Stop and Smell the Rosemary is beautifully written and also makes a wonderful coffee table book. The recipes are easy to follow and the tips listed in the margins are great. This has been a favorite of mine to give as gifts, and has been very well received.

You must try the Mango Margaritas, they are festive and great for a change from the standard lime. The Tortilla Soup is the best I've ever had! There are far too many great dishes to name them, and my dinner guests have never been disappointed!

I love this book, and am very impressed that it was put out by a "non-professional" publisher (the Houston Junior League). The recipes are easy to follow & clear, the graphics are crisp and fine, and the food that I have made from the book has been well-loved by the lucky eaters in my circle.

I fancy myself a bit of a domestic goddess-- ask anyone who knows me if they would turn down a dinner invitation. I originally bought this book to give to a friend for a wedding gift, and eventually had to buy it for myself. I traded in a more "famous" trendy cookbook which was not well done for this one and have not looked back.

It's both complex enough for experienced cooks and simple-to-follow enough for the beginner-- plus includes some "everyone ought to know this" tips and charts on things other than the nuts and bolts of recipes. Buy this book; you won't regret it, and you're supporting charity work, as well.

I have been inundated with Jr. League cookbooks over the years, and most resemble nothing more than a cookbook of typical, unimaginative recipes compiled by housewives with nothing to do. I would rank them equal to the typical church group cookbooks that are published day and in and day out. Stop and Smell the Rosemary sets a new, refreshing standard for cookbooks of this nature. This book is truly a class act. Each recipe I have tried has been nothing short of amazing and wonderful.

What a wonderful collection of delicious recipes. Chef Walker has shared his magical culinary secrets and has delivered them in a beautifully illustrated and well written book. "In Your Kitchen" tells us how to prepare some of Brennan's famous treats such as: Brandy Milk Punch, Turtle Soup and Bananas Foster. Carl Walker also shares his life experiences with his readers. After reading through the book, I feel that I know Chef Walker and his family personally. NOTE: The Texas Cornbread Pudding will become a must for your family gatherings.

Brennan's of Houston in Your Kitchen is as approachable as Chef Carl Walker himself. This cookbook guides the reader through the best Creole recipes from the restaurant in a straightforward, informative manner. Recipes are not overly simplified for the home cook, but instead are presented in an enticing and easy to follow step by step process, with lovely pictures of the final products. Each dish we have prepared tastes exactly like the food available at the restaurant. We recently visited Brennan's of Houston and were again pleased with how well the recipes translated for the home cook. What a delightful addition to any "chef's" library.

This book is so well balanced with recipes, photos, history of the place and it feels like you know the author when you read it. I've tried some of the recipes and they are user friendly, which isn't always the case for a chef written book. I've given this book to my friends for Christmas and they have loved it. The photos are exceptional and they are not intimating to me, like so many other books. If you want a touch of Creole and some just good cookbook reading it is my new favorite.
ps. I forgot almost every recipe has Chef tips and notes so you can substitute ingredients that may be hard to find and make your own creation.

As we say now about Mark Twain, the future will hear, "another James McEachin". He has written the definitive book on man's inhumanity to man while, paradoxically, presenting a paean to the triumph of the human spirit. McEachin brings to life people to aspire to who have terrible failings and seemingly simple folk with hidden greatness. So many thoughts that have never been expressed and behaviour never before delineated. You will read word combinations you've not seen til now.

The actor James McEachin has enjoyed a fine second career as a novelist. This, his second novel, is an incredibly moving book about an unforgettable, yet forgotten, incident in our past. In 1917 the US Army sent a regiment of black soldiers to Houston, Texas. As could have been expected, trouble eventually occurred. Big trouble. A riot between white Houston police and the black soldiers which resulted in the deaths of several people. The result was the largest murder trial in American history, followed by the largest mass execution. This is an emotional book, written in the heat of righteous anger. But, Mr. McEachin never allows his obvious sympathies for the soldiers to descend into maudlin sentimentalism. The soldiers are fully rounded men, often troubled and flawed. Their actions are not made out to be more noble than they were. It is a book that reminds us of how far we have come in America, and how far we have to go. Most highly recommended.

Mr. McEachin again reminds me of why he is my favorite author. His powerful words are overshadowed only by the human-ness of his characters. He is a master storyteller.

Mystical Dogs: Animals As Guides To Our Inner Life by Jean Houston is about the transcendental value of animal companionship in general, and the love of dogs in particular. Indeed, our animal companions can be the starting point to a mystical gateway and an awakened consciousness. An absorbing saga of metaphysical enlightenment and abiding memories for beloved animal companions, Mystical Dogs is enthusiastically recommended reading for New Age animal lovers.

This book is a great gift for humanity.

A former President of the American Association of Humanistic Psychology, Jean is a prolific writer and multi-talented teacher in the field of human potential,sacred psychology,spiritual pathways,consciousness and inner awareness. Her work involves the intertwining of disciplines on the quest for spiritual renewal within the whole development of the individual.

In this her nineteenth book, Jean shares her profound knowledge and wonderful sense of humour, about her experiences with the dogs that have been her companions throughout her journey from early childhood.

She describes eight stages of the spiritual or mystic path which each dog enhanced for her. She calls her dogs, friends of our spirit and guardians of the soul. Advocating the deep spiritual connection between humans and animals that can help us on our path to become one with nature and the divine.

Fans of the author, and those not yet familiar with her writings will have their minds expanded, their spirits filled with wonder and their hearts and souls uplifted as they are touched by the sheer genius and simplicity of this 'breath of fresh air' book.

I am going back to my Tonkinese cats to thank them for what they teach me! As Dr Doolittle did, let's talk to the animals -more!

You're thinking, "mystical dogs? Yeah. Right." You're thinking, "Forget dogs. Cats (hampsters, pigeons, nemotodes) rule." Or,"mystical what???" If so, you're apt not to be alone. There's a big "however" here: HOWEVER, Mystical Dogs is one read to hang your inner-child's hat on. The book boasts the intricate simplicity which hallmarks genius. Fact is, if you have, or have had, a canine buddy and know the joys, the wonders such kinship brings, you'll be revisiting a much-loved realm. If -- and there's that word again -- however, your idea of a dog coincides with a four-legged type that bummed a ride with Noah, strolled off the ark straight into your hydrangea bush, you will indeed be revisioning your untutored little perception. Chances are, when you read this book, you are going to go and, I might add, gleefully, to the dogs.

Fact is: Jean Houston has given us a gift. She has yanked spirituality off its high-falutin pedestal, framed it in compelling language and winsome anecdote. She has placed Spirit at eye-level. This vantage point lets us discern that which might otherwise elude us: numinous gleanings, transcendent knowings and ineffable intimations. Thanks to the author's lack of pretense, we readers become enlightened even as we encounter the dearest of creatures, the funniest of situations. Fact is: dogs, uh-huh, dogs (!) have something to teach us. Those unlikely teachings are, Houston demonstates, unsurpassed by human prayer or pilgrimage.

An excellent and detailed history of the Colts and their origins in the planned Continental League, the National League expansion of 1961-62, and their colorful early days until they became the Astros. Lots of great photos of players, now-defunct ballparks, and memorabilia, and the real inside story of the name changes from Colts to Colt .45s to Astros. A winner all around.

I stumbled on this book at a bookstore in upstate NY, a far cry from the Houston area. As a baseball fan, it caught my eye although I had very little knowledge of Houston's MLB origins. What sold me-- at least during that quick perusal in the bookstore -- was its treatment of how Houston and NY both came into the league at the same time. After reading it, though, I'm astounded at the history and story of baseball's first major-league team in the south. The no-hitters, the futility, the tear-jerker about Jim Umbricht .... this story reeks of everything that baseball is -- good things, such as colorful characters, true fans, baseball as a game first and business second, and tragedy as well -- the real "Love of the Game" story, not that Kevin Costner tripe. Whether you know anything about Houston, the Colt 45s, or Texas, do yourself a favor and read this book. Heck, it's a human story, not just a sports story. The younger fan may not "get it," but those of us who grew up with those hot summer nights listening to baseball on transistor radios -- no matter were you lived of what team you claimed -- will enjoy the trip back.

Texas coastal heat, tropical humidity and giant mosquitoes; those are my memories of Colt Stadium. But I also remember the excitement of going to a real major league game in Houston. This book brings back all those memories and tells things I never knew about the screwball cast of characters who made up the team and the giant personalities who labored to bring big league baseball to Houston. The Colt .45s included major talent such as Joe Morgan, Rusty Staub, Jim Wynn and Larry Dierker. But they also had "colorful" players such as Richard "Turk" Farrell. A must for any collector of Texana, baseball or Houston history.

This book was brought home from school with my daughter in first grade. I was frantically trying to get ready for Christmas and was a little frustrated that at this particularly frantic moment, I was asked to read a book with so many words! With my daughter tucked in I began to read. After getting to the end, I couldn't wait to get downstairs and tell my husband about it. The peace and love that is Christmas is what this book so gently reminds you to focus on. It conjures in me the same emotions as when reading "Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch. This book should not be missed!

I enjoy reading this book every year around Christmas time. My mom first read it to me when I was little. I am sophomore in High School now and I still find delight in reading this classic Christmas story. Since I am older now, and have a deeper understanding of compassion, I have discovered a whole new meaning to the story. If you are putting together a Christmas story collection, "The Year of the Perfect Christmas" Tree should be one of your selections.

As the title states, the book is truly "classic". As a small child my Mother would always read this to me while I was tucked in under the sheets on a snowy night. And that is just what this book is meant for: memories. The miracle that happens to the young girl and her mother on Christmas Eve has brought many to a slight misty-eyed smile, as I have witnessed through sharing it. It is more than just the story; the pictures are amazingly beautiful. Certain one of those "togetherness" books in times to share with your family, truely catching that magic of Christmas.

...

My grandmother, Harriet Fish Backus, wrote Tomboy Bride. My mother was born in 1909 in Telluride, after her mother came down to the "town" from the Tomboy Gold mine, 2000 feet above Telluride, to give birth to her first child. There are several photos of my mom as a young girl in the book. She typed several early editions of the book on a manual typewriter before it was published. Harriet Fish Backus was a remarkable woman and the afterword that appears in the new version of this book tells about her life after the book. It is still an inspiring story and our family enjoys hearing from interested readers from all over the world.

I grew up with my Grandmother, Harriet Backus, telling stories about her life in the mining camps. She always wanted to see her stories in print, and finally wrote them down and published the book. History professors have used this personal narrative as a source for their work,and one told me everything he checked in the book proved to be historically accurate; we knew Grandma had a perfect memory! My mother, Harriet, is in the book, and there is a picture of her as a little girl. She is here with me at Thanksgiving, 1998, and I was able to show her this advertisement for her mother's book on the internet. She was thrilled! She's 89 and remembers some of the stories. The book still sells well, especially in Telluride and Leadville. I'd welcome questions or comments via the internet.

I am writing this review with my mother, Harriet Walton, who is the daughter of Harriet Fish Backus, author of Tomboy Bride. Harriet was born in 1909 in Telluride, after her mother came down to the "town" from the Tomboy Gold mine, 2000 feet above Telluride, to give birth to her first child. There are several photos of Harriet as a young girl in the book. She typed several early editions of the book for her mother before it was published, on an old manual typewriter. Harriet Fish Backus, was a remarkable woman and the afterword that appears in the new version of this book tells about her life after the book. It is still an inspiring story and our family enjoys hearing from interested readers from all over the world. You can e-mail us at soccerrgw@aol.com

As an advocate of the use of entheogens (psychedelics) as a means of expanding consciousness, I have to praise this book for several reasons.

One, due to Dr. Huston's reputation, many people who would not have considered psychedelics as a spiritual path will now have to take the spiritual use of these substances seriously.

Two for those of us who do use entheogens, Dr. Smith offers an interesting critique of the psychedelic movement of the 60s. He asks himself if the corrolary of "tune in" and "turn on" has to be "drop out".

He also underscores the importance of paying attention to "set" and "setting" (the attitude of the user and the physical environment in which the user takes the psychedelic). He rightly notes that a lot of people pay lip service to this idea without being rigorous in it's application. There seems to be a kind of libertarianism, even philistinism, in the contemporary psychedelic scene. We're going to explore alone without paying attention to the lessons from other cultures who have used these substances for thousands of years. Understandably we do so under the banner of authenticity, but I think we lose out. We should not ape or follow the lessons of those cultures dogmatically, but we should investigate them and heed what is good...especially about set and setting.

Third, he assigns psychedelics their proper place. They are tools. And like any tool, psychedelics work for some and not for others. Or they work for a time for us and then we need to leave them behind. Any way it goes, we are left with integrating the lessons learned from our psychedelic explorations into our everyday life.

This is a sober treatment of the role of psychedelics, not an absolute glorification. I love to dream and hypothesize along with Terence McKenna, but I also love the grounded nature of "Cleaning The Doors of Perception".

If you are interested in a serious discussion of psychedelics,please check out our webclub "Entheogens and Psychedelics" at http://clubs.yahoo.com/entheogensandpsychedelics

TSEAY

huston smith has had a front row seat in spiritual evolution for over 45 yrs now. in the present volume he makes clear that indeed entheogens can inspire and manifest and sustain true mystical knowing of what IT is. as a life long seeker and entheogen experimenter for several decades in my youth, i think this book makes a tremendous contribution for those of us who have used godconsciousness endgendering substances in the right way. what way is that? you enter into the experience with a pure heart and with thanksgiving! there comes a time, however, in authentic spritual life, when this too must be left behind if in fact we truly seek the highest realms of spiritual attainment. thanks, huston, you have said beautiful things some of us have experienced but can't make plain. life is a mighty torrent of evolution and this book will help you,the sincere seeker, make the most of your own opportunity to live, enjoy, contribute, and SEE.

Having just picked up "Cleansing the Doors of Perception" I would like to thank Huston Smith for writing this book at the urging of the Council on Spiritual Practices in the face of such an anti-drug media frenzy. His credibility and lifelong pursuit of knowledge in spiritual matters is just the backbone needed to open the eyes of the many and acknowledge the hearts of the few. That such a noteworthy piece of literature has been written is a testament to Huston's and the Council's drive for truth !

Sincerely Dirk

What a great read. I was inspired especially when finding out that he not only volunteers his time to do search and rescue but that his K9 partner is a Doberman instead of the typical shepards. The stories were wonderful; I got a feel for what true search & rescue is like....not just all happy or gruesome endings. Hope he continues to write additional books.

An awesome book. Light and humorous, yet profound and wise; it takes you on a journey and you return inspired by the courage and faith of both man and dog, and the magic in trusting the invisible. It's moving and inspiring on many levels, and very zen: it's about the journey and not about getting there. It's a gripping read- excellent rhythm of suspense and amusement.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you are an animal lover. Readers will find that Tom Shelby seems to inhabit Michelle's brain and soul. Their relationship is amazing and touching. Mr. Shelby's training tips which follow each SAR story are practical and wonderfully simple. Thank you to Tom and Michelle (and all the other hardworking SAR teams) for your continuing work.

Very good book, extensively covers LDAP programming
unlike others.

This book has been an invaluable guide to my learning active directory programming. Very often I find that the books that I use do not provide enough sample code and the explanations for the examples are very weak. In Active Directory Programming the author provides excellent examples with very thorough descriptions. I strongly recommend it.

Really awesome AD programming book. Covers all the basics of AD and ADSI and then dives into the LDAP API which all other authors try to avoid and dont cover well. You do not need any other AD programming books if you have this one.