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Customer Reviews (7)

very good
Kerry Greenwood cont to produce an exciting and believible heroine with stories that move and kept me reading into the night. The only down side I can see, is I can't get the series very often. A must read if you like Christy or
Winspear.

Not my favorite. :(
I have to say, much to my dismay, that this isn't my favorite of the Kerry Greenwood series. While I realize that the Middle East politics discussed have a direct relationship to today's world, I really don't understand it. Harry Potter fans may get some enlightenment from the Philosopher's Stone discussion and alchemy, but that, too, lost me a good bit. The story itself was fine, and I was completely blindsided by the identity of the murderer!!!

Phryne on the loose....
Raisins and Almonds is another thoroughly enjoyable entry in the Phryne Fisher series of mysteries--if you'venever read one, you're in for a treat.Phryne is an independently wealthy, strong-minded, luxury and glamour-loving, free thinking young woman ahead of her times--and the times (1920s Australia) are always an integral part of the story.Not only is Phryne the type of heroine that many people would love to be in real life (not possible, unless one is a peeress), but the secondary cast of characters are always deftly drawn.

In this outing, Phryne investigates a murder that may have ramifications for the Jewish population of Sydney.Social commentary is gently mixed with the mystery, and a good time is had by all.

If you haven't tried Phryne.....this is a good place to start.(This is one series that doesn't suffer unduly if read out of order.)

Almonds and Raisins
Phryne Fisher Mysteries are enjoyable in that one cares about the heroine, Pryne Fisher, and those in her circle. In Almonds and Raisins, I was interested to learn about Jewish customs, and, of course, Miss Pryne solved the case, and brought the murderer to justice. A very entertaining read.

A Fresh Tale
The ninth book in the series now appears (publication in the US follows no order), bringing the Hon. Phryne Fisher into another world--that of the small but religious Yiddish population of Melbourne, Australia during the period between the two World Wars.We find her dallying with young Simon Abrahams, son of a wealthy Jew, exposing her to the language and culture of the world of refugees, rabbis, kosher cuisine, chicken soup, Kadimah, the Torah, Kabala and Maimonides.

Simon's father asks Phryne to investigate the strange death of a young religious student in a bookshop owned and operated by one Miss Lee in a property she rents from Simon's father.She is accused of the murder.Phryne follows the usual course in the investigation, using all her wiles and helpers--her maid Dot, Bert and Cec the Wobbly cab drivers and Inspector Robinson.The task is complicated by all kinds of considerations, including alchemy, mysticism and politics, including Zionism.Phryne has to learn all of the nuances, and even begins to speak a little Yiddish.

While a mystery, the story takes on a very different flavor from that of other novels in the series.It is not only entertaining in the customary manner of the other books in this series, but is informative and the unexpected descriptions of Yiddish culture are authentic.
... Read more

Product Description
A portrait of three women--the late M. F. K. Fisher, author of The Art of Eating; television chef Julia Child; and Alice Waters, proprietor of Chez Panisse--discusses their extraordinary influence on the way in which Americans experience food. 10,000 first printing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Another solid book by Reardon
Joan Reardon does two things well: She does exhaustive research and she then takes that research and writes interesting stories. This book, about the professional lives of M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child and Alice Waters, takes the reader into another era and makes the reader want to stay in that era - for at least longer than it takes to read the book. It's fun to see what goes on in the private lives of these celebrities and, you'll never think about food in the same way. ... Read more

Product Description
Finally, after four hit novels, Carrie Fisher comes clean (well, sort of ) with the crazy truth that is her life in her first-ever memoir. In Wishful Drinking, adapted from her one-woman stage show, Fisher reveals what it was really like to grow up a product of "Hollywood in-breeding," come of age on the set of a little movie called Star Wars, and become a cultural icon and bestselling action figure at the age of nineteen.

Intimate, hilarious, and sobering, Wishful Drinking is Fisher, looking at her life as she best remembers it (what do you expect after electroshock therapy?). It's an incredible tale: the child of Hollywood royalty --Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher -- homewrecked by Elizabeth Taylor, marrying (then divorcing, then dating) Paul Simon, having her likeness merchandized on everything from Princess Leia shampoo to PEZ dispensers, learning the father of her daughter forgot to tell her he was gay, and ultimately waking up one morning and finding a friend dead beside her in bed.

Wishful Drinking, the show, has been a runaway success. Entertainment Weekly declared it "drolly hysterical" and the Los Angeles Times called it a "Beverly Hills yard sale of juicy anecdotes." This is Carrie Fisher at her best -- revealing her worst. She tells her true and outrageous story of her bizarre reality with her inimitable wit, unabashed self-deprecation, and buoyant, infectious humor. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (179)

Skillful stand-up!
Carrie Fischer's writing style is hilarious, dramatic and totally involving. Wishful Drinking tells the story of her life as the offspring of celebrities with such humor and skill that the detail seems to all be there with a few impressionist brush strokes that suggest the fine points! It's clear that Wishful Drinking puts the reader front and center at the author's stand-up routine, and every word is solid gold.

If you are a fan of celebrity biographies or just looking for a great, funny read, don't miss Wishful Drinking because it's all that and more!

gotta love carrie
I read Carrie's earlier books and love her wit.This autobiography is funny and brutally honest.

very pleased
Wishful Drinking came in great condition, excellent service and just perfect contact.
Thanks, Etta

Vague
I really didn't know anything about Carrie Fisher except that she had been in "Star Wars."I picked up this book thinking she'd have an interesting and amusing story of an actress gone wrong, based simply on the cover illustration and the title.

Instead of a linear story of how Hollywood or her showbiz parents ruined everything, this is a meandering tale that touches on bits and pieces of the weirdness that is Fisher's life.

The major problem with this memoir is that it has been written after Fisher has undergone electroconvulsive therapy.Therefore, she doesn't really remember much of the most interesting parts of her life.She speaks very little about herself as an actress, and shares virtually no memories of "Star Wars," for which I'd imagine she is best known.

Instead, this is a vague sort of story that pops around in time, telling a snippet from Fisher's childhood, then one of her first marriage, then one from when she was heavily into drugs.... with seemingly no direction, no message, nothing to grab onto.She doesn't seem remorseful, or even particularly amused by her former life; there is an undertone of bitterness and biting sarcasm, but I'm not altogether sure at whom it is directed.

I finished this book feeling as though I knew almost as little about Carrie Fisher as I'd known before starting it.

Not as funny as I had hoped

I am a big fan of Carrie Fisher, starting with her screen debut in the movie Shampoo, as the ubiquitous Princess Leah and through her previous books, all thinly disguised memoirs. I admire her speaking up about her struggles with addiction and bi-polar disorder. I was looking forward to Wishful Drinking and so it is with sadness I have to say I didn't like it as much as I thought I would.

I think the biggest problem with this book is that it is basically a written version of her one woman show of the same name. While I can imagine seeing this as a show, with its interplay between audience and performer, and the author's own take on her work; as a book none of Carrie's acerbic wit comes through. Maybe it was because she wasn't hiding behind her Suzanne Vale alter-ego from her previous books; the ironic tone of those books just didn't come through as well here.While she turns a jaded eye on her parents, Hollywood life and her own struggles with mental illness something was just missing here.

There were lots of pictures scattered throughout the book, plus an extremely funny pedigree chart tracking her family and it's many marriages. And for me the funniest line in the book was the last one, her reason for doing drugs did make me laugh out loud.

I think this is one book that probably works better as an audio. I see that there is an audio version available, read by Carrie Fisher and I am thinking I may get it and listen. If I do I will be sure to let you know if it made a difference.
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (11)

Just not that entertaining
There just wasn't any depth to this book.Not that I was expecting War and Peace, mind you, but I was certainly expecting more than what I got.Based on very little evidence AT ALL and with every scintella of evidence pointing directly at only one suspect (and glaringly obviously so) we know who the murderer is almost upon the first mention of him in the book.Characters are physically well-described, however their personalities are flat and one-dimensional.No one in the book dares question or challenge the main character - all are enamored of herincluding any and all law enforcement types. Her romance with a young man she has just met is not germaine to the story line and yet it fills up page after page after page.Sorry, it's just not a good story.

A fabulously fun mystery series.
I started reading the Phryne Fisher series when a friend gave me the first title recently and I haven't been able to stop!This is yet another creative and entertaining installment in the series.What a blast to read about a heroine who is earthy, intelligent, independent, open-minded and successful - all in the 1920's!

even better than cocaine blues
I thought I was so grateful to have found Cocaine Blues.Miss Fisher keeps getting better.

Murder on a train
The third installment of the Phryne Fisher series 'Murder on the Ballarat Train' begins quite literally, with a bang, when Phryne decides to leave Melbourne with her trusty and reliable companion Dot, and travels by train leaving behind her beautiful, fast Hispano-Suiza. Some sinister plot is afoot and Phryne has to shoot out the window of a train compartment to save the passengers. Thus begins the highly amusing investigation into an old lady's murder and a child's background suffering from amnesia and now given into Phryne's care. As the previous books, the story is vastly entertaining and Phryne solves the cases with her usual flair and common sense. The cast of secondary characters is growing and they are immensely likable, as is the heroine. I would definitely recommend reading the series in their publishing order as each of the characters becomes more rounded and a full picture begins to build.

Amusing Throwback to the Golden Age
"Murder on the Ballarat Train" hearkens back to the English Golden Age of Mysteries, where amateur detectives work hand in glove with obsequious police officers, the servants tip their caps and serve tea and where college boys are not louts and college girls are not sluts. Golden, in this book, if you overlook the stomping of a corpse, the rape and sexual enslavement of girls and the detective's requited lust for college boys.

Weighing in at a mere 150 pages, this 1991 Australian vintage, imported and published last year by Poisoned Pen Press, is set in the late 1920s and features the Honorable Phryne (pronounced Fry-knee) Fisher. This Carrie Bradshaw of Melbourne is slim, successful and acerbic, especially on the subject of unruly children. She carries herself like a duchess, except when she's trolling bawdy houses to hunt for missing girls, or mingling with the members of the college rowing squad in her pursuit of a murderer. Except for her unabashed admiration for the male gender, there's little else that distinguishes her, but she's surrounded by enough interesting characters that it doesn't matter.

The mystery centers around a verbally abusive harridan who is tossed from a train after her daughter's been gassed with chloroform. Miss Fisher is in the same car (and nearly overcome herself), but effects a rescue and is drawn into the investigation. But there's not much of an investigation, and the case quickly gets shunted aside for Miss Fisher to deal with an abandoned child who she takes into her home. This leads elsewhere for awhile and to the aforesaid collegians, until it's all brought together near the end.

There's some grim material about white slavery, and the story threatens to fall apart when the old tropes that were moldy in that era reappear, and especially when Miss Fisher draws a conclusion out of thin air, but by that time you're either rolling with Miss Fisher and her crew -- enjoying a time when motoring is still new, murders were few and notorious and the college boys wonder if they should admit girls into their glee club so they could sing the Brahms "Liebeslieder" -- or you've already set it aside to return to Christie or Sayers or Marsh. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

An Aussie with an attitude
I have yet to read a Phryne Fisher adventure that hasn't entertained and enlightened. This illustrated collection of shorts and Phryne favorites is a great way to learn about the beginnings of the delightful detective and her unique family and associates. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Learning was fun
This books helped me learn the basic structure of the Spanish language easily. ... Read more

Product Description
Insects of the Southwest describes over 120 of the most common bugs and "creepy crawlies" you're likely to share your house or yard with from day to day.

Provides interesting and important facts and historical information on the many fascinating insects and arthropods that inhabit the Southwest—the region ranging from Southern California through Arizona to Central Texas, and north into Utah, Colorado and Nevada.

Introduces both adults and children to the wonders of observation—while never needing to go more than a few yards from home. Easy-to-read and understand.

Drawings and text help you learn about and identify these tiny creatures and know the difference between some of the fearsome-looking-but-harmless bugs and those that are venomous. Plus, household "pets and pests" and which bugs are which.

Learn about the Africanized "killer" bee spiders and the real pests they eat, the many varieties of cockroaches, crop pests and "flashy bugs" found in the desert and mountains.

Floyd Werner, Ph.D. and Carl Olson, M.S., entomologists at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, share their affection for the diversity and necessity of all creatures. They'll arm us with a fuller knowledge to help us appreciate and respect the role insects play as the recyclers in nature and even dispell some of the fears and misconceptions many of us have about the earth's most numerous inhabitants. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

No identifying photos
Ordered because I live in the Tucson area where this was written and familiar with many of the insects, but no photos, especially no color plates for identifying insects.Good info, but hard to know which is what??????????

Limited information
The cover of this book says "How to identify helpful, harmful, and venomous insects" but only about half of the insects in the book have an illustration.Many of the insects are common species that most folks can already identify from experience (house flies, mosquitos, fleas, centipedes, millipedes, house crickets, etc.)It may be useful for children, but as I mentioned, there are limited illustrations (and they are not in color).If you are looking for something along the lines of a key to identifying insects, this book will not help you.

A nice reference for the desert dweller
This is a nice book to own if you live in the southwestern deserts. The next time a strange creepy-crawler dashed across your kitchen floor you'll be able to find out what it is and determine if it's dangerous.The illustrations in the book are well done.The text tells you a lot about each insect but does not bore you with information that only an entomologist would care about.In short, its a nice reference to have around the house if you want to learn more about the 6 and 8 legged creatures of the region.

informative
the book is just what i wanted......information was a littleshort, but covered the basics.the only thing that could have made it better would be to have had actual pictures of the real species.it wasn't disappointing at all! ... Read more

Product Description
A comprehensive guide to Wagner's colossal music drama epic THE RING OF THE NIBELUNG, featuring comprehensive Story Narratives of THE RHINEGOLD, THE VALKYRIE, SIEGFRIED, and TWLILIGHT OF THE GODS with over 90 MUSIC EXAMPLES. Plus, a Discography, Videogrpahy and Dictionary of Opera and Musical Terms. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Synopsis made for great reading
I was hesitant to include Wagner in my German lit course on the reception of the Nibelungen, but this book provided the answer. Its prose is so well written that it must truly be considered an artistic achievement in translating across mediums. Wagner is no easy read in its original form, and direct translations suffer, some graphic novels do an excellent job, but here the author combines the breadth of the Ring with an excellent efficient prose - truly magnificent! ... Read more

Product Description

Soon to be a major motion picture starring and directed by Denzel Washington, Finding Fish is the memoir of Antwone Fisher's miraculous journey from abandonment and abuse to liberation, manhood, and extraordinary success -- a modern-day Oliver Twist.

Baby Boy Fisher -- as he was documented in his child welfare caseworkers' reports -- was raised in institutions from the moment of his birth in prison to a single mother. After beginning his life in an orphanage, Antwone was placed in a temporary foster home until, around age two, he was transferred to a second foster home. It was there, over the next thirteen years, that he endured emotional abandonment and physical abuse. Removed from this foster home not long before his sixteenth birthday, Antwone found fleeting refuge in a boys' reform school but was soon thrust into the nightmare of homelessness.

Though convinced he was unwanted and unworthy, Fish, as he came to be known, refused to allow his spirit to be broken. Instead, he became determined to raise himself, to listen to social workers and teachers who intervened on his behalf, and to nurture a romantic heart along with a scathing sense of humor and a wondrous imagination -- all of which sustained him with big dreams of a better day. Fatefully, just as Antwone's life on the streets hit rock bottom, he enlisted in the United States Navy, where he remained for the next eleven years. During that time, Fish became a man of the world, raised by the Navy family he created for himself.

Finding Fish shows how, out of this unlikely mix of deprivation and hope, an artist was born -- first as the child who painted the feelings his words dared not speak, then as a poet and storyteller who would eventually become one of Hollywood's most well-paid, sought-after screenwriters. But before he ascends those lofty steps, Antwone's story takes us from the Navy to his jobs as a federal correctional officer and then a security guard at Sony Pictures in Hollywood. In its climactic conclusion, the mystery of his identity is finally unraveled as Antwone returns to Cleveland to locate his mother's and father's surviving family members.

A tumultuous and ultimately gratifying tale of self-discovery written in Fisher's gritty yet melodic literary voice, Finding Fish is an unforgettable reading experience.Amazon.com Review
Thank goodness Antwone Fisher's story has a happy ending--otherwise, his searing memoir would be nearly unbearable to read. His father was killed by a gunshot blast shortly before he was born in 1959; his 17-year-old mother gave him up for foster care. Unfortunately for Antwone, his foster mother was as successful at browbeating and demeaning her many wards as she was at lying to the Child Welfare authorities. His working-class African American neighborhood in Cleveland became purgatory for a sensitive, intelligent boy who quickly turned into a withdrawn underperformer at school. In Fisher's blow-by-blow account of his childhood, his sexual abuse at the hands of a female neighbor is hardly more horrifying than his foster mother's relentless cruelty--especially because respectable, churchgoing Mrs. Pickett justifies it all as due to the boy's wicked faults. Readers will be relieved when she dumps 15-year-old Antwone back at the Child Welfare office, even though he will endure homelessness and a scary spell of criminal employment, before an 11-year stint in the Navy provides him with a way forward. Grim though his tale is, Fisher displays throughout it the grit and stubborn integrity that kept him sane. He musters up some understanding (not forgiveness) for the dreadful Mrs. Pickett, and his eventual meeting with his burned-out mother is painfully poignant. He certainly deserves the beautiful wife and cute two-year-old daughter, cooking pancakes for him in the book's closing and redemptive scene. --Wendy Smith ... Read more

Customer Reviews (97)

You think you've had it rough......
It's the story of a strong, smart man who had a very tough life as a child and it could have been a sad story but the way Antwone excelled at everything as an adult proves that you can rise above your environment, that anything is possible when you believe in yourself.Incredible story, very well written, hooray for you Antwone.

Well Told Memoir
So many other 5 stars have been written for this book that I don't have much else to say.I ditto every good thing that was said.

Finding Fish
Finding Fish, by Antwone Fisher, is a passionate and heart wrenching look into the life of the author as a ward of the state. Thankfully, he escapes the terrors of his childhood and eventually finds success. Fisher writes with a distinctive voice. He is able to convey the emotions of the young boy he portrays in the memoir, rather than telling the story through the voice of an adult. The memoir is an honest, and shocking, look into the world of an orphan without anyone to protect him. His father had been shot two months before his birth and his mom is in prison. Throughout his life with the Picketts,his foster parents, Antwone is forced through horrific events that are painful to read about. He is molested at a young age by a babysitter, beaten, mentally abused, and treated like a ghost. He becomes reserved and shy, lacking love and the comfort of a family. Even worse, his social workers are sadly oblivious to the abuse because the Picketts are able to transform into respectable and polite adults when in public. Remarkably, Antwone braves through his torturous childhood, as well as homelessness for a short time, and finds himself in the Navy. This becomes his miracle, and inspires him to do more with his life. He finds himself traveling around the world, educating himself about different cultures as well as teaching himself English with the help of a thesaurus. In comparison to his childhood, Antwone is in paradise. This transition from a hopeless child with no allies in the world to a strong, successful Navy officer illustrates a major theme in the memoir. No matter how horrible somebody's life is, with perseverance and hope it is possible to achieve anything. Although Antwone is thrown into a terrible life, he finds his own success and thankfully escapes his past and finds happiness. This book is an emotional rollercoaster and any reader will become attached to Antwone, rooting for him against the negativity in his life.

FINDING FISH carries a profound impact...
and taught me something. It taught me how much we all share--the need to belong, for family, to search, to question. This book is unexpected tender and this boy's journey impacted my own journey, my own questions of family, of accceptance.
~Carol D. O'Dell
Author, MOTHERING MOTHER
Kunati Publishing, April 2007

A magical child matures and we get to be in on it!
At first I resisted this book because it seemed to be written by an adult looking over his childhood from a very mature place.However, late in the book it is a revelatory experience to find that this is exactly what happened when an unfair accusation concerning Antwone at age 25 during his Navy experience 'caused' him to buy a dictionary, a thesorus and learn writing almost from scratch at this age. He soon found that he couldn't stop. Later he wrote this book that has become a best seller very deservedly.It is full of remarkable coincidences that could not be other than genuine because of hundreds of tiny clews that all add up to this person having been there.This is a profound work concerning human holistic Intelligence that Confirms Joseph Pierce's 'Magical Child Matures." ... Read more

Product Description
The only comprehensive account of the Battle of Fort Fisher and the basis for the television documentary Confederate Goliath, Rod Gragg’s award-winning book chronicles in detail one of the most dramatic events of the American Civil War. Known as "the Gibraltar of the South," Fort Fisher was the largest, most formidable coastal fortification in the Confederacy, by late 1864 protecting its lone remaining seaport—Wilmington, North Carolina. Gragg’s powerful, fast-paced narrative recounts the military actions, political maneuvering, and personality clashes involved in this unprecedented land and sea battle. It vividly describes the greatest naval bombardment of the war and shows how the fort’s capture in January 1865 hastened the South’s surrender three months later. In his foreword, Civil War historian Edward G. Longacre surveys Gragg’s work in the context of Civil War history and literature, citing Confederate Goliath as "the finest book-length account of a significant but largely forgotten episode in our nation’s most critical conflict."

AUTHOR BIO: Rod Gragg is the author or editor of fourteen books on American history, including The Declaration of Independence: Forging of a Nation; Lewis and Clark: On the Trail of Discovery; From Fields of Fire and Glory: Letters Home from the Civil War; Covered with Glory: The 26th North Carolina Infantry at Gettysburg, winner of the James I. Robertson Jr. Award; and The Illustrated Confederate Reader, winner of the Douglas Southall Freeman Award for History. A former journalist, he is an adjunct professor of history at Coastal Carolina University and lives with his family in Conway, South Carolina. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

This Book Is As Solid As The Fort's Defenses
Gragg offers up a very solid treatment of the attack on Fort Fisher. The fort, located outside Wilmington, North Carolina, was the keystone of confederate defenses along the coast. In fact, Fisher provided the only safe haven for vessels attempting to make it into a rebel port. That fact forced the Union to attack the fort and its defenders, lead byCol. Lamb. The first attacks, lead by Gen. Butler, were a disaster, as well as latter attacks, but yet the Union forces kept on. Gragg does a good job of recounting the planning that allowed the Union forces to have some faith that they would be successful. He also does a great job of capturing the futility of each attack, and the feeling of overwhelming loneliness felt by the defenders. This is a very readable book that still stays scholarly in nature.

Confederate Goliath
Rod Gragg is one of my favorite civil war writers and this book is as good as Covered With Glory about the 26th North Carolina.If you have ever been curious about Fort Fisher near Wilmington North Carolina you must read this book, it's terrific.

GREAT!
This book was a Christmas gift for my husband.Since Christmas he has reread this book at least 3 times.I have to make him put it down so he can go to sleep at night.He loves it.I'm glad I got him something he has enjoyed so much for Christmas.

If you liked the book...
You should see the movie!It will be premiering on UNC-TV November 6, 2005 at 10 PM. Rod Gragg is interviewed throughout, and it is based on his book, of course.He is a great writer, and it turned out to be a wonderful film.

The best book I've seen on the two battles of Fort Fisher.
Gragg's book is very easy to read and is filled with great descriptions of the many participants.He describes why Wilmington was so vital to the survival of the Confederacy and why its capture was so important to the Union for a quicker end to the War.

Some of the most interesting characters of the Civil War participated in at least one of the battles.William lamb was 29 years old when he finished building the fort. Young Lamb had a keen interest in military history. As a young boy of twenty in the mid-1850s, Lamb became captivated by a farawy war that was then being waged between Russia, Great Britain, and France.Fisher's design and physical features drew praise from her Federal captors-and more than a few references were made to the Russian fortress of Malakoff (a defensive bastion at Sebastopol that had greatly influenced Lamb's efforts to strengthen Fort Fisher)that was built during that war.

The First Battle effectively ended the military career of Union General Bejamin Butler, a "Political General" who was a constant headache for both the Lincoln Administration and any Commander to whom he was a subordinate.The Failure to capture the Fort after a sucessful amphiboious landing was the final nail in his coffin and he did not receive another command during the war.

Is there a Confederate defeat outside of Gettysburg and Petersburg that does not have the hand of General Braxton Bragg somewhere behind it?Bragg was in command in Wilmington instead of being cashiered after Missionary Ridge mainly because he was friends with Jeff Davis.Bragg did not send reinforcements to the fort that would have cut off Banks' invaders.

Alfred Terry was in command of the second attempt to storm the fort in January 1865.One of the lesser known of Grant's favorite lieutenants, he is better known as the scapegoat of Custer's Last Stand.

Lt. William B. Cushing USN was a precursor of the Navy SEALS.He had many special forces operations during the war including the sinking of the CSS Albemarle with a mine and doing soundings in a rowboat off Fort Fisher while under fire.

Gragg's book was a page turner for me even though I knew the outcome beforehand and I would reccomend it to Civil War enthusiasts everywhere.

UPDATE:02/14/2006.NC Educational Television ran a television adaptation of the Book last week featuring a recreation of the two invasions of Ft. Fisher.It really helped bring the book to life. ... Read more

Product Description
From her very first book, Serve It Forth, M.F.K. Fisher wrote about her ideal kitchen. In her subsequent publications, she revisited the many kitchens she had known and the foods she savored in them to express her ideas about the art of eating. M.F.K. Fisher among the Pots and Pans, interspersed with recipes and richly illustrated with original watercolors, is a retrospective of Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher's life as it unfolded in those homey settings--from Fisher's childhood in Whittier, California, to the kitchens of Dijon, where she developed her taste for French foods and wines; from the idyllic kitchen at Le Paquis to the isolation of her home in Hemet, California; and finally to her last days in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. M.F.K. Fisher was a solitary cook who interpreted the scenario of a meal in her own way, and M.F.K. Fisher among the Pots and Pans provides a deeply personal glimpse of a woman who continues to mystify even as she commands our attention. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A fascinating woman
A friend in the culinary field lent me this book and it is charming! I knew a little about Fisher -- primarily thro' books about Julia Child -- and don't have any of her cookbooks. But I had read two of her novels: NOT NOW BUT NOW and THE BOSS DOG, both which I thoroughly enjoyed. AMONG THE POTS AND PANS told me so much more about this very interesting, ahead-of-her-time woman, and it shares a few recipes, too. Very well written and beautifully illustrated. And yes, I've already ordered one of her cookbooks.Enjoy!

Ode to a writing cook and a cooking writer
Joan Reardon's M. F. K. Fisher Among the Pots and Pans is a brief biography of America's greatest food writer. Reardon wrote a longer bio in 2004; here, she's decided to keep her touch light by documenting the different kitchens rented, remodeled or simply passed through by Fisher in her progress through three marriages, the birth of daughters legitimate and illegitimate, and the writing of many, many books and articles.

Most of Fisher's kitchens consisted of little more than a hot plate and a pantry. Fisher insisted on eating and cooking in the same space, and her best meals were apparently also her simplest. Her 1942 book How to Cook a Wolf, written during the first years of World War II, addressed "the preparation of food in times of scarcity and bomb shelters."

Watercolors by Avram Dumitrescu recreate the kitchens. Designer Sandy Drooker has given the book a small footprint suitable for your airplane carry-on. A suite of updated recipes divide each chapter, providing some hands-on sustenance for Fisher fans. I read the book in an evening (as if it were "a cheese souffle and a light salad"), but is well worth holding onto for its compelling portrait of "a writing cook and a cooking writer," "bold at the desk as well as at the stove."

[....]

A different view of MFK
As a person who has spent half a lifetime reading anything and everything on or about MFK Fisher, I eagerly awaited the arrival of this book. Although I found it enjoyable,for the most part it was mostly a lot of information lifted from MFK's own writings about her kitchens, and the many places that she lived. The newer material was good, describing a bit more in depth what Mary Frances was going through during times of upheaval and illness, and there were some wonderful photos of the places that she had lived. The illustrations were lovely. All in all, it was a nice read- and makes one want to go to the bookshelf and pull down one of MFK's own, and read them again- they never go out of style! ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1970, Among Friends provides a fascinating glimpse into the background and development of one of our most delightful and best-loved writers, Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher - the woman who elevated food writing to a literary art. In Among Friends M. F. K. Fisher begins her recollections in Albion, Michigan, but they soon lead her to Whittier, California, where her family moved in 1912, when she was four. The "Friends" of the title range from the hobos who could count on food at the family's back door to the businessmen who advertised in Father's paper-but above all they are the Quakers who were the prominent group in Whittier. Mary Frances Kennedy found them unusual friends indeed: in the more than forty years that she lived in Whittier she was never invited inside a Friend's house. Her portraits of her father, Rex-her mentor, himself the editor of the local newspaper-her mother, Edith, and the other members of her family are memorable and moving. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Definitely "cumbersome and verbose"
I must agree with the review that finds this book clumsy, wordy, and difficult to read.Ultimately it's just boring.While I have no trouble understanding her vocabulary, and usually prefer writers who use involved sentences, Fisher rambles and doesn't use her vocabulary or sentence structure to good effect.I'm not sure she has a clear idea of what she wants to say, and her observations on other people in her life seem mean-spirited and cynical.She pretends to have enjoyed the Quakers, yet portrays them in an extremely negative and biased manner, basing many of her conceptions on what she presumes they must have thought and felt. She doesn't recognize that she may have misinterpreted their actions through the filter of her own childhood ideas. I read it for a Book Club, but what a chore to get through it.

difficult to relate to
I received this book as a gift to read while recovering from surgery. I plodded through the preface and first few chapters, then had to resort to skimming the rest.I found it cumbersome and verbose -- filled with long-winded sentences, lofty and uncommon language (had to keep my dictionary at hand), and references that were entirely unknown to me. One might say it was over my head I suppose.The best parts were her descriptions of the simple but heavenly foods she recalled from her childhood. Other than that, and her account of life in Quaker Whittier CA, I didn't find much in this memoir that I cared about. I know that her prose is highly regarded, but it was lost on me. I have not read any of her other books.

One of my favorite books
Some people think of MFK Fisher as simply a food writer.This book reveals the flaw in that way of thinking, because Fisher was truly one of the great writers of the last century."Among Friends" tells the story of her growing up in the 1910s in Whittier, California -- a Quaker community.A non-Quaker, she tells of the gentle, exclusive bigotry of the Friends.She also describes a California which has all but vanished -- the drive from Whitter to Ventura was an overland trek!And, her culinary memory is astonishing.She describes in glorious detail what her family ate and how she came to her love of good food, well prepared.This book works on so many levels, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

kitchen poetry
Not only does MFK fisher appreciate good food, but this book is one everybody can relate to. Its a FUN read with language reserved mostly for poetry. An absolute MUST. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

An excellent pick for any serious murder mystery collection
Kerry Greenwood's MURDER ON A MIDSUMMER NIGHT tells of Phryne Fisher, is set in 1929, and tells of her investigation of an antique shop other's mysterious death and strange friendships. Phryne follows some strange leads that bring her into international waters complete with pirate maps, spirit guides, and ghosts. An excellent pick for any serious murder mystery collection.

Happy New Year
In the previous 15 novels in this delightful series, the Hon. Phryne Fisher cavorted through a series of capers in the year 1928.Now in the 16th entry, we progress to the dire year 1929, and the 'thoroughly modern miss' is faced with two absorbing new adventures in her inimitable fashion.

First, she is asked by the mother of an antique dealer to find the real reason for his death, ruled a misadventure by drowning.It would appear that several dilettantes believed that he knew where Blackbeard's treasures are buried and, through séances, are still attempting to ascertain their location by making contact with him.

Then, Phryne is approached by an attorney to discover whether or not a deceased woman gave birth to an illegitimate baby, and whether the child is still alive, since the attorney cannot distribute the estate until all possible heirs are known.The investigation, of course, is not looked upon favorably by the known relatives.

Like previous Phryne Fisher novels, this one is charming, as is the protagonist, who goes her merry way.The writing is fluid and the characters the usual assortment of oddities.The author's approach may be whimsical, but there's a lot of meat in the tales, and the book is recommended.

A well thought-out page turner
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (4/09)

This was the first Phryne Fisher Mystery that I have read in Kerry Greenwood's series and it left me wanting to read all the ones that I have missed.This fast-paced novel is full of twists and turns and is the perfect book to take on vacation or to the beach this summer.

The Honorable Phryne Fisher is a wealthy socialite who lives in Melbourne, Australia in 1929.Phryne's life definitely does not fit the description of a classic upper-crust person.She is turning 29, happily single, a detective, has a Chinese lover and can drink beer and apparently every other alcoholic beverage as easily as she sips tea.Her colorful household includes very opinionated and supportive servants, two adopted daughters (I am assuming they were part of an earlier mystery) and a smart, pampered cat.Her sister and life partner, Lady Alice, live nearby and are frequently involved in Phryne's mysteries.

"Murder on a Midsummer Night" includes two mysteries for Phryne to solve.The first one appears when Augustine Manifold, a proprietor drowns and it is assumed that he committed suicide.His mother does not believe this and engages Phryne to look into the matter.Phryne finds herself embroiled in a situation that leads to murder, mediums, kif smoking and lots of drinking.As if this isn't enough she is also retained by a wealthy family to find out if their deceased mother had an illegitimate child.This family can't seem to get along at all and the outcome to this case may even be crazier than the first mystery she is investigating.

With the help of her family, her boyfriend LinChung and friends, Phryne is finally able to solve both mysteries amid often humorous chaos.There is one mystery that happens at a séance that she is not able to figure out, but that solution may not be of this world.That's all I will say about this matter, so I won't give anything away.

I found the novel to be very entertaining and well thought out. Usually I can figure out what the solution is well before I reach it and I was way off in both cases.I highly recommend "Murder on a Midsummer Night" by Kerry Greenwood to mystery buffs.

terrific Australian Depression Era mystery
In Melbourne in 1929 the drowning death of twenty-nine years old antiques dealer Augustine Manifold is considered a suicide by most of the city including the police.Perhaps the only holdouts are as expected his distraught mom who refuses to believe her son killed himself and wealthy private investigator Phyrne Fisher.

Though her plate seems overflowing with her meeting her socialite demands, raising two adopted daughters, and working several concurrent cases like searching for a missing heir, she agrees to look into Augustine's death and still have time for her Chinese lover.As she digs deeper into the alleged suicide Phyrne begins finding evidence that her gut is right that someone murdered Manifold, but who and proving it seems impossible to uncover.

This terrific Australian Depression Era mystery is perhaps the most complicated entry in the super Fisher saga.The story line is fast-paced but seems initially all over the place until master magician Kerry Greenwood brings the threads together in a brilliant manner.Phyrne is her usual kick butt independent dynamo as she manages a zillion things only to keep adding one more time consumer onto her overflowing plate.The Manifold investigation is top rate as she sets out to prove the suicide was actually MURDER ON A MIDSUMMER NIGHT.

Harriet Klausner
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Customer Reviews (1)

this works with latino adults
This book is very useful in using it teaching adult ESL learners.It deals with adult areas and is not "childish." We are using it with a group of migrant workers over a six week period. ... Read more

Product Description
The artist and AIDS activist who spoke at the 1992 Republican convention recounts her childhood in the shadow of divorce and alcoholism, her struggle with HIV, and her mission to educate the public about AIDS. 100,000 first printing. National ad/promo.Amazon.com Review
Those who think of Fisher as "the Republican poster girl for AIDS" mayfind themselves surprised by this sensitive and frank description of herlife, her weaknesses, and her disease.She is particularly insistent thatshe not be regarded as a heroine, and those who have praised her and herbook range from President Ford to Larry Kramer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fantastic!
This audio book was fantastic.It is included on my short list of audio books that I've listened to more than once.But the book was published in 1996, can anyone tell me what has happened to Mary Fischer since then?

Why did I like the book so much?It was well-written.Read by the author, it was sincere and heartfelt.Mary Fischer's life has been filled with many challenges.The listener may haveexperienced some of these challenges: life with an alcoholic parent, marital problems and divorce, lack of recognition at work, dealing with a deadly disease.But whether the listener has first-hand experience with a particular problem or not, Mary's narrative will pull at your heart, put you in her shoes, make your heart beat a little quicker at the tense moments, bring a lump to your throat at others.

I listened to this book during a week that I was particularly down about my long commute and work situation.I couldn't have made a better choice.I wish Mary Fischer well and thank her for sharing her story. ... Read more

Product Description
This collection of interviews captures the conversation of one of the most prominent prose writers in the Unites States. About her the Chicago Sun-Times says, "She is to literary prose what Sir Laurence Olivier is to acting or Willie Mays is to baseball."

These interviews reveal her uncompromising and frequently contradictory attitudes toward the luxuries and necessities of gastronomy, the idea that sensual appreciation, in all aspects of life, is or should be necessary. In her conversations m. F. K. Fisher often returns to the complexities of her life. Other recurring subjects in these interviews include the nature of aging, the differences between men and women, and her own relationship to her work, which she describes with precision and a selective memory.

These pieces give us a view of M. F. K. Fisher in motion--speaking and changing her mind at will, with fierce wit, unable to tolerate simplistic strategies of thinking and living. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Jewel
If you are an M.F.K. Fisher fan (if you have read her, you are) then you will love this one. She was a writer without peer. I highly recommend this book about her (with much in her own words) and any book by her. Cheers! ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first book in a series about a squirrel family that discovers their young son, Nutty, is allergic to nuts. The reader follows this family through lifestyle changes and the necessary adaptations to keep Nutty safe and sound. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Nut allergies
My son brought this book to school to share with his classmates.They help keep him safe at school by watching out for other kids eating peanut butter sandwiches near him.They let the teacher know that someone close by has a peanut butter sandwich.

My 4 year loved this book!
This book was a great way to start conversations with my son about his food allergies.It isn't an instruction manual for kids, but more of a nice family story that kids will enjoy hearing again and again.My son thought the fly stew was hilarious! ... Read more

Product Description
This is probably the first book ever written on how to start your own TV station. This book is to the point, and the author does not waste time on worthless information. If you are looking to start your own TV station, this is by far your best resource for beginner information. This book concentrates on several aspects of starting a satellite TV channel and includes information on Internet, and Cable TV. If you are dreaming of owning your own TV station, then do not let this opportunity pass you by. Even if you do not have all the necessary money to start your own station, this book gives you advice on where to go to get the capital required for your new venture.This book was written for the beginner that is looking to learn more about starting their own TV station. This book will help you understand the basics of starting a TV station so that you can make informed decisions. Also a special section on "How to Start Your Own TV Show" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Good information, terribly written
First, this book is tiny. Only 77 pages, including 10 for the glossary. And those pages are only about 5.25 x 7.75 inches. Use Amazon's Look Inside feature to get a feel for the wide spacing on those pages. I've had larger user manuals.

Second, the writing and presentation are so bad that they are a huge distraction. The first word of the book is misspelled. The first illustration is a grainy screenshot with arrows childishly drawn in. It's hard to find a page not marked with typos and grammar that is awkward at best.

Third, the book is partly a promotion tool for the author's web site. There are repeated references to what the author can do to help startup stations, and some discussion of fees.

But down deep, there are signs of an author who might really know how this really works. He lays out what pieces are necessary for a satellite TV station as well as alternatives in cable, over-the-air, and internet broadcasting. He also includes ballpark price estimates for each of these pieces. And he even adds bits of wisdom, such as choosing a satellite that already has direct-to-home viewers so your new station will have a larger initial potential audience.

For the quality of presentation, this book is terribly overpriced. But if that information is worth the money to you, it's available. Just be sure to use Look Inside so you'll know what you're getting.

It was Good for a General Overview
Amazon review of TV startup book : this book helped me go from a dream/vision to and actual plan . I agree with the author there's no way to tell you everything but this is a good resource guide . it gives you a general idea and really it's the only resource guide like it out there .so I enjoyed the book and wanted to give my opinion no one perfect as far as grammatical errors the only perfect book is the bible .

Useful Information
I found this book to be very useful and detailed. Though there was a lot of misspelled words, I still was able to get the knowledge I needed from it. I wish there were more books related to starting a network and all the projects covered in this book. I am implementing some of the procedures as I write this.

Great Book
Great book. It had all the information I was looking for. Those who write a negative review should read the title of the book. This book covers subjects such as technical know how, and cost to start a tv station.

This was a peace of joke
Don't wast that amount of money because I have been recharging TV Station and TV Shows and this didn't help me at all just the amount you spend over again and I would take it and through it an my trash can I don't have hatred to the author but he is a good writer but I don't think he knows any thing about this subject and it is to bad that the Internet doesn't offer more information I have been wanting start a TV Station for all my life and have a TV Show I've emailed all the people off of the website of TV Station and they don't write me back!
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