The day I received this cookbook I was so inspired I went out and bought all of the ingredients for and then prepared the "Thai Curry" recipe. It was excellent. I've made several other recipes from this book since and have yet to be disappointed. My family has become big fans of Asian food primarily because of my love of this book.

Be prepared to find what many inexperienced cooks may find as exotic ingredients. We're lucky to live by a huge Asian grocery store, so finding things like jasmine extract, kilfer lime leaves, fresh lemongrass, and other interesting-sounding bottled or dried flavorings was not difficult, but could potentially be.

I appreciate the sumptuous photos supplied with each recipe. Obviously there was a hefty budget for food stylists and photo shoots, but it really helps when you're trying to envision the finished product and the presentation.

We don't go out for Southeast Asian food since starting our cooking adventure through James McNair's beautifully laid out book. This book is a pleasure to peruse as the layout and photography are beautiful. But most importantly, the recipes are right on! I've made the pork with garlic sauce, various thai currys, and the lemongrass chicken and all have turned out restaurant quality - if you are in Thailand, much better than restaurant quality if you have the misfortune as myself to be currently living in the midwest. My next attempt will be the shrimp and pineapple yellow curry - I'm sure that it will also be fantastic.

After I got my wife hooked on Thai food she bought me a cookbook that was loosely translated from Chinese. Didn't work too well. I picked up James McNair's Southeast Asian book and love it. Like all of the other McNair volumes I own, I can start off with an easier recipe and work up to harder ones as my particular skills and confidences increase. You can't go wrong with this or any of McNair's books!

THE BEST BOOK TO OWN. INEXPENSIVE AND PRACTICAL ADVISE ON HOW TO CLEAN AND REPAIR FRAMES,SILVER, BRASS (THE ONLY PLACE I'VE SEEN BRASS CLEANING THAT WORKS) TRUNKS, POTTERY, AND LAMPS. YOU DON'T NEED A WORKSHOP OR ART SUPPLIES TO USE MR. MCKENZIES' RECEIPES FOR REFURBISHMENT OR REPAIR. NO COLORED PICTURES, JUST DRAWINGS, IT'S THE TEXT THATS WORTH THE PRICE OF THE BOOK. IF YOU CAN READ, THINK, AND FOLLOW VERY SIMPLE DIRECTIONS, THEN USE THE PRETTY COFFEE TABLE BOOKS FOR INSPIRATION AND THIS BOOK FOR REALIZATION. I USE IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER.

This is the most helpful book I've read that in very succinct style tells how to buy, fix up, and possibly resell antiques and other second hand stuff. If you love "shabby chic", but can't afford the prices, this book will make it easier to achieve that look. This book is not for people who worry about getting their hands dirty.

I bought an antique camel-back trunk that needed lots of restoring and didn't know how to start. My friend recommended this book, and I am so glad I bought it. Not only did it give step by step on restoring a trunk but it also had a refrence page on suppliers for trunk parts. I highly recommended this book to anyone who needs to repair trunks, lamps, pottery and frames. The furniture repair section was sort of brief; I would have like to see more on this topic.

As anyone who knows me knows, I have cats. I seem to attract them, well, like cats! I have cat joys and cat tragedies especially prominent in the past few years, with two outdoor disappearances and one indoor death, yet with wonderful new additions and the experience of sharing my home with seven new kittens born under my desk one summer, and five more from a different stray the next summer.

I had always considered cats low maintenance, essentially self-sufficient. This was a requirement to me, as I'm not home very often, and when I am, I can't spend too much time on cat duty. This was the reason I opted for cats over dogs. I was raised a dog person. But dogs require attention several times a day. Sorry, can't do it...

Well, with all that happened in the past year, I found that cats, while generally low-maintenance, have periods nonetheless in which they need special care and attention (even if, like Emma, they don't really want it). Thus, being a person in the education mode, I decided I needed to learn more. It just so happened that one of my book clubs was offering the ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats, so I ordered it.

This has been a gem of a book. It is complete, concise yet filled with information, well organised, colourful and picture-ful, durable (slick coating on the covers and a finish on the pages means the cats can walk across with dampened paws and not destroy the book, useful when it is opened when I attending their needs).

The first section discusses how and when to bring a cat home. It addresses such issues as cats and kids, preparing the home for a cat, your own readiness, and which kind is most appropriate for which environment. It also discusses what to do when welcoming your new friend into the home. Food, vet care, litter (to box or not to box, ah, that is a question!), and how to introduce new cats to other cats is discussed.

The second section is a reference guide to cat breeds. In addition to specific breeds organised alphabetically (Abyssinian to York Chocolate) it talks about coat palettes and patterns, colourations, paw and toe issues, and special needs. The breed section identifies special grooming and dietary needs, lap- and kid-friendly breeds, energy, and of course, wonderful photographs of representative cats for each breed.

Section three gives a bit of biological and physiological information, about cats, as well as (if it is possible!) some insight into the psychological functioning of cats. Are they really that smart? Are they really that clean? It addresses mating habits and catnip addictions, too!

The fourth section has been the most important to me, Taking care of your cat. It discusses briefly everyday feeding and care, but then has a good section on potential health concerns, what to do in the case of injury and illness, gives home nursing tips (important with Emma), and how to deal with both the beginning and end of the lifespan, which, with new kittens in the bedroom and a declining Emma in the living room, I was dealing with both ends of the spectrum.

This is an excellent one-volume reference to cats, useful for anyone who cares for cats. The appendices have glossaries, telephone numbers and resources, and recommended readings to continue a feline-related education.

But, if you just pick this one up for the pictures, it would be worth it for that too. And you might just learn something along the way--always a plus.

This book is ideal for someone who is considering adopting a kitten or cat. It has abundant info on breeds, including each breed's talkativeness, activity level, and temperament. The numerous photos are captivating. It deals with basic aspects of feline life phases, health & bodily functions, and behavior. It is a useful guide to the cat owner regarding the basics of pet care & problem solving. This is quite a thorough book for being a slim volume, and it was my constant companion through kittenhood.

By the way, our cat has stayed with friends several times when we were out of town, and I have found it useful to loan them _Aspca Complete Guide to Cats_ along with the kitty. It is an entertaining read for the sitters and puts my mind at ease.

If you already have a cat and want more in depth reading, I recommend _The Character of Cats: The Origins, Intelligence, Behavior, and Stratagems of Felis Silvestris Catus_ by Stephen Budiansky, which I found fascinating.

An excellent book about cats...Helps you to choose the right cat for YOU & YOUR family, to understanding cat behavior, to basic & emergency health care, and much more. The full-color Reference Guide to Cat Breeds is excellent & concise...It shows the different coat colors - from deep to dilute, the different patterns - from Solid to Tabby, to Pointed to Vans, and Feline Head Shapes, Eye Shapes, Body Types, and more. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in cats.

Reading this book is like journeying to the most exciting "school of life" imaginable -- to learn painlessly, thoroughly, and once and for all, about making love work.

Understanding the five stages of love, as explained by Doctors Sherven and Sniechowski, will help you more in your daily life than anything you've ever read, seen or experienced. This time you're going to get what you need. It's thrilling. And it works.

I've read this book so many times, that my mind automatically goes back to it whenever I get to a troubled point in my marriage. But don't troubled times in a marriage vanish after reading this book? Uh uh. This book is about human beings, not ethereal spiritual creatures. The point is, though, that being troubled about inevitable differences between two people DOES vanish. And that frees you up to actually work on your differences and find a way to turn them into greater intimacy.

Be Loved for Who You Really Are is so different from anything else I've read. It's lively as hell and anything but pedantic. The authors are people first, doctors second. They put themselves into the book. That means, right from the outset, you aren't alone. They're right there with you -- sympathizing, empathizing, encouraging, supporting -- and most important -- guiding and informing.

I love the underlying theme of this book; you can't fail at love. That isn't hype. The book lets you see how, if you put yourself out there in a real and clear way, you might not always get the results you want, but you won't fail. You won't let yourself down.

Read this book if greater intimacy is one of your most important goals. This is a brilliant, simple and wondrous roadmap to how to give yourself the greatest gift of all -- being loved for who you are.

This book is a refreshing alternative if you are worn out from trying to change, mold, or manipulate yourself or someone else into being what you want in order to fit your romantic picture. The four part model takes the reader through the stages to help learn to embrace rather than resist differences between people in intimate relationships. Jim and Judith, a married couple, use examples from their own marriage as well as cases from their practice to teach us how to discuss and appreciate differences. A couple who really walks their talk emphasizes getting back to the basics of fun and love so your partnership can grow and flourish.

This is not your run of the mill "how to" book on love, but a book that guides you through the spiritual journey of how to love and to be loved. The authors share personal anectodes, and stories of other couples, which helps brings the book to a real personal level. They send the message that, if you honor your self and others, you can never really fail at love...what a beautiful thing!

Rudnick's book is monumental both figuratively and literally. In photographing the restorative work performed on New York's most recognizable structures, Rudnick has forever preserved an important piece of Americana. With a discerning and creative eye, he juxtaposes images of exquisite detail and grandiose sweep, of human form and man-made object, of decay and renewal. One of my favorite shots is that of Liberty's internal spiral staircase (p. 75). This photograph could just as easily be a study in abstract form; three ghostly lights punctuate an array of metallic angles and curves in an enormously deep field of vision. Another stand-out is a view of Liberty through scaffolding (p. 67). The torch rises dramatically above the gridwork, suggesting that American freedom can never be constrained. There is obvious forethought to Rudnick's work -- as in a shot of ironworkers on the Brooklyn Bridge perfectly framed by the Twin Towers (p. 49) -- but his photographs never appear cliched or stilted. Gotham Restored offers up new rewards with each viewing. It should serve to place Rudnick among the pantheon of living photographers. Highly, highly recommended.

This book is beautifully conceived. The photographer, James Rudnick, had the foresight and the love for these icons of New York City to preserve them photographically for generations to come.
The design is elegant. The text is interesting and important.
A great book.

Thomas Mellins provides the text for Gotham Restored: The Preservation Of Monumental New York, an impressive survey of photographer James Rudnick's works on New York. Rudnick's images gave him a reputation as a documentary photographer, and his projects following landmark buildings and structures in New York provide fine shots from 'before' and 'after' their reconstruction. New Yorkers in particular will find this packed with memories and familiar images.

A truly inspiring read and insight to the Pecos. Gradys recipes will revitalize the aura in your in pots and pans as well as the entire kitchen. The book is simple yet creative and above all the recipes are great fun to eat. Set your tables in the motif, cook from the book, dress the part and you've got a great evening with good friends

What a fantastic cookbook. I saw a copy at my parents' house, and I was charmed by the photos and design, so I hinted at a birthday gift selection. The parents obliged, and A COWBOY IN THE KITCHEN has become my favorite cookbook. I discovered that the terrific photos and graphics are only the tip of the iceberg -- the recipes are just fantastic. I have made probably 8 or 9 of them so far, and every one was a joy to make and even more of a joy to eat! In particular, the Spicy Tomato Soup with Sourdough Croutons has been a real hit with friends at dinner parties. The classic Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy is simply divine. It's a great combination of old-timey, classic country comfort food and new-fangled, flavorsome delights. The classic Ranch Dressing and fancier Sherry Vinaigrette have become the standard salad dressings in my kitchen. I can't say enough good things about this book!

Received Cowboy in the Kitchen as a present last Christmas. Having eaten at the Gage Hotel, Marathon and the Reata in Alpine Texas, where Grady Spears was chef, I couldn't put the book down until I read it cover to cover. It's an outstanding collection of authentic Trans-Pecos and Big Bend stories and genuine ranch-hand recipes with a touch of TexMex-New Mexico flavoring. Just try a couple of the recipes and you're lassoed on the book and recipes.

For the most part, I am enjoying this book. The diet is based on the food pyramid, and the exercise program has do-able daily choices. My only complaints are the following: First, the page quality is very poor. I felt like I had to be really careful turning the pages or they would tear. Second, some of the exercise photos show very poor form, like knees extending past ankles is lunges. All in all, it's a good book.

Based on official guidelines from the Surgeon General and CDC, Combat Fat! by fitness, diet, and exercise authority Andrew Flach is a solidly written, "user friendly" guide to healthy eating, proper exercise, and a medically sound weight loss plan to improve personal overall fitness and health. Body-mindful recipes, stretches, workouts, and more fill the pages of this handy and very highly recommended informational resource.

This is an awesome program. I have been confused by the complexity of other programs. I read the entire book in one day and found the advice straightforward and easy to implement in my everyday life. I am losing weight and getting fitter than I have been in years.

This isn't so much a review as a caveat. While I have to agree that the photographs are incredible and the tidbits about the Caldicotts' travels are a nice touch, and that the recipes and pictures are mouth-watering, I'm not sure how much of this I'll actually make. Most of the dishes (single dishes, mind you) call for 15-20 ingredients. Fine if you run a big kitchen anyway or don't mind spending more time in the grocery store, but it's not what a beginning cook like myself is looking for.

I purchased this cookbook along with "The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet", and while the latter isn't quite as glamorous and I can think of plenty to add to the recipes, I don't dirty all my galley pots preparing dinner.

I will definately be trying out the "Carri Coco Curry" recipe (a 24-ingredient recipe, including the garnish and curry mixture) on page 56, though!

I was lucky enough to find thid cookbook in the Oslo Public Library. For me is this cookbook really the best one I have ever had. I have tried maybe 10 dishes and ALL of them were very tasty! My husband and I have some favourites, like Saag Paneer and Kashmiri Gobi but we are constantly trying new ones. It is true, though, that if I lived in the Czech Republic (where I originally come from) it would be very hard to get all the ingredients. But here in Oslo where 25% of the population are immigrants, it is not very hard! And the paneer is actually possible to make at home-that is what I do! Just find the receipe on the net! I really recommend this cookbook to those who want to enjoy vegetarian meals even though they are not vegetarians! Because eating this, you won't miss meat!!

In short: This is one of the most inspiring cookbooks I've come across in ages. Nicely designed but not overdone, interesting and often funny personal travelogue tidbits, luscious photographs, easy instructions and best of all, the dishes are divine. There are a couple of hard-to-find ingredients such as paneer (Indian cheese) and I wish the authors had suggested replacements for such items, but overall, I've had very good luck with these recipes. Dinner guests love 'em, too. Add one or two to make add pizzazz to an ordinary meal, or mix'n'match a whole bunch of them for an eclectic smorgasbord of world cuisine.

Boise really explains Calvinistic views well in this book. He draws off of scripture and not just philosophy. My main problem with the book is that Boise tries to go beyond what needs to be covered. If he would just stick with verses that are plane spoken he'd do good. But he takes a lot of verses that are kind of gray, and tries to force them into his Calvinistic views. This is not good exegesis. It really weakens a Calvinists argument when you try to fit verses into your theology. Boise would be better again, by just sticking with the verses that clearly point to the doctrines of grace. Overall this book is adequate, but if you come at it from a mind seeking truth you will see where he does force his meaning onto verses. If you come at this book as a Calvinist, you'll cheer as he uses all verses to support his argument. If you come to it as a Arminian, you'll be swayed when he shows the clear cut verses that show how God elects, but you'll be repulsed when he forces his belief on the not so clear verses.

I bought this book with a desire to understand more of Calvinism. I came at it with, I believe, an objective view. Boice expounds convincingly the Calvinist texts, redefines the TULIP acronym so that it is more clear and precise, and gives direction on how a Calvinist lives.

As other reveiwers mentioned, Boice does a good job on the easy texts and leaves some wanting on the hard texts (see Michael Horton instead). Also Helpful are the verses of the hymns that Boice composed before each chapter. In the final chapters Boice (and Ryken) attempt to refute the claim that Calvinists are the "Frozen Chose" and points to history and the example of 10th Presbyterian Church as signs of a lively Reformed faith.

Final Analysis.
If one is a seasoned Calvinist or Arminian, then this book probably will not be anything new for you. However, for a new Reformed or an Arminian wishing a debate, this book will be interesting. For those more seasoned, try Michael Horton's Putting Amazing Back into Grace.

James Boice and Philip Ryken present a cogent, easy to understand
presentation of the Reformed faith. The church today generally does not read church history and are therefore not aware of the doctrines that were preached and died for. This effort plainly
expounds the profound deep truths of the Bible without losing its
audience. I highly recommend this as the beginning book for anyone dealing with the issue of God's sovereignty. The question truly is "Who birthed you into the kingom; yourself or Jehovah God?" If "every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of Lights", salvation is one of those gifts and comes "from" God and not ourselves. The question that this book helps answer is this: is man TOTALLY depraved or partially wounded? Ephesians 2:1,5 says "you who were dead, God made alive". This book explains in simple language one of the deepest truths of the Word of God.

A most interesting and delightfully opinionated book is the latest offering from Tom Davenport and Larry Prusack. Easily digested, this book attempts to 'out-meta' the competition in the game of management idea mindshare, by giving a framework by which other ideas are evaluated for their applicability to your organization. 'He who owns the process wins' is an oft-quoted cliché at ManyWorlds.com and this book makes a good claim for the process. But more seriously, it does introduce some important (dare I say new) thinking into the faddish and/or fatigued of management ideas.

The most critical of those is that of the 'idea practitioner' - the role of the unsung heroes in organizations that translate the guru's missives from on high to that of the real-world working business. They are defined as 'individuals who use business improvement ideas to bring about change in organizations'. And to help you seek out these people in your company, Davenport and Prusack helpfully profile a number of real idea practitioners across a range of companies such as BP, Clarica, World Bank, BIC and many others. But chances are that if you are attracted to this book, you are probably an idea practitioner yourself, even in latent form.

The idea practitioner is an idea filterer who possesses the key skills of 'translation, harmonization and timing' and applies them to new ideas around the organization. It's the skill of knowing when to introduce an idea, to maximize its impact and benefit to the organization.

What's the Big Idea? examines the lifecycles of ideas, internal and external adoption rates as well as describing the categories of gurus. These include academic gurus (think Michael Porter), consultant gurus (think Adrian Slywotzky), practicing manager gurus (think Jack Welch) and journalist gurus (think Tom Stewart). Of course these categories are blurred but the distinction is useful. An interesting step would be to consider what type of guru your company seems most interested in. My guess would be that hard asset companies are likely to be swayed by practicing manager and consultant type gurus, high growth companies by journalist gurus and very large enterprises by academic gurus.

But the problem with being an idea practitioner is while you may be rewarded by a good profile in Davenport's next book, you may not be appreciated for your network and filtering skills by your own organization. Indeed, pursuing your interest in ideas may only be tolerated once you have proved yourself in more operational roles. Even so, such an idea driven route can be career limiting, since in every idea you sell to the organization, there will always be an ounce of personal credibility that has to go with it. But by taking the core of the idea, the 'zeitgeist' and perhaps even innovating a little on top of it to make it more acceptable to your organization, you can build on the foundation of initiatives before it.

Which is just as ideas themselves do. In every idea, the authors would argue, there is a kernel of good practice that should be adopted. The problem is that there is often so much emotion wrapped up around a guru, or a leading company or the idea itself is that this kernel is often ignored or dismissed. But gurus themselves are also guilty of this practice. They often battle against each other, dismiss others' ideas or do not give credit to their sources, teams or inspiration. Sounds just like the local management corporate politics wrestled with in 90% of companies, doesn't it? Thus the role of idea practitioner becomes all the more important to the corporation, navigating both the external and internal battlefields.

Overall, a highly recommended read .Additional highlights including a non-partisan ranking of the top 200 business gurus (contrast that with our traffic based rankings on ManyWorlds.com) and an interview with the immensely smart Steve Kerr, previously CLO at GE and now at Goldman Sachs, on how he 'idea practitions'.

Companies with an unhealthy culture, and with the associated weak/passive H.R. dept that perpetuate this sickness, ultimately cannot innovate. Their Mavericks get laid-off, fired, or bumped out of the way. Go along to get along behavior is rewarded, and the uninvolved get promoted instead.

So as I contemplate Davenport and Friends' latest book offering, I am moved to share this simple truth:

Unhealthy culture eats: strategy for breakfast, the project schedule for lunch, troublemaker and soon to be laid-off maverick employees for dinner, and all remaining discretionary funds in the annual operating budget 6-months early for a midnite snack.

We can talk until the cows come home about the latest and greatest ideas for maximizing the productivity of knowledge workers -- but the $500 question is: WHEN will executive management start treating culture management as a fiduciary responsibility?

Until this happens, NOTHING else will happen -- except for the razorblade ride down to zero margins. Also, 80% of all new jobs are in companies with less than 25 employees. For the larger companies in the business landscape who think that they're going places -- there's a MESSAGE there.

I really appreciate Davenport's perspective on things; and he's always been a good collaborator with other leading minds. Davenport's focus has now shifted away from I.T. and K.M. and full tilt into Human Capital and Organizational Effectiveness. AMEN! It's about time! I'm an I.T. veteran of 20+ years who is SICK of living and working in a cess-pool of low morale by staff and displacement of responsibility by executive management.

CIO's everywhere sit up and take heed -- the goldmine that you seek is NOT in integration of your processes or technology. Instead, it's in your Human Capital; everything else is merely a consequence/outcome of that fact. Can't sell that idea to Finance you say? Then read about cultural triage from Geoffrey Moore's "Faultline" (also available from Amazon) and see how any line functions that are underneath Finance in the org structure will slowly suffocate and drive out mavericks -- because the default culture of Finance is operational -- not innovative.

Read Davenport's "Big Idea" twice. Then read Dave Ulrich's book "Why The Bottom Line Isn't" (also available from Amazon). Then stop talking to software integrators and instead go out and get yourself a really good HRD-OD professional with an I.T. background -- and PLEASE don't wait around for H.R. to give you "permission" to do this or you really will be waiting for the cows to come home. It's time to get traction and move on already. Otherwise you'll find yourself fired only 2 years into a 5 year contract.

Heed this advice or else "CIO" really does mean "career is over".

For anyone who has felt overwhelmed by the barrage of business and management ideas and movements, and at times even skeptical of their individual and cumulative claims, and that is most of us, this is the perfect book. Davenport and Prusak are veterans of the last two decades of management revolutions-they have been in the game long enough to look back at some of the ideas with which they have been associated with critical detachment, and to make some novel and deep sociological observations about how ideas get made, marketed, used, abused, and superceded. However, they are less interested in a blanket judgment on the idea trade than in taking a closer look and identifying what works and who is doing the working. According to D & P, none of the ideas pushed over the past couple of decades is entirely new, and none is without merit. However, none of the ideas is, or ever was, the best solution for each company in every set of circumstances. So much depends on the particular company's situation, and so much of a company's success depends on those inside the corporation-the "idea practitioners"-who select, advocate, refine, and implement the otherwise general and abstract ideas of management gurus. D & P (& W) have done a great service in refocusing attention and credit from the brand names to the practitioners, without, of course, slighting the great contributions of gurus, like themselves, to the agility and productivity of modern enterprise.