The stories in this volume capture the South at its darkest - yet at the same time they reveal the brightest sparks of the souls of the characters that have been brought to life so vividly here by Marlin Barton. Centered loosely around a single family, they cover a wide span of time - from the Civil War to the present day. Considering the time and place of some of the stories, it's easy to understand that there is some serious ugliness involved - but rather than play it loudly and cheaply, Barton has chosen to be more of a medium than a creator. In his hands, the words become crystalline, allowing the reader to see effortlessly into the lives and times depicted.

The collection begins in (more or less) the present, with 'Jeremiah's road', in which an elderly Black man sees the values to which he has clung for so many years fraying at the edges, most evident in the behavior of members of the family across the road. In this story, as in many here, there is an aching sadness for things that are lost, things that are perceived as vital in order to make a life whole, to make sense of the insensible. There are successes and failures - and all of the grey area in between - represented in these chronicled lives. From 'Jeremiah's road', the title story takes us back to the time of the Civil War - but rather than being just another story of battles and bloodshed, Barton instead delicately paints a poignant portrait of a single soldier, touched by what he has seen and experienced in ways that will change him forever. The stories continue to work their way through time, winding up with 'The cemetery', set, like 'Jeremiah's road', in the present.

Many of the stories here involve struggles between the races - struggles to understand each other, to coexist, to find a way to treat each other with respect, sometimes simply to tolerate. There are no sermons here - right and wrong are presented in turn, and it's not always easy to tell them apart. Hmmm - rather like life. Barton's style is simply an amazing thing to behold. His writing is deceptively well-crafted, allowing its complexity to be shrouded in apparent simplicity - but therein lies his craftsmanship as a wordsmith. I think that 'The minister', 'Fires' and 'The cemetery' moved me the most - but every single one of these stories is an absolute gem. I can't wait to read more by this writer.

The stories in Marlin Barton's "The Dry Well" are at once individual masterpieces and a powerful whole. The characters, several generations of the Anderson family, struggle with their personal "grotesqueness," transcending their community of Delmarville, Alabama into a southern "Winesburg, Ohio." Some, like the bitter cripple, Aiken, are outwardly afflicted, whereas Rafe, the protagonist of the title story, suffers from a dark, inner turmoil which causes him to doubt his own motives. In these characters' sufferings runs a powerful undercurrent of the chiaroscuro within every human soul.

Barton's imagery immerses the reader in time and place, but also subtly reveals the emotional landscape of his characters. For example, on page 36, Rafe saw ... "the moon, perfect in its half-symmetry. Its edge looked as if it had been cut with a knife honed on a fine-grained whetstone; the few streaks of clouds below it save almost the suggestion of blood, as if the cut had done the moon injury." Rafe is thus revealed as a Confederate soldier, no stranger to bloodshed.

The most brilliant moments in Barton's prose, however, are his story endings. Each is a moment of pure finesse, often a surprise delivered in the last line, yet every one is wholly, perfectly, inevitable.

It takes a lot to impress this critical reader. Marlin Barton's "The Dry Well" does.

This cookbook has opened our eyes to "Real Italian"! My husband and I bought this book only a week ago and have already made at least 10 recipes all of which have been delicious! Everything is light, fresh and suprisingly fullfilling. Giobbi shares delightful stories and his knowledge about the recipes he's altered from fattier versions (southern Italy) or collected in his travels from people and places. Wolff fills us in on all the health info you need to know about being healthy, calories,fat,cholesterol and how it relates to these recipes etc. What was amazing to me is all this time I thought I knew great Italian food here in America and I come to find out that most of our "Italian" food has been Americanized....now that I know the difference (and there definitely is one!) I don't know if I'll ever be able to eat Italian food outside MY kitchen ever again!

In Eat Right, Eat Well, -The Italian Way, Ed Giobbi and Richard N. Wolff, M.D. team up to show that excellent Italian cuisine is not incompatable with healthful eating. I have had the pleasure of using this book for several years, and continue to be delighted with the recipies, advice and memories of Mr. Giobbi. Many people who think that Italian food is heavy and laden with olive oil, butter, eggs, cream, or cheeses will have their eyes opened by this splendid book. This is not simply a "heart healthy" book, it is a first rate cookbook with little or no compromise in the recipies. We have repeatedly returned to the pasta primavera recipies. The true pasta primavera is not the cream/flour paste/overcooked vegetables mishmash usually served in most resturaunts today. This is a combination of raw peeled and crushed tomatoes (we take ours right off the vine in our back yard, but purchased from the local roadside stand will suffice) fresh basil ( as many handsful that you can manage) garlic, salt, pepper, and a splash of olive oil (1 or 2 tablespoons is more than enough for flavoring and feeds 3 to 4 people) tossed with freshly cooked pasta. We often saute whatever veggies we have at hand in the olive oil and skip the oil in the sauce. The heat of the pasta warms the sauce. This is truly the best of Italian cuisine; taking advantage of what is fresh NOW, cooked as little as possible to avoid masking the flavors, and served combined to maximize the harmony of fresh flavors, textures, and aromas. We find that the zest and juice of a lemon enhances the flavors. A bit of fine parmesean or romano cheese ( a bit is allowed, and the recommendations regarding fat and calorie counts is included in an expansive appendix, as well as nutritional breakdowns for each dish) and you have a meal that certainly doesn't taste like you're on a diet. The book was written to help those with heart disease, or those wishing to avoid heart disease, to eat a better diet without sacrificing taste or enjoyment. The collaboration works well, and the dietary information is sound. The book does not get preachy, and does not sacrifice taste for theory, as is true in too many "diet" books or "heart healthy" books. Mr. Giobbi's assertion is that true Italian cooking, as practiced in Italy, is usually consonant with good eating practices for heart health. In America, Italian cooking has been co-opted, fattened up, and generally made unrecognizable. Fresh ingredients, emphasis on not overcooking, and harmonizing flavors is the essence of this cuisine. Once you taste the real primavera, you will never go back again. I haven't found a bum recipe yet. Enjoy!!

Spend 10 minutes per meal-save THOUSANDS per year. By not spending 10 minutes to prepare meals, you are a lamb being led to the financial slaughterhouse! You have a choice. Either continue to spend thousands more per year on convenience foods, or roll up your sleeves in the kitchen, eat well, and save BIG money. This book shows you how. This book and, 'Your Money or Your Life', by Dominguez and Robin, are life-changing books, must reads for anyone into saving. I recomend this book wholeheartedly to everyone who eats!

This book is full of excellent ideas on how to utilize often overlooked resources in a community that can help save big on grocery bills. By using this book in conjunction with my small garden, I pared my monthly bill down by over one hundred dollars. It contains very simple, very inexpensive recipes, many of which consist mainly of garden produce. Great for any gardener who would like ideas on how to more efficiently use their harvest! I was also surprised at the tastiness of the recipes. My kids love them!

Elaine is so talented as an author and a Registered Dietician. I would recommend all of her books to anyone. She is truly a delight and always adds such a personal touch to all of her books.

This is a great book, and one that every woman over 40 should have. It is very easy to read and isn't written with a lot of complicated terms. I think what I liked best was the book's common sense approach and giving the reader the information needed to make the important decision - pills or no pills. Although I'm not quite there yet, I know when I sit down with my Doctor, I'll be able to make an informed decision, one that will be right for me. This is a book that I will refer to often.

I am hoping that a sequal to this cookbook comes out soon. I use this book more than any other cookbook I have. The recipes are healthy and delicious. I find it very useful with my weight watchers cooking since it lists the nutritional information for each recipe.

This book is NOT just another cookbook!!! Not only are there recipes, there are hundreds and hundreds of facts about what foods can help you prevent certain diseases, cancer, etc!! A must have for the beginning health-nut or the master in healthy eating! Always something interesting to learn each time opened!!!! BUY THIS BOOK!!! I know it is kind of pricey! SO WHAT? Doctor's bills cost much more!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love "Eat Well The YoChee Way" guide and 275 recipes book. Along with being professionally written, organized, and easy to use; it is very informative.

I am extremely lactose intolerance and I have no problems eating YoChee. I love the creamy sauces and silky desserts which I was unable to eat before. YoChee really does have the pleasurable mouthfeel of high fat foods. The only problem I have is keeping enough YoChee handy to make all these wonderful healthy foods possible. I am culinary challenged and still find these recipes easy to put together. They range from the simple no cook recipes to the more elaborate elegant dinning recipes. Talk about easy to make, I have started buying yogurt by the case. YoChee is so versatile, I no longer have the need to use mayo, sour cream, cream cheese or butter in recipes. Even my 7 year old son loves YoChee; douse veggies and he asks for seconds. It's a fun way for him to get his daily protein and calcium, and don't forget the positive cancer fighting properties that eating yogurt claims.

I can't say enough great things about this book. I want to thank the Goldbeck's personally for the introduction of YoChee as it has made my diet more healthy. Everyone can use more calcium in their diet. I challenge you to receive the renowned benefits of yogurt by adding YoChee to your diet.

The Goldberk's personal customer service is also outstanding.

YoChee is the result of straining plain yogurt of its liquid, resulting in a cream cheese-like food, but is much healthier, more versatile and more delicious than cream cheese, sour cream or mayo. The authors explain the easy process of making YoChee as well as provide numerous kithen-tested recipes for everything from dips and salad dressings to cooked entrees and desserts. You will be amazed at how versatile this food is, as well as how sinful it tastes simply on a toasted bagel. This book is perfect for those people who are looking to be more creative in the kitchen and crave more healthy (but less boring) recipes, as well as those on strict medical diets who are looking for tastier healthy food. Thanks to the Goldbecks, I have become a complete YoChee convert!

This is one of the best cookbooks I've ever used. I never realized before that you could cook gourmet food that was low in calories and actually tasted good. I can't believe this book is out of print. I have cooked nearly everything in it and was anxious to give it to some of my friends. I keep hoping there is a chance that they will have a new printing.

Eating Well Magazine was a one-of-a-kind: Full of delicious recipes and nutritional articles that were up-to-date and valuable. Now that the magazine is no longer in existence, the Eating Well cookbooks are essential volumes of the collected recipes. Having been a subscriber for seven years, I can honestly say that I have never cooked something from Eating Well that wasn't delicious and low-fat. The recipes vary in their ease (this is not a cooking made simple book) but not in their quality. This book presents dishes from all categories of cooking, from salads and soups to meat and poulty, pasta, sauces, desserts, etc. When I am looking for a new recipe, this book (and the New Eating Well book that is the companion volume) is the first off of the shelf and I often don't have to look further. I highly recommend it.

Of all of my "healthy cooking" cookbooks, this is the one I'd save from fire! The food is truly delicious, and they are easy to prepare. I generally find I increase the sauce quantities, but there is not an appreciable increase in calories. My husband and I have each lost over 20 pounds this year, slowly and easily, with great enjoyment. I got online to order this book as a present for a friend who survived a heart attack, and am sorry to find it not available! Does anyone have a copy to spare? Probably not now, with this glowing review!

I've had this book over a year now and keep going back to it for easy, healthy and most importantly quick recipes. With it, I'm able to serve a variety of meals yet not spend the afternoon cooking them.

I've barely gotten into the book and I'm already impressed. The book is organized by course, salad, soup, pizza/pasta, etc. Each tip is accompanied by at least one recipe. There's a lot of great ideas I never thought of. Some are pretty standard, like using evaporated milk to substitute for cream, but she also suggests using roasted eggplant or garlic to replace a lot of the fat in recipes. I'm not really working on getting rid of all the fat in our diet, but my husband and I are trying to replace a lot of the animal and dairy products with more veggies. Cutting out dairy alone has helped me lose almost 20 pounds. But even if you're a confirmed dairy/meat eater, there's still lots of ways to cut the fat in this book. I really recommend it.

This book is jam-packed with 100 creative techniques to cut fat,along with 200 easy-to-follow recipes for everything from soup to nuts, including chocolate cheesecake. You carnivores out there will appreciate that this guide doesn't declare red meat off-limits, and includes a variety of healthy ways to serve beef, lamb, poultry, or pork dishes.

My son was a very shy little boy, and how we laughed at the adventures of Charles. Whenever my son was feeling timid I would whisper" You're like a sandwich without the cheese--not to mention the meat and the mustard..........." which is a quote from the father in the story. It always brought a smile. This book has a great lesson for people of ALL ages: acceptance! Shy children are fantastic too!

This book is a perfect example of why Rosemary Wells is my favorite children's author and one of the few brave enough to write with a unique voice. In this tale, Edward tries play school, doesn't fit in at all, doesn't enjoy himself, and is just not ready. His parents and teachers agree he should stop going until he's ready. In almost any other telling of a similar tale, the moral would be that somehow Edward was "brave" and found a way to like school, and kept going. Wells is brave enough to say that some kids really just aren't ready, and that in today's achievement at all costs oriented society, it's okay! Any child would be lucky to have parents like Edward's, who create a home environment that is cozy and loving. Don't get this book if you are a parent that has signed your child up for the top preschool at birth and have your 2 year old's Ivy League education all planned! But if you believe in letting kids be kids, even if they are shy kids, then this is a book for you!