This book is a culinary tour de force that features a variety of tastes that will whet anyone's pallet! A must read as well as a must use. I highly recommend this book to anyone whose interest reach beyond the den of their house. Enjoy-I did!

I really enjoyed this cookbook and all of its stories. I've tried a couple of the recipes (including the turkey for Thanksgiving) and they were as easy as promised. I'm glad I bought it and now I'm going to buy some for gifts.

Great recipes and wonderful stories about Nick Grippo's experiences in Hollywood catering for celebrities. He answers the questions I'd ask, such as what did he make, who did he make it for, and what was the experience REALLY like. The book is fun to read and I received it as a gift recently. The photos of the food are just beautiful, the candid shots with the stars are fun and informal and there is not a stuffy tone to the book, which is why I like it. It was also quite candid and revealing -almost as if Nick is "Everyman" in an apron. The layout was most unusual. It's quite a beautiful and deliscious book and gave me a few insights into Hollywood, along with a lot of laughs and a few tears when i read it..

In this book, Teresa Lauer shares the story of her brutal rape and torture, the aftermath of struggling with PTSD, and her struggle to achieve some kind of peace and equanimity in her life. The fact that she eventually triumphs over the horrific violence she experienced is inspiring, and a testament to the strength of the human spirit. Teresa's honesty about her feelings and struggles will be especially reassuring to other rape survivors - as a victim of sexual assault myself, I highly recommend this book to anyone with a similar experience, or to anyone who wants to know the real truth about rape, and the toll it takes on a woman's life.

When I found this book, I was first of all amazed that this author would be able to write her experience in the fullness she could, to reach inside and be able to describe what torture and pain "felt" like. I had dicovered my own torture at the age of 18, and even though I had been seeing a Psychologist for a year, I found strength and compassion for myself and others who have had to experience such a personal crime. Teresa helped me find within myself a new pathway of healing. Her abilities of expression in writing, as well as her description of the torture and what it did to her, were frightening, yet she caused me to go on, instead of turn inside.

A picture of her own healing is portrayed, giving others the strength to go on. A book that turned my entire life around, and even though the journey is not easy by all means, it gave me determination and a resource to view when I wanted to quit.
Thank you to this author, her beautiful ability to write, and to write about a subject many would turn away due to their own fear.

This nation, as well as the world, need to realize these types of events happen each day and many either go on, or if help is not found, commit suicide, due to the lack of society to understand or for them to close their eyes to the evils of some in the societies of our world.

A must read for not only those of rape, violence, and torture, but as well, for clinicians who practice Psychology in helping survivors heal.

I bought this book for my girlfriend to help her find ways to recover from a very brutual attack that occurred when she was much younger.

This book was very effective for her because it paralleled her experience: a prolonged assault involving extensive contact with her attacker. In addition, it addressed the Post Tramautic Stress Disorder (PTSD) problems she has been encountering as a result of the attack.

If someone you love has suffered from an attack, books like this can help both you and them understand what has happened and how they might be feeling. My girlfriend had trouble articulating her feelings about the attack and this book (and others) helped her overcome her difficulties and express herself.

I finished reading David Fine's excellent book Imagining Los Angeles: A City In Fiction at just before 2 am this morning. I was reading in bed in my 1923 bungalow in Whittier, California. It was a quiet night. No winds blowing; even the neighborhood dogs were asleep. It was too humid and Fine's wonderful analysis of Los Angeles fiction had my mind going a mile a minute. I thought about going for a drive; maybe listen to a little late-night radio, but I knew my wife would worry if she woke up and found me gone. I finally got to sleep, knowing I'd have to type up this report as soon as I got out of bed this morning.

Fine's book is not encyclopedic; if you are looking for a complete listing of SoCal fiction, you'll need to look elsewhere. Imagining Los Angeles is an overview - an introduction, a history with examples - of fiction set in the Los Angeles metro area. The first chapter gives you a little background on the area. Then Fine takes the reader on a literary journey from booster fiction, through fiction in the 20's, hard-boiled fiction, tough-guy detectives, the Hollywood novel and finishes with more ethnically oriented fiction and Los Angeles as a setting for disaster. The book is serious - probably not a summer beach read - but it also kept me in rapt attention and didn't read like the textbook Professor Fine could have turned it into. In my opinion, this book should appeal to a wide audience - from the serious literary student to the pop culture buff looking for a little backstory.

A lady just walked into my office (actually, my three legged female mutt just hopped into the 1980 guesthouse behind the bungalow) looking for my attention, so I better end this report now.

Sincerely Submitted, agnostictrickster 13 August 2001

This is a terrific book, that rare academic work that is both entertaining and instructive. Having grown up in L.A., but no longer living there now, I truly enjoyed revisiting the city of my childhood and young adulthood via all the stories and authors Fine discusses. Fine's writing style is clear and blessedly free of academic jargon. His treatment of a wide variety of books and ideas is nothing short of a tour-de-force. "Imagining Los Angeles" does exactly what good literary scholarship should do: shine fresh light on books and their authors and make readers eager to discover the books for themselves! (I've just placed a mega-order for several of the titles Fine discusses... )

"Fine's research is extensive and thorough, his observations shrewd and penetrating, and his command of the political, social, and cultural matrix profound. A major contribution."--D. W. Madden, California State University, Sacramento--CHOICE, January 2001

Simply put, there is no book like this about rap in Los Angeles. From KDAY to the Watts Prophets to Death Row, this book covers EVERYTHING you know about Hip Hop in LA, a story that is distinctly different from Hip Hop in New York. It features interviews with LA's biggest - Dre, Eazy, Cube, Ice-T, Cypress Hill, etc. - and leaves nothing out. This is a story that's rarely told, which is strange when one considers that LA rap was the force that mainstreamed Hip Hop. Hard to find, but a must have for any mainstream rap historian.

I have to give it up to Brian for the very honest and understanding picture that he paints of the early to middle development of the westcoast hip hop scene. Through his interviews and writings, hip-hop fans get a real sense of how rap music developed on the west coast and they hear the stories directly from the artists themselves. This book is priceless and a definite must have for all music fans. In fact, somebody stole my only copy so I need to buy another one. Cli-N-Tel

My bedroom in the Picture section LINK'S Room with the SP1200 from back in the days

West Coast Style LINK

Any Lautner enthusiast will be captivated by this book. It covers more buildings than any of the others, and includes Lautner's own comment on each, making it an invaluable record of Real Architecture.

Most of the photos in this book appear to have been taken shortly after the buildings were completed (and some during construction), so it makes a great companion to "The Architecture of John Lautner," which has mostly rescent photographs. Together, the books give a facinating "the and now" contrast, and demonstrate the timeless quality of Lautner's work.

I have no idea why "Therese Thau Heyman" review of world war two posters is on John Lautner's book page. Also, one of your two reviews is listed as refering to an out-of-print edition, rather unusual since this single book just came out rather recently

Lautner's designs defined post-war architecture; bold, shaking off the conventions of the past and looking towards the future. Think of George Jetson--Lautner would have designed his house. If you drove a car with fins and it looked like a rocket, you would certainly park it in the driveway of a Lautner designed home. His designs made use of the new materials that came out of World War II stainless steel, cast concrete and aluminum. He designed houses perched on the hilltops around Los Angeles, with wide expanses of glass and wild rooflines. His commercial designs included restaurants, schools and municipal buildings. Lautner's style is distinct--his structures stand out from the rest. Buy this book! It's a great retrospect of his work, loaded with fine photography and commentary. Put this one on your coffee table!

Fourteen years after his trek around the coast of Baja California, Mackintosh, now a San Diego family man, is again drawn from the common world to a most uncommon journey. This time trekking southward in mountainous inland Baja with a pack burro. [I have had the great pleasure of meeting Graham Mackintosh and talking with him about his earlier book and about this one. For what it's worth, I found him to be the same gentle pilgrim that we meet in his writings.] "There was something very compelling and liberating about surrendering... From now on there would be no Mitsubishi, no Microsoft, no modem, no modern world, and maybe no home or wife -- just [the burro] and me, my goal, my God, and the good, simple people of Baja California," muses Mackintosh in a moment of introspective single-mindedness. Something that I enjoy about his observations, thoughts, and interests, if how often they closely resemble my own; one example being his delight in the company of a certain species of bird which I also particularly enjoy -- and which never fails to exhibit and inspire a certain indescribable joy -- the black phoebe.
As in his earlier book, Into A Desert Place, frequently recurring samplings of the history of Baja (and Alta) California, including the accomplishments and abuses of the Spanish missionaries, are well related and seamlessly augment the story. Mackintosh labels himself 'a poor Christian and a worse Catholic' and, for this reader, many of the books finer moments center in the author's spiritual questionings, insights, struggles, perhaps heresies, visionary experiences, and graceful redemptions. "Behind the cool, hard, smooth rock, I sensed that there was another reality close at hand. That's how far I had come! I had seen the solid, indubitable forms of the great mountains and valleys dissolve into extraordinary visions; and at times I had almost felt myself dissolving into the world... I sensed it wasn't just an illusion. For a few precious moments, I had been freed from my hobbles. I had looked and stepped beyond... The journey... seemed, in part, a vital preparation for a much bigger journey to come."

In Journey With A Baja Burro, adventure traveler Graham Mackintosh returns to the remote desert setting of his previous book in his expedition a thousand miles from the U.S. border south to Loreto. He and his burro follow the trail which leads to most of the mission sites along the way; his humorous first-person account will intrigue a wide audience.

JOURNEY WITH A BAJA BURRO is a gem of a book. Graham Mackintosh has written of his walk with his burro Mision through the mountains and deserts of the Baja California peninsula so vividly and poetically that it comes alive in our minds. His relationship with his sometimes-exasperating animal companion is funny and touching. Reading JOURNEY WITH A BAJA BURRO will teach you a lot about this relatively unknown Mexican peninsula which extends a thousand miles below the border of California, and you'll have a lot of fun on the journey.

Ann O'Neil, Longtime Baja California resident and author of "Loreto, Baja California: First Mission and Capital of Spanish California"

Besides being very well-written and witty, this book is one of the best-researched "graving guides" I have seen on the market. I believe this is because Masek lives in the area, and is a regular visitor to these sites. Many other books have been written by people who either don't know the subject matter personally, or who have relied heavily on other, usually erroenous, sources. These mistakes are repeated over and over in guide after guide, but not in this one. Masek has clearly done all the leg work himself, and it shows.

Besides giving directions, the book also contains some very witty anecdotes about the people and the places they are buried. Although a bit large to sneak into the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn, this book really needs to be at your side for any excursion out there into the increasingly-popular world of celebrity grave-hunting.

I concur with the two previous reader reviews. This is an extremely well written book that is virtually impossible to put down. It provides the novice as well as the professional celebrity grave hunter with juicy little tidbits regarding their favorite dead celebs. It also provides accurate information regarding grave locations and precise directions as to how to find each one. Oddly enough, no other book on this subject has managed to do that.
The author also includes background information about each burial ground. I found that not only interesting, but in one specific case actually humorous.
I didn't want the book to end. I definitely will buy subsequent books by this author. In fact, I ended up buying three copies of this book as xmas gifts and the recipients enjoyed this book as much as I did.

If you are interested in exploring and visiting celebrity graves, this is a great resource. The information provided for each celebrity will give even the youngest graver in your group an idea of who the celebrity was.
This would also be an excellent guide for those of you who are not residents to the area. Visitors to Los Angeles will find this book to be helpful because it breaks down each cemetery into managable sections for touring.
Buy this book!

Documentarian Nathan Kaufman spent the 1991 season with the Visalia Oaks, the Cal League farm team of the Minnesota Twins to produce "Minor Leagues; Major Dreams." This is where professional baseball means dreary bus rides, locker room pranks, living on junk food, pep talks, crucial moments on the field, private doubts and trying to find out whether you have what it takes to move up to the next level and have any shot of all at making the bigs. Originally aired as a PrimeSportsChannel Special. "In the Cal: Pastime Goes Primetime In California's Minor League" covers the 1994 season, when the Major Leagues were on strike. Covers similar ground, but not nearly as well. Obviously, this tape would make a nice double feature with "Bull Durham."

Documentarian Nathan Kaufman spent the 1991 season with the Visalia Oaks, the Cal League farm team of the Minnesota Twins to produce "Minor Leagues; Major Dreams." This is where professional baseball means dreary bus rides, locker room pranks, living on junk food, pep talks, crucial moments on the field, private doubts and trying to find out whether you have what it takes to move up to the next level and have any shot of all at making the bigs. Originally aired as a PrimeSportsChannel Special. "In the Cal: Pastime Goes Primetime In California's Minor League" covers the 1994 season, when the Major Leagues were on strike. Covers similar ground, but not nearly as well. Obviously, this tape would make a nice double feature with "Bull Durham."

Beyond the outstanding and absolutely timeless photography in this book, IN THE CAL offers unique and thoughtful information on the transformation of minor league baseball during the 1990s from a casual existence to a big-business adjunct of major league baseball. A must for any historical research on the minors...

Comprehensive with great photographs, this is a good place to start learning about Morgan's career.

I have always been interested in Julia Morgan's work but I have never been able to find enough solid and valuable information about her and her work. I own all of the Julia Morgan books, that is every book written about Julia Morgan. This, by far, is the best composition of the true character of Julia Morgan. Not only do you get an entire biography with incredible detail but you also get insight from hundreds of pictures, scans of actual plans Julia Morgan drafted and entires from other important persons. This book is a must have if you are looking for "the" book covering everything in Julia Morgan's life. This book stands alone among all the other Julia Morgan reads. I suggest that if you are looking for a book about Ms. Morgan, this is the best book, brings the greatest attention to detail that you will ever find about Julia Morgan.

A wonderful survey of a truly great Architect. Great photos. Original drawings. A detailed career history & biography. Most of the better known masters haven't gotten this kind of treatment; Ms. Morgan deserves it. GREAT book.

I think this is first in the series. The great attraction is the character of Savannah Reid who is forty plus and gets fired from the local police force for being overweight and sets up as a private eye. She is overtly heterosexual. Many varieties of sex are hinted at but the main carnal pleasure described is food, and there is some excellent food description.
On the negative side: The murder mystery gets solved by a new character being introduced who tells Savannah who did it. A few sentences like "Savannah had only one cognitive thought after she hit the floor" and an unlikely confession by the murderer.

To answer the previous reviewers' question, the author's real name is Sonja Massie, and she's written other books under that name.

I really enjoyed this debut of the character Savannah Reid. In this book she's introduced as a police detective in her forties (a nice change of pace) who gets chosen to head up the investigation into a city councilwoman's husband's death. It is a powderkeg, and unfortunately for Savannah, she does her job too well, much to the dismay of the powers-that-be. The price she pays for her tenacity is the loss of her job on a trumped-up rules violation. Needless to say, when she is asked to continue investigating the case by the person who is the prime suspect, Savannah agrees. On top of all this, her very naive yet stubborn teenage sister arrives unexpectedly from Georgia, announces that she is going to stay with Savannah permanently, and promptly becomes involved with an older man well-known to the local police dept.

Savannah is interesting, independent character. She seems to be comfortable with herself, and isn't afraid to go after what she wants. Ms. McKevett has also created a nice assortment of secondary characters with their own quirks and flaws. The mystery had some nice twists and turns. I'm looking forward to the rest of the books in the series.

This is the first book in the Savannah Reid series. It's a great start to a very enjoyable series. Savannah is super. Keep 'em coming !G.A. McKevett - who are you ? I'd love to read more of your works !