This book was funny and moving. It made me cry. I loved it so much. Anyone and everyone should buy this book. It completely disproves that you have to be famous to write a great book.

I came home tired and discussed with work, people, life. I saw a copy of the book on the table and picked it up out of boredom. After the secound chapter I couldn't put it down. I stayed up all night and read. This book has given me knew perspective on live. I cried for a half hour after I finished and now I want to share it with everyone I know,.And the scholarship fund what a fabulous idea! You won't be sorry if you purchase this book.

I read this book when it first came out and was so impressed that I bought several others to share with my friends and family.

This book is easy to read and is so touching. It's a book that everyone should pick up. It taught me so much about how to love others, no matter what race, creed or color. What an awesome example this author is to everyone in the world. If everyone could feel the same way as she does, there would be peace throughout the land.

I'm still buying more books to help share her message and I hope that everyone else will too. It would be awesome to help some of these less fortunate people be able to get a college education. Don't miss this book!

This book is a translation and explication of selected essays by Dogen, the 13th-century Zen master who founded the Soto school of Zen in Japan and is regarded as one the world's great religious teachers. Francis Dojun Cook is a retired professor of Buddhism and a serious Zen practitioner (he was a student of Maezumi Roshi, founder of the Zen Center of Los Angeles), and his primary aim in this book is "to help the reader gain a better understanding of what it means to practice Zen, particularly in the Soto form established by Dogen Zenji."

The first half of the book is Cook's introduction to the Dogen texts, highlighting and clarifying some important themes. The second half is Cook's translations of the "Fukan zazengi" ("General Recommendations for Doing Zazen") and nine chapters from the "Shobogenzo"--texts chosen because they focus on various aspects of practice. At the end of the book is a lineage chart including many of the Zen masters mentioned in the Dogen essays.

Ch. 1 is mainly about how Dogen understands practice. Ch. 2 is about faith as the basis of Dogen's Zen. (Cook defines Buddhist faith as "a very deep certitude in the veracity of a certain doctrine, accepted and used as a touchstone for conduct in the faith that practice will verify its truth.") Ch. 3 is about arousing the thought of enlightenment (bodhichitta)--that is, arousing the determination to work ceaselessly to liberate all other beings from suffering and delusion, even while not being completely liberated oneself. Ch. 4 is about Zen as a means of dealing with karma and its consequences, not by "transcending" conditioned existence but by radically affirming and fully experiencing it. Ch. 5 is about the role of the scriptures in Dogen's Zen. (I liked Cook's observation that the verse attributed to Bodhidharma cautions only against "dependence" on words and letters, not against making use of them.) And Ch. 6 is about the continuous practice needed to live each moment fully, with wisdom and compassion.

My own practice can actually get derailed by questions like "Where do I get the motivation to practice, if not from the just the sort of self-centered attachments and aversions that I'm hoping to let go of through Zen practice?" and "How do I practice without making it an exercise in trying to get something I lack, thus denying the inherent buddha-nature I'm hoping to realize?" This book deals with such issues in a way that I found very helpful. (As usual, I found Dogen's interpreter more helpful than Dogen himself. Maybe someday I'll be able to get more inspiration from Dogen directly?) I also appreciated Cook's argument that Dogen's faith-based Zen is much more akin to a religion of "other-power" (tariki) like Pure Land Buddhism than to a religion of "self-power" (jiriki), which is how Zen sometimes gets characterized.

One tiny complaint: Cook slips into some of the caricatures of Christianity that I find tiresome in Zen literature. I wish Zennies would just stick with talking about Zen and not try to talk about how Zen compares with traditions they don't know nearly as much about.

Another Dogen commentary I highly recommend: "Flowers Fall: A Commentary on Zen Master Dogen's Genjokoan" by Hakuun Yasutani Roshi.

Professor Dojun Cook is one rare bird. Not only is he a translator of great learning, he is also a dyed-in-the-wool Zen practitioner.

His years of study and practice with Taizan Maezumi Roshi at the Zen Center of Los Angeles enable him to bring these texts to beautiful clarity.

Reading Dogen Zenji can be a challenging exercise. Translating him is infinitely more so. Dr. Cook has shown himself equal to the task. This book is a great boon to thoughtful Buddhists everywhere.

HOW TO RAISE AN OX : Zen Practice as Taught in Zen Master Dogen's Shobogenzo - Including Ten Newly Translated Essays by Francis Dojun Cook. Foreword by Taizan Maezumi Roshi. 216 pp. Los Angeles, California : Center Publications, 1978 and Reprinted.

It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of Dogen (1200-1253). As one of the most powerful and brilliant minds Asia has produced - and it has produced many - his many-levelled and multi-faceted works should be viewed, not so much as a purely local and Japanese phenomenon, but as a supreme contribution to world literature. For all of us, he is, as Taizan Maezumi Roshi says, an inexhaustible spring of wisdom.

Dogen's works are profound. They express the point-of-view of an enlightened Master. Such works, especially when written in a sinograph-based language such as Japanese or Chinese, present almost insuperable problems of interpretation, and there are very few scholars who are equal to the task of translating them.

Dr Francis Cook comes to this task well-prepared. His work is highly respected in scholarly circles, he has held faculty posts at Dartmouth College and the University of California at Riverside, where he was an associate professor in the Religious Studies program, and he has a number of impressive publications to his credit.

In addition, he has a masterful command of the Japanese language, a command enhanced by two years spent as a Fulbright Fellow at Kyoto University. He has also devotedly practiced Zen meditation for many years. This last is extremely important as enabling Dr Cook to rise above the intellectualizing and speculation which limits so much contemporary Zen scholarship.

As he himself explains, the translator must be able to "approach the text in the light of his own Zen practice.... because unless the translator has some insight, however small, into what Dogen Zenji is saying, he will miss much in the text and the translation will suffer" (page 89). This is a simple point, but it is often overlooked, not only by translators, but also by a certain type of reader.

The present book falls fairly equally into two parts. The first 99 pages give us Dr Cook's introductory material in seven chapters: Introduction; The Importance of Faith; Arousing the Thought of Enlightenment; The Problem of Karma; The Scriptures; Giving Life to Our Lives; Concerning the Translation.

99 pages of 'introduction' may seem a lot, but Dr Cook has such a clear mind, and such an enviably clear and simple prose style, that anyone who is at all serious about trying to understand Dogen will find these pages extremely interesting. Here is an example, picked out at random, of Dr Cook's style:

"Dogen Zenji himself was not an ordinary man.... He addresses the reader from a level of spiritual insight that is greatly superior to ours, and the reader's challenge is to try to comprehend Dogen's vision of reality from the vantage point of his remarkable achievement. He is very difficult to follow because he sees a reality we do not even vaguely imagine" (page 88).

The remaining half of the book is taken up with Dr Cook's translations of ten chapters on practice from the Shobogenzo:

FUKANZAZENGI "General Recommendations for Doing Zazen;" KEISEI SANSHOKU "The Sounds of the Valley Streams, the Forms of the Mountains;" HOTSU MUJO SHIN "Arousing the Supreme Thought;" SHUKKE "Home Departure;" RAIHAI TOKUZUI "Paying Homage and Acquiring the Essence;" SHUNJU "Spring and Fall;" SHINJIN INGA "Deep Faith in Cause and Effect;" NYORAI ZENSHIN "The Tathagata's Whole Body;" GYOJI "Continuous Practice;" KAJO "Everyday Life."

Each of these chapters has been given brief but helpful Notes, and the book is rounded out with four Genealogy Charts of Chinese Zen Masters to enable the reader to locate in time the various individuals mentioned in the essays.

Here are a few lines from Cook's reading of the FUKANZAZENGI:

"... you must suspend your attempts to understand by means of scrutinizing words, reverse the activity of the mind which seeks externally, and illuminate your own true nature" (page 96).

What we are seeking, in other words, is not 'out there,' and one can only go astray by seeking it 'out there.' Here is the source of the West's fundamental error, an error which has generated the massive confusion around us, a confusion which is not going to go away until we start taking Dogen seriously.

Though it will probably be a long time before the West has humility enough to acknowledge that Zen Master Dogen belongs right up there along with such luminaries as Plato and Augustine, it's heartening to see that many Dogen translations have now begun to appear. These translations range all the way from the sincere and highly competent, through to the probably equally sincere but somewhat less competent.

Since very few, even among Japanese, understand Medieval Japanese, I'm not in a position to say whether Dr Cook's translation is 'excellent,' though it reads very well and I strongly suspect that it is. He's certainly put in the leg work to qualify as a highly competent translator, and anyone who may be looking for a good edition of Dogen could do worse than select his.

Cathy's honesty and willingness to be transparent by sharing her strengths as well as her weaknesses provided insight on how to be honest with myself. This book provides emotional and spritual healing mixed with a good dose of painful but much needed truths that inspires one to repent, get over it, and grow. All this while enjoying lots of belly laughs throughout the book.

How true that when we want more of God we just want to put everything else on hold. Cathy's funny way of helping us laugh at ourselves while learning that God does want more of us and how we can give it to him and have a balance. A very annointed woman of God-Cathy shows you how to get through the daily grind and still come out victorious!

I could tell the author of this book had the annointing of God as she wrote it. I was so blessed and I am reading it a second time. I first read someone else's copy then ordered two for myself. One for me and one to share with someone else who needed encouragement. One phrase that stands out now as I write this is the title of one of the paragraphs..... DELAY IS NOT DENIAL!Thank you Cathy for writing such a wonderful book God bless you as your book has blessed me.

The day I received this cookbook I was so inspired I went out and bought all of the ingredients for and then prepared the "Thai Curry" recipe. It was excellent. I've made several other recipes from this book since and have yet to be disappointed. My family has become big fans of Asian food primarily because of my love of this book.

Be prepared to find what many inexperienced cooks may find as exotic ingredients. We're lucky to live by a huge Asian grocery store, so finding things like jasmine extract, kilfer lime leaves, fresh lemongrass, and other interesting-sounding bottled or dried flavorings was not difficult, but could potentially be.

I appreciate the sumptuous photos supplied with each recipe. Obviously there was a hefty budget for food stylists and photo shoots, but it really helps when you're trying to envision the finished product and the presentation.

We don't go out for Southeast Asian food since starting our cooking adventure through James McNair's beautifully laid out book. This book is a pleasure to peruse as the layout and photography are beautiful. But most importantly, the recipes are right on! I've made the pork with garlic sauce, various thai currys, and the lemongrass chicken and all have turned out restaurant quality - if you are in Thailand, much better than restaurant quality if you have the misfortune as myself to be currently living in the midwest. My next attempt will be the shrimp and pineapple yellow curry - I'm sure that it will also be fantastic.

After I got my wife hooked on Thai food she bought me a cookbook that was loosely translated from Chinese. Didn't work too well. I picked up James McNair's Southeast Asian book and love it. Like all of the other McNair volumes I own, I can start off with an easier recipe and work up to harder ones as my particular skills and confidences increase. You can't go wrong with this or any of McNair's books!

This is one of the first vegetarian-vegan cookbooks we bought a couple decades ago after visiting the Down to Earth health food stores she helped start in Hawaii and where Hawaiian public TV had her show. She is the one who turned us on to unusual spices like asafetidawhich has a unique garlic onion element that is excellent in so many recipes.

Like her cook book she really cooks in real life like she stresses in her books. And I love the way she stresses organic fresh, be it vegetables or fruits and the use of whole grains. Brown rice not white. And the recipes work and even the picky eaters we have encountered over the years have savored and asked for second of her recipes like Spicy Rice and Nuts that incorporate nuts in them.

Her Hot And Sour Soup with shiitake mushrooms is wonderful. She also has a wonderful apple cake recipe. Oh and one for a sweet potato casserole.

Oh and her recipes are healthy as well as for the health-fit minded person. If someone is into junk food, fast food they probably won't like the recipes.

I originally was given this book by my mother on my birthday in 1983 or so. If one book can be credited for shaping a person's life, then this book is the one that improved my health, taught me to cook and led to my becoming a vegetarian. Over the years I have cooked for friends and family all around the world from this cookbook -- yes, I travel with it in my luggage. So, I really can't praise it enough, or Kathy for her genius in the kitchen. And, I am overjoyed to have found a used copy to replace my worn, food stained copy on my kitchen shelf.

This book is a natural-foods classic. The recipes are easy to follow (and prepare), healthful, and delicious. A helpful list of ingredients used, their properties, and where to buy them, is included. The book is also very informative with regard to the various types of food on which each of its sections is based. Too bad it's out of print-it's a must-have for everyone interested in preparing wholesome, delicious vegetarian meals, from novices just toying with the idea of becoming vegetarian, to long-time whole-food devotees. Warning: Kathy's philosophizing can be cloying and preachy, however, don't be put off by it (after all, it's her book-she's entitled). This is a first-rate cookbook; if you have a chance to obtain a copy, grab it! I NEVER loan out this book or its companion volume, Kathy Cooks.

"I, the creator of Crepes Suzette for the man who would become Edward VII, will now give you the recipe for Henri Charpentier."

And so he begins his sweetly swaggering and sentimental autobiography spanning his humble beginnings in 19th century France, to his auspicious apprenticeships in the world's top hotels and restaurants, his poverty while working in London, and his struggles to create a career as a restauranteur in America, only to be shut down by Prohibition. The story is told with a littering of the favorite recipes of the famous people he served. I could not put this book down! Full of anecdotal stories of princes and empresses, and his own enterprising yet generous heart comes through. Wish I weren't born too late to taste these meals ... At the end is a short cookbook of simple but elegant recipes, and excellent advice for choosing market produce. ... Merci, Henri!

Before there was Emeril or Wolfgang Puck, there was Henri. Out of print for nearly six decades, LIFE A LA HENRI recounts the culinary adventures of Henri Charpentier, the very first celebrity chef and inventor of Crepes Suzettes. Introduction by Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame.

Hello . My name is Robert Charpentier . I am please that may of you have taken the time to not only search , but purchase the " Henri Charpentier Cookbook " . At first printing , there were only 100 in circulation , most of them to close personal friends and family . Later , the world began to catch on , and additional books were printed .

I am proud to be a close relative of Henri . I met him when I was a child growing up in Westport , Connecticut where I lived with my parents until we moved to the south in 1968 where I still reside . My parents are also living . My dad is a proud man , and holds close to his heart the fact that Henri was his fathers brother , and I , am the nephew .

Perhaps i'll write additional words later , but for now , I will continue to honor Henri's work , as it is part of who I am and my heritage .

Thank you for reveiwing this letter . Please feel free to E-mail me at home anytime , I will return the honor .

What an enchanting story, what beautiful illustrations, what a wonderful book! It's a great way to have fun with your children and introduce them to spanish at the same time! I look forward to the day when I can read it to my own children, over and over again!!

What an enchanting story, what beautiful illustrations, what a wonderful book! It's a great way to have fun with your children and introduce them to Sapnish at the same time! It delighted me from cover to cover and I look forward to the day when I can read it to my own children, over and over again!!

This is a great children's book with an introduction to Spanish and the Spanish culture. The illustrations are just delightful and thoughtfully done. The pictures and story will keep little ones entertained. The children and animals are so cute. Your children will just love all the animals and their costumes for the parade and blessing by the padre. This book will make a great gift for your children or grandchildren. A must buy for anyone with children.

This is one of the most prolific books Terry has written. The information included is based on real investigations into areas most people would not know how to begin getting into.

I know Terry personally, and his abilities as an investigator really come out in his writtings. The information in Mark of the New World Order will help anyone to understand how far we have come toward the full implimentation of Big Brother. Terry writes as well as he speaks, and anyone hearing his seminars would be as excited about his information in person as they would be in reading this highly informative work.Terry, keep up to great work!

I couldn't put it down! Informative, comprehensive, easy-to-read, and well documented, "Mark" is probably the best book I've read on the possibilities of end-time government control. The technology is all ready, and after reading the book, one is compelled to admit that we may be closer than we think to total Big Brother control. Well worth reading.

its one of the best books in this day and age. it tells it like it is. im well pleaseed with this book. it opens up things that i was never aware of with our goverment. and yes its true about this new world order how there all set up now and they been ready. terry talks about controlling and tracking man kind rich or poor old young. this book you have to read. you will know more now than you did all your life after reading this book. the new world order.

One great kid's cookbook! It has just enough details and is explained clearly. This cookbook tells kids what cookware you will need to make each recipe. This book is definately #1 on my list and I'm sure it will become one on yours as well!

This cookbook for the younger reader is wonderful. This book is easy to understand, filled with many pictures, that not only gives recipes, but also teaches various cooking techniques. Williams Sonoma has a wonderful way of creating cookbooks for the younger people that have not only creative recipes, but recipes for foods that we eat every day. I highly recommend this cookbook for your young novice cook!

My kids just loved this cookbook! We had so much fun this weekend trying out all of the recipes. The recipes aren't too challenging for young kids and it's written so that kids can have fun while they're cooking. My thanks to the author for a great book!

MEDITERRANEAN VEGETABLES is misnamed. Many of the vegetables Clifford Wright lists in his book are not native to the Mediterranean, but rather hail from the Western Hemisphere. I was slightly annoyed when I realized this as I am a gardener and naively thought this book would get back to some "original" foods, but it does not. However, that being said, the book does contain some rather good recipes, and unlike other books on the various cuisines of the area, this book contains a nice selection of dishes that include eggplant. I am an eggplant nut, so for that reason alone I'll keep the book. Not only does the book include 10 recipes with eggplant as the star, all the recipes are tasty--although some are a bit spicy and not all are low-cal (maybe none of them are).

There are plenty of other good vegetable dishes. I also fancy okra, and Wright has included a delicious recipe "Okra with Olive Oil" that uses pomegranate molassas. Another dish Wright describes as a "guiless dish from Apulia" is "Oven-baked Potatoes and Mushrooms" with portobello mushrooms and pecorino cheese.

Wright says he is not a vegetarian, so don't buy this book if you're opposed to animal products in your vegetables. However, if you're an "ovo-lacto" veggie, you might check it out.

Mediterranean vegetables range from eggplant and fava beans to lentils and swiss chard, and Clifford Wright's superbly presented vegetable book provides 200 recipes for using vegetables to maximum advantage. There are no color photos, but the dishes don't need much embellishment: just access to a range of fresh vegetables.

Clifford Wright's Mediterranean Vegetables truly lives up to its title in offering more than two hundred delicious and inspiring recipes drawn from the such diverse Mediterranean bordering nations and regions as Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, North Africa, and the Middle East. From Umak od Hren sa Jabukom (Horseradish and Apple Sauce); Harisa (Hot Chile Paste); and Spinaci alla Genovese (Genoa-Style Spinach); to Yogurtin Salgam (Fried Turnips with Yogurt); Ardi shawki Maqli bi'l-Taratur (Fried Artichokes with Tartur Sauce); and Potage au Cresson (Watercress Soup); Mediterranean Vegetables is an ideal addition to the regional recipe cookbook shelves of anyone who enjoys culinary enhancements of daily meals or party menus.