Kenneth Davids writes a lot of information on history and the art of making espresso coffee. The only thing that really bothered me was his method of writing. At times it was very clear, then it dropped off when it became more interesting, almost like "running out of room." The section on machines and equipment was fairly good, but it didn't give more details on each type of machine.

The source section was very limited on where to buy machines or coffee. Could have been better at rating coffee and machines.
The book was a little hard to read with very small type, and the monotone brown color of the illustrations.

Ken Davids writes with his usual engaging style and authority in terms of "cuisine de caffeine" [this is, after all, one of three of his coffee guides.] The style of the book itself, however, makes this a sometimes less than coherent read. Numerous sidebars [or, espresso breaks] weave their way throughout the volume, causing the reader to page forward and back through the text in an attempt to follow the thread of the conversation.

There's good stuff here -- and frankly I wish every barista wannabe behind the counter would be required to read it. If only somebody would revoke the publisher's stylistic license....

Pretty much tells history of coffee. Provides in depth information on how to buy Espresso blends (various characteristics). Also explains the history of how Espresso was developed along with the machines that make it the joy it is. The author has a subtle humor which makes the book fun to read while teaching you about Coffee.

If you own or have read Emilie Barnes' lovely book, If Teacup's Could Talk, you will find it very similar to this book. It contains the same basic recipes and tea information. This book does give a little more detailed information, however if you want nicer pictures and easier reading, the other book would be my choice. Emilie Barnes is a great author with a delightful way of inspiring people, so it is no sin to own both books, however if you are on a budget, you may want to just buy one of the books, you would not be missing anything that way.

This delightful book was given to me by my daughter who knows I love tea parties. The ideas are great and adaptable for private parties (for one) or for a group. There is something about giving a tea that soothes the soul.

A very sweet book. Lots of ideas and recipes for tea parties.

I had a hard time finishing this book. It has one good point: suburbs, by design, destroy the cohesion of communities. The author repeats this point (in my opinion) ad naseum throughout the book. He also idealizes community meeting places (the tavern, the drug store, main street) from the past. Nonetheless, I still think that we should all read this book. It gives at least a few hints about why we never see some of the people who live only two doors down form us. His solutions also might help us break down the isolation and anonymity of the 'burbs.

When was the last time you walked to your friendly, neighborhood tavern to shoot the breeze with the regulars? Oh, that's right. There is no such place. Find out why you'd be happier if there were.

Expecting a rehash of many of the now famous concepts of the "New Urbanism", I delayed actually reading this book for a long time. When I finally did it knocked me for a lovely, dizzy, exciting loop! Oldenburg may have put his finger directly on the reason why life in modern America has such an un-balanced, edgy, distressed feel to it. Bad planning! 50 years of letting officials and corporations extinguish our corner taverns, drugstores and other hang-outs has resulted in the extinguishing of our public lives. Something that work and family simply cannot compensate us for. And Oldenburg makes his surprisingly compelling case for these humblest of structures in a refreshingly brash, cranky tone. I began reading this book because of a certain technical interest and ended with my view of American life being, perhaps forever altered.

This book sounded perfect, so easy and low fat besides, but when I studied the recipes I found a whole lot of salt!! This is a very unhealthy way to go. Too much sodium is a sneaky death threat. There has to be a way to correct that problem in a future four ingredient cookbook.

I wish the authors had listed the amount of sugar contained in recipes as well as the Total Fat etc. I swear by the SUGAR BUSTER program and having the sugar content would be so helpful.

I received this as a gift after I started college. I had no idea how to make it own my own, let alone cook for myself. I was bound and determined not to gain the dreaded "freshman fifteen" so I tried the recipes from the Low Fat and Lite cookbook...wow! It was so easy! I became the apartment cook for all the roommates. I love this book...and I NEVER gained the weight, in fact, I lost 20 lbs.

This is the first book in Maron's Sigrid Harald series and her inexperience shows. The book gets off to a slow start and the solution is unconvincing.

However, the characters are vivid and that makes up for a lot. And, as with any series, the first book gives the background for the rest of the books, and it is a good series.

A pleasant short cozy read. Her understanding of how academic titles, promotions and tenure work is embarrassingly wrong, and you'll just have to grit your teeth and imagine she's writing about a university in another country to make the plot work. Didn't she or her editor talk to a single academic to check this stuff out?

I've read 5 of Margaret Maron's books so far, and this rates up there with The Bootlegger's Daughter

Blue Coffee, spanning eleven years of Mitchell's work if both inspiring and diverse, taking on many different subjects. As a line from 'a Flower for Boty' reads, to me, Mitchell's poetry can only be described as:

"Eloquent art speaking straight to the heart"

adrian mitchell could never write a poem as good as his "tell me lies about vietnam" or so i thought. in blue coffee, a documentation of his more recent works to be followed up this year with a retrospective of his career up 10 1984, he achieves great concepts but with very 'working class' language - this is accessible to both the scholar and the brickie. this is no more evident than in his poem which contains the exquisite line "a bus says us, while a car says me" from the poem "Yes". although in places the metaphor may be seem a little twee, and cannot surpass the quality housed in his "greatest hits" collection, this is a sturdy book outlining a almost more relaxed output of a poet reaching 65. To me his works spell out a note of potential freedom to express oneself, i.e. that if he can do it, anyone can. This may seem a backhanded compliment, but i believe that adrian mitchell's true ideal is for a nation of poets. i saw him perform his poems at the wedgewood rooms in portsmouth, a nice arts venue near to me a bout 2 and a half years ago. i really feel that my life changed a bit that night - i felt that i could achieve something beit with poetry or any medium that takes my fancy. mitchell has been inspirational to others as well as me and this book shows it, but for a total understanding of hsi appeal - his "greatest hits" must be read.

Sure some of the pictures were nice, and some of the designs were inspiring. But a few of the pictures were fuzzy, and some of the featured locales just didn't seem to fit with the title. For instance a sports bar? or bar/kiosk at a stadium? And heck, some of the cafe's were nearly ugly. I guess I was just expecting more...

Not a day goes by that I don't look at this book on my bookshelf and get inspired on the next design of one of our restaurants. Great photography, great resource directory. A must if you own or or going to be in the business.

This is a fine book for any tea lover. My only quibble is with the recipes using a 14 ounce can of unsweetened condensed milk. The only milk that comes in that size is the Eagle Brand type which IS sweetened. I made the recipes with the sweetened milk and they taste fine. I think it is a typo, but I may be wrong.

After living in India for 12 years (1971-1983) this delightful book brought back so many wonderful memories that were so strong you could almost taste them. Diana Rosen has done an excellent job of blending the romantic culture with the traditions of making and serving tea that transcends all classes and castes of the India subcontinent. After reading 'Chai' I have order six more copies as gifts for my close friends. Everyone who enjoys a cup of tea, and what it can bring, will love this tasty and instructive book.

You may want to think twice before buying this cookbook. The ingredients and measures are not standard to the U.S. Although equivalents are given, you will need to weigh ingredients and use nonstandard measurements, such as 7/8 of a cup of flour, or 1 ounce wheat bran. The same problem occurs with the ingredients such as biscuit crumbs, strong white flour, clear honey, muscavado sugar, or double cream. The good part is that the design is nice, the pictures are great, and the "Perfect Brownies" are to die for.

This book has it all...how to make your choice of coffee, how to choose the beans and the roast, and, most important of all, recipes for what to eat with your coffee. The book is full of fantastic recipes for every bit of the day - breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, bedtime etc. Definitely worth the buy.

There's a raw edginess that makes this book quite different from standard diary compilations. There's the young tennager desperate to understand his father, the woman who still believes that nirvana is just over the next hill and the man trying to make sense of his wife's affair. What's NOT there is the smarmy self-absorption in which so many of these types of diaries tend to wallow.

Makes you wonder who would plop down in a coffee shop and leave pieces of their soul for the world to see. A little jewel of a book.

Bellefonte is truely a Town of Poets and Cool Beans is where their hearts beat and minds soar (Fueled to no small degree by the excellent fare provided in the coffee shop).A fun, moving and thought provoking look at the art of Cool Beans patrons and Bellefotians.