest of the Vampire Chronicles, it becomes blatently obvious that Cruise is unsuitable for the role he attempts to assume. The books are irresistable; impossible to put down. If you have not yet read them............what are you waiting for???

The Vampire Chronicles is one of the best set of books written! Anne Rice takes you into the world of the undead and it leaves you completly speechless. The characters in the book become real and very unforgetable! It leaves you spellbond and very much at the edge of your set. You can't wait to start the next book. I really loved it. 'Memnoch the Devil,' was one of the best also. I truely hope that there will be more books to this set. The entire set is a must to read and own.

You want imagination?..adventure?..a few dabs of science(remember it was written in 1912)?..an ageless hero?..an absolutely beautiful damsel in distress?..a whole new world?..with a language all it's own?..inhabited with strange new creatures?.. friends and foes?..battles royal?..This book, and all 10 or 11 sequels, have it all! ER Burroughs was the early master of science fiction, adventure, and imagination; a man ahead of his time, and he gives the reader a roller-coaster ride of incredible adventures. Join with us now as John Carter meets, rescues,and captures the heart of the INCOMPARABLE Dejah Thoris, Princess of Mars!, and eventually, along with his friend Tars Tarkas, follows suit with the entire red planet, Barsoom to its wild and whacky inhabitants.

Is this intellectual literature?..of course not. Is it non-stop fun and enjoyment, the original page-turner novel?...You bet it is! Pick this book up, start reading, and I guarantee: you won't put it down until you're finished!..and then you'll run out the door and be hunting for the 2nd book in the series, The Gods of Mars, and then # 3, The Warlord of Mars, and on through the series. Be warned: make sure you have access to #'s 2 and 3 before you start The Princess...you'll be sorry if you don't!

I first read the Burroughs Martian novels(there were 10 known to me then) as a graduate student studying Physics, some 40 years ago. They provided the perfect escape from the rigors of courses like Quantum Mechanics and E & M. Now I reread them,and I continue to enjoy. You will too.

John Carter, Dejah Thoris, Tars Tarkas, they are all here! This is the totally unbelievable story of a man who got transported to Mars basically, because he thought it would be cool to go, so he wished it, and POOF, he's there. Then, there's the fact that the planet itself and the life on it are also completely ridiculous. FORGET ALL THAT! Read it to be swept up in one of the greatest adventure series of all time. John Carter goes to Barsoom (Mars, to the Martians) rescues the most beautiful woman in the universe and (later in the series) conquers an entire world through the power of his will and the strength of his right arm. Handsome, powerful heroes, beautiful half naked captive princesses just panting to be rescued, Villians, so evil you want to go back in time to strangle their parents, Big ugly friends, (What are you laughing at, remember Chewbacca?) strange beasts, stranger aliens, wierd science, epic battles, betrayals, great reunions. This one's got it all. The best of Burroughs' body of work, the most action packed series from the true master of the action story. Edgar Rice Burroughs is the creator of Tarzan. Don't ever pick up his work expecting an intellectual workout. Just get in and hang on for the ride

Princess of Mars is a fantastic, wild ride. I think everyone makes a mistake though of saying it's just a guys book. I'm a woman, and it was my mother who recommended Princess to me! I think any girl who's interested in science fiction or fantasy would really enjoy this book. Yeah, it was obviously written with adolescent boys in mind but I think anyone can enjoy this wildly imaginative page turner.

The characters are all extremely likable. John Carter is the perfect southern gentleman. Honorable, loyal, incredibly brave, respectful to women, extremely handsome; a perfect hero who is never boorish or conceited. Then there's Sola, one of the few green Martians to show compassion and kindness, and Tars Tarkas(aren't these names so cool?)a ferocious green martian warrior with a tragic past who is also able to feel compassion and love. And I dare anybody to tell me that they wouldn't want a Woola of their very own! Dejah Thoris though is mainly for the guys. Carter's love and devotion for her was really sweet. I didn't even know that this was part of a book series until I read it on amazon and now I am really eager to read the other books of the series. And wasn't the end cool? I don't think I've ever read an ending quite like that before. What Carter found in the cave at the end was very creepy and intriguing. (I won't give out a spoiler)

Although this is pulp fiction and sort of like a comic book in a way,(I can see mothers in 1912 scolding their kids, "That Edgar Rice Burroughs is going to rot your mind if you keep reading it!") it's still light science fiction at it's best! (I'll warn you right off though, please don't expect something deep and complex like Dune or Darkover and post a review whining about it. Princess is purely for fun.) And am I the only one that thinks Princess would make a really awesome movie?