This book is truly a comprehensive collection of recipes. I work as a home economist, and this book contains most of the recipes that the public requests. It sits on my desk with my "easy-to-reach" references. As is typical of Southern Living cookbooks, recipes are presented in an easy-to-read, organized format that makes cooking a pleasure, even for the novice. I give this cookbook as a gift for weddings, graduations, and housewarmings. One of the best I've ever run across in my work. I have my own copy as well.

I have several Southern Living cookbooks including several years of the annual editions and the 20th anniversary edition. This is by far my favorite. The recipes are grouped by category rather than month as in the annual editions which I hate, it makes it hard to browse for a dinner recipe. One of the best things about this book is it has recipes for everyone from the beginner to the advanced chef. I can't name the number of times I have used the reference sections also. The substitution list is the best and I love the introductions and tips listed all over the book. Where the annual editions are really geared towards an experienced chef this book has so many basic tips that I would strongly recommend it for a beginning chef as well.

This is a no fail cookbook. It's the book I turn to when it "HAS" to be right. I have never been disappointed with the results of a recipe. Bon appetit!

The End Is Near brings together interesting essays and most unsual artists. The quality of the images and paintings displayed in this book make it a MUST for any art collector and connoisseur of fine books. Essayists in this book bring new meaning to the art depicted. Visionary art and Outsider Art come together in this book beautifully. WELL DONE...a "must have".

This book is an excellent introduction to outsider art, and to the artists themselves, whose stories are as interesting as the tales their paintings weave. The book itself is also beautifully constructed, and is something I treasure.

By showing the amazing collection of the American Museum of Visionary Art, this book provokes the reader to re-think the distinctions our society draws between genius and madness. I've actually been to the Museum in Baltimore and am thrilled that this artwork is now available on a large scale. This book may not be for everyone, but those willing to expose themselves to its often disturbing imagery will be rewarded.

This book was just precious! My two daughters, one 8 years old and the other 12 years old, love to have devotional times with me. We are always looking for just the right devotional books as we study God's word. Of course, kids love to read about other real live kids and so this book was perfect for us. We would read the stories of Michelle Adams and her girls and just belly laugh at times. It would always jog my memory of the silly things my girls did and I would proceed to tell them about it. They loved hearing about what they did as a little toddler and what God taught me in those times. We truly have our own "Little Lessons from a Big God" stored away in our hearts and minds.
We would then read the scriptures that were listed at the end of the chapter and study His word together and pray. My girls would always plead with me, "Just one more story about Abby, Ali and their dogs!! Just one more chapter, Mom!" Of course, I too wanted to read just "one more" chapter! We would stop there because I told them it's like having that big bag of candy from Halloween and we didn't want to eat it all up in one day. Let's savor it and enjoy it longer! That was the only way I could convince them that we should save the book for another day.

This book is one that you won't want to put down. Michelle's style of writing makes you feel like you are reading about your best friends experiences. You will be laughing, crying and saying "yes!" as you read each days lesson. This is a great book for a new mom, a mom that needs some encouragment or anyone that wants to start seeing God's lessons through the lives of children. It has encouraged me to look at my experiences with my kids in a new light. I am amazed at what God can teach us when we start wanting to learn. Thanks to Michelle for opening my eyes to seeing God in the little things.

You'll love this book! Little Lessons from a Big God is humorous, thought provoking and touching. In this wonderful book, Michelle shares her experiences raising her daughters and shows how children can help you see God working in every area of your life.

The book starts off at a great pace, with a couple hilarious chapters about being a mother-in-waiting and giving birth, then progresses from one memorable story after another about her daughters and what God has taught her through them.

My favorites are "Every Dog Has Its Day" and "Being Toothless Isn't So Bad." Many readers will also appreciate the scripture readings and daily declarations at the end of each chapter, which make this book great for a monthly devotional.

I also highly recommend "Living the Love Chapter" by Michelle Medlock Adams. Both books make excellent gifts, especially for mothers and mothers-to-be.

Several powerful reasons exist today that completely change the old way of thinking about gold (and other precious metals).

1. The crisis in Asia clearly shows the ultimate outcome of credit expansion. The U.S. economy lives and breathes on low interest rates, easy credit and loose money. Mortgage refinancing, consumer credit, margin debt, leveraging, and credit cards heat up the economy and encourage speculation and overconsumption.

2. Shocking structural changes in the foundations of the U.S. economy have enhanced the need for gold. Low savings, low investment, excessive leverage, disastrous liquidity trends, trade deficits, high speculation and astronomical public and private debt are a vew of these revolutionary changes.

3. Mainstream financial advisors and economists scorn gold to the extent it has become the premier contrary opinion investment of all time. In the debt- and deficit-ridden countries such as the U.S. and Canada, many people commit their funds exclusively to stocks and neglect hedging with gold.

Congress is spending money based on a boom as we move towards a bust! A crisis could create dollar problems while the euro and yen are also fundamentally weak. This would create currency instability leaving few stable avenues. Precious metals still retain all the features of real money. History suggests it is time for a rise in gold. When the yellow stuff goes up, silver usually follows.

Well, what have we here? In the last 2 weeks, gold has been in the news more than Alan Greenspan! Although analysts can't pinpoint any single reason for the most recent surge, which has driven the price of gold to an 11-month high, there are a number of things that appear to be contributing factors: (1) The Royal Bank of Canada Dominion Securities Gold Analyst raised the estimate for the spot price of gold from $275 to $300. (2) There seems to be a short squeeze caused by a story that a large Australian mining company may declare bankruptcy. The company in question has profitable gold hedge positions in place and may be buying the contracts back right now! (3) The series of cuts in U.S. interest rates this year has prompted worries about a revival of inflation (which historically drives the demand of gold). (4) Distrust of the equity markets.

I found this book to be very helpful in understanding the historical context, and then in learning how to use gold as an asset allocation tool to help diversify and protect my stock portfolio, but best of all was the direct practical advice on how, who and where to go to get things done in making gold investments economically.

This book deals with events from 1835 to 1845 and is principally concerned with John Quincy Adams' fight over the House rule which forbad the reception of petitions about slavery. This may seem like a narrow issue to be the subject of a 556 page book, but this book is flawlessly written, and has great humor--exposing the idiocy of the slavery upholders--and at times brought tears to my eyes. A dropback to the stirring events of 1775 and 1776, found on pages 155 to 157, is as good a writing as I have ever seen evoking the sheer drama of those days. This is a nigh flawless book for one as interested as I am in congressional history and the years before the Civil War.

Miller presents a detailed history of a remarkable period in U.S. Congressional history leading up to the Civil War. Miller describes the battle waged in the U.S. House of Representatives, led by John Quincy Adams, to preserve the right of citizens to petition their government, and his efforts to keep the issue of slavery before the House. I finally saw one of the important effects of the infamous 3/5's rule, which was to create a power imbalance in Congress in which slave holding states dominated the House due to the additional Congressional Reps. they gained by virtue of their large slave populations. It was this imbalance that hindered Congress from a full debate regarding the abolition of slavery. Extremely informative, very well researched and documented, and Miller weaves a witty commentary throughout that is most enjoyable. This is a book that should be read in every high school American History class. It is at times dry (big surprise as Miller details Congressional proceedings) but nonetheless fascinating. I have a new appreciation of the contribution of Adams to the battle against slavery.

Try discussing the relative role of slavery in the American Civil War, and the discussion will likely turn on its ear quickly, with little generated other than heated words. So often, it seems, we cannot discuss this subject except with anesthetic prose, or highly spirited points of view. Not so with William Lee Miller's Arguing About Slavery. The author, Thomas C. Sorensen Professor Political and Social Thought at the University of Virginia, has crafted a wonderfully expressed story of the battle over slavery in the 1830s and 1840s on the floor of Congress.

To those of us in the late twentieth century, the idea of petitioning to consider a prayer for action, the Constitutional sanctity of the act, and the relative abuse of the privilege by Congressmen both North and South seems the actions of an almost foreign government. The nearly maniacal desire of Congress to avoid any discussion of slavery in toto also seems incredible in light of government today. Using Congressional records to retell the story in the words of the participants, Miller weaves a fascinating tale as forces in the North try to ensure the rights of their petitioners, as well as deal with continued efforts to stop them dead in their tracks.

There are three major areas to the book: the opening of the slavery issues in Congress, with the presentation and fights by Southern radicals to keep any admittance of them from even appearing in Congress, the development and passage of the "gag rule," in which any attempt to place a petition in front of Congress regarding slavery was "gagged," and finally, the story of former President John Quincy Adams in these fights, and his efforts to support the rights of American constituents in these battles.

The story of Adams is the centerpiece of the book. In laying out the man who would not back down to both Southern and Northern Democratic interests, Miller brings back to life an American figure who is likely lost to many of our generation. Adams, already in his sixties as the slavery battles began, was an unlikely hero. Having served in nearly every capacity he could prior to agreeing to run for Congress after his presidential term, he brought a dogged determination to duty that is hardly recognizable in today's terms. Adams was not an abolitionist, but he was determined that the voices of his constituents, should they be of an abolition ideal, should be heard in the halls of Congress. To that end, he battled for a decade to make those voices heard.

Making use of Adams's massive personal diary, historical context, as well as the Congressional Globe coverage of the proceedings of Congress, Miller delivers the story of these battles in the words of those who were there. Thus, we can see the fanatical words of South Carolinian planter James Henry Hammond: "And I warn the abolitionists, ignorant, infatuated, barbarians that they are, that if chance shall throw any of them into our hands he may expect a felon's death," and Waddy Thompson, Jr.: "In my opinion nothing will satisfy the excited, the almost frenzied South, but an indignant rejection of these petitions [calling for the end of slavery in the District of Columbia]; such a rejection as will at the same time that it respects the right of petitioning, express the predetermination, the foregone conclusion of the House on the subject -- a rejection, sir, that will satisfy the South, and serve as an indignant rebuke to the fanatics of the North." And finally, we see and hear in our minds eye the torture of Adams as he struggles to balance his personal devotion to his country (he was a strong Unionist) with his obligations and duties to his office. Looking at war as a possibility between the two sides of the Union, he concludes in his diary: "It seems to me that its result [that of war] might be the extirpation of slavery from this whole continent; and, calamitous and desolating as this course of events in its progress must be, so glorious would be its final issue, that, as God shall judge me, I dare not say that it is not to be desired."

Much more than just a chronological narration of events, Miller weaves in background of the events and personalities in order to make his subject come alive. Arguing About Slavery is a book outside the mainstream of standard Civil War book fare, but a must if you have any desire to understand the people, events, and stories that led to the great conflict beginning in 1861.

I purchased both of the How to Ace Calculus books: "How to Ace Calculus : The Streetwise Guide," and "How to Ace the Rest of Calculus: The Streetwise Guide: Including Multi-Variable Calculus."

Here in Boston, I went to several large bookstores and checked out all the "Calc Help" books. The "How to Ace" books are infinitely superior to the others. As a matter of fact, it is a whole separate species of book. The authors have an unusual ability to explain in a style that is crystal clear, and they make the subject a lot more hospitable with their wonderful sense of humor.

Most math texts are written by Ph.D. mathematicians who have absolutely no empathy or insight into the difficulties that non-math majors like myself encounter when setting out to learn subjects such as calculus. As a result, their textbooks are about as pleasant as viewing the aperture of a colostomy.

I just hope that the authors bless mankind with future titles, such as "How to Ace Differential Equations" and "How to Ace Linear Algebra." If they are so kind as to do so, I can assure you that the world will be a better place to live.

As with the preceeding book, "How to Ace Calculus..." the authors have again presented in this text something which is all too rare in the realm of undergraduate mathematics: Math for undergrads that is understandable by undergrads! I can't count the times I've had a math professor discuss something which made sense mathematically (we got the proof) but intuitively left me nowhere. Even if you understand the mathematics of a proof, it doesn't necessarily imply that you understand the concept or idea behind it. This happens a LOT in the study of statistics, that much I can attest to from personal experience.

I've discovered, due in no small part to reading both of these texts, that intuition is just as important as the actual mathematical process. I firmly believe you can't effectively learn the latter without a good helping of the former. This book does not fail the student of calculus in this respect, not by any measure. Intuition is presented, albeit with humorous examples, in a way that just about anyone can grasp. This alone makes it worth the cheap price.

Because of this book I was able to genuienly take in and understand the material of my calculus III (multivariable & vector calc) class. I've gained a tremendous amount of self confidence when it comes to math. What I used to fear I now embrace learning and eagerly study like any other subject of interest. This book, indeed both in the series, will above all else help liberate you from fearing mathematics. You will see, even if it has to be through some humor, that math is nothing to be afraid of and can be understood just as easily as any other subject in college. All you need is the desire to learn and a clear exposition of the material. Wanting to learn is up to you, but this book can and does provide the rest.

No book is a replacement for an instructor and a "raw" classroom text with rigerous exposition and gross detail. This text and it's authors explicitly state this is not their purpose. Instead they provide a much needed bridge between the depth of a typical classroom text, and the needs of the typical student to have the processes and ideas presented in a manner they can actually relate to. Once that gap is bridged, you can actually learn something form your regular classroom text and instructor.

Do yourself an immense favor and purchase this book. Even if you only use it once or twice you will certainly get our money's worth.

This is an excellent book for learning calculus 3. I read one chapter on partial derivatives in this book at ths store, and I instantly understood them after trying to learn them for a month. I knew this book was for me.

I've read through 2/3 of the book as of now, and it is superbly written. It's actually pretty humorous at times (and not with esoterically lame math jokes).

I recommend it for anyone taking calc 3 or anyone who wants to learn it.

A MUST-BUY & KEEP. Compared to alot of his other books, I really enjoyed this one and laugh all the way through. If you are a dilbert fan, this is one you must own. If you're not, but just looking for a good laugh, I highly recommend this collection

It is difficult to maintain freshness when you have to churn out a cartoon a day. Some artists manage it better than others. Some know when to quit (Calvin's author), while others go on far too long with basically one or two gags (see Cathy or Garfield). While Scott Adams has had some dips in pure entertainment value, he is remarkable for maintaining a high laugh quotient more times than not - and his latest collection - "I'm not Anti-Business, I'm Anti-Idiot" is a winner and a keeper. The topics are trenchant and oh so accurate while the themes are embarassingly familiar to everyone who has had to share a cubicle. From Alice trying to control her fist of death to Catbert the evil HR Director - all work types are here - and will probably receive their own xeroxed copy of a pertinent cartoon - sent anonymously, of course. Best to get your copy and do it to others, first.

There is a reason that many workplaces ban Dilbert cartoons- they are just too darn close to the truth. I've lost track of the number of times that I've laughed myself silly after finding one of his cartoon arcs describing some experience in my own working career.

In his biography, Scott Adams is described as both an engineer and as a member of Mensa. Inspite of this, however, he has a sense of humor....

I'm sure that this confirmation of the absurdity of corporate "culture" has helped more than a few intelligent wage-slaves maintain their sanity over the years. It almost maintained mine.

I was given this book by a friend, a woman that I worked with. I never have read a book about homosexuality or anything, this was my first. And it was so relevant to some things that I had questions about being gay and a youth. The whole religious thing always confused me until I realized that there is no changing me, this is the way God made me, and he doesn't make mistakes. Oh my gosh this is a book review not an auto-bio. Anyway, I mean, this book, in my opinion, is a must read for any young gay person, I mean, not just teenagers and such. Because I am sure that, no matter what religion, there are always struggles with something, this is how one person fought those struggles for the better of his life. That's all I can say about it right now, I mean, I gave it 5 stars didn't I? They say "allow 4-6 weeks, may be outta print" DON'T let this stop you! Go find this book, go to a second hand store, if you have to. You won't regret it. talk latre

This is my first gay biograghy that I have ever read. This book reminded me so much of painful experiences with religion and being gay as a young person. I am twenty-seven now and have accepted the fact that I am gay and don't feel ashame about it anymore. I fought so hard to deny who I really was and had no one to turn too. Marc this book has changed my life in more ways than one. I can't begin to explain it. Because of this book I have deciede to live my life more openly and I don't care what people any think anymore. At some point in are life I believe that we as gay people need to take a stand for who we are and for what we believe. The Preacher's Son is an awsome book and I recommend it to any young or older person struggling with their sexuality.

Marc Adam's book "The Preacher's Son" is an emotional journey through his early life as a fundamentalist baptist and homosexual. I couldn't put this book down for one second. I read the whole thing in one sitting. I recommend this to anyone struggling with religion and homosexuality.

Shave the Whales is another Dilbert masterpiece! These strips were in the older Dilbert days, so there were more comics with just Dilbert and Dogbert. However, the pointy-haired boss started becoming more of a character, and some office jokes are featured. It is a great book for any Dilbert fan! It is filled with wit, humor, and incompetent management. A wonderful book!

Just as funny as all the other hillarious Dilbert books. Gte this one to start your Dilbert Collection or make it bigger. This book os a must read just like all of the other dilbert books so BUY IT

While this is the 4th Dilbert book, it is the 2nd book of strips from the newspaper, following "Always Postpone Meetings With Time-Wasting Mornons". The strips in this book are from the end of 1989 through mid-1990. Some characters of note introduced in this book are the Garbage Man (who is a member of MENSA) and Ratbert. Also, the famous fictional country of Elbonia makes it's first appearance. People will see characters that look a lot like Wally but aren't called that as Wally wasn't established yet. The humor picks up with more business related strips and the artwork tightens up a bit. A good book for laughs and light reading.

Deanna Adams should be commended for "Rock 'n' Roll and the Cleveland Connection." It's apparent she spent a herculean amount of time researching and writing this book. I think we all need to remember that even eyewitnesses to accidents have different accounts of what occurred, so how could those of us who witnessed Cleveland's rock scene in these four-plus decades (and many of you were probably smoking funny cigarettes too) remember everything the same. Sure, there are some mistakes, but on the whole, this is a well-researched amazing documentation of the music we grew up with.

I couldn't get enough of the info in this book!I was in many bands from the 60's and knew of many of the venues and musicians mentioned. Cleveland is not longer(unfortunately) like that,as is radio or TV anywhere.This book not only captures a great moment in rock and roll's birth,but also a glimpse of a time that Cleveland musicians should embrace!

As a history teacher, I found this book to be an amazing and very readable history of the music scene in Cleveland, and it answered for me the question as to why the Rock Hall is located in that city. At first I was wary of the book due to some of the reviews on this site, but then I saw that it is published by Kent State University Press. Having known a number of people who have dealt with this publisher, I know how particular they are in confirming facts and information. Glad I didn't pay attention to the "naysayers" as this really is an interesting book.