At 1st of May,2003, in Osaka municipal Museum, Japan, I appreciated the travelling exhibition including this John B. Elliott Collection.
This traced copy scroll of a two-line fragment of a letter by Wang Hsi-chih(ACE303-361) is fine. Atouched Dong Quichang(1555-1636) colophones and large character maximes calligraphy are impressive. Sung dynasty Emperor Hui-Tsong(r. 1101-1125) court mounting and seals seem genuine. The Wang calligraphy itself has enough quality among many his old replicas. The ink colour feels rather later period than 8th century.
Another impressive work is Zhu Yunming(ACE1460-1526)'s small square script
album.
However, this is a private and personal collection catalogue. Reading this, one imagines and looks for passed Mr. Elliott's personality and taste.
It is too heavy burden for this collection to act as a textbook of great chinese calligraphy history.
Indeed there is few museum whose collection is completely genuine, I recommend chinese-calligraphy lovers in USA to appreciate, study and learn masterpieces in National Palace Museum, Taipei, First.
Japanese collections also have masterpieces.

Most major styles are presented in this wonderfully printed book. The articles are informatory and scholarly. This fine collection of calligraphy is intoxicatingly beautiful.

What fascinates me so much about this book, what keeps drawing me to it, is this: the calligraphers of ancient China wrote as they painted, and painted as they wrote. In other words, each character is an "embodied image" which expresses the moods and passions of its creator.

When we Westerners read, we read for content, for meaning only. We do not read and at the same time notice how the characters look. Since Gutenberg and the advent of movable type, and especially now, with digital type, each of our characters must always look the same. When they don't, it is considered an imperfection. In Chinese calligraphy, however, considerable attention is given to how the characters look. It is through their appearance that we can discern the whether the creator was hurried, what angle he wrote at, and what mood he might have been in.

The visual effect of a poem written by a great Chinese calligrapher a thousand years ago, vs. reading the same poem in a standardized font, is quite stark. We have a lot to learn from the Chinese, especially given their likely ascension of global power in the coming years. This book provides an indispensable, detailed, well illustrated reference for an important aspect of how Chinese culture differs so dramatically from our own.

Highly recommended.

This is a promising first outing from J.A. Jance, published in 1985. Very promising. I liked the introduction to the characters and the set up that will allow readers to hopefully bond with J.P. Beaumont and Detective Ron Peters as they learn to work together as newly partnered Homicide detectives. There was some fun dialog and situations and the slow elevator provides for several amusing incidents. Occasionally I would start to suspect whodunit (just like Beaumont) and then my suspicions would be allayed (just like Beaumont). That was pretty nicely done. Surprisingly, to me the ending was quite a satisfying wrap even though many a book with a similar ending has left me very disgruntled.

Midway through, I was concerned. A lot of focus was placed on Beau's whirlwind romantic relationship. If characters in a book can be said to have chemistry it would NOT be these two, although they did become more believable in the end. There was a fairly lengthy section where I was rather disengaged, wedding showers, shopping, setting up house, suspicion, and "Isn't there a guy named Beau in on of those mid-day soaps called 'Days of our Lives'?". I began to loose faith. Then a so-so grand finale and, surprise surprise, a thorough and believable enough wrap up to make me almost forget the tedium.

I remember being reluctant when I started Sanford's 'Prey' series and I have been COMPLETELY won over there. If we can build up from this one, Jance may develop another fan.

Buy it and all the other JP Beaumont stories.
I love Beau, love that we have grown up together.
One of my favorite characters.

Get this and all the others......I love JP Beaumont!!

This book is great for those not familiar with the area and have kids under 3. However, I didn't find the book to be as comprehensive as I thought it would be. I can name two wonderful toddler parks in Kirkland that were not even mentioned in the book. Informing the reader as to which parks have restrooms is VERY beneficial. However, if you have "Out and About Seattle with Kids," skip buying this book.

I used to live in Seattle- We recently moved from there to South Florida, and I was very sad to see that there are no good guide books here like "Bringing out Baby".I had gotten used to carrying my copy in my diaper bag where ever I went in Seattle. I have two very young children and found the book so useful in my everyday outings.It is thorough, yet easy to read and it saved me time-I could bring my children to places knowing exactly what to expect. I wish Ms. Detering knew Fort Lauderdale as well as she knows Seattle- I miss being able to find good places quickly. I have passed my well used copy to a friend and I highly recommend it to any new parent or parent to be in the Seattle area.

As a dad who works too much, Julia makes it easy to figure out what to do with my kids. Insightful accurate and fun, I open the book, pick a page and we go. A great resource

7/24/2003

PIKE PLACE MARKET COOKBOOK:
Recipes, Anecdotes and Personalities from
Seattle's Renowned Public Market
By Braiden Rex-Johnson
Foreward by Tom Douglas

Rex-Johnson puts the reader well into the middle of the frenzy and color-filled mealtimes at Pike Market. She readily lines out signature dishes, menu rotations and histories of those sharing the fruits of their wares and labors. She captures the many faces of the Market, which she describes as "Part meat, fish, and produce market; part breathtaking panorama of water, mountains, and sky; part vaudeville show; part arts and crafts extravaganza; and part slice of nitty-gritty street life." Pike Place Market is the most visited landmark in the Pacific Northwest. One cannot buy a ticket to anything like this!

This 96-year-old mecca has a colorful history, and was almost torn down to make way for "urban renewal" in the early 1970s. More recently, Rex-Johnson tells how in 1997, The Market Basket CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program reinvigorated the farmer population and helped save the Market's farm-fresh food resources.

Each of the nine food sections in the cookbook is headed with a handy preview. The Entrée page reflects such diversity as Irish Stew, Zaire Chicken Curry, Korean Beef Bulgogi, Rouladen (Germany), Pancit Bihon and Mechado (the Philippines), and New Mexico Tamales.

These are just some of the stops she makes:

~Chef Charles Ramseyer, of Ray's Boathouse, shares his simple, yet elegant appetizer, Scallop Terrine, along with chef's tips for perfect preparation.

~From Sosio's Produce comes Microwave Mozzarella Vegetable Pie. This is a simple, health-filled dish of Japanese eggplants, sweet peppers, onion, spice blend and mozzarella cheese. Mic this in 10 short minutes. Even quicker is their Cheesy Tomatoes, baked in the oven.

~The simple Pea Pullao from The Souk is a spicy, vegetable-rice dish. The cookbook cross-references this dish with Marketspice's Chicken Masala (page 86) and Café Campagne's Lamb Burgers and Balsamic Onions, Roasted Peppers and Aioli (page 98).

~A backgrounder on the Pike Place Market Creamery features Nancy Nipples, the proprietress and self-described "Head Milk Maid" of this now-famed institution. Learn about "aracauna" eggs.

~From Alm Hill Gardens comes another fresh pea dish--Raspberry Snap Peas--made with raspberry vinegar and toasted sesame seeds. The handy Techniques section, page 203, refreshes your memory on toasting seeds and nuts.

~From Chicken Valley comes an unusual Northwest Chicken Stir-Fry. It contains the usual stir-fry basics plus hazelnuts, spinach and dried cherries, plumped. Meet the owner and learn of the restaurant's background and their take on all feathered-food sources. Rabbits, too.

~On the bread scene Nancie Brecher, teacher of cuisine to thousands of Seattleites, shares her Fresh Dill Beer Bread, an unusual accompaniment.

~From Tim's Fine Berries, a recipe combines raspberries, brown sugar, raisins, apricots, citrus juice, zest, onion and toasted almonds for a lip-smacking Red Raspberry Chutney.

~On the dessert track, find a recipe for Chilled Strawberry Soup from Northwest food expert Sharon Kramis. Guests will enthuse over this berry, banana and pineapple fruited gazpacho.

~From Mech Apiaries comes a Sour Cream Cranberry Pie, a tart, yet creamy treat.

~You will feel quite quenched and close to Danny McCullem of Danny's Wonder Freeze, after Rex-Johnson introduces you to his concept. His "Real" New York Egg Cream, is a gem in the heart of Seattle, a simple drink which is a lot method.

The Pike Place Market Cookbook has excellent Appendixes: Techniques, Produce Availability Chart, Mail-order Information and a comprehensive index. Rex-Johnson's book is part cookbook and part intriguing Seattle travelogue.

(From Take 5 newsletter)
Braiden Rex-Johnson's revised edition of the Pike Place Market Cookbook is a delightful read about the Market's colorful vendors and includes delicious recipes from shopkeepers, restauranteurs and local chefs. Rex-Johonson's first edition was published in 1992, and a decade-plus later nearly a third of the businesses featured in the original book have changed hands. She describes current vendors from the fishmongers to French bakery, smokehouse to spice shop, berry vendor to brewery. Among her 130 appetizer-to-dessert recipes are 60 new recipes and 70 of the best from her previous book. The Pike Place Market is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike - this book will guide readers to the many tucked-away shops and cafes, and its recipes will prompt a shopping list for the next trip.

(From Wine Press Northwest magazine)

Braiden Rex-Johnson's newest offering is her second edition of the best-selling Pike Place Market Cookbook.

Rex-Johnson, a Wine Press Northwest columnist, published the first Cookbook a decade ago, and it's been wildly popular with residents and tourists alike.

Like the first edition, the completely revised version is loaded with recipes by and features on vendors and chefs, and it beautifully captures what a special and magical place the Pike Place Market is in the Pacific Northwest.

If you own the original Cookbook, you'll thoroughly enjoy the revised edition, and if you never picked up the first version, this will become a treasured part of your cookbook collection.

What I do not like about the book is that it focusses a little too much on the political history of the town rather than on the people who made up the population. A little time was spent on the initial Chinese American population, but more time could have been spent on those and other immigrant cultures that have historically made up the city.

Even so, it's still worth the effort. It is a fun read, and, though dated, it still kept me laughing unexpectedly over and over again.

I just loved this book. It was required to read for a History class. I couldn't put the book down. I read it in a weekend. I learned so much about Seattle, and the wild characters that help to create and establish Seattle. I never knew such people help to built Seattle.

Now I know The history behind the street names in seattle, and more about the history in Seattle that I would have never had know.

I'd love to read more books that this authors has written.

This is the consensus choice among local historians and writers for the best history of Seattle's founding, and it deserves to be. Morgan's portraits of pioneers like Doc Maynard and Arthur Denny are exhilirating and informative, and the book reads like a collection of excellent short stories rather than a dry recollection. If you are familiar with Seattle, this will change the way you look at Pioneer Square and the waterfront, but a knowledge of the city is not necessary to enjoy these stories of a city's establishment and maturation.

Dallas is... No, not the city...the mystery solvoing protaganist who lives in Dallas, Texas, in Chloe Green's novel, Designed to Die. This book is about as thought-provoking as naming a main character Dallas, that lives in Dallas. Dallas O'Connor, a stylist turned murder-solver does, however, have some good intuition. When she is on a boat headed to her new mysterious styling assignment she surmises: "Seattle was behind us, Canada to the right... Not that I could see it, but it was there." The dialogue is shallow and the characters are unrealistic. Forget suspense, thrill, and intrigue. Look for this novel that is "designged to die" in the humor section of your local book store.

What a fun mystery series -- this is the 2nd book in the Dallas O'Connor fashion industry murder mystery series. By the way, you will learn all you ever wanted to know about the background of the fashion business, and it's wrapped up in a really cool mystery. (Pretty good for a chick-book! I like it 5-stars worth, and I'm manifestly not a chick.) Look for the author's other series, which starts with Reflections In The Nile, written under the name of Suzanne Frank. Buy them now. Read them now.

In this humorously suspenseful follow-up to GOING OUT IN STYLE, Chloe Green takes her high-fashion amateur sleuth Dallas O'Connor to the next level ... at times, literally. The little voice in Dallas' head was telling her that the dream shoot in Washington state - at a whopping day rate - was too good to be true. Only after she arrives in Seattle and people begin to die does she realize that she should have listened to that voice. But Dallas O'Connor isn't the type to run from trouble - she faces it head-on. As Dallas races to unmask the murderer, you'll find yourself sprinting through the pages. You won't be able to put it down until the last satisfying turn of the page.

Another good addition to the Thomas Black series. A light, entertaining book - and series - which keeps you laughing, thinking and turning the pages to the final chapter. A fun read.

"Deviant Behavior" is the fifth Thomas Black novel by Earl Emerson. Seventeen-year-old Todd Steeb has run away from home, and his parents hire Black to investigate. Thomas and Todd's brother, Buzz, travel to Seattle's Chinatown and the old Milwaukee hotel in search of Todd, whom Buzz thinks is investigating the suicide of their uncle Jan. The plot is somewhat convoluted. It involves murder, suicide, missing money, and the author of a cult classic novel. All this said, "Deviant Behavior" was entertaining and is another fine addition to the Thomas Black series.

"Deviant Behavior" was the first novel in the Thomas Black P.I. series that I have read. I am a huge P.I. fiction fan, and on the basis of this novel I would place Earl W. Emmerson's hero only a notch or so below masters like Raymond Chandler, Lawrence Block and Loren Estleman. Black is not as quick with a metaphor as the best P.I.s, nor is he as world weary or cynical. And Emmerson leaves a lot of the details of his story a little fuzzy around the edges. But the central mystery in "Deviant Behavior" held my interest and it raises some interesting points about the human capacity for guilt and mistrust. The ending may stretch credibility a bit, but overall the novel is a good one for P.I. fiction fans. I guess the best recommendation I can give is that I do plan to spend some more time with Mr. Black in the future.

I started reading this book on a camp trip, and only finished it because it was the only book I had. The author confuses the plot line by the introductions of too many characters, still adding them 2/3rds of the way through. Also, there are 2 plot lines of the detective's personel life which have nothing to do with the main story, with one of the plot lines being totally unbelievable. I don't recommend it.

Don Stevens

If you are like me, wondering why no modern authors can resist sprinkling in many gratuitus curse words like so many R-rated movies, then maybe you should try this one. The leading character, Detective J. P. Beaumont is a flawed hero with real human qualities. His life is in turmoil as he juggles the evolving multiple homicide with a number of side issues. I wonder how he could sleep.

Most of the book is fairly believable. However, I could not get into the Grace Highsmith character, and her performance at the end was certainly "over the top." In the end, Beaumont wraps up the complicated story and the remnants of his personal life, leaving the reader satisfied.

All of Jance's books are great, but the JP Beaumont eries is by far my favorite! Check them all out, they are great reads!

Part of Nisei Daughter's charm is the way Sone is able to weave entertaining anecdotes throughout her tale, a story which is essentially about what being Japanese American in the time around wartime America meant to her. Specifically, her position as a Nisei daughter -- child of first generation Japanese Americans -- is the focus of this tale.

The disappointing thing about this book is how obviously self-censored the book is. Sone very briefly reveals deeply felt rage and resentment at intervals during the book, only to shake them off and quickly change to a more light-hearted topic. Granted, there is an ironic tone to many of her comments and situations, and again granted, she is writing for a post-war audience that probably would not be receptive to outspoken criticism of the Internment, but still Sone seems to sugar coat the experience just a bit too much for my tastes. By the end, with the patriotic speeches that make it sound like the Internment was as much the fault of the Japanese Americans as it was the government, I was getting a little tired of Sone's carefree and apologetic tone, especially after the highly charged preface. In the book, Sone all but thanks the government for interning her and her family and giving them this character-building experience.

If you are truly interested in the internment and the impact it had on the Japanese Americans, try a book like Joy Kogawa's "Obasan." It's written about the Japanese Canadian experience, which was even more extreme than the Japanese American one. Kogawa also experienced internment first hand, but "Obasan" is written far enough after the fact that Kogawa is able to give the story more perspective and is able to put a more honest face on what really happened.

Nisei Daughter is not a bad book by any means ... but it did not live up to my expectations either. Sone's self-conscious editing makes the story seem much more like a novel than the autobiography that it supposedly is. I kept wishing she would drop the mask she was wearing and let the reader see what she was really thinking!

Very nice memoir about being a first-generation Japanese American ("Nisei"). My biggest criticism is that the flow is not quite right. I attribute that to the fact that the author is not a writer by trade. The very extensive details that pepper the story detract to the overall flow of it, but nonetheless, this book is very interesting. Monica Sone explores the dichotomy that many "hybrid" people experience: the contradictions of culture, the generational gap made even deeper because of the cultural differences. In her case, these differences were quite extreme: from the demurred and modest Japanese ways to the boisterous, assertive American. She describes many examples of where these differences were patent, and does a very god job in the process. Another excellent area of the book is her analysis of the conflicting emotions she experienced. Here she is, feeling very American, and sent to a concentration camp, labeled as "the enemy". She and her fellow camp-mates experience a collective rage, but it is during these years and after her release that she finally comes to terms with her at times contradictory cultural heritage. The end has very patriotic overtones which I thought were quite sappy, given her circumstances. I wish she could have gone further into describing her family life after camp, and the reassimilation of Japanese into American society post WWII.

This is the story told by a daughter of Japanese immigrants growing up in pre-World War II Seattle. She was in college when Pearl Harbor struck.

I think the best parts of this memoir deal with the description of Japanese culture and the conflict between the Americanism of the Nisei and their Issei parents most of whom heavily maintained Japanese customs. Perhaps the funniest part of the latter in the book takes place during the wedding reception held for her brother Henry and his bride in their camp in Idaho during the war.

I'd have to say that the best written, the most vivid part of the books is the family trip to visit relatives in Japan where her little brother Kenji fatally contracted dysentery. I'm guessing that this trip must have taken place around 1929.

The author gets released from camp mid-way through the war to go live with some former missionaries in Chicago who are very nice. She works for a dentist who is, however, a real pain in the butt and she eventually quits.

She then gets the opportunity to go attend Wendell college in Indiana where she lives with a nice old widow and she says that this college was full of alot of diverse foreign students. She made many close friends. During her post-camp period, her faith in American democracy was largely restored because she met so many nice white Americans who weren't racist louts. The book ends on a sort of patriotic note which I can't follow completely. In Chicago she was often mistaken for Chinese and people told her how much they respected the Chinese people, America's ally and she was sometimes mistaken for various Chinese celebrities.

It's obvious, that the author, who at the time of this 1979 edition, was still a clinical psychologist, knows how to write. She is a very gifted descriptive writer, though sometimes she lays it on too heavy. She tells her life story with a great deal of sentimentality; at times I think she pours it on a little too sweetly. But heck it's her story and she crafts it very well.

I used this book when I moved to Seattle four years ago, and it was extremely helpful in acclimating me. I especially liked the overview of neighborhoods. But, a friend who is moving here just got it, and in checking out her version, I am surprised the data hasn't been updated the past few years. A lot has changed.

Ballard, for example, is not a blue collar neighborhood anymore. It's become quite yuppified and expensive. There are not many housing bargains (rental or ownership) to be had there anymore. There also needs to be updated info on up and coming neighborhoods -- like Columbia City.

I think any book on Seattle needs to address the earthquake hazard. Some neighborhoods are safer than others. For example, the 2001 earthquake made it pretty clear that Pioneer Square, which is built on landfill, isn't where you want to be when the Big One hits (unless you fancy brick showers.) If you have the time, it might be worthwhile to wait for the next edition of this book which will hopefully contain 2000 census stats. And do some more research on the seismic issues-- try to live in a place built on bedrock.

I recently visited Seattle after moving away some 7 years ago. I wanted a book to refresh my memories and to reacquaint myself with the city and whatever changes it has gone through. This book does give a lot of information about the City, and yes, the Eastside communities are not discussed in depth (but, who cares? if you're going to live in the area, Seattle is the place to be!) The data, for me, wasn't enough though. I was looking for even more demographic-type information and couldn't find any other book that came close. The data is from 1996, so things have changed somewhat. With the latest census 2000 data, I would hold out for the next edition of this book, should one be forthcoming. One complaint from me is the graphics. The image of the city is used in many graphics with shaded elements refering to city extremes. These are often hard to decipher and leave many of the areas of the city without coverage. Overall, the book was the best sourcebook of those I found in many of Seattle's great bookstores.

THERE WERE SO MANY INTERESTING ITEMS IN THIS BOOK THAT I HAVE A THREE-RING BINDER FULL OF NOTES. I AM DEVOUT TEXAN, BUT SINCE THE FIRST TIME I VISITED SEATTLE I HAVE WANTED TO MOVE THERE. THIS BOOK MADE IT EVEN MORE APPEALING. EVERYTHING IS DISCUSSED FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE CRIME STATISTICS. THIS IS A MUST FOR SEATTLE RESIDENTS AS WELL AS THOSE THAT WISHED THEY WERE.