Stanley Elkin is one of the masters of twentieth century prose. His dialogue is completely believable and the language never comes across as pretentious. The characters in "The Living End" are both realistic and humorous, while the novel explores dark themes. Elkin's vision is a pessimistic one but he never comes across as too "preachy." All in all, an enjoyable read.

Wait, is that a compliment or a putdown?

Stanley Elkin's deceivingly short novel is not a quick read. I made the mistake of reading it to and fro my train rides to work and at lunch, and, I must say, the life around me was something of a distraction from Elkin's humurous and terrifying depiction of the afterlife. Imagine reading run-on sentences like the above over and over again, thinking to yourself, "It's short... it's short... just finish reading out of respect and move on to the next book." And then imagine sentences, unlike the aboves, fill'd with wacky words that make you wish you spent more time doing crossword puzzles and that little Quiz at the end of Reader's Digest.

I'm not saying that Elkin was laboriously thesauring away, trying hard to impress the reader with his vocabulary, or syntax, or ideas, but I am saying that this book requires something of a commitment.

So I gave it one.

I reread the novel, and I picked up on some of what I was missing before. "Oh, THAT'S who Lesefario was...".

And I looked down upon my finish'd book. And it was good.

My advice follows: keep reading 'till the end. The last few lines are killer. If you feel disheartened, imagine C.S. Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters" and what a bore that was. Then imagine Woody Allen writing it, without slapstick, and get back to the novel at hand, my boy... And if you want to feel good about yourself for reading a book of some substance, remember that Oprah will never, EVER, recommend this one...

This is one of the best books ever written. Elkin hilariously dissects and explodes every tenant of Christianity by slamming the contradictions into one another with perfect timing and accuracy. He paints the dilemmas faced by all believers through the incredibly credible characters he creates : Ellerbee is a good man who didn't believe and so goes to hell, for that and some other petty omissions and indiscretions, while God, thoroughly imperfect as well as a pompous egotist, is a supreme being who likes to be idolized and entertained certain he does not have to defend his inhumanity to man. In Heaven, Joseph does not believe his son, the cripple, is the messiah. This and so many other contradictions and paradoxes roll lightly across the eyes in this little book leaving you to believe you just read a book bigger than any bible. It is a book that you can read in a sitting, but I guarantee you will sit again and again as you reread it finding something new and delightful every time you turn a page.

In the days of "seeker friendly" church, and hot-selling books like "Purpose-driven" church (Rick Warren), this is a prophetic word to a church that is filled with leaders who are trying to taylor the form of their church thinking that htis does not impinge on the actual gospel message. It is so often in many fields that one thinks that they can change the medium without affecting the message, but time and time again, this is proven false.

Istead of trying to figure out what the church should "do" to make people come, churches must think about hwat the church should BE to witness to its Lord. God's ways simply may not be "efficient"; the churhc is NOT a business. It is a herald, a foretaste of God's Kingdom, and if that means being out of synch with a self-centred society, then so be it!

Kenneson and Street make a bold, though sometimes rambling, work that will unfortunately not be read by the right people. This is likely to be part of the church's downfall.

Quite simply, this is an absolutely amazing book.

Kenneson and Street boldly declare that the Church's major problem today is that we simply stop looking at the Church as just another business or non-profit organization, and rather look at it rather as a (kingdom) community that God's calling to be a sign, a fortaste, and herald of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because the Church is not just another organization is why baptizing business philosophy and marketing strategy into this community fails. For the underlying principles of business marketing strategies are different than that of the foundations of the kingdom of God.

Marketing stratigies foundationally are ultimately geared around the self-interest of the business as well as the consumer. The business says to the consumer, "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine." The consumer then looks at the business as just another commodity.

Such a mentality is contrary to two key principles of Christianity: servant-hood and giving. If the church attempts to reach out to others only so that it may profit (e.g. growth), then the church fails to truly give and fails to truly serve. Because ultimately, when it serves and when it gives, strings are attached. The same can be said concerning the consumers mentality, which is one of "church shopping."

Also, another problem of church marketing is that those who advocate marketing are fixated on numerical growth. For ultimately to them, it is the only way to plot the success of the mission of the church. Kenneson and Street powerfully asks, what if the mission of the church is not to grow simply in numbers, but rather, what if the goal of the church was simply to manifest the fruits of the Spirit as seen in Galatians 5? Church marketers would shutter at such a thought, for their is no way to translate such things into numerical data. While the authors do not out right say it, but I believe it is hinted at between the lines: ultimately we cannot measure church growth through "scientific" methods, instead, church growth must be measured prophetically.

This book was very difficult to find, as it is out-of-print (at the time of this review), however, it is without a doubt a must read for all church leadership.

My only problem with this book is that while it offers a great deal of criticism concerning marketing, it does very little to suggest what must be done in light of this criticism. Even the authors admit this in their closing remarks, however, they do encourage us to seek from God the vision to shape our community.

CG is marketing. These authors show that is unbiblical but yet so attractive in a consumer-oriented (marketing) culture.

They do a fine job in sorting this out. I use several quotes from them in my book of a similar vein, Testing the Claims of Church Growth.

One of the exceptional elements of this work is their focus on the destruction of the transcendancy of God. Reading this book will inform if not transform many fliring with church marketing, i.e. CG.

In Stanley Kubrick: Interviews (University Press of Mississippi), we have more of the voice of Kubrick than anywhere else. The interviews go chronologically and run the gamut from short three-page profile throwaways to massive, 30-page question-and-answer marathons. Many are worth noting: Jeremy Bernstein's profile dates from 1966 but is still fresh and amazingly well-written and candid, and Eric Nordern's interview with Kubrick for Playboy is insightful and worth reading for the Master's (mostly incorrect) predictions of immortality and space travel by the year 2001. Another excellent interview comes from Joseph Glemis, who talks to Kubrick about all of his films up to Clockwork Orange, and there are two interviews with Gene Siskel that are worth reading, too.

Simply put, this is a fine volume that should belong to every Kubrick fan. Most of these interviews, if not all of them, are long out of print and the book is 98% worthwhile. Moreover, reading the words of Kubrick is like reading poetry-he did retain the right to extrapolate and modify his answers before any interview was published-with each sentence and word well chosen. Only complaint: there are no interviews with Kubrick regarding The Shining; why this film was left out is curious. Gorgeously printed with a spartan design, sturdily bound, set in Stone serif, rag right, this is a very reader-friendly book.

Considering the fact that Stanley Kubrick rarely gave interviews, this book is a godsend. Compiling articles and interviews over a span of several decades, "Stanley Kubrick: Interviews" offers a fascinating insight into one of the cinema's greatest directors. Many of these have been widely reprinted already, but it's great to see them all in one collection. Once you've bought this book ...get the Stanley Kubrick Collection DVD box set!

Stanley Kubrick is a person that the world over should miss. This book captures a part of his mystique, of why he was such a beautiful and intriguing person.

This book has many fine qualities to it. It can act as a springboard that launches one into further study, providing good documentation, and making mention of a variety of beliefs within christiandome. The book is very well written, giving a perfect balance between academia and inspirational type reading. The overall structure and flow of the book is great as well, and sometimes one might forget they are reading a book that is written by nearly 2 dozen different authors. It is a one of a kind book that will clearly convey what it is Pentecostals believe (from an Assemblies of God perspective).

However, there are many pitfalls to the book. The largest one is that the book probably isn't large enough, and sometimes spends too much time repeating itself. Some chapters can be read really briskly because you already know what is being said...because it had been said before in the book. This space would have better been filled with more dialogue between sources. Too often, some crucial opposing views that have some validity are given such a brief glance that it is absurd, and is not treated.

Take for example, the Four Square Church (Pentecostal) view that speaking in tongues is not "the" evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, but that one may receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and speak in tongues, or prophesy, or operate in many other giftings. This book simply brushes this view off, which has much validity, and calls it simply a "charismatic" view-point (without even naming the denomination that holds to this). From a book written toward a Pentecostal perspective, you would expect some dialogue with other Pentecostal circles! Such seems a bit dishonest to me.

Also, there are many crucial issues out there that this book does not even try to shed any understanding on or even bring up. Issues on Christ fulfilling the law, dispensationalism, and the like are not even addressed! Probably because there is such a diversity even within the Assemblies of God regarding these things...so they decided to not even touch it.

If you are looking for a general overview of many Christian doctrines, and an introduction to Systematic Theology, and more dialogue between sources, consider elsewhere. But, how could you expect 638 pages to contain much more? (Note: There are more pages, which includes a solid bibliography, a brief theological dictionary, and an absolutely poor index.)

If you are looking for a theology book that tells what the Assemblies of God believes (and in general, does a good job defending), then consider getting this book.

Systematic Theology: A Pentecostal Perspective is hands down the best book from a Pentecostal organization that I have read period! It is edited wonderfully by respected Assemblies of God theologan Stanley M. Horton who happens to write a the last chapter dealing with eschatology.

As fantastic as this book is, it's always good to keep in mind that books like this are best utilized as springboards for further study. In my mind, a key and unique benefit of this book is that each chapter is penned by various Assembly of God theologans and scholars that write on areas which underscore their expertise. Through each chapter, Scripture and commentary run hand in hand leaving the reader to study content and context.

Personally as a student of theological studies and its accuracy (as far as we can Biblically determine), I like to verify much of what an author states. Making a habit of reading some of the books in the bibliography is a good practice because it will enlighten you. Some of the more interesting books listed in the bibliography are "Counterfiet Miracles" by Warfield and "Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit" by McDonnell and Montague.

Because of the amount of material covered in this book, which idea by idea is a tremendous amount, a serious study is beneficial for any reader. The investment of study in the material is an investment in the reader of the book.

This book is masterfully edited and is outstanding!

This book is recommended to all Christians who seek to learn more about the essentials of conservative Pentecostal systematic theology. Contrary to many people, traditional Pentecostals are not unscholarly emotionalists who lack knowledge in theology. Actually, one will find this book very scholarly. The book is comprised of essays from various Pentecostal scholars on the traditional themes of systematic theology (starting from Prolegomena to the Last Things). The book is a very balanced presentation of conservative Pentecostalism. As a Calvinist, cessationist, and Progressive Dispensationalist I thought I would throw the book away after reading the first few chapters. However, I found myself reading more and more and getting a good understanding of what Pentecostals believe. One will not find a "hokey" Word of Faith type theology in this book. In fact, the authors try to distance themselves from this movement; making a clear distinction between traditional Pentecostalism and man-glorifying unorthodox "health-wealth" Charismatism. Many will find this book useful for lay Bible studies and personal devotion. The book is not only scholarly, but also practical. The book is also easy to read and fun.

The mythical Amazons of Greek legend were probably inspired by eye-witness reports of female cavalry soldiers of the ancient Russian steppe. But most historical record of those fierce Sarmatian, Sauromatean, and Scythian civilizations, except for some recently excavated kurgans, has been lost to time. Over a million women fought in the Soviet armed forces in World War ll. And Eritrean women have been fully integrated in combat for the past thirty years in that impoverished nation's civil war with Ethiopia. Most women warriors have fought in gender-integrated regiments under male command. None have been so thoroughly documented as the all-female regiments of Dahomey amazons. Author Alpern has done a remarkable job of translating those documents for a comprehensive history of this once-splendid African kingdom. As early as 1729, European traders recorded existence of the fighting-women of the Fon (Dahomey people) and their neighbors the Ashanti. Originally retained as an elite royal guard, Dahomey amazons held semi-sacred status as celibate warrior "wives" of the King. They prided themselves on their hardened physiques and highly-trained martial skills, and constantly strove to outperform their male counterparts. During two centuries of raids and wars against neighboring kingdoms, Dahomeyan women increased their reputation as merciless undefeatable opponants. By 1890 they comprised over 30 percent of the Dahomey fighting force. With considerable bloodshed, and at cost of some 2000 amazons' lives, the Fon were finally defeated by the French Foreign Legion in 1892. The commanders of the Legionaires wrote admiringly of the "incredible courage and audacity" of the amazons, who did not flinch from superior French firepower and made the "ulimate sacrifice for their King". The last surviving veteran of the female regiments died in 1979, four years after Dahomey achieved independence and changed its name to Benin. Mr. Alpern's fascinating book has rekindled interest in the amazons, who otherwise might have faded into obscurity. Recently the bimonthly magazine "Military History" published an article, apparently based on material from the book, about the final battle between the Dahomey amazons and their French conquerers.

We are talking about female soldiers with their own officers and uniforms, formed into units and trained to fight with muskets, machetes and their bare teeth. The first part of the book covers these subjects, plus the physical and insensitivity training they had to help them overcome pain and increase discipline.
The second part deals with their history in battle from their first use against other tribes to their last battles against the French before the kingdom's downfall.

Amazons of Black Sparta is good reading whether your interest is military or ethnographic.

The first half of the book is arranged topically, laying a groundwork for the campaigns that follow. Each chapter presents an aspect of Amazon life and the culture that produced it. The chapters stand alone, although the topics build on one another to give a well-rounded image of this unique fighting force.

I found the cultural descriptions fascinating and, for the most part, well-researched particularly because I live and work among a people that were once a part of the Dahomey kingdom. Many of the things Alpern describes are still a part of daily life in rural Benin (formerly Dahomey); others have disappeared with history. The memory of the Amazons, however, is still very alive and elders still tell stories of the women who tore trees out of the ground to use as clubs. Alpern has done a good job drawing from a variety of sources to separate fact from fiction and to produce believable yet amazing history.

The second half of the book will be more interesting to the military-minded. The chapters are arranged more chronologically and give accounts of battles, tactics, and the eventual downfall of Dahomey as an independent kingdom. Many of these places are easy to find today and the oral tradition lives on, although there are no battlefield markers or museums to commemorate them.

Stanley Alpern's style is smooth, easy reading, neither too technical nor too simplistic. For those who want a taste of the culture and a good understanding of the Amazons this is an excellent introduction. For those interested in an unusual military phenomenon and an account of military cultures colliding, this will spice up your library.

In any case, this book was well worth the price and the time it took to read.

Such a lovely child, so patient and well behaved. New York and its society are made magic by her eyes. The opening sections of this memoir are a delight as Mrs. Wharton recounts the sights and feel of New York City in the 1870's. I liked it that she gave us a knee-high view of taking a walk with her beloved father and meeting his friends along the way. (She could never tell what the people's faces looked like, as her view only extended to their knees). Her total recall of her very best bonnet is amazing, and a very pretty bonnet it must have been.

If there is such a person as a "born writer," Edith Wharton is that person. Before she could write, she made stories, and situations "flew around her head like mosquitoes." The world she lived in had no place or interest in a writing lady, so she made her own world, and it was a life-long undertaking.

When Mrs. Wharton received her first acceptance of publication, she was so excited she "ran up and down the staircase in glee." I couldn't have been more surprised if I had read that George Washington played kickball in the back yard. Mrs. Wharton rarely lets you see anything but a very reserved and proper Victorian lady. Yet she did get a divorce (though it is never mentioned.), she lived almost her entire adult life abroad; she compartmentalized her friends like a butterfly collector, and had no interest in being part of the New York society she describes so well. When she was well into her writing career on a family visit to New York, she was invited to a dinner party where she was told a "Bohemian" would be one of the guests. When she got there, she discovered that she herself was the "Bohemian" in question.

The book has a wonderful introduction by that fine author of New York manners, Louis Auchincloss, who is obviously fond of Mrs. Wharton, but not intimidated. Mrs. Wharton has a couple of insightful (and often hilarious) chapters on Henry James that are alone worth the price of the book. But then there are the "friends." I felt I was being buried in endless pages of formal introductions to people I had never heard of, who wrote books that were never read, who gave parties which are long forgotten, and men who were great conversationalists according to Mrs. Wharton, though the witticisms she quoted were so arch and refined, I felt they belonged in bad drawing room comedy.

The book reads well, except for the stretches of introductions. Mrs. Wharton firmly believes that if you can't speak well of someone, you shouldn't speak of him or her at all. Not a bad idea at that

This autobiography which really gives a feel for the times in, which Wharton lived as well as for her own life experiences, contains some the most stunningly succinct annecdotes I've ever read. Wharton is truly brilliant at conveying the importance of literature in her life and sharing the possibilities of the literary life with her reader. She reaches through time to inform us of universals and redefine our value systems without being the least bit pedantic. She is a genius. And her autobiography is as entertaining and resonant as a great novel.

In this orderly collection of autobiographical sketches Edith Wharton - generously and with nearly photographic recall - begins by inviting readers into her early life in nineteenth-century New York. We are treated to its cast of characters, old New York, country life up the Hudson River, the clothes, the houses, and the remarkable (and unremarkable) personalities - Washington Irving was a friend of the family - as well as the sensibilities of a sociable, bright, and wonderfully observant little girl.

Edith began to read so early that it surprised her upper-class (but unintellectual) family. Before long she became an "omnivorous reader," happiest plowing through the volumes of the classics in her father's library. She soon found that she required time alone - to invent characters, to make up stories. She knew that she had to write fiction - from childhood on, despite realizing by young adulthood that "in the eyes of our provincial society authorship was still regarded as something between a black art and a form of manual labor." Of the social imperative to closet one's writing urges she elaborates: "My father and mother were only one generation away from Sir Walter Scott, who thought it necessary to drape his literary identity in countless clumsy subterfuges, and almost contemporary with the Brontes, who shrank in agony from being suspected of successful novel-writing." The idle rich, Wharton makes clear, were intended to stay idle - and not busy themselves with writing, especially for (horrors!) pay. Her descriptions of her early popular successes are memorable.

In subsequent chapters Wharton lays out her well-thought-out opinions regarding childhood, self-discovery, the formation of the writer's imagination and intellect, and the importance of finding one's own way - as an intellectual and as a social being. There is dry humor, too. She treasured good literature and good conversation - and pursued (and found) them throughout her life. She loved beautiful things and places, too. Finally, she describes her sojourns abroad (mainly England, France, and Italy) and the relationships and places that sustained her and nurtured her creativity, her productivity - and her soul.

Lifelong friends play a central role in much of this memoir. She describes people well, without breaches of privacy or confidences. This is not at all limiting. She writes tenderly of the blossoming of her friendship with "American gentleman" Egerton Winthrop, a man of "cultivated intelligence," a shy, physically awkward man whom Wharton considered "the most perfect of friends." Others were George Cabot Lee, Vernon Lee, Howard Sturgis, Geoffrey Scott, Percy Lubbock, and most of all, Henry James, who is drawn wonderfully (and not uncritically) in this book. Of her friendship with James she remarks "The real marriage of two minds is for any two people to possess a sense of humor or irony pitched in exactly the same key, so that their joint glances at any subject cross like interarching search-lights."

I loved this memoir, and greatly admired Wharton's ability to reveal herself and her world so fully and well.

What combination of forces put Murrow and "the boys" at the forefront of creating the style and format of the network news that is part of our daily lives? "The Murrow Boys : Pioneers on the Front Lines of Broadcast Journalism" by Stanley Cloud and Lynne Olson appears to promise an answer to the question. While the book is well written, exhaustively researched, and filled with anecdotes, Cloud and Olson fail to deliver any new insight. After an introduction which sets the background, the authors structure the book around one-chapter biographies of the newsmen, often succombing to the temptation of wandering off into the byroads of celebrity biography, losing overall focus. In many cases, such as the commentary on Howard K. Smith, the biography presented here pales before the honest, understated drama and insight offered by the subjects in their own autobiographies--as in the case of Smith's totally riveting "Events Leading to My Death." And when the last mini-biography has been recounted, the book ends. I'm reminded of Snoopy writing his novel and saying "In Part 2 I tie all this together." Except the writers never tie it all together. Thus, it is an well done book, and for those unfamiliar with the biographies of the players, it will be an interesting book. When one considers the historical information to which the authors had access, the book could have been so much more. None of the newsmen celebrated in this book would have closed the broadcast without cogent commentary into the meaning of these facts and anecdotes before closing with "Good Night and Good luck."

This look at the "Boys" who covered World War II for CBS radio is quite moving. I liked reading of Ed Murrow's battles with the CBS brass, and the portraits of William L. Shirer, Eric Sevareid, Larry LeSueur, Myra Breckenridge (the Murrow "Girl"), Charles Collingwood, etc. How odd that such talented journalists were often wracked by jealousy and self-doubt. How predictable that CBS eventually dumped most of the Boys - along with their high standards - after the advent of television. By forsaking such talent, CBS helped usher in the image-conscious, bleeds-it-leads mediocrity of today's news. Fortunately, Howard K. Smith, Shirer, Sevareid and several others left a rich legacy in books and memoirs, and at this writing one can still hear Richard C. Hottelet report for National Public Radio (NPR). This book should be required reading for all journalists and corporate news executives.

The names Murrow, Sevareid, Collingwood, and Shirer have created standards that have been forgotten. Thought has been replaced by good looks. Read this book to see how CBS News became a news operation of mythic proportion with brilliant, yet terribly troubled men creating such high standards that have become forgotten. (You'll see no one on your local five pm television news here.) For these men, the importance was in writing, not pictures. You'll also see how these legendary men were racked with insecurities and self-torture. It's also uncanny in terms of how each had a rise and fall at CBS. Sadly, it's all true. The authors didn't need to resort to poetic license. (Read other accounts of these figures and you'll learn that.) When you're done with this book, you'll wish Howard K. Smith or Robert Trout were still on television today. You'll wish that instead of having happy talk on the news, you had thoughful, intelligent people who respected their audience doing reports that provoked the viewer's intellect and not pander to him. Read how Howard K. Smith was fired from CBS, what prompted it way back then, and realize the standards have been steadily declining since then on all networks. It's an enjoyable, easy-to-read book that describes the creation and erosion of impeccable standards.

Opal Whitely's story is an utterly amazing thing in every respect. Her life as a child, her exquisite sensitivity, and her way of expressing herself -- it's all just amazing.

That said, I don't understand this version! Compared to Jane Boulton's original adaptation (if that's what you'd call it), "Opal, Journal of an Understanding Heart," this seems gutted and meaningless. Maybe it's meant to be less sad for young children, I don't know. Read the original version.

This story is about the life of a little girl named Opal who loves nature. Her mother and father died and went to Heaven. Just by looking at the pictures you can tell that she has a sad life. Her new mama is not very nice. Opal has a favorite tree that she loves. The tree is called Michael Raphael. He has an understanding soul. She also has a sweet dog named Brave Horatius. My favorite part is when Opal writes about her feelings. Kids who like to relax will like this book because it has soothing words. It has really great illustrations, too! This is a terrific story!

The "point" of the picture book edition of Opal's diary is to make it accessible to younger readers. I would not hand a young child Boulton's longer edition or _The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow_, whereas any Barbara Cooney book can be recommended to young children without reservations.

That said, this edition is satisfying in itself. The book is touching and beautifully illustrated and unique. I recommend it highly, along with the other editions of the diary and everything else illustrated by Barbara Cooney.

Entertaining anecdotes, but not really what it promises. It's more a collection of famous people and their beloved dogs with a few notes (some of them are real stretches) about how the author believes the dogs might have affected them. Not particularly convincing, but sweet.

I liked this book a lot. I have learned many things from it. It has very interesting facts.

I can't remember when I enjoyed a book more. It was insightful, fascinating, and difficult to put down. Surprisingly easy to read, I would enthusiastically recommend it to anyone who owns or loves dogs. I would also recommend it to history buffs or to those who want to read about famous people and events from a slightly different perspective. What a terrific read!

A way to a reader's heart, according to this novel, is through the stomach. Using rather bland prose but obviously piquant analogies -- to make it easy on the brain, I suppose -- Taylor serves up the late twentieth century urban food scene as a multi-course meal for thought about where we are in our relation to where we happen to be living.

When we meet Chef Jeremy Papier, his world of cooks and kooks is neatly divided into Bloods, "who are respectful of tradition," and Crips, "who are critical and "post-national." Enter Dante Beal, another "foreigner" of sorts, who is the Devil incarnate, as identified by the young and sickly son of Jeremy's old friend. Dante has brought the rage of culinary post-nationalism to new highs -- or should we say lows -- with his chain of Inferno coffee shops ... and, yes, this is a not-so-subtle wink-wink at the proliferation of Starbucks in the Western world.

Love, sex, family ties, and other character-shaping aspects take a minor flavoring role in this novel in which battles are fought not with wits or sabers but faddish chef's knives and subterfuge is squirreled -- literally....

The real protagonist of this novel is an idea that tries to reclaim the "local" from the many ways it has been hijacked by multiculturalism, globalization, post-nationalism, post-modernism, and other post-isms. Blood is where it's at in the kitchen. It is blood that sanctifies place, the novel implies.

The Crip cooks have drained their fusion dishes of the power of blood when they went borrowing isolated ingredients of local foods from here and there. Their notion of place is nothing more than the pride of self, or so the novel implies. Though their intentions may be good ... well, you know what they say: the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Which brings us Taylor's reinterpretation of Dante's Inferno reduced, like a fine sauce, to the notion of the globalization of food experience with no place or no self, however fused, in mind ... only expansion. And if you recall the original Dante's Inferno, you will surely remember that the worst place in hell was reserved for those who betrayed their country, who sinned against place....

I have to hand it to Taylor: he has certainly cooked up a plot that is sure to please different philosophical appetites. His quest for the binding power of the local reminds me of my own struggles around this issue.

I was once a transplant in Vancouver myself (as the author seem to be), and this novel captured for me something of the feel of that city that I could never quite articulate back then: the great divide between people's quiet desperation and their utter lack of awareness of the roots of their psychic anemia.

Food is THE staple of life, the most primordial element of mankind's continuing survival. Without food, without sustenance, man withers and dies, empty and unsatisfied. Food is good, and everyone knows it. So why do we continually shovel it down our throats without a thought as to the preparation, the presentation, the simple TASTE of the substance? We need food, but we rarely give two thoughts as to its true importance in our lives.

Timothy Taylor has come to the same conclusion, that man has ignored the nobility of food and its prepartion for long enough. It's time to remind the common folk of what good food can be, an entire experience that can be savoured in one's mind for weeks on end. Taylor has risen to this challenge with admirable verve; his STANLEY PARK is a true feast for the mind.

STANLEY PARK (named after a famous park in Vancouver, British Columbia) follows the exploits of Jeremy Papier, chef par excellance. Unfortunately for Jeremy, what he has in talent, he lacks in financial acumen, and his restaurant (The Monkey's Paw) is continually on the verge of complete collapse. Jeremy is a Blood; that is, a chef respectful of local culinary traditions and customs, using only local produce for his meals. He finds it increasingly difficult to match wits with the Crips, chefs who consider themselves artists first and foremost, creating unusual meals though unorthodox combinations of foods (eg., Prawns with Spiced Yam Wafers, Grappa and Thai Ginger Cream). In a culture where being hip is being odd, Jeremy is all the odder for sticking to his Blood guns. Add to the mix an increasing pressure by famous coffee businessman Dante (owner of Dante's Inferno coffeehouses, a thinly veiled attack on Starbucks)to purchase Jeremy's talent and restaurant, and a father who has taken to living in Stanley Park to study the homeless, and Jeremy's life has taken on mythic proportions of personal angst.

Aas may be expected, Taylor excels in his detailed descriptions of life within a restaurant; the highs, the lows, the dizzying speed of food preparation and service, the exhaustion of a day's work, the pleasure of creating something that will be destroyed within minutes. Taylor captures the focussed pressure of a busy restaurant that will be intimately familiar with anyone in the service industry, and possibly stupefying to anyone without previous experience. The amount of talent and work that can go into every meal is rendered with perfect prose; Taylor's descriptions of food rank among the best, alongside Laura Esquivel's LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE and a particularly vivid passage from Richard Condon's PRIZZI'S HONOUR that still haunts this reviewer years later. And Jeremy's efforts to avoid the collapse of his dream are on par with the desperate real-life efforts to stave off bankruptcy in Johnathan Harr's A CIVIL ACTION, but far funnier.

Taylor also nicely captures Jeremy's anxiety of 'selling out' to Dante; as an antidote, he begins to hang out with his father every night in the park, preparing meals for the homeless from whatever materials are readily available in a large park (use your imagination). Jeremy's ultimate success, combining these two diverse factions of his life, leads to a final act of culinary greatness that is all the more appealing for its rather unusual menu.

Taylor, however, falters in a subplot concerning the past disappearance of two children in Stanley Park many decades previous. While Jeremy's father becomes infatuated with the rmyth that has grown around the children, Taylor's final meaning concerning this subplot remains ambiguous at best. It is an interesting story, but it jars the reader away for the main plot, and never firmly gels as a complete element of the story.

Otherwise, STANLEY PARK is a joy to read, a wondrous creation almost equal to the meals Jeremy creates. The fact that the mouth waters at Taylor's descriptions of Jeremy's feasts is proof enough of his talent as a writer. Luckily, Taylor can also pull off an interesting plot with remarkable characterizations as well.

Defnitely worth reading ... humanistic and delivers a great story while touching on important themes for all of us...