New York has been the epicenter of world cuisine for some time and this is a classic referance for that cuisine. Not the most modern, or the simplest, or the most complete but a balance of all that is good in food. Like "The Joy of Cooking" or "How to Cook Almost Everything" this book can serve as a basis for learning all the classic recipes and techniques of western and some asian and American cooking. If you want to own just one cookbook, this may well be the one to own.

I have several cookbooks, but this one has the most stains in it by far, which is probably the best way to determine if a cookbook is any good. I turn to the Times cookbook when I want to make my old standbys, when I am trying something new or when I have company coming over. Of course, I was raised by a mother who used an older edition of this book as her main cookbook, so I may be a bit biased.

The cookbook has everything out there you need to start cooking. When I first started cooking, I was able to pick up this cookbook and start with almost no background. All the recipes turned out excellent. I particularly liked the chili recipes.

Last year, I mixed and matched these recipes with ones typed on index cards that I inherited from my grandmother and made a successful Thanksgiving dinner (which may be the ultimate praise for a cookbook).

One warning: recipes in this cookbook are not shortcuts. They will take a decent time to prepare. If I am in a hurry, I don't usually use this cookbook. If you never have much time to prepare a meal or do not enjoy cooking, this is probably not the book for you.

I borrowed it from the library. I tried some recipes thinking I'll be dissapointed like I was with Joy of Cooking. I was WRONG. It's the best cookbook I've ever seen. I decided to buy it. Every recipe I tried was delicious. The recipes are easy to follow, it's not complicated like some other cookbooks.I highly recommend this book.

As Christmas books come and go with each passing season, few have caught my attention as "The Light of Christmas" has. It encompasses the main idea of Christmas, which is that by reaching out to those in need, one learns the true message of why we celebrate the "Light" of Christmastime. Mr. Evans does a fantastic job by including such things as the "Light" and Santa Claus or rather Father Christmas, without pounding in too hard the message of Christ only. He does a very commendable job at combining the two, which I think would be a hard task for any author, especially with a children's book. On top of it all, the illustrations are absolutely beautiful, and are timeless in nature, so this book will be enjoyed for people of all ages and for many generations. This book is a must for every home!

This beautiful book caught my eye as soon as I walked in the bookstore. I was extremely touched by the message that it contained. The illustrations were also beautiful. This book will be the beginning of a great Christmas tradition in my family. It falls right in the catergory of "The Polar Express". I would recommend this to everyone who finds a greater meaning in Christmas.

If you only read one Christmas book this season, make it "The Light of Christmas" by Richard Paul Evans. This is a beautiful, well told story for children of all ages. "The Light of Christmas" pulled at my heart strings and brought tears to my eyes. This is a gift that I will share with my family and friends for Christmas. Thank you, Richard Paul Evans, for helping bring the meaning of Christmas back into my life.

Some years ago I bought an anthology called Midnight Graffiti, now out of print (deservedly, unlike the book we are discussing). Although the authors were well-known, the general level of the stories was a) just average; b) bad; c) very bad; d) unspeakable, and so forth. The only story that stood out was "Murder Mysteries," by Neil Gaiman. This melancholy and powerful story stuck to my mind, and I could never forget it. So, I bought this book because it had this story in it (and so to get rid of Midnight Graffiti without qualms). This book is a treasure trove. Gaiman is a rarity, as fantasy authors go. He is satisfying in general, but he is simply superb when writing about absolutely ordinary people and their relationship with magic (mostly, their refusal to let magic into their lives), as in Chivalry, Vampire Sestina, Troll Bridge, the abovementioned Murder Mysteries and one about a veneral disease whose title has escaped me. (Just the title, I remember the story perfectly well.)

For those who did not get this great book, you can still enjoy Mr. Gaiman's unique talent in Smoke and Mirrors; it does not have the illustrations and essays, but it brings a lot of new stories. And unlike this one, it is in print.

Unbeknownst to much of the population who read for pleasure with any regularity, Neil Gaiman is one of our greatest living writers. "Sandman" is an epic saga that blends mythology, history, religion and pop culture into a masterwork medley. "Angels and Visitations" is an equally masterful collection of stories that show what Mr. Gaiman can do when he lets his extraordinary imagination loose.

"Murder Mysteries", a nimble tale about an inchoate Heaven and the constructive angels who populate it, is by far the best of the lot. Here Gaiman does what a great mystery writer should--let the details about the characters and their surroundings emerge and become increasingly richer as the story draws to a close. The hilarious "The Case of Four And Twenty Blackbirds" is a different kind of mystery; one which turns the tale of Humpty Dumpty on its ear. "Troll-Bridge" is another modernization of a children's tale--in this case, "The Three Billy Goats Gruff"--which is written for a very different effect. It is a bittersweet story about the loss of innocence and how, as adults, we embrace the monsters that once frightened us. "Mouse" is, as another reviewer notes, an allegory that makes gentle, yet effective use of irony. "Chivalry" is an entertainingly comic tale about finding the Holy Grail. Finally, there's "Luther's Villanelle", a poem which conjures up gothic images that keep the reader's imagination going long after he or she has finished reading it.

These works have remained fresh in my mind, although I finished reading this book more than three years ago. The mere fact that so many have remained in my memory speaks much more about Gaiman's ability to write than my ability to remember. A good writer can keep you interested in what you're reading. A great one is one whose storytelling stays with you for a long time.

Judge this book by its cover. The cover art by Dave McKean is both whimsical and mysterious, presaging Neil Gaiman's charming works on the printed pages within. Just in case you don't know anything about Neil, here's a bit of info. Neil is best known for his award-winning comic series Sandman. Yes, he writes comic books, and he is damned good at it.

However, Neil is also damned good at the more traditional types of writing. He co-wrote the amazingly funny Good Omens with Terry Pratchett, and he also wrote the equally funny biography Don't Panic: Douglas Adams & The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy . His writing has appeared in anthologies. "Troll-Bridge" appeared in the adult fairy-tale compilation Snow White, Blood Red. "Murder Mysteries" (set in the Sandman universe, I do believe) was in the magazine and horror compilation Midnight Graffiti.

Angels and Visitations shows what else he can do. A miscellany of fiction, humour, non-fiction, poetry, and artwork, Angels and Visitations journeys from science fiction and fantasy shorts to detective stories and meticulously-researched literary works. There is a story about a worldwide shortage of animals--it reads like a cross between C. S. Lewis's "On Vivisection" and Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal." There is a postcard story about the fiendish enforced slavery of a certain well-loved mythical figure. There's a prologue to someone else's book, and an odd and timely story on venereal disease. There's a poem about a computerized hell that reads like a cross between William Gibson's Neuromancer and Kit Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. There's a disquieting allegory called "Mouse." There's a whole lot more, and it's all poignant, bitter-sweet, or rollickingly funny. It's all good. But are you going to get something out of Angels and Visitations? To quote "Prologue," "For that you gotta read the book."

The Bible Tutor is a CD-ROM version of an application that Luther Seminary (St. Paul, MN) developed to encourage Bible proficiency among its students.

The program has two main functions: (1) A synopsis of hundreds of Bible characters, places, events, and books, designed to introduce the sweep of the Biblical story; and (2) a series of "self-tests". These tests feature questions in a variety of formats (multiple choice, matching, etc.) and cover the topics mentioned above. In addition, the self-tests can include identification of important passages of scripture, by book and chapter.

The Bible Tutor itself consists of normal HTML pages ("web" pages) with Java for the active content. This means that it will run happily on even the oldest computers, and will work with PCs or Macintoshes alike. The self-tests are randomly generated by the program, and are automatically scored for you.

The Bible Tutor is highly recommended for anyone who would like to increase their knowledge of the Bible. Pastors, teachers, religion/theology students, schools, churches, and individuals who have always wanted to know the scripture better will all benefit from this easy to use package.

A free online demo of the program is available at the Bible Tutor website.

This CD is a great overview of the Bible. It is easy to manuever. Self-test questions are cross-referenced with detailed information. Charts, pictures, test questions, and text provide a variety of methods for learning the material. Works on MAC or PC computers.

Dr. Koester has provided an incerdible amount of information in this little CD, and it's fun too. You will find this a valuable resource as you explore the people, places, events, and books of the Bible. The links are easy to use and will provide you the opportunity to find either a little or a lot about a subject. After you have studied the many resources, you can test your knowledge by taking one of the self tests. This is a great tool for churches, youth groups, students, teachers, pastors, or anyone who wants to know more about the Bible.

Really, you just can't go wrong. There are no 'vanity' recipes in here (you know the ones, with 87 ingredients and impossible-to-find spices), only simple and flawless dishes that have been proven over time to be winners. I first got this book on the recommendation of a professional chef, and was very suspicious that it would be completely beyond my meager abilities. I was pleased to discover that everything about this book is straightforward, and no matter what your cooking level is you CAN make EVERY SINGLE RECIPE even if you are a cooking novice. It's a little heavy on the cream in some recipes, so I recommend more for special occasions and weekends than every day cooking - although there are quite a few healthier recipes in there as well.

Favorite recipes? Chicken Scarpariello (took me all of 25 minutes, start to finish), Shell Steak in Vinager & Cream sauce (will impress big-time).

This book has all the flavor and variety you would want from a cookbook. The recipes are easy to read, and great for any amateur chef. Also, the book is compact in size, so it is not overwhelming you with too many recipes or cooking methods. It is simply the best cookbook I ever saw.

This is the second time I am purchasing this book. My original book is falling apart and covered in food stains from so much use. I've shared recipes from this book with everyone. The recipes are easy and delicious. You will use this book often, buy two!

Sleeping Bear Publishing makes great looking books and the Common Grill Cookbook is no exception. It's so pretty I needed to buy a second book--one for the coffee table and one for the kitchen. The recipes are easy to follow and result in fabulous food. The only thing better is eating in the restaurant because then you don't need to clean up.

My sister has been praising the food from The Common Grill restaurant for years. She was so excited to purchase the cookbook that she sent one to me too. And I must say I'm very grateful. I have already made the 'Smoked Chicken, Sweet Potato, & Corn Chowder' and loved it. The book is great because it has photographs that give you an idea of what the recipes will produce. It also has clear, straightforward directions, which even include helpful estimated time frames for some of the steps. And it contains eleven chapters of unique recipes, which cover Appetizers, Salads, Vegetables, Meat/Poultry/Seafood, Desserts, etc., that you would expect in a cookbook, but has added chapters on Basics, Sauces, Brunch, and Pastas & Pizza. I'm now looking forward to making the recipes for 'Apple Praline French Toast', 'Warm Berry Bread Pudding', and many more. For those of us who don't live close enough to enjoy the restaurant I'm thankful that Chef Craig Common has shared his recipes with the world.

I have been waiting 9 years for Chef Craig to share his secrets! This book is laid out beautifully and the illustrations are wonderfully appetizing. Included are all of the famous recipes from his restaurant in an easy to understand format. I will still look forward to eating at the Common Grill regularly though. It's well worth the 40 minute drive!

For all of you out there, who once dreamed of breathing fire like Gene Simmons but are now jockeying a desk, this book is for you. Damn the cubicle. Quit your job and join a rock'n'roll band. Get rich. Get women. Get famous. Or not.

In the Cheese Chronicles, Tommy Womack presents a great look into the usually-unglamorous lifestyle of beer-swilling, chain-smoking, working musicians just trying to make ends meet. He demonstrates that the road to musical nirvana isn't paved with gold for every band that hasn't made it yet. It's paved with concrete just like the Pennsylvania Turnpike, complete with an ungodly amount of potholes. From songs about frozen fish to crashing out next to the litter box on some guy's floor, it's all here. And funny as hell to boot.

Too bad you can't get the Cheese on cd anymore. I'd buy a copy. Definitely.

Rock & roll at its grittiest! Rock & roll at its best! Reading the "Cheese Chronicles" should be required for every musician/rock group/fill in the blank. Tommy Womack describes this period of his life very vividly... travelling the roller coaster of a rock & roll band-- the good times & the bad times; the fun times & the serious times.

I was one of the lucky ones who got to see Tommy Womack and Government Cheese perform maybe twenty times before they decided to call it quits. "Cheese Chronicles" documents the ups and downs of a very entertaining, high-energy group of musicians on the road for years. Cheese always reminded me of the early Who with their penchant for driving audiences mad, and it was great to relive some of my more fun times in the 1980s. Womack's book is funny, poignant and gives the reader a great idea what it's like to be in a working rock band. Tommy's prose is intelligent, easy to read, and one never had to see the band perform live to enjoy the book or to get a good idea what the rock life or Government Cheese are all about.

I've been a UNIX admin for about ten years. Hunt's crab book has pretty much lived on my desk since it came out. I've got NT boxes sneaking in the back door now and needed to learn the NT TCP environment fast. This book gave me what I needed. It's going to end up living on my desk too.

If I could buy only five books to help me run my network, Windows Nt Tcp/Ip Network Administration would be near the top of that list. (Another would be Minasi's Mastering NT Server 4.) The advice is detailed and practical, the writing is down-to-earth, and it's obvious that the authors are deeply familiar with the protocols and applications they are writing about. I start with this book first when I have a TCP-IP question--even before TechNet, because Hunt and Thompson give you the real skinny, not the "company" answer. Also--and this is rare for technical titles--this book is carefully-edited and a pleasure to read.

I've bought almost a dozen books about Windows NT and TCP/IP for my job and to prepare for the MCSE TCP exam. This book is by far the best of them for overall coverage of TCP/IP in the NT environment. It's not sold as an exam prep book but I found it much more useful for exam prep than the several books I bought that supposedly were for that. Buy this one first. You probably won't need any others.

The key word in this book title is "Ignite". If you have never tried to use your intuition or studied the subject before, then this book will probably get you started. On the other hand, if you have made a start, then what this book has to offer is quite limited.

It is rather like a greatest hits album, it gives a good taster for the novice, but lacks the depth and spirit of the original albums.

Here's what the book touches upon: exercises to enhance your senses, basic memory techniques to help you remember a number of things and put them in order, a discussion and self-test of your intuitive capacity, the benefits of a relaxed or quiet mind and 6 scripts for relaxation, how to make and use your own intuitive pendulum, the power of affirmations, interpreting your dreams, a discussion and suggested tests for clairvoyance, telepathy and precognition, and finally a series of "mind games" to test and improve your abilities.

If any of these areas are new and of interest, Ignite Your Intuition may be a starting point for you.

In the book's favour, although it lacks depth, it has a wide scope and may well touch on things you haven't previously encountered. For me the main value of the book was the intuitive pendulum, a subject I had not really studied before. The book does have one quite unique use for the intuitive pendulum: a way of working with your subconscious for the purpose of setting goals and using affirmations. For this subject alone, I was glad that I had persevered with the book.

I also found the upbeat style of Craig Karges' writing enjoyable and encouraging.

In conclusion, if any of the above subjects are of definite interest to you, you will probably find them covered in greater depth elsewhere. If you are looking for a lightweight, general introduction, then Ignite Your Intuition may be the "taster" you are looking for.

Craig Karges obviously knows his stuff. He has a great knack for making things understandable and useable.

The entire book is great reading, however, I would like to comment that his section on self-hypnosis and the "quiet mind" is amongst the very best I have ever read on the topic. His tips on how to record a self hypnosis tape are fantastic.

My only negative comment about the book is that it's too short. Not content wise, it's just that time flys when you read it, and I hope that he comes out with another soon...perhaps with more experiments with the mind.

Overall: A great book.

I really enjoyed this book. It opened my mind to many possibilities. While the title of the book focuses on intuition, the book itself covers so much more. The first chapter was all about the physical brain. It is really amazing what we are capable of and this chapter reminded me of the awesome power each of us has inside our brain. By the time I finished the chapter on memory, I was doing amazing things with my own memory, things I wouldn't have thought possible. I have alsways considered myself fairly intuitive and the chapters on intuition helped me to realize how important a role intuition plays in my life. These chapters also gave me the tools to develop my intuitive abilities in fun ways. "The Intuitive Pendulum" chapter was particularly interesting. By using the pendulum, you can "see" your intuition at work. It is a physical measurement of what your intuition is trying to tell you. The chapter on dreams was interesting as well. I agree with the author that dreams can hold incredible insights into your life. Learning how to interpret your dream images is the key to realizing what your dream life is trying to reveal to you. A real benefit to me was the chapter on programming your mind via affirmations and such. This really gives you a road map to create exactly the life you want to live. The later chapters on psychic ability and psi functioning really cause you to think. Some of the concepts were pretty far out but the author doesn't ask you to believe in anything. Just to experiment and open your mind. I did and I was amazed. I had to laugh at the subtitle of the book - "Improve Your Memory, Make Better Decisions, Be More Creative and Achieve Your Full Potential". How could anyone teach you how to do all that in 200 pages? Well, after reading the book, I think the subtitle is accurate.