Too often, it seems poets are content that poetry exist for its own sake- well crafted poems serving no purpose but to glorify the fact that it, itself, exists- or worse, celebrating the mere existence of its creator. Once in awhile, though, something comes along with greater vision. One such instance is Celebrate The Bolsa Chica, a poetry anthology edited by Cal State Long Beach Professor Eliot Fried. "I was honored to have my work selected to appear in the book," says L.A. poet Jim Natal. "Poetry can be such a potent force for creating awareness of the plights of special areas such as Bolsa Chica--not with rants or diatribes, but by powerfully evoking the sense and spirit of place." Accordingly, Fried has selected some of SoCal's finest writers to reflect on the OC wetlands endangered by mass pollution and reckless development, and it shouldn't be a surprise that the poems therein don't only address abstract environmental concerns, but the community inextricably tied to the land. "So many live at the edge where/hard water reclaims the land/grain by grain," writes Richard Beban, of Venice. "Their Latin names/unknown, the daily mass is/density, neighbor atop neighbor, each/crack & cranny full of/competition, food--/each other drawn through siphon,/osmosis, or speared on poison/spine." There are some fantastic poets in this volume, including Beban, Natal and award winning CSULB professor Charles Webb. Moreover, this book represents something far more valuable- those skilled voices rising up to speak of something important- to warn that something valuable is slipping away.

For any one of the multitude of people dealing with c-spine problems, this book will explain the latest research and treatment.

Although the language is technical, with a little effort it is understandable. And while the price is steep, it is worth every penny. Read this book before deciding for or against any cervical spine treatment

The title of this book does not do the stories inside justice. These are great stories, all with a lot of heart. These stories are all technically mystery stories, because they all include a crime, but each would appeal to readers of any genre because they are so well-written and intriguing.

You want to fight but your union's too weak and buddy-buddy with management...everyone sits in their own language groupings in the cafeteria - will people ever get together?...how can we get out of the mess that lay-offs and soaring cutbacks in social services are making of our lives? This book is a fantastic handbook for those of us who want to figure out what step to take next. It isn't an easy recipe for bandaids. It lays out that we have to be worldly-wise strategists who understand that unity forged through struggle is key. The prize: taking political power like working people did in Cuba over 40 years ago. We have to use the tools we have - the unions, for example, exasperating though they may be -- to reach each other and create a political party, a real fighting communist party, that can lead us to help transform all of society. Thought-provoking and concrete. A real treat.

Not only a wonderful cookbook, but an informative and charming look at a nut I had only heard about in song. Annie first tells us about the history of the chestnut, its "relatives" and its many uses. I was surprised at how nutritionally complete the chesnut is, and how low in fat it is. The cookbook is filled with delicious ways to use this versatile nut and is wonderfully illustrated throughout with drawings by Annie. I highly recommend buying this book, whether it is to add to your collection, or to learn more about a forgotten food source.

Children's Voices From The Trail: Narratives Of The Platte River Road by Rosemary Gudmundson Palmer is an astute collection and interpretation of primary sources, especially letters and journals, of young people who set forth with their parents upon the pioneer trails west and who wrote about their lives. Offering eye-opening insight into what it was really like to grow up in the 1800's frontier, beset by both natural and human enemies, Children's Voices From The Trail is a superb contribution to academic American History Studies reference collections and highly recommended for the non-specialist reader with an interest in the real life conditions of growing up in the American West.

This book is a sleeper that will ultimately find its place among the best books on race, children, and Black-Jewish relationships in post War America. Unlike so many books that relie on the invented memory of a few primary actors, this scholarly account closely follows the crisis among Blacks and Jews through the experiences of children. Besides being an excellent political biography of Mamie and Kenneth Clark, the book is a troubling journey into the lives of the children of the great black migration. Despite its seemingly narrow focus, this is a rich narrative account of recent American history.

The photography alone is worth the price of this book. Simple, tempting, and no calories. Send this book to every chocolate lover you know.

This book is my absolute favorite Christmas gift for a special friend. The recipes are detailed and easy to prepare, and the photographs are delightful! Several other members of our herb guild also list this book as one of their all-time favorites.

I've never seen my 18 month old react to a book the way he does this one. To say that he loves it is an understatement. He not only wants to read it at nap time and bed time, but he wants to read it over and over and OVER again, and even wants to take it to bed with him. Of course that would mean disaster to this adorable book, because the flaps would quickly be ripped off, but I would definatley recommend this book to anyone with a curious toddler who likes to be a part of the action. There are two little plastic discs included with this book, and each page presents a new opportunity to "find" where the disc is hiding, and then to place that disc in a new spot. Turn the page and the fun starts again. There are simple words and brightly colored designs on each page. Just right for infants and toddlers. You just can't go wrong with this one. What a *PERFECT* gift this would be for a child's first birthday.