This was my first Portuguese course. It was good for a quick learn.The choice of vocabulary is excellent.The course covers the usual topics (food, shopping, accommodation, etc) but they are presented in a way that really gives you the essentials to get by. It is remarkable how such a small course always appears to have what you are looking for. I was quite impressed and later bought the complete course in Portuguese by the same author.

A brilliant book. I found this very useful for on my recent holiday to Portugal.
Covers lots of useful different topics (which had well chosen vocabulary) that you might need to reference on a holiday for example shopping, hotel, money, food, weather, etc.
The layout made things easy to locate.
The tape helped me with my pronunciation.
I am not very good at languages but I found this book really easy to use, so that must be a good sign.
I would gladly recommend this book to anyone.

This is a no-fuss, very easy to follow, user friendly short course for the visitor to the country. Different topics (shopping, hotel, money, food, weather and others)are easy to locate. The vocabulary is well chosen. You usually find what you need when you are in a shop etc and open the book for help! Ideal for the short stay, quick and easy as they say!

This is the book that taught me how to cook. I was intimidated by other cookbooks with their long ingredient lists and complicated preparations. Recipes from this cookbook are easy to make and absolutely delicious. I would recommend this book for people who want to begin to cook more meals at home, even if they aren't vegetarian -- the recipes are so good that even meat-eaters would appreciate them.

The recipes in this book are delicious, and most importantly, the ingredients are simple and inexpensive. I've seen a lot of books that have terrific recipes, but the cost of ingredients ends up being prohibitive. This is great vegetarian eating on a budget!

I am a vegetarian & a working mom & this is by far the most valuable cookbook I own. I can honestly say I use it almost daily - the recipes make it so easy to fix a quick, healthy, tasty meal after a hard day working. The only (minor) quibble I have is that a lot of the recipes call for more fat or cheese than I like to use. The Creamy Chickpea Soup with Garlic & Lemon was the first vegetarian food my husband ever requested that I fix again! And I've served Lucky Beans & Rice to everyone & everyone likes it - even the bean haters. I honestly can't reccommend this book too highly.

Using a question-and-answer format with mundane cartoon illustrations, the authors deal with typical questions young readers ask about hardware, software, the Internet, computer manners, and the "hard to predict" future of computers. Aside from a few geeky projects (a CD-ROM mobile), the book has things fun to know, such as a list of emoticons, many interesting websites arranged by topic to try, and a helpful glossary for those who have trouble separating an FAQ from a CPU. Some answers are pretty technical for younger readers but this is the kind of book you read in rather than through, and computer users from the most naive to the above-average in skills will find something of use here.

Reviewed by Susan Hepler. Copyright @ 2000 Children's Literature. All Rights Reserved.

Publishers Weekly:

May 24, 1999

The anchors of the CompuDudes NPR radio show answer kids' computer questions in Why Doesn't My Floppy Disk Flop? by Peter Cook and Scott Manning, illus. by Ed Murrow. From definitions of words such as "bug" and "hyperlink" to tips about how to get peanut butter off a keyboard, the book provides comprehensible and useful answers to a wide range of queries.

From The Union-Tribune - (San Diego, CA):

May 11, 1999

by Suzanne A. Smith

Why Doesn't My Floppy Disk Flop? is an excellent first book about computers for children ages 8 and up. The authors, Cook and Manning, are better known as the "CompuDudes," hosts of a popular computing show for kids on National Public Radio. This book is a compilation of the most frequently asked questions they have received on the show.

Cook and Manning answer questions, from the simple ("what is my computer doing when I first turn it on?") to the more complicated ("what is a cable modem?"), to the humorous ("why don't they make computers in colors?"). The answers to these questions are technically accurate and written in a casual, patient style that is easy for kids to read.

The book also includes some fun, computer-related activities, such as making a CD-ROM mobile, writing a simple program in BASIC, and helping Mom and Dad plan the family summer vacation using the Internet.

A useful chapter at the end of the book is titled, "Good Computer Habits." Here, kids learn how to considerately share a computer with others, back up the hard drive, safely participate in chat rooms, and even how to clean the computer monitor.

This book is good for young children who have expressed an interest in learning more about computers. Mom and Dad may even learn a few things as well.

Forecast - (Bridgewater, NJ):

May 1999

Discusses the history of computers and explains their various parts and uses, hardware, software, the Internet, good computer etiquette, and their future, and includes sidebars which answer questions that were asked on the author's radio show. Original. Grades 3-4.

From the St. Paul (Minnesota) Pioneer Press newspaper:

Monday, April 12, 1999

JEFFREY C. KUMMER STAFF WRITER

"......For a fun guide to computers in general, try, ``Why Doesn't My Floppy Disk Flop: and Other Kids' Computer Questions,'' by Peter Cook and Scott Manning, John Wiley & Sons. Besides being a handy reference for the kinds of computer questions that baffle kids (and adults, too), the book is packed with activities to help children learn more about computers."

I'm a returning student and eating out was one of the things I had to give up to survive on my smaller budget. This cookbook helps because I can make meals that I like better than most restaurant food with little fuss and cheap ingredients. The recipes are easy to follow and the introductory content helped me understand the basics of bean preparation so I don't have to rely on over-priced, high-sodium content canned beans!

There are many good bean books on the market, but this one is perhaps a cut above the rest. The recipes are easy, delicious, and plentiful. A great addition to your bean book collection, or the only one you'll want if you are creating one.

Just make sure to open all the windows, cause you'll fart up a storm, and a deliciously supplied one at that!

Atlanta Cooks is not only a phenomenal resource, but a gorgeous "coffee table" quality cookbook. Even though I'm a Yankee, this book makes cooking both modern and classic Southern dishes easy. What really sets this book apart, though, is the quality of the recipes (beyond the basics) and the high-quality of the photography. A delight to have in my bookshelf and a great gift idea for anyone moving to, or homesick for, Atlanta.

Marvelous recipes from a city with wonderful restaurants, especially "Canoe".

Atlanta Cooks is a well-organized and original cookbook highlighting 25 chefs (executive and pastry) from the metropolitan Atlanta area. The photos show the "action" in the kitchen and the finished result. The recipes are not too difficult--or my guests were lying when they said they tasted just like the restaurants'. (I have gracious friends). But, I must say my Red Velvet Cake turned out great.

Our family has owned a patch of shore/forest land in Wisconsin for 20 years although none have been birders. With this disk we easily learned to identify species and discovered the diversity that we never noticed previously. The call/naming/call format of this disk is excellent for new birders and the numbers of species covered is ideal. I use the Stokes disk set as a reference but the name/call format and large number species covered does not facilitate learning the calls.

John Feith's Bird Song Ear Training Guide is a unique and impressive CD audiobook providing instructions on how to recognize songs of birds common to the states of the Midwest and Northeast (including Wisconsin where almost all the bird songs were recorded and the post-production work was done). Each distinctive bird song is followed by a mnemonic or a short description. The bird is identified and a review sound is played again that fixes the song's identity in the mind of the listener. The Bird Song Ear Training Guide is enhanced with a quiz format which will aid the listener to focus on learning how to identify the bird songs. A complete list of bird species and mnemonics is included in an insert. All profits from this enthusiastically recommended CD instructional for birdwatchers will go to the Nature Conservancy and the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology.

Actually you'll find it useful and accurate too. Fun to use, lots of songs, and my two feline birders went bananas. Who would know better? Good value for the money and the proceeds go to a good cause.

It is extremely easy to offer guests ( or yourself) a magnificent meal that looks like you are a great chef with very little work. Easy techniques and ingredients allow you to enjoy cooking. You will reach for this book repeatedly!

I have many cookbooks, but this is one of my favorites. Every recipe that I made from this book has turned out well, which is, I think, a sign of a good cookbook. I particularly like the notes at the bottom of the recipe that tell you how far ahead and through what step you can make the dish. This is a big plus when entertaining. All of the dishes that I have made from this book have been crowd pleasers.

What a great cookbook! I use it frequently, particularly for the roast chicken (my family's personal favorite), shrimp salsa, the marinades and salad dressings, the chocolate truffle brownies, and an UNBELIEVABLY sinful chocolate cake! The format is attractive, the recipes are easy to follow, and the results have been uniformly consistent. If you enjoy flavorful, creative cuisine, this is for you!

A wonderful cooking experience was had by all for myself and family. For some extra fun, my family and I sometimes decide to pick out a cookbook and make a meal entirely from that book. Using this cookbook we all picked out one recipe apiece to try out to make a full dinner. Our experence ranged from fairly competent and experienced to the true novice in the kitchen. We made our different courses and the at the end we were very happy with the results. We all agreed that the recipes were well thought out and easy to follow with excellent intstructions and sidebars to answer just about all of our questions. They were practical and informative with the net result being a pleasureable cooking experience for us. Being from the San Francisco area, we are exposed to many wonderful foods and restaurants which I think have increased our appreciation of well prepared foods. We think this cookbook will be enjoyable for all who use it. Chin chin!

I bought this cookbook on a caterer's recommendation as a high school gift for a young man who is living with my family and hopes to become a chef. It was perfecto! I'm grateful he leaves it in my kitchen so I can make use of it, too. I've been cooking for 40 years, but I learned many new tricks and absorbed into my DNA several new recipes from just leafing thru these pages while sipping a latte in the morning.
A must-buy for the serious but casual cook.

A solid, well written book that I will be reaching for a lot faster than some of the current well known authors.

For someone not having much time to de-code recipes, the techniques and content of the book are easy to read and very well done.

I love to cook and also have a ton of cookbooks. My Mom bought me this book as a wedding gift. Although there are a lot of good recipes I find the tips that are strewn about the book to be the most helpful. There is a lot of pages dedicated to how to cook different cuts of meat, what are different types of vegetables, important items to have in your kitchen, and a whole lot of other fun tips. I think this a great book for a first time cook (like a newlywed couple) but I also think the veteran cook would enjoy to have such a well rounded cookbook. This one really covers all of the bases.

This was one of the best shower gifts that I recieved at my bridal shower! It's a perfect gift for a new bride or even those who have never cooked before. The recipes are so simple, and it even shows you defiantions of other cooking terms found in other cook books, that beginner cooks' wouldn't know. It is a great reference for new cooks! This cook book is so neat! Betty Crocker shows you each kitchen tool, and the def. This book also talks about dinner parties, and there is even a space to write "his" and "her" favorite recipes as well as other spaces. It also talks about having and dinner party and cooking for two, and different kinds, of rice, etc. This is def. one of the best gifts that you could give a new bride. Not only is it a wonderful cook book, it is also afforadobly priced for the public.

What a nice gift this is to give to a couple just getting married and setting up a household. I've looked through it and found it to be very helpful and full of good basic recipes. I have always found the betty crocker cookbooks to be among the best. It's a great gift that every couple (or single person) could use.

I believe that this is one of the best French cookbooks of all time. Very old, traditional recipes explained in a way that makes even the more advanced ones seem doable. She also includes recipes from her youth in America and tells how she came across the recipe for Haschich Fudge. The stories interwoven are captivating, especially about the society she and Gertrude Stein kept, and their efforts during WWI as volunteers. In this respect it is a fascinating historical document. It is written as if she is speaking to you, and her speech is very blunt, to the point and quietly humorous. Very enjoyable to read.

Ive been cooking with _Joy of Cooking_ for a long time now. _Joy_ makes reference to a chapter in this book, "Murder in the Kitchen," as a sort of primer on how to 'murder' a carp in the kitchen before cooking. I decided, on a whim, to buy the book.

I had no idea that having this new cookbook would be so rewarding!

Alice Toklas has some INCREDIBLE recipes in here (Scheherezade Melon being a favorite!), all of which should be tried and enjoyed.

Furthermore, this book contains recipes you simply wont find in other, newer, cookbooks. My girlfriend really summed this book up by suggesting that the recipes in this book are the recipes you know exist -- but are being passed from grandmother to granddaughter; you simply dont get these unless youre in that circle of people.

This cookbook is your way in to exquisite dishes that were prepared for the likes of Gertrude Stein, Hemmingway, Picasso, and Matisse.

That, and where else are you going to find a recipe for Hashish Fudge?

This book has my whole-hearted, overwhelming approval.

2002 is Alice's 125th birthday, so why not get her most famous book and cook up a birthday dinner?!
This classic of 20th century food lit appears every few years and rightfully so. First published in 1954 by Alice B. Toklas, the life partner of Gertrude Stein, established Alice as a writer in her own right and made her world-famous(once again) with her "Haschich Fudge" aka Alice B. Toklas brownies! This recipe, which was not included in the first American edition, but was included in the British edition, does appear in this book. It's more than a cookbook, it's an affectionate remembrance by someone who knew and was known by some of the artistic giants of the 20th century.