This is a great book for people who like wholesome foods but don't necessarily have a lot of time. The ingredients used by most of the recipes are those commonly found in most kitchens and the preparation steps are easy to follow. I have used recipes from most of the different sections of the book and have been pleased with all of them. To me the test of a cookbook is if I try three recipes and they don't turn out then I pass on the book to someone else. With this book I pass on the recipes... The zucchini patties and the chocolate zucchini bread are great . My kids make the apple crisp themselves. The recipes are also easy to modify to your own taste. I have even substituted soy products, low fat alternatives and different flours in some of the recipes with good results. Some of the recipes (overnight french toast) can even be put together the night before and cooked the following morning. I have even called some of the B&Bs to ask about a particular recipe. A great addition to your cookbook library.

This book gave a wonderful glimpse of life in Coffee County pre-1930. I am descended from several families whose ties to the area that became Coffee County go back almost 200 years. The more I read the more I was able to understand the whys and hows of the daily lives of my ancestors in an around Douglas, Georgia.

It needs to be updated and republished.

You're in for a treat with this tempting and entertaining look at the complete java lowdown joined by heartfelt expressions of friendship. Every coffee affecionado, of whom there are legions, will appreciate the intricate look at variations of
the brew, the detailed instructions for ultimate enjoyment combined with the aroma of true friendship. Sassy illustrations and sophisticated insights make this a delightful book to read and to give to those "special people" who have made my life a little brighter with their friendship. I can't wait to see my coffee-loving friends enjoy reading this colorful serving of smooth indulgence.

Hugh Coffee did a top notch job researching and writing this book. We were so impressed with the accuracy of the contents that we both highly recommend as well as use his book for teaching in our Field Medicine classes. Well done! Well done, indeed! Chuck Fenwick, Director, Medical Corps

It doesn't matter where you are, or what the situation is, if you, a team member, family member or friend is injured, you do what you have to do to save their life or treat the condition! Period! As survivalists we know that we may not always have access to a sanitary emergency room and a half-asleep doctor in the middle of the night. If that time comes, this is the book to have! This book teaches advanced field procedures for small wound repair, pain control, care of infected wounds, IV therapy, amputations, treatment of burns, airway procedures and much much more.

This book is writen in straightforward language for those who don't know an artery from a anuerism, and step-by-step proceedures are discussed in great detail. Pictures of suturing, debriding wounds and many other items show you what a thousand words cannot describe. So many techniques and how-to's are discussed that there is not room here to elaborate on all of them. Let's just say this book is pretty complete. Pair it with a few other reference manuals and you greatly increase your chances of saving a loved one's life in a disaster situation!

The Down Side: None, well thought out with lots of diagrams and procedure pictures

Would WE Buy It?: Oh Yes! Our Alpha team medic has already made this book part of his personal library and is recommending it to others for their reference library. I consider this to be a companion to the US Army's Special Forces Medical handbook.

Technical Specs: Book size is 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, softcover, w/photos and illustrations., 224 pages. ISBN 0873647173

It doesn't matter where you are, or what the situation is, if you, a team member, family member or friend is injured, you do what you have to do to save their life or treat the condition! Period! As survivalists we know that we may not always have access to a sanitary emergency room and a half-asleep doctor in the middle of the night. If that time comes, this is the book to have! This book teaches advanced field procedures for small wound repair, pain control, care of infected wounds, IV therapy, amputations, treatment of burns, airway procedures and much much more.

This book is writen in straightforward language for those who don't know an artery from a anuerism, and step-by-step proceedures are discussed in great detail. Pictures of suturing, debriding wounds and many other items show you what a thousand words cannot describe. So many techniques and how-to's are discussed that there is not room here to elaborate on all of them. Let's just say this book is pretty complete. Pair it with a few other reference manuals and you greatly increase your chances of saving a loved one's life in a disaster situation!

The Down Side: None, well thought out with lots of diagrams and procedure pictures

Would WE Buy It?: Oh Yes! Our Alpha team medic has already made this book part of his personal library and is recommending it to others for their reference library. I consider this to be a companion to the US Army's Special Forces Medical handbook.

Technical Specs: Book size is 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, softcover, w/photos and illustrations., 224 pages. ISBN 0873647173

...Now comes Tracy Price-Thompson, a highly decorated Desert Storm veteran telling a story about two soldiers whose against policy romance threatens both of their military careers. What makes this book such a compelling read is the authors free-wheeling manipulation of alternating scenario changes utilizing the call and response style, in a narrative parlance sharing perspectives on their specific difficulties. It's situations like this that tend to keep readers eagerly looking for drama to unfold in lieu of the author focusing on one entity of the plot, or even one character at the expense of the other before he/she is ready to be introduced. Personally, I like this techique because it departs from the usual single narrator. The authors use of this style gives us an up front and close look at the unique challenges, pseudo successes, and adversities depicting military life seldom written about in commercial fiction.
Sandarella Coffee is a single mother reporting for duty at a Virginia military installation, meets and fall in love with Drill Sergeant Romulus Caesar. It doesn't help that Romulus is trapped in an unhappy and tumultuous marriage with twin sons. Falling too deep for Sandarella, but acknowledging no love for his wife, he's haunted by his obligation to be a contributing parent. The romance between the two proliferate throughout as they search for understanding in their forbidden liason eshewing in the process Uncle Sam's rigid fraternization rules, and the need to be inclusive in their respective familial matters. Two strong willed and ambitious people notwithstanding, the author makes sure to stress character flaws, complexities, and frustration inhibited thereof as the exciting climax comes to fore.
This is a quick read with short to moderate chapters, but at times it stumbles in places...especially when she doesn't spend more time stressing character development introducing issues such as drug dependency and HIV (which she briefly atrtributes to her sister. Reading this book, you'd readily see that the writer has a way with words, but when there's no effort to temper verbosity it lends itself to metaphors and overused cliches that seem forced. Despite this, it doesn't detract from the hue of the colors on this artist's palette. You may add this to perhaps the next book to bead on your list!

Do you have a girlfriend that makes you double over with laughter? One who can make a simple statement about the weather funny? Well if you don't, allow Sandrella Coffee to become your witty friend for a while. Sandrella Coffee is the main character in Black Coffee, along with Romulus Caesar. Sandrella has a percolating wit, along with a snappy, earthy, and matter of fact voice. She proudly exposes her failures, accomplishments, dreams, fears, and emotions to us like we are her confident friends. She speaks honestly and from the heart. She's confident in who she is, what she can and cannot do, and she is not ashamed to tell you about the mistakes she's made.

In her debut novel, Tracy Price-Thompson has introduced characters that are real and expound. She engages you in the main plot of this story by providing in depth characters that spring off of the pages into your presence. Her hilarious, serious, and heart felt accounts of Sandrella & Romulus' life will make you smile, laugh, cuss, and cheer. This is not just a book for women; men can enjoy and relate to this story as well.

Black Coffee is a quick, funny, soaring read about all types of love....relationship love, family love, fiendship love, sibling love...strong love. It delves into the sacrifices that one makes for love; and displays the prolific emotions of people experiencing love. Black Coffee touches on how one must do what they have to do because of morals, and past lessons.

If you want to read a book that is thrilling, realistic, compelling and a page-turner, then Black Coffee, by Author Tracy Price-Thompson is the book for you. Price-Thompson is a dynamic storyteller and her character development is superb and "right on the money." This book focuses on the lives of its two main characters, Army Sergeant Sanderella "Sandie" Coffee and Drill Sergeant Romulus "Rom" Caesar, both enlisted in the military.

The driving force of this novel begins when Sandie, a single mother of three children, meets Rom after recently being sent back to the states after having finished an assignment oversees that lasted a few years. Rom finds himself immediately attracted to Sandie and convinces himself that he must pursue and win her over to make his life complete. Sandie pretends at first that Rom didn't even spark an interest in her, but deep down she initially found him attractive as well.

Sandie initially plays hard to get, but she would soon succumb to her feelings for Rom and they would develop a world-wind, romantic relationship, with many twists and turns, that initially takes off like a match made in heaven. Nevertheless, there is just one problem that is a major issue that is a threat to their relationship. Rom is a married man of many years with twin sons. Although Rom's marriage is dead as a door nail, he's haunted by his obligation to his sons and, therefore, stays in an unhappy marriage for the sake of his children. After all, he does not want to repeat the same mistake that his father did of abandoning his mother when he was just a young child. However, his love for Sandie is real and becomes his focal point, yet his confusion.

With many twists and turns, this book is very entertaining and thought-provoking. It clearly demonstrates the power of love and how it can overpower one's own judgment. Although I love this book, I think that Price-Thompson moved a little too quickly with the relationship between Rom and Sandie and basically could have slowed down the pace in the initial stage of their ensuing relationship.

Overall, this is a wonderful book with many messages displayed through the lives of the main characters, their friends and family members. What I really liked most about the book is how Price-Thompson displayed Sandie with having such a strong family unit, although they experienced many ups and downs in their lives. Price-Thompson clearly demonstrates that she is a master at her craft and while reading this book, I often could not believe that this is her first novel. Her writing style is that of a veteran author.

I highly recommend this thought-provoking, entertaining, well-written and page-turning novel. It is my hope that Price-Thompson is working on the sequel to Black Coffee because I am anxiously anticipating reading more about the lives of Sandie and Rom.

Pick up a copy of this novel. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. Price-Thompson, you did a wonderful job on your first novel. I'm impressed!

Reviewed by Carla J. Curtis

Dickey's wild tale of interracial romance is beautifully written, with a fantastic grasp of dialect (with the exception of Kinikki, who reads like a cartoon character). Both main characters, Jordan and Kimberly, share the first-person perspective, and both are drawn complex and believable. The female supporting characters are equally well-concieved (take hellcat Wanda, gold-digger Sharon, or the sweet but strong Zoe), but surprisingly the males leave much to be desired. Jordan's friend Soloman, his brothers, they seem two-dementional compared to the depth of their female counterparts. Only Kimberly's ex, Peter, is fleshed out to believability. On the whole, the story is an entertaining one, with some scathing critiques of racial boundaries, for blacks and for whites. However, the insane and unnecessary twists in the ending take a lot away from the story. Why bring J'nette back into the story at all? Why villify Soloman? Why take away a characteristic from Kimberly that was fueling the entire preceding story? In the end, it seems as though the book is apologizing for the interracial affair by making Kimberly a more acceptable choice. Sadly, the conclusion tears away at a good deal of what might have been learned from the book. My recommendation? Read the book, skip the last hundred pages or so.

The topic of interracial dating has gotten its fair share of debate. To be honest, it's a subject that will get some "sistahs" heads moving quicker than a speed of lightening. While this subject has caused many heated discussions, Author, Eric Jerome Dickey's in his novel, Milk in my Coffee, set in New York City, decides to tackle this issue in his own creative style.

The main characters of this book are Jordan Greene, a young, professional brotha, reared in Tennessee; and Kimberly Chavers, a young, white artist, who was raised as a military brat. This story set in motion when Jordan and Kimberly meet on a cold December day in a cab ride. Although this book focuses around the romantic relationship that eventually ensues between Jordan and Kimberly, the lives of Jordan's girlfriend, Janette, brothers, Reggie and Darrell, along with his best friend, Solomon, and his girlfriend, Zoë, as well as, Kimberly's best friend of Jamaican descent, were all smoothly intertwined and added flavor to this novel.

While on the cab ride, Jordan and Kimberly began having an interesting conversation and would before long learn that they lived within close proximities of each other. During their dialogue, Jordan would soon find himself becoming relaxed, intrigued and even attracted to Kimberly. These feelings began to make him feel uncomfortable. After all, Kimberly was a white woman, and Jordan had never had any interest or the intention to date one because he was only "down" with the sistahs. Therefore, he couldn't understand his current thoughts and more importantly, why his body temperature started rising in Kimberly's presence. Jordan was always known for his "power to the people" stance, so this cab ride really perplexed him. On the other hand, Kimberly was at ease engaging in conversation with Jordan and had no problems in finding him attractive.
From that very moment in the cab, Kimberly and Jordan both had an attraction towards each other. Kimberly even invites Jordan over to her place on the very day of their encounter.

Jordan would eventually succumb to his feelings for Kimberly and a romantic relationship would soon develop between them. Although Jordan and Kimberly are comfortable with their relationship, they soon learn that they must ignore the negative comments and stares from some of their friends, family members and even strangers. They decide to take a chance on love by following their own hearts and not focusing on what other people had to say about them. With a few twists and turns, Jordan and Kimberly learn that what matters most in life is the power of love, and when it's all said and done, everyone's heart beats the same way, whether their skin is black or white.

After reading this novel, I now see why Dickey is recognized for being a master at the craft of writing. His characterization and dialogue are superb throughout the entire novel. Dickey knows how to pull the reader into the story from the very first page. This novel is entertaining and thought-provoking and clearly demonstrates that the color of a person's skin has no barring on love. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this page-turning novel. You won't be disappointed. I certainly wasn't.

Reviewed by Carla J. Curtis

Being a sister that (I have to be honest) gets a little twinge when I see a "brother with another" I was first hesitant to read this book.. However I did and from the very beginning it hooked me.. I found myself feeling the character Solomon and his interaction with Kimberly.. I even put my guard down and said this couple is working out, regardless of all the "drama" they encountered. He wrote a book with the emotions of a woman in the character of the man.. I felt he realistically portrayed some how sisters react when they see a "brother with another". However, I loved it when he threw in the suspense, with the ex-husband situation, the betrayal of the best friend the loss of a job, the love of family, the realiness of the sister-n-law and his brother. Eric wrote real situations most of us can relate to.. Just when I had accepted the fact that this brother was loving this woman, he threw in the big surprise.. This book, caused a gamut of emotions for me.. I absolutely loved it.. And when the surprise was revealed in the end I silently smiled and said YES!! I am glad I picked it up and blocked out the hesitation and gave this author a chance.. I will be now be backtracking to read his other novels..

First of, this is a marketing propoganda written by Howard Shulz to impart familiarity and intimacy for his company. To this extent, it is an emotional, inspiring, and enthusiastically well written piece, and it successfully leaves me understanding the company all the more. It is a great read and very fun to read. I feel a certain understanding for Starbucks now... but... it is true?

I was too young to experience what Starbucks was like back in the good old 80's when it all got started and I didn't wasn't much of a coffee drinker during the 90's. I'm not sure what it was like in the past, but I know for a fact that on the majority, Starbucks of present falls far below the ideal and vision that Howard Shulz paints in this book.

The idea and vision is so picturesque when you read it that you almost forget about the actual experience of your most recent visit at a local Starbucks. I've visited some Starbucks in which the espresso drinks were too sweet, coffee was not brewed correctly, and the baristas just plain rude. Often times, I don't get greeted. Nor do I get a thank you for your patronage. Don't get me wrong there are some great employees working there, but on the whole, they fail to live up to the expectations presented in this book.

Where's the romance? The camaraderie he envisioned in his original Starbucks? Maybe it existed long ago, but it certainly does not exist anymore. The romance of hearing milk frothed is no longer romantic or even "cool." The baristas lack the qualities that Shulz portrayed in the Italian baristas.
There's no sense of the romance at all.

Read this book for the enjoyment of it, and come away knowing that a disparity exists between Shulz's romantic vision of the espresso experience and the actual experience of today.

If you hope to start your own coffee shop or any business for that matter. I would highly recommend this book for its attempt and success at providing vision and guidance and experience in starting your own coffee shop (or business). In that respect, you will be richer for reading the book.

But just don't read it and believe that the ideals envisioned in this book still stands as it is today. Starbucks is far from this picture of perfection. They must crack down on quality and go back to its roots - the EXPERIENCE. 4 stars for a very enjoyable and inspiring blend of fiction/non-fiction!

GOT BEANS? If you ever wanted to learn why Starbucks is such a strong BRAND, this will tell you in every detail how we became such a leader in the coffee industry. It's all about PEOPLE and PASSION. Through the ups and downs, the hearts of the partners were what kept this company in the #1 position for over 25 years. I am a Starbucks partner, but before I became one, I had heard much about what Starbucks did for its people. This book will tell you with enthusiasm and honesty how it was truly built, one cup at a time. Even though there are more than 20,000 partners across the US and abroad, there is a special comraderie that I have felt nowhere else. Read it! No matter if you're self-employed, a VP, or homemaker, you will be inspired by Howard's way of doing things. Never compromise quality and just say yes! It will bring you to a great understanding of the world of business--it's not just great coffee, it's great people and great relationships! Enjoy!

Starbucks- the very name conjures up images of a brand not of coffee, but of passion , love, sincerity and superb customer service; that the coffee too is great (though expensive)is an added plus.. But here is a brand in the most common of products and having arrived to the top of the minds in less than a decade- how did it all happen? Pour Your Heart Into It is a fascinating saga of the Starbucks journey, written by the man -Howard Shultz- who made it happen! This is one of the best business biographies I have ever read for its storytelling of a person"s passion to his idea and then betting his life and much much more onto it.. While going through the book, I came across some very inspiring and meaningful quotes, either mentioned in the beginning of the chapter or as part of the narrative, here are some of them which have stayed with me even today months after I finished reading the book Highly recommended book for anybody who wants to live- and maybe die- by his or her BIG IDEA! Amazes me how in prime Mid Town Manhattan ;how a mere coffee store can have probably 8 shops in a 6 blocks radius - around 42nd and Madison but Starbucks is not coffee any more; I do not say now" Lets have coffee", we just say"Lets have a Starbucks"!

POUR YOUR HEART HEART INTO IT:

1. A HUNDRED TIMES EVERY DAY I REMIND MYSELF THAT MY INNER AND OUTER LIVES DEPENDED ON LABORS OF OTHER MEN,LIVING OR DEAD AND THAT I MUST EXERT MYSELF IN ORDER TO GIVE IN THE SAME MEASURE THAT I RECIEVED.....

2.IF IT CAPTURES YOUR IMAGINATION..IT WILL PROBABLY CAPTIVATE OTHERS TOO.

3.SOME MEN SEE THINGS AS THEY ARE AND SAY..WHY. I DREAM THINGS THAT NEVER WERE AND ASK..WHY NOT!

4.IF YOU SAY NEVER HAD A CHANCE,,PERHAPS YOU NEVER TOOK A CHANCE.

5.VISION IS WHAT THEY CALL IT WHEN YOU CAN SEE WHAT OTHERS CAN NOT SEE

6.WHENEVER YOU SEE A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS...SOMEBODY SOMEDAY MUST HAVE MADE A COURAGEOUS DECISION...

7.WE JUDGE OURSELVES BY WHAT WE FEEL CAPABLE OF DOING.. WHILE OTHERS JUDGE US BY WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY DONE...

8.SOMETIMES..SINCERITY SELLS BETTER THAN BUSINESS PLANS

9.THE ULTIMATE MEASURE OF A MAN IS NOT WHERE HE STANDS IN MOMENTS OF COMFORT AND CONVINIENCE ,BUT WHERE HE STAND AT TIMES OF CHALLENGE AND ADVERSITY...

10.EVERYTHING MATTERS

11.WHEN YOU SEE THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME..MOVE QUICKLY

12.A 100 STOREY BUILDING NEEDS A FIRM FOUNDATION

13.DO NOT BE THREATENED Y MEN SMARTER THAN YOU

14.THE BEST EXECUTIVE IS ONE WHO HAS GOOD SENSE TO PICK UP GOOD MEN TO DO WHAT HE WANTS DONE AND SELF RESTRAINT TO KEEP FROM MEDDLING WITH THEM WHILE THEY DO TI.

15.THE ONLY SACRED COW IN AN ORGANISATION SHOULD BE IT"S BASIC PHILOSPHY OF DOING BUSINESS..

16.TO STAY AHEAD,ALWAYS HAVE THE NEXT IDEA WAITING IN THE WINGS..

17.THE BEST WAY TO BUILD A BRAND IS ONE PERSON AT A TIME.

18.THE FUNDAMENTAL TASK IS TO ACHIEVE SMALLNESS WITHIN A LARGE ORGANISATION..

19.VALUES SHOULD NOT WHITHER AS SALES GROW.

In the book Coffee Will Make You Black, by April Sinclair, the lead character Jean Stevenson, Stevie to her friends, tells in a narrative perspective of her adolescent years, growing up in Chicago in the 1960's. The book is like Stevie's diary. She tells you her experiences with boys, girls, love, sex, popularity, school and racism in a comical and to-the-point fashion. The book is a quick, easy, fun read that hooks you from the start. It deals with very realistic issues that are fun and interesting to read about. The book makes you feel like you are part of Stevie's chaotic life. She gives you the opportunity to share her deepest, darkest, secrets. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate the book an 8. I enjoyed reading it greatly, and finished it in one day. I liked reading it because it dealt with issues that I deal with. It tells of Stevie's hard times with boys, other girls, sex, love, popularity, which are all important to me now as a freshman in high school. It didn't take very long to get into the book because the first page is a humorous anecdote about a boy asking if 12 year old Stevie is a virgin. Stevie, confused with the meaning of virgin, goes home and asks her mamma. The whole book is little anecdotes like the one above so I liked it from the start. The book isn't very short yet the words and vocabulary are very easy and simply written so stumbling over big words is not a problem. Nothing very big happens in the book, it stays rather monotone throughout. Something I found a little hard to understand was the slang. Since Stevie is growing up in the sixties in Chicago, there are bound to be differences in slang but overall the read is easy. It may be hard for younger people to read this book because they might not get what some of the terms mean. This book reminded me of many movies about teenage-hood. Like American Pie or Election. I have never read another book by April Sinclair but I enjoyed this book and will read other works by this author. In class we have reading groups where there are four groups of five kids and each group reads a different book. To decide which book to read the teacher read the first pages of every book. I enjoyed the first page so I signed up to read this book. Since the book is written from a females perspective, I think that girls would relate and enjoy reading it more because it deals with female issues. I can imagine a guy not understanding the complete intent of the author. The book is very funny so I think that the reader should have a good sense of humor, and maybe someone that grew up in the sixties could relate to an even greater extent. " What does 'coffee will make you black mean mama?' 'The old folks in the South used to tell that to children so they wouldn't want to drink coffee. The last thing anybody wanted to be was black."' This quote is from page 111 in the book. I chose this quote not only because it is obviously the line in which the title of the book comes from, but because it also represents the feelings about different races at the time. I don't get why people ever thought that darker skin made a difference. Personally I think all racism is ridiculous and that this quote is very interesting. To think that back then the children were told that in order to stay lighter they shouldn't drink coffee is ridiculous. It shows that back then they weren't proud of their skin color and would do anything, like not drink coffee, to stay lighter. I wonder if maybe this saying was also to keep kids from just drinking coffee. Maybe they didn't want the children to drink too much caffeine. In any case being darker was the worst thing imaginable. I hope that this quote shows a little bit of how the book is written. This is a more serious moment in the book but I thought it was important. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

I thought that the book, Coffee will make you Black by April Sinclair, was very interesting especially coming from a teenage girls perspective on life. I found myself relating to many of the problems and situations that the main character, Jean Stevenson, went through. From being a young girl and having a hard time fitting in to growing up and dealing with boys. I think that Jean deals with all of the things that most young girls deal with at her age and most of us can relate to her. The author describes her transition from a young girl who is curious about exploring her and others while reading it. I got caught up in the situations she got into. Although there was really no climax or turning point in the book, I couldn't put it down. This book is very easy to read except for the parts where she talks in slang might get a bit confusing. Even though the book isn't that short it goes by very quickly. From the very beginning you get caught up in the story. The story starts off with Jean in class getting a note from one of the boys in her class and ends with self- discovery. This book is very similar to reading a diary. It includes her thoughts on things such as the boys in her life, friends, enemies, and homosexuality. Jean lives in Chicago with her mother and father. Her mother works at a bank where she really isn't treated fairly by the other workers. Her father is a janitor at a hospital where he is also treated badly by his superiors. Jean is ashamed of her father's job. This book deals a lot with Jean wanting to be popular also some issues having to do with the times this book was set in (1960s). The main issues at hand are racial and sexual issues. All in all I thought this book was funny, well written, and heart-warming.

In the book Coffee Will Make You Black, by April Sinclair, the lead character Jean Stevenson, Stevie to her friends, tells in a narrative perspective of her adolescent years, growing up in Chicago in the 1960's. The book is like Stevie's diary. She tells you her experiences with boys, girls, love, sex, popularity, school and racism in a comical and to-the-point fashion. The book is a quick, easy, fun read that hooks you from the start. It deals with very realistic issues that are fun and interesting to read about. The book makes you feel like you are part of Stevie's chaotic life. She gives you the opportunity to share her deepest, darkest, secrets. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate the book an 8. I enjoyed reading it greatly, and finished it in one day. I liked reading it because it dealt with issues that I deal with. It tells of Stevie's hard times with boys, other girls, sex, love, popularity, which are all important to me now as a freshman in high school. It didn't take very long to get into the book because the first page is a humorous anecdote about a boy asking if 12 year old Stevie is a virgin. Stevie, confused with the meaning of virgin, goes home and asks her mamma. The whole book is little anecdotes like the one above so I liked it from the start. The book isn't very short yet the words and vocabulary are very easy and simply written so stumbling over big words is not a problem. Nothing very big happens in the book, it stays rather monotone throughout. Something I found a little hard to understand was the slang. Since Stevie is growing up in the sixties in Chicago, there are bound to be differences in slang but overall the read is easy. It may be hard for younger people to read this book because they might not get what some of the terms mean. This book reminded me of many movies about teenage-hood. Like American Pie or Election. I have never read another book by April Sinclair but I enjoyed this book and will read other works by this author. In class we have reading groups where there are four groups of five kids and each group reads a different book. To decide which book to read the teacher read the first pages of every book. I enjoyed the first page so I signed up to read this book. Since the book is written from a females perspective, I think that girls would relate and enjoy reading it more because it deals with female issues. I can imagine a guy not understanding the complete intent of the author. The book is very funny so I think that the reader should have a good sense of humor, and maybe someone that grew up in the sixties could relate to an even greater extent. " What does 'coffee will make you black mean mama?' 'The old folks in the South used to tell that to children so they wouldn't want to drink coffee. The last thing anybody wanted to be was black."' This quote is from page 111 in the book. I chose this quote not only because it is obviously the line in which the title of the book comes from, but because it also represents the feelings about different races at the time. I don't get why people ever thought that darker skin made a difference. Personally I think all racism is ridiculous and that this quote is very interesting. To think that back then the children were told that in order to stay lighter they shouldn't drink coffee is ridiculous. It shows that back then they weren't proud of their skin color and would do anything, like not drink coffee, to stay lighter. I wonder if maybe this saying was also to keep kids from just drinking coffee. Maybe they didn't want the children to drink too much caffeine. In any case being darker was the worst thing imaginable. I hope that this quote shows a little bit of how the book is written. This is a more serious moment in the book but I thought it was important. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

THE COFFEE TRADER is not an intellectually challenging book, although it is somewhat informative and a mildly inviting "summer" read. The setting is Amsterdam in the mid-17th Century. If you love all things Dutch you will probably enjoy the book more than if you do not. On the other hand, if want to know more about the Netherlands during the age of Rembrandt and don't want to engage in the taxing business of reading history, this little book may suit.

The main character, a Portuguese Jew name Miguel Lienzo, has escaped the Inquisition in his native country and is living in Amsterdam in the midst of a community of Jewish refugees. Although the author refers to him as a merchant, Miguel is really an early version of the Wall Street trader, whose fortunes are won and lost via buying and selling commodities-commodities he may not even possess. Commodities exchange is a zero sum game-someone only wins if someone else loses. If you eschew this type of business venture, you may not sympathize with the protagonist.

At the beginning of the book, Miguel, a reasonably devout Jew, has lost his way financially through a series of missteps associated with a failed sugar deal. In addition, his trading has affected the welfare of several others who now view him as an enemy. Miguel is about to embark on a new enterprise involving coffee that he hopes will remake his fortune. In the meantime, while he waits to recoup his fortune, he lives in the wet basement of a canal house owned by his brother Daniel who is described as a "merchant." In addition to Daniel and Miguel, the house is occupied by Hannah, Daniel's wife (a closet Catholic), and Annetje a Dutch housemaid. Other Jewish and Dutch characters populate the book, and many of them including Miguel's business partner, a mysterious Dutch widow, elicit some interest.

The first three hundred pages of the book were well enough written that I finished the book in spite of finding the last 50 pages less than satisfying. There are too many characters, and some of the most important are not well developed. Although the plot shows some promise, I think the author failed to deliver the goods because the plot fizzles and the loose ends are clumsily handled. Everything that happens could have happened, but much of it is not plausible given the foreshadowing. It's almost as if the author became tired of his creation and decided to finish it when it was half-done.

David Liss historically recreates Amsterdam in 1659 in his intriguing novel The Coffee Trader. The Netherlands in the mid 1600's has become a haven for Inquisition persecuted Jews who have fled their Iberian roots. In Amsterdam under the direction of the Ma'amad, the law giving Jewish ruling council, Jews were permitted to openly practice their religion.

The story revolves around Miguel Lienzo, a transplanted Portuguese Jew who is a trader of some note on the Dutch commodities exchange. Lienzo has seen his fortunes take a tumble in the sugar market. He is in debt and in forced to take up residence with his scornful brother Daniel and his pregnant wife Hannah.

Lienzo has been recruited by an attractive Dutch widow, Geertruid Damhuis to be a broker in a coffee buying deal in which he will be an equal partner. Coffee at this time in Europe is a very speculative commodity and not as of yet popular as a beverage. The potential for the deal to be extremely profitable strongly exists if Lienzo can bring it all together.

The story proceeds to document the hardships Lienzo encounters while endeavoring to make the deal happen. The most difficult stumbling block is one Solomon Parido, a wealthy merchant and parnass or powerful member of the Ma'amad. Parido believes he has been slighted by Lienzo in an impending arranged marriage between Parido's daughter and Miguel. Parido is using all his power to try to destroy the coffee deal and seek revenge on Lienzo.

Davis Liss is a gifted wordsmith as he paints a wonderfully descriptive picture of Amsterdam in the 1650's. His story expertly navigates it's way through the highs and lows encountered by Lienzo in his dealings to consumate the coffee deal.

If Starbucks Coffee was smart, they'd start selling David Liss's new novel THE COFFEE TRADER right alongside all their other caffeinated laced beverages. After winning the 2000 Edgar Award for Best First Novel for A CONSPIRACY OF PAPER, Liss has created another masterpiece relating to the historical fiction genre.

His second novel takes place in 17th-century Amsterdam in 1659 during the Golden Age. The book's main character is a Portuguese Jew named Miguel Lienzo, who has recently lost a bundle after the sugar market crash and is now trying to resurrect himself by searching for investors who would consider a new product called "coffee".

Broke and busted, Miguel must take shelter in the basement of his brother's house. Daniel, who also works at the booming commodities exchange, tells his brother not to waste his time vying for a lucrative fortune in the coffee trade. But after learning about the possible financial windfall from the provocative Dutchwoman Geertrud Damhuis, Miguel is utterly convinced that coffee will become a worthwhile investment.

However, being Jewish in Amsterdam during the Golden Age was extremely difficult for any promising entrepreneur. For instance, Miguel must be careful not to scorn the Ma'amad, the restrictive and mysterious governing body of the Jewish community. He must also be wary not to conduct business with anyone who is not Jewish, something extremely forbidden during the mid-1650s. Miguel also has to deal with his bothersome brother Daniel and his mousy wife Hannah, who seems to be falling in love with Miguel. On top of that, he has to deal with Hendrick, a man seething with anti-Semitism and a close associate to his business partner, Geertrud. Throughout the book, Hendrick refers to Miguel as "Jew Man."

During the course of close to 400 pages, I couldn't read THE COFFEE TRADER without either sitting in the kitchen of my apartment and brewing a pot of the luscious black beverage or venturing out to my local Starbucks and ordering a grande Sumatra with room for milk. Even from the opening pages of the novel, Miguel is sitting with Geertrud and she is introducing him to the wonders of coffee. This is where Liss's work truly shines. He does a magnificent job conveying to his audience the allure of coffee and its magical ability to induce mental awareness and intellectual prowess.

Not only is this wonderful novel chock full of suspense, intrigue and a touch of romance, it's also extremely funny at times. For instance, when Daniel's wife, Hannah, who is obviously smitten with Miguel, raids his stash of coffee beans instead of attempting to brew them in a conventional fashion, she chomps on the beans and finds them to be utterly exquisite. Yuck!

Liss also completed exhaustive research before sitting down to write THE COFFEE TRADER, which took a year and a half to finish. At the end of the book, after his Historical Note, is a lengthy Works Consulted section with over 30 books Liss read in order to set the proper tone for this historical piece of fiction. What's most fascinating about Liss's work is his incredible ability to transport the reader back in time. His ability to handle the nuisances of everyday life in Amsterdam over 344 years ago is utterly amazing. Liss paints an incredible landscape in detailing the rising commodities exchange in Amsterdam at that time. He also does an excellent job describing the seediness of pub life and how schemers would spread rumors about ships being looted by pirates in order to decrease the worth of cargo expected to arrive in the nearby docks.

It gets to the point where Miguel doesn't exactly know who to trust and, in some ways, THE COFFEE TRADER emulates the risks that investors take today in dealing with high finance.

If you are a coffee fanatic like myself, then by all means go out and get yourself a copy of THE COFFEE TRADER, head to your nearest coffee shop and hunker down with this incredible saga.

--- Reviewed by David Exum

Not being much of a short-story reader, I hesitated to read this collection, but I'm glad I did. ZZ Packer has quite the talent for creating characters that just simply feel real. Any one of these stories could've been written novel-length if she'd been so inclined. "Brownies" and "Our Lady of Peace" were my two favorites.

I had previously read a few of ZZ Packer's stories in lit magazines such as ZOETROPE and The New Yorker and I have been anxiously awaiting this collection. I have not been disappointed.

"Drinking Coffee Elsewhere" is a collection of unique, startling and at times, brutally truthful stories by Packer, a new author. All these stories, in some way, touch upon themes of alienation, the search for truth (whatever that truth is for the characters), of approval, and of identity. Stories range from the title piece, "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere," about a young black woman who enters a ivy league university and must struggle not only with alienation and her identity but the death of her mother, to "Geese," a story about a sister who travels to Tokyo to make loads of money only to find herself destitute and in the company of people just as down and out as she is.

What I enjoy the most about these eight stories is that Packer tells stories about black people, but she does so multiculturally, or "realistically". The world isn't full of just black people or just white people. The worlds in Packer's stories travel the globe from Baltimore, to Yale University, to Tokyo. We see a vast array of people and places and situations, and Packer is not afraid to show us all these facets, nor is she afraid to show us the bleakness of reality. Her stories do not end with cotton candy and happily ever afters. Sometimes, life is hard, and Packer portrays these times exquisitely.

Anyone who is interested in reading well written stories about the facets of black life, will no doubt enjoy ZZ Packer's debut collection as much as I have.

Shon Bacon

I had previously read a few of ZZ Packer's stories in lit magazines such as ZOETROPE and The New Yorker and I have been anxiously awaiting this collection. I have not been disappointed.

"Drinking Coffee Elsewhere" is a collection of unique, startling and at times, brutally truthful stories by Packer, a new author. All these stories, in some way, touch upon themes of alienation, the search for truth (whatever that truth is for the characters), of approval, and of identity. Stories range from the title piece, "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere," about a young black woman who enters a ivy league university and must struggle not only with alienation and her identity but the death of her mother, to "Geese," a story about a sister who travels to Tokyo to make loads of money only to find herself destitute and in the company of people just as down and out as she is.

What I enjoy the most about these eight stories is that Packer tells stories about black people, but she does so multiculturally, or "realistically". The world isn't full of just black people or just white people. The worlds in Packer's stories travel the globe from Baltimore, to Yale University, to Tokyo. We see a vast array of people and places and situations, and Packer is not afraid to show us all these facets, nor is she afraid to show us the bleakness of reality. Her stories do not end with cotton candy and happily ever afters. Sometimes, life is hard, and Packer portrays these times exquisitely.

Anyone who is interested in reading well written stories about the facets of black life, will no doubt enjoy ZZ Packer's debut collection as much as I have.

Shon Bacon