STAND FACING THE STOVE, is a robust volume (475 pages)detailing the life and work of Irma Rombauer and Marion Robauer Becker, the mother-daughter team responsible for writing the JOY OF COOKING, America's best-loved recipe and cookery reference book. STAND FACING THE STOVE will change your way of viewing cookbooks and the publishing process forever. The book took a decade to write, and author, Anne Mendelson, has done a thorough job of tracing the complex history of the writers' families, and JOY's life from it's inception in the early 1930's through the mid-'70's when daughter, Marion, dies. Presented is a fascinating insider's look at the culinary fads and trends that have defined our eating habits through four decades. JOY, which has sold over 10 million copies in its long and enduring history, was far less than joyous for the Rombauer clan than the ebullient light-hearted tone of the cookbook would belie. There were rancorous feuds with JOY's former publisher, the now-defunct Bobbs-Merrill Company. As a cookbook and recipe collector (WRITE ME!), I found Mendelson's book fascinating, but so complexly verbalized that it demanded being red in short fits and spurts. The book does provide valuable insights into the lives of the writers, their "magnum opus," and the terrible tension that existed between the publisher's self-interests, and the writers' unrelenting quest for ever more perfect expressions of their work. Sadly, Bobbs-Merrill refused to allow Mendelson access to the correspondence and records that would have shed even greater light on their publisher feud that fueled a long and embittered battle. At the close of the book, I found myself with a deep respect, not only for the Rombauers with their unrelenting tenacity at this enterprise, but also for Anne Mendelson whose depth and attention to detail resulted in huge and rich trove that enlightens the "culture of cookery." For reference, I wish the author had provided readers with pictures of the prominent versions of the ! Rombauer's volumes, especially the earliest editions. Instead, I suggest readers pull out their old, grease-spattered JOY OF COOKING, and have on hand a copy of the huge 1997 version(1136 pgs., Henry Holt, publishers) of the book from grandson Ethan for the fun of comparing copyrights, acknowledgements, and recipe updates which help to enrich the saga. (P.S. Those of you with 1930 editions of JOY, hang on to your hats! Some are worth over $1,000 now!)

The Joy Of Cooking was my first cookbook given to me by my mother. And reading the recipe as it were, as how it all came about is quite compelling.

Take one family--the St. Louis Rombauers--from good German stock. Add a 1931 vanity printing of Mrs. Rombauer's mostly unexceptional recipes: molded fruit salads, Kitchen Bouquet-colored gravies, things involving canned soup. Watch this collection rise into a successful commercial volume, leavened by its idiosyncratic voice (comparing a "vegetable plate, unadorned" to Gandhi's bald head, the amateur chef recommended a sprig of parsley). Throw in a contentious author-publisher relationship, plus daughter Marion Rombauer Becker's reluctant inheritance of her mother's legacy, and a delicious story forms.

Mendelson, who writes for Gourmet, discusses this most definitively American kitchen manual with measured but contagious relish. Like The Joy of Cooking, her closely researched work will be many things to many people. It's publishing history, intimate biography, and a record of changing national tastes--a practically foolproof repast.

Anne Mendelson gave a very descriptive account of life in St. Louis. She loves large words and uses them correctly, but it could have been a shorter book with less words

This book was just OK. It is about a girl, Jennifer, who really wants a horse. All she ever wanted was a horse! She is dissapointed on her birthday when she only receives riding lessons and a china horse. Her china horse is special., Really Special. The china horse turns into a real horse, Moonseeker. How will Jennifer be able to hide Moonseeker?

I liked this book because I really like horses and I want one! It is an exciting story. The horse was stubborn and he talked.

I read this book maybe 4 or 5 years ago, and I don't remember a whole lot of the details, so I cannot give it a perfect 5. I do remember that it was a really cute book, with a good ending. I reccomend it, but for younger kids, seeing as it's short with easy vocabulary and big print. I was probably in 4th grade when I read it and I really enjoyed it, so I hope other young kids will read it and enjoy it as much as I did.:)

This looks like a great book. I can not find where to order the wrap-ups which seem to be an important first step. Can you help?

This book does not come with the "wrap up" manipulative. These (and the book) are available from an Usborn Book distributor, or a Home School Curriculum store. They are an awesome way to learn! You should be able to search for an Usborn distributor on the internet. I just ordered the book and wrap ups from a friend, and haven't received the book yet. Looks interesting, though.

This book isn't what I expected.It really gave no instructions on how to do experiments.I can't find the source listed for one experiment.We got the book to give my daughter ideas on science projects:it wasn't much help.

This book is both informative and useful, though it does not specifically lay out the exact steps needed for performing each experiment. It is great for finding ideas from which one can generate his or her own purposes. You should realize that the projects explained in the book do not all involve a specific variable that is changed for the experiment. Instead, topcis are open ended , and can be modified to make a dependent variable. I, as an eigth grade student who went to regionals for the science fair last year, recommend this book, even if it might not give you a topic for a science fair project: IT IS GOOD READING.

P.S. I think you should like this book.

A previous reviewer said it kept him on the edge of his seat. I wondered if he read the same book I did. I found the story so tedious I could hardly make myself continue. There are so many characters with so little characterization or development I found it extremely difficult to read. I put it down five times vowing to quit before I got one-forth through the book. The only reason I slowly plodded on and on and on was I had nothing else to read.

What do I find as problems? Throughout the book is abrupt. The reader is lost through changes of location with little descrition. Abrupt changes of viewpoint with little explanation contribute to choppiness. Most characters are cardboard flat. The reader is confused by being thrown into a large reading group called "Books" where the characters snip at one another. (Is this from the author's actual experience in a small town?) A petty conflict between employees of the protagonist takes a large portion of the story but contributes nothing other than the author's ability to find far too many quotes from famous authors of the past. The central character is always in the "middle of something," "walking somewhere," "thinking about someone" and thus fills up the pages. A few pivotal points are never followed up (the snake-in-the-car???) Even a bit of porno is thrown in as a red herring. The plot mostly treads water except in the narcissistic mind of the central character. The final "white knight" ending did nothing. Many loose ends were left dangling or forgotten.

The author took a possible plot, added too many characters, gave them little personality, didn't bother to tell the reader why each character is there, does not describe the environment as contributory to the story, threw in a dash of "cutsy" here and there, and stirred it all together in a town with little more than a name within driving distance of Tulsa. Does the author live in Oklahoma? There is nothing to identify it with the Oklahoma I have lived in since 1971. It has the feel of having been written by a committee, and does not follow the old advertisement, "We serve no wine before its time."

It is the author's first published novel. Her next ones, I hope, will be set back for maturing before publication while she works on the subsequent ones.

Marion Moore Hill's first published novel, about a small-town librarian, her law-officer boyfriend, her pet mutt, and her witty library co-workers, keeps you guessing from beginning to end. Dealing deftly with such topics as militant groups, reading groups, gourmet food, and of course nosy librarians, Moore Hill weaves a complex plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat! A great read for fans of cozy mysteries!

This book is my favorite of the series. I think the reason I like it above the others is because Rachel, unlike her sisters, is not really obsessed with getting Mannerling back. She is quiet, loving, and not overly ambitious. Ms. Chesney develops the romance nicely, with the standard obstacles to true love thrown in (scheming romantic rival, interfering relatives). However, those standards are a great deal more fun in a Chesney book than in anyone else's. The hero's children are believably written and actually add to the story rather than distracting from it. I recommend this novel to any Regency reader who wants an undemandingly fun read.

The attempt to marry back the family mansion should be getting a little boring by now, but never fear. Marion Chesney brings us another delightful story through the fascinating trials and tribulations of the new owner of Mannerling; a widower and his charming two kiddies. But, will Rachel succumb to another eligible bachelors charms instead? Intriguing...

This book is a collection of stories written by "The Friends of Darkover", which is to say, mostly fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series, set on the world of Darkover, and edited by Ms. Bradley herself. It's one of several such collections, and like most of them, it's hit-and-miss. Some of the stories weren't all that impressive; in fact, I didn't care ofr any of the first three. But some of them were interesting, if none of them actually come to mind as being memorable for positive reasons.

There was one story written by Ms. Bradley herself, "Man of Impulse", which further developed a character mentioned elsewhere in the canonical Darkover books, and apparently popular with readers: Dyan Ardais. So if you are determined to read everything ever written by Bradley, you need to read this story, even if you don't care for the fan fiction.

And there was a story, quite a good story in fact, which Ms. Bradley put in this book in spite of the fact that it was not written for Darkover; it was intended for her "Sword and Sorceress" series, but for reasons unclear to this reader, she felt it fit better here. The story is "Ashes To Ashes", by Patricia B. Cirone, and it seemed to me that it would have fit much better in its target anthology, rather than this one. But it was a good story in any case, so I'm glad it was published SOMEWHERE, regardless.

"The Four Moons of Darkover" are part of a series of anthologies that deal with specific themes; in this case, the all-influential moons of Darkover. I personally enjoyed this anthology because it features some really good amateur work (which was encouraged by the late great Zimmer Bradley, who included the mechanics of joining in the backs of her anthologies---the world of literature is certainly lesser for her passing), and I believe that some of the authors are now pros. I had wanted to try my hand at it but I'll leave it to those who are much better at it. Every Darkover fan knows that the moons have got a lot to say about what happens on Darkover and especially to the gifted ones, who possess laran. In some stories it's literally moonlight madness, and all laran-gifted creatures beware, especially of the light of all four moons! Under that kind of light, ANYTHING is possible. I gave the book 4 stars, because of course, not all the stories are great, but over all, it's worth having for the entertainment value. Some explanations of legends mentioned in other Darkover books are also well written. I happen to have this book because I bought it quite some years ago, and if you can get a hold of it, sit back and prepare to be entertained.

Itis the first "Joy of Cooking" to disappoint me. It is cute, but with none of the substance I have come to expect from the Rombauer crowd. If you love the original or any of the new versions as I do, You may be disappointed in this one. I guess I just hoped for that same "Packed with information" quality and didn't get it.

This miniature edition of the classic American cookbook is a wonderful kitchen keepsake! It is enclosed in a resusable plastic jar that also contains a set of red plastic measuring spoons.

First title of Chesney's I've read. It was a good plot and had some interesting characters I would have like to have seen more of. It was a short read at under 200 pages. The ending was quick and not really to my liking in dept. It needed some more dialogue between Isabella and Harry.

This book is vintage Chesney, with all the wit and insight into Regency times she inserts into all her books. Isabella and Harry have real human foibles and their path to true love is full of laughter and misunderstandings. A must for any Chesney fan.

This was a decent grouping of articles relating to the mass rapes occuring in Bosnia. Including interviews with the women themselves, as well as some of the rapists, it paints a vivid picture of these troubling events. I would have liked more analysis of the situation, specifically within the context of other wars in which rape has been a primary tool of warfare. Also, more information on where officials in Bosnia stand on this issue. This book could have been more well-rounded analytically.

Stiglmayer's useful book binds together a dozen essays on the mass rapes in Bosnian war. When it was written in 1993 the conflict still raged and disclosures of systematic government-ordered rapes primarily against Muslim women by Serbs were new and shocking to most readers. Now five years later the crimes still shock, but by their magnitude and not their novelty. This book is still a powerful witness to the rapes, but more importantly it provides a legal, psychological, and historic framework for coming to an understanding which is necessary if we are to try to prevent more such horrors in the future, or at least to provide a timely intervention and vigorous prosecution of the perpetrators.

Stiglmayer's own pair of essays are the most useful and interesting. Her first piece is an absorbing history of the Balkans that concisely untangles the web of hatreds and violence which have plagued the area for millennia and which are still powerfully germane. Her second piece constitutes the heart of the book. In it she dramatically and persuasively demonstrates that the rapes in Bosnia are not "typical" rapes, even by wartime standards, but are a tool systematically employed by the Serb leadership to pursue its genocidal campaign of "ethnic cleansing". Her interviews illustrate that the rapes are about the humiliation of women, but they are also directed at the Bosnian Muslim population as a whole as a tactical means to accomplish the evacuation by the Muslims of large swaths of Bosnian territory.

In other essays, Paul Parin offers some ideas on the psychology of the rapes. He doesn't claim to have all the answers, but his essay is thought-provoking. Rhonda Copelon provides a considered analysis of the state of international law and its applicability to the Bosnian horrors. Her otherwise sound piece is marred by her lawyerly/academic tendency to misuse words ("surface" as a transitive verb meaning "bring to light"; "intersectional" where she means "intersecting") and her occasional unlawyerly hyperbole (she notes on p.198 that a midday women's talk show opened with the script, "In Bosnia, they are raping the enemy's women". Two pages later this has turned into the assertion that the media "often refer to the mass rape in Bosnia as the rape of the 'enemy's women'").

Surprisingly, the most disappointing essays are those by the best-known authors. The first of Catharine MacKinnon's two pieces is a reprint of a 1993 Ms. Magazine article. She gets in some obligatory feminist chops, pokes at Gloria Steinem, equates the Third Reich with Penthouse, and moans about American women in porn films, in brothels, and in slavery. She slips in a couple of gratuitous anecdotes, and that's it. No analysis, no nothing. It reads as though she wrote it on a train with a short deadline and did her research by cell-phone. Her second piece is marginally better, but her point is a weak one. She is horrified by the crimes against women, yet she wants to pile every insult and irritation ever suffered by woman under the umbrella of human rights violation. In one breathless sentence (p.185) she says "...UN troops were targeting women: 'In the streets of Zagreb, UN troops often ask local women how much they cost'". Her whining about merely boorish behavior undermines her credibility and belittles the plight of women who suffered grievously in the wars. MacKinnon is exasperating, yet passionate, but ultimately her pieces fail because of her unsupported allegations and the scattered and distracting nature of her attacks on anything that pops into her head.

Similarly, Susan Brownmiller spends her essay slamming men as warrior animals. So much so that she entirely misses the point that these rapists were not beasts out of control, but were entirely under control and following their leaders' war plans to a tee. Brownmiller is not a scholar of Balkan history with any depth or understanding. She doesn't have Stiglmayer's innovative perceptions of the war. The Brownmiller piece offers no value added, it is mere filler.

Overall the book is excellent. Although, now, five years later, Stiglmayer could well give it another update, in addition to the changes she has made for this English edition. The wars have reached a precarious end, the ICTY war crimes trials are underway. There is another chapter to be added to the book, one can only hope that Stiglmayer will provide it, so that this work can remain fresh for many more years.