great guidebook. Describes in detail the good, the bad and the ugly of Nepal. The language section was extremely useful. A few hours spent learning some useful greetings and phrases will pay off tenfold upon arrival in Nepal. Being able to bargain or ask for directions in the native language is a lot of fun and much appreciated, especially since most travellers do not take the time to learn anything more than "Namaste."

This book has given me comfort and a wealth of information about what I would like to do and see in Nepal. Having a well planned trip in advance is smart and this book will probably tell you everything you need to know about anything, and more. Food, health issues, places to stay, sights, special points, etc. Definitely worth the investment.

I just returned from Nepal using this guide. The book was very well-written with lots of practical advice-- everything from how to book an airline to what kind of diahrrea you may have picked up. Very accurate information re. hotels, modes of transportation, etc. Useful vocabulary list.

I will not let bitter Mimi's words be the last on this book. I do not understand why she would waste her time writing such comments.

Reading about the inspirational life of Ricky Martin inspires a plethoria of hope in the depths of my innermost soul. Never before have I experienced such a profound sense of triumph. How one seemingly grotesque hairball was catapulted into the national spotlight from the depths of an alley cats digestive tract. This book is a must for any Ricky Martin fan!

If you are a Ricky Martin fan you must get this book, I learnedso many things I didn't know about him. It's the best.

I cannot add much to the previous reviews-- all of with which I agree-- except this: Mr. Martin is, first and foremost, a writer. Indeed, he has ALS, and that is much of what he writes about here. But his lean, athletic style, keen observation and outstanding sense of humor would entice me to read router bit catalog copy, if Mr. Martin wrote it. I'm in search of his short story published in the Crescent Review (malcolm@walkaboutpress.org-- if anyone finds it first) and am hopeful he is at work on something else for us to enjoy and think about.

Like another reviewer, I also have the pleasure of knowing Joe Martin. And while I knew of some of his remarkable achievements, I was astounded to read of many more. Like Joe, I have ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease. He, and his book, have inspired me to live life with joy, love, purpose, hope and faith notwithstanding the ravages of this disease. His book, like Tuesdays With Morrie, should inspire anyone and everyone. But while Morrie spoke as a dying man, Joe, with the same terminal illness, speaks with the vitality of a man truly living life to the fullest.

Laura Murphy Atlanta, Ga.

I found this first person account co-authored by Joe Martin, who has ALS, very inspirational. Joe allows the reader to share his feelings of frustration as well as to grasp the depth of his convictions that life should be celebrated and cherished. Ross Yocke's commentary throughout the book provides an additional source of information which is helpful for the reader to gain perspective about Joe Martin's life with ALS. This short 178 page book pulls the reader into Joe Martin's reality, and allows the reader to share his religious and moral convictions, as well as to revel in his wonderful anecdots. This book reminds me of Tuesdays with Morrie. I hope others will enjoy reading On Any Given Day as much as I have.

This book's approach on how to obtain your best overall health utilizes mind, body and spirit to incorporate a total approach to wellness. Instead of simply treating a disease, Dr. Martin urges us to examine the origins of the problem, the underlying total health and life situation of each individual. The emphasis is on "constitutional homeopathy" and not a one-shot Western medicine approach of treating the symptom at the expense of the entire being.

Once a course of treatment is determined, it may not necessarily be an "instant cure-all," but it will be another step and effort toward total well-being.

The author combines his back-ground in Oriental and holistic medicine with classical and acute homeopathy, acupuncture, acupressure, Oriental and Western herbal medicine and nutrition.

There are user-friendly acupuncture and acupressure charts, as well as an in-depth section on Yin and Yang and the role of awareness, meditation and stress reduction. Outside stresses, such as pollution, poor nutrition and self-sabotaging behavior are also discussed, along with suggestions on how to approach a positive cure.

There are specific tools offered so that the individual can ask the right questions and make the right choices when it comes to medical care. Optimal Health is about empowerment and control of one's well-being. The book includes a wide variety of specific ailments along with recommendations for cures and treatments, as well as an explanation of how we can control our illness and wellness.

This book is a great reference tool as well as a comprehensive collection of various disciplines, combined in a manner that works for the overall enhancement of health.

----Sonia von Matt Stoddard for the Whole Life Times, August 2000.

Dr. Randy Martin combines Oriental medicine, homeopathy, and nutrition in this user friendly guide to holistic health. Optimal Health is your birthright, he proclaims.

Instead of cutting out or covering up symptoms, we can learn to use symptoms as our guides to better health. The book includes quizzes, so you can learn if you are a Yin or a Yang type, or which of the Five Elements (fire, metal, earth, water, or wood) is predominant in your body/mind dynamic. These quizzes are fun to do and help you understand a lot of Eastern medicine quickly.

Even thought the book is easy to read, there is so much information you probably will not read it from cover to cover. It deserves a place on your bookshelf where you can turn to it often.

If you have ever wanted to integrate the various natural approaches to health, Dr. Martin has done it for you here. He makes it clear that the right diet for you depends on many factors, mostly unique to you and your genetic predisposition. The book helps you learn these factors or points you to the specialists who can tell you.

Finally, Dr. Martin takes us through several dis-eases and tells us what we might do using a variety of methods: homeopathy, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, nutrition, and supplements. Hold this book in your hands, open to any page and you will believe in your ability to control your own health.

----- Marylyn Rands, Auroran Magazine, July-August 2000, pg. 59.

Dr. Randy Martin, author of Optimal Health - How to Get It, How to Keep It, has provided readers with an incredible tool for finding and keeping optimal health! In todays fast paced society, it is very difficult to maintain equilibrium in all aspects of our life. A combination of poor diet, stress, lack of exercise and sleep deprivation can eventually lead to various infirmities. Dr. Martin has written a user friendly book that gives readers a full understanding of how the human body functions, and is an essential resource for anyone who is ready to embark on the journey of healing and renewal. This book is of great value to those who wants to achieve true spiritual, emotional and physical well-being.

Brisk biography of a great apparition, Picasso's meditation on war, and the atrocity of the bombing of the Basques. Detached,almost remote from politics Picasso is suddenly drawn into a protest against the fascist tide in the period of the Spanish Civil War, the outcome the masterpiece one once saw many times at Moma--the author recounts the return of this orphaned msterpice to Spain after its long years of exile and rejection by Franco's spain. Well told, important story.

In a small village of Spain, it was market day on 26 April 1937, with farmers bringing in harvest. The village within the Basque region of northern Spain was without any serious strategic import, but it was less than twenty miles away from Bilbao, a Basque stronghold, and Francisco Franco wished to threaten the Basques. At the request of Franco's rebel army, Luftwaffe planes poured bombs, percussion and incendiary, onto the village for three hours, and strafed the people trying to flee. The event was to inspire possibly the most famous painting of the twentieth century, and the painting was to sear the events in Guernica into the world's memory. The story of the history that made the painting and the painting that made history is dramatically told in _Picasso's War: The Destruction of Guernica, and the Masterpiece that Changed the World_ (Dutton) by Russell Martin. It is a great story of art and history, and it is told here with earnest verve.

Picasso didn't like the idea of a commission for a big mural, and although he fully supported the Spanish Republican forces in their efforts against Franco's fascism, he was not interested in making what he knew would be a piece of propaganda. He had never visited the Basque country, but once he heard of the attack, he began sketches for the commission. It was not immediately accepted as a masterpiece, although the partisans of the Spanish Republican cause were, of course, enthusiastic. It wound up at the commencement of World War II in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it would be a showpiece for more than forty years. Picasso made clear that the Spanish Republican government had paid for the painting and it thus belonged to the people of a democratic Spain, but he stipulated that democracy and freedom had to be restored before it returned. After Franco's death, and after serious legal tangles, possibly because the museum wanted to hold on to the painting as long as possible, the painting was sent to the Prado museum in Madrid in 1981. The national newspaper had the headline THE WAR HAS ENDED.

That might have been so, but controversy over the painting and the locale it deserves has not ended. It was moved to another Madrid museum, probably its permanent home, but many Basques believe that it needs to be closer to the rebuilt Guernica village. Hope for such a move peaked when the Bilbao museum was built. The architect, Frank Gehry, even showed the Spanish king and queen the wall on which _Guernica_ should be installed. Having the painting return to Spain helped to heal the years of repression, and perhaps sending it to Bilbao would heal the wounds between Basques and Spaniards; it is not impossible that the famous painting still has work to do. But Martin reminds us that Picasso said, "Wars end, but hostilities endure forever." Martin was researching his fine book, and looking at the painting himself, when other museum visitors hinted that as an American he ought to get to a television. It was 11 September 2001, and the world has not fully learned _Guernica_'s lesson.

Hanging in The United Nations is a tapestry that replicates the image of the painting that is the subject of Russell Martin's book, "Picasso's War". The painting is "Guernica" that Picasso created as a response to the destruction of a small town that is of the same name but at times is also spelled "Gernika". The first bit of irony I experienced while reading this wonderful book is that the tapestry hangs in The United Nations but is covered when various topics are discussed. For instance, when Secretary of State Colin Powell recently gave his presentation to The UN on Iraq the tapestry was covered, lest any television or print cameras photograph those speaking with the tapestry as a backdrop. So firstly there is this internationally renowned anti-war symbol hung in a building that rarely averts violence or acts quickly to prevent the spread of violence. And then when the possibility of violence is discussed, the imaged is removed from view.

The second instance was a personal experience involving the author, for on the day he was in Spain viewing the original work that documented the bombing of a civilian population by airplanes; the city of New York was targeted by airplanes used as massive flying bombs. The events that took place in Spain that shared the sorrow of that day are amongst the most poignant in the book. The similarity of events also made relevant once again a quote of Picasso's, "War's end, but hostilities endure forever".

The decisions and events that lead to the targeting of a civilian population in a manner that at times bordered on sport are repulsive, but are also familiar as they were repeated so many times in the 20th Century, and virtually every other century one may care to examine. Picasso managed to place on a massive canvas images that are horrible, but in a manner that is unique and that has made the image one that has been adopted for human cruelty around the world.

Author Russell Martin has created a well crafted book that is a work of History, Politics, Art, and Sociology. It is an extremely readable book for anyone interested in 20th Century events. You don't need to be an admirer of Picasso, you can even dislike his work and it will have little impact on how much you will enjoy this book. For what the author has done is to take what has become an icon for a variety of tragic and shameful human behaviors, and trace it from it's origins to the controversial location where it resides today. Nothing about Picasso's massive work is without controversy, except for the people who stand in endless lines to view it, almost everyone else involved in its custodianship since Picasso's death has little to be proud of and much to account for.

War often can be distilled down to one group coveting that which another has, and then using escalating levels of violence to make it their own. Picasso created a documentary of the result of these human failings, and had he lived he would have seen how his work became yet another object for an elite few to argue over and covet, while the masses that he painted it for have waited for decades to even view what he created for them.

I am an avid baker and recently borrowed this book from the library. I am a Food Scientist who has worked in the baking industry for 10+ years and this book impressed me. It states the information simply for the average baker and also delves into the chemistry and science of baking for the curious and more advanced.

Excellent explanation of how and why while also providing interesting histories behind various recipes. Attention to detail is obvious. I have baked two cakes from it already as well as two frostings and fillings. All terrific, obtaining rave reviews!

Ms. Purdy knows her stuff and knows how to present in a comfortable and inviting manner. After renewing the book 3 times I'm finally on line to buy it. Happy baking!

Unlike many cook books that are simply collections of recipes and a few photos of what the finished product should look like, Purdy's "The Perfect Cake" goes further. It is a "why" book, explaining how the different ingredients interact as you mix them then bake them. It also discusses the different qualities those ingredients have and offers advice on what you should choose and why. And perhaps more importantly, why not.

The book also gave me the confidence to experiment with some of the basic recipes. And I didn't mind eating the results, thank you very much.

I borrowed a copy of the book from my local library, learned a lot, and enjoyed it so much that as soon as I submit this review I will buy my own copy.

The Perfect Cake: 150 Cakes For Every Taste & Occasion by baking expert Susan G. Purdy is quite simply a definitive, single volume compendium designed to enable the family cook to have a wealth of delicious, imaginative, desert choices for any occasion from daily family dining to special celebratory events. Enhanced with a wealth of "tips, tricks and techniques" for everything from measuring ingredients to preparing pans for baking, the profusion of cake recipes are grouped into Butter and Shortening Cakes; Cheesecakes; Sponge and Foam Cakes; Elegant and Special Cakes; as well as Filings, Frostings, Icings and Glazes, Sauces and Syrups. Of special interest is the section on Decorating Cakes covering special effects, flavorings, and decorative techniques. Before you bake your next cake, browse through Susan Purdy's The Perfect Cake!

This translation of Platero and I is the only "complete" translation into English of the Spanish Classic. It is also the most Spanish! This refers to the paperback edition.

This is a beautiful little book by a Nobel Prize Winner of Literature that is too often neglected, Juan Ramon Jimenez.

Only Jimenez could make the blood of a leach in a stream of water into beautiful imagery. Children read this book as part of their curriculum in Argentina, however, this book can be equally enjoyed and appreciated by adults.

The story is a simple one: it is a first person (semi-autobiographical) account of a poet and his donkey in the mountains of Spain, appreciating, almost Zen-like, the simple beauties of life. The elements, children playing, leaches bleeding in a pool, everything seems beautiful in this book, and the descriptions are exquisite.

This is probably the best introduction to Jimenez, a book not to be missed!

Platero y yo es un libro tierno y sencillo que cuenta la relacion de un borrico y su amo. Yo lo recomiendo a todo aquel que quiera aprender espanol con esta pequena historia llena de poesia.

Over the past three years, I have purchased twelve muffin recipe books. Page for page, this is the best in the collection. Too many muffin books (to fill space I guess) fall back on offering you fourteen variations on a theme you already know. Ms. Simmons doesn't use up time and space with repetitive recipes. Get one and you will never leave home without Vagabond Muffins.

I've tried most of the recipes in the book, all are fantastic! Pumkpin praline being my favorite. They are easy to make and fast! Most of the recipes use ingredients you ordinarily keep on hand. All the muffins I have brought into work have been a big hit. If you ever need a muffin book buy this one!

I had received another muffin cookbook as a gift several years ago and then decided to try this one. It has been a hit. Every recipe I've tried has been great (particularly the carrot muffins and the lemon muffins). I still have many recipes left to try, but they all sound good. I am rapidly becoming the "Muffin Queen" and am buying two more copies as Christmas gifts.

I also recommend "Muffins: Sixty Sweet and Savory Recipes" by Elizabeth Alston.

I have just "discovered" this poet and reading his poetry over and over again means rediscovering language, sound, wit, and everything else that I love about poetry. I consider his language Old English, with pastoral themes in a post-modern context. Very interesting.

"MC-S is an Englishman who has worked in the US for some years and perhaps the transatlantic shift underwrites the quick-change dialect of these poems--they ARE dialect poems of a kind, although they skate across a variety of vernaculars; grammar fractures without undue force, fragments of older written English float through. Quasi-folk-rhymes break up narratives, the 'songs' seem ghosts of untold stories. The title sequence formalises the multivocality by identifying speakers in the manner of a play, introducing a disjointedness I feel uneasy with; there is a more flowing transition from the opening Songs to the impressive closing sequence To Absent Minister. Good balance between sound-control and unruliness. I can't identify all the voices and prefer the mystery of it anyway, but Clare keeps turning up (rhythms and textures of the journals rather than the poems) and I hear David Jones now and again. And nice to meet Mr. Beddoes on page 16.

For some tastes, the playful mode of nonsense verse which Corless-Smith often engages in might wear thin. Yet with a little patience (and a dictionary), even the most dense passages prove inventive and rich. The style of Of Piscator is highly original, and even idiosyncratic. Given this fact, it adapts to a remarkable emotional range

This book will teach you to think of quilt borders as an integral part of quilt design. It is truly imaginative and has many wonderful photos of quilts to inspire the quilter. However, I found the instructions very complicated and not for those with mathphobia. Still, I have used many of the book's border designs and just winged it with the calculations...still worked out fine.

I could not figure out what to do to make my Friendship Star quilt zing. When I received this book, I found out - it has so many great ideas to make a boring quilt look great just by adding a marvelous border. You can always depend on Judy Martin to get it right.

This book is by far the best book published on pieced borders. Judy and Marsha are two of America's best quilt authorities and have really put their all into this book. You will find everything from the different types of pieced borders, to hundreds of graphics of different pieced borders to inspirational quilts with pieced borders - at least a dozen of which have complete instructions for several sizes each! As a quilt instructor myself, I find the book an invaluable resource. I have six students starting a Round Robin project this month and their "bible" will be "Pieced Borders" by Martin & McCloskey!