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When doctor and author Rachel Naomi Remen (Kitchen Table Wisdom) was young, she was caught between two different views of life: that of her rabbi grandfather and that of her highly academic, research-oriented parents, who believed religion was the opiate of the masses. As Remen gravitated toward academics and serving the world as a medical doctor, her grandfather became an "island of mysticism in a vast sea of science." But over time, Remen discovered that two seemingly divergent paths could lead to the same destination, especially as she learned to blend her spiritual beliefs with her medical treatment.
Remen uses the heart-rending stories of her patients to teach readers how to follow in her example, that is, combining a life of service with a life of receiving and giving blessings (a combination that avoids common problems such as burnout, self-sacrifice, and navel gazing). Remen also includes personal stories of her grandfather, who showered the world with his mystical beliefs and wizened blessings. While this story-by-story structure is similar to the bestselling Kitchen Table Wisdom, it is still a tearful and satisfying formula. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
As a small child, Rachel Remen sat at the feet of her grandfather, an orthodox rabbi and scholar of the kabbalah, and learned the secret of life: that love and blessings given to others heals our loneliness, unhappiness, and in fact all our wounds. Remen uses her power as a master storyteller to bring to life the extraordinary blessings of ordinary existence. These exquisite pieces show us how we bless and serve each other most often without knowing it, how much life gives to us, and how many of our own blessings we have still yet to receive.
There is nothing more comforting than hearing Rachel's grandfather speak of love, life, and God to a small, lonely, and very spiritual child who was trying to find her way in an unspiritual world. These are stories for keeping at the bedside, for those dark nights when we go out in search of our souls.
Rachel's grandfather has blessed not only his beloved granddaughter but, through her, has blessed us all.
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful.......2007-09-24
I love this book - it's absolutely beautiful. The stories can help you grow. I would recommend this treasure to anyone.
A Blessing to Read.......2007-09-14
Easy to Read, Much food for thought.....Life lessons for all of us to learn and use. Short chapters with a new theme in each. Can read short snippets at a time.
A Blessing In Itself.......2007-07-22
I feel bad. Apparently, I'm only the 6th person out of 47 people to give this book anything less than a 5-star rating. And there's only one reason I did that. As a writer myself, I feel that there are too many stories in this book. Some of these little narratives just aren't as powerful or focused as others. And I would have left them out. But please don't let that get in the way of your enjoyment of this wonderful work. It is every bit as inspiring, uplifting, and profound as most of the other reviewers say it is. I especially like the common theme I see running through most of the pieces presented here. And that's the idea that the wholeness of an individual not only includes his or her health, talents and accomplishments, but his or her pain, suffering, shortcomings, and illnesses, too. In life we are called to embrace it all, and resist nothing. And that is the key to a life that is truly fulfilling and rewarding.
Steven Lane Taylor, author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat: A Guide For Living Life In The Divine Flow
One not to be missed.......2007-05-19
I have found My Grandfather's Blessings to be among the most moving books I have ever read. Each brief story can stand on its own. The author relates a simple incident, as many of us have lived, but then goes on in a simple and succinct manner to reveal a deeper meaning within the experience. Ms. Remen does not talk down to the reader, but rather sweeps us up into the experience with her. Upon finishing this book, I immediately ordered five more and sent them out to friends.
A wonderful surprise!.......2007-05-10
A friend recommended this book to me, but I wasn't that interested in reading it because the title sounded too sentimental. I took a chance on it anyway and found it to be one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's not sentimental at all. It's a series of true accounts from the author about what it really means to be connected to one another and what it really means to be a human being--open, vulnerable, and accessible. Death too is included in our human experience, meeting it with trust and intelligence. It's a book you can take your time with, savor, and pass along to a true friend.
Book Description
Praised by everyone from Bernie Siegel to Daniel Goleman to Larry Dossey, Rachel Remen has a unique perspective on healing rooted in her background as a physician, a professor of medicine, a therapist, and a long-term survivor of chronic illness. In a deeply moving and down-to-earth collection of true stories, this prominent physician shows us life in all its power and mystery and reminds us that the things we cannot measure may be the things that ultimately sustain and enrich our lives.
Customer Reviews:
muesli read.......2007-08-12
Similar to the breakfast cereal, some parts are puffy light and fluffy, other parts are solid and thick and other parts just leave you wondering "what the heck was that?". Easy bed side reading.
A Wise Book.......2007-06-27
A wise and wonderful book. It is beautifully written. I gave a copy to my doctor today as a gift for his care of me. Should be required reading for anyone in a helping profession.
Absolute wisdom.......2007-06-16
A must for anyone trying to have a better life
Kitchen tTble Wisdom.......2007-06-11
well written with lots of room for reflection and self-growth by the reader
Kitchen Table Wisdom.......2007-06-07
Love, love, love the book and her other one My Grandfather's Blessings:)
Average customer rating:
- Chopin: Pianist and Teacher: As Seen by his Pupils
- Must have for anyone seriously studying Chopin
- A must have
- You need this if you play Chopin
- great book on how to play Chopin
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Chopin: Pianist and Teacher: As Seen by his Pupils
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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 Chopin, Frederic
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ASIN: 0521367093 |
Book Description
The accounts of Chopin's pupils, acquaintances and contemporaries, together with his own writing, provide valuable insights into the musician's pianistic and stylistic practice, his teaching methods and his aesthetic beliefs. This unique collection of documents, edited and annotated by Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger, reveals Chopin as teacher and interpreter of his own music. Included in this study is extensive appendix material that presents annotated scores, and personal accounts of Chopin's playing by pupils, writers, and critics.
Customer Reviews:
Chopin: Pianist and Teacher: As Seen by his Pupils.......2007-02-14
I satisfied with this book very much.
Must have for anyone seriously studying Chopin.......2006-07-14
To the general public Chopin is famous for his beautiful piano music. However, in his days he also was a renowned piano teacher with some revolutionary ideas (at least for his time) about piano technique. His students included rich, aristocratic ladies (he had to make a living) and some very talented students.
Luckily many of the things Chopin told his students during their lessons have been preserved in various diaries and notes by his students and have now been compiled in this book.
Also, Chopin made a start with a piano method (which he did not complete). This method is also included in this book.
If you are a piano student this book is simply a must-have.
If you are not a pianist, but seriously interested in Chopin's ideas about (his own) music and teaching you also should buy this book.
JJ Eigeldinger wrote more excellent books about Chopin which unfortunately are still only available in French.
A must have.......2004-06-06
AAA++++...a must have book if you are serious about playing Chopin. A wealth of valuable information. Very highly recommanded.
You need this if you play Chopin.......2004-02-15
You need this book if you play Chopin. There is a wealth of information on playing Chopin's music directly from the composer and his pupils. It has answered many questions and cleared up some misconceptions I had about this music.
great book on how to play Chopin.......2002-08-17
For those of us who bungle at the keyboard and can always use more guidance, this book offers a great start in understanding Chopin's music. Probably the most difficult piece to play in public is Chopin Ballade No. 4, and Chopin offers some incredible insight into how he wanted it played. As you know, the music notation on the sheet cannot cover every intention of the composer, much like writing cannot capture everything, but most of what we want to say. This book supplements your understanding of the music. I would not be surprised if your great piano teacher pulls material out of this book in order to advise you on how to play Chopin.
Amazon.com
We live in an era where image is nearly everything, where the proliferation of brand-name culture has created, to take one hyperbolic example from Naomi Klein's No Logo, "walking, talking, life-sized Tommy [Hilfiger] dolls, mummified in fully branded Tommy worlds." Brand identities are even flourishing online, she notes--and for some retailers, perhaps best of all online: "Liberated from the real-world burdens of stores and product manufacturing, these brands are free to soar, less as the disseminators of goods or services than as collective hallucinations."
In No Logo, Klein patiently demonstrates, step by step, how brands have become ubiquitous, not just in media and on the street but increasingly in the schools as well. (The controversy over advertiser-sponsored Channel One may be old hat, but many readers will be surprised to learn about ads in school lavatories and exclusive concessions in school cafeterias.) The global companies claim to support diversity, but their version of "corporate multiculturalism" is merely intended to create more buying options for consumers. When Klein talks about how easy it is for retailers like Wal-Mart and Blockbuster to "censor" the contents of videotapes and albums, she also considers the role corporate conglomeration plays in the process. How much would one expect Paramount Pictures, for example, to protest against Blockbuster's policies, given that they're both divisions of Viacom?
Klein also looks at the workers who keep these companies running, most of whom never share in any of the great rewards. The president of Borders, when asked whether the bookstore chain could pay its clerks a "living wage," wrote that "while the concept is romantically appealing, it ignores the practicalities and realities of our business environment." Those clerks should probably just be grateful they're not stuck in an Asian sweatshop, making pennies an hour to produce Nike sneakers or other must-have fashion items. Klein also discusses at some length the tactic of hiring "permatemps" who can do most of the work and receive few, if any, benefits like health care, paid vacations, or stock options. While many workers are glad to be part of the "Free Agent Nation," observers note that, particularly in the high-tech industry, such policies make it increasingly difficult to organize workers and advocate for change.
But resistance is growing, and the backlash against the brands has set in. Street-level education programs have taught kids in the inner cities, for example, not only about Nike's abusive labor practices but about the astronomical markup in their prices. Boycotts have commenced: as one urban teen put it, "Nike, we made you. We can break you." But there's more to the revolution, as Klein optimistically recounts: "Ethical shareholders, culture jammers, street reclaimers, McUnion organizers, human-rights hacktivists, school-logo fighters and Internet corporate watchdogs are at the early stages of demanding a citizen-centered alternative to the international rule of the brands ... as global, and as capable of coordinated action, as the multinational corporations it seeks to subvert." No Logo is a comprehensive account of what the global economy has wrought and the actions taking place to thwart it. --Ron Hogan
Book Description
With a new Afterword to the 2002 edition. No Logo employs journalistic savvy and personal testament to detail the insidious practices and far-reaching effects of corporate marketing—and the powerful potential of a growing activist sect that will surely alter the course of the 21st century. First published before the World Trade Organization protests in Seattle, this is an infuriating, inspiring, and altogether pioneering work of cultural criticism that investigates money, marketing, and the anti-corporate movement.
As global corporations compete for the hearts and wallets of consumers who not only buy their products but willingly advertise them from head to toe—witness today’s schoolbooks, superstores, sporting arenas, and brand-name synergy—a new generation has begun to battle consumerism with its own best weapons. In this provocative, well-written study, a front-line report on that battle, we learn how the Nike swoosh has changed from an athletic status-symbol to a metaphor for sweatshop labor, how teenaged McDonald’s workers are risking their jobs to join the Teamsters, and how “culture jammers” utilize spray paint, computer-hacking acumen, and anti-propagandist wordplay to undercut the slogans and meanings of billboard ads (as in “Joe Chemo” for “Joe Camel”).
No Logo will challenge and enlighten students of sociology, economics, popular culture, international affairs, and marketing.
“This book is not another account of the power of the select group of corporate Goliaths that have gathered to form our de facto global government. Rather, it is an attempt to analyze and document the forces opposing corporate rule, and to lay out the particular set of cultural and economic conditions that made the emergence of that opposition inevitable.”—Naomi Klein, from her Introduction
Download Description
Once a poster boy for the new economy, Bill Gates has become a global whipping boy. The Nike swoosh is quickly losing its cachet, equated now with sweatshop labor. Teenage McDonald's workers are joining the Teamsters. What's going on? NO LOGO explains why some of the most revered brands in the world are finding themselves on the wrong end of a spray-can, a computer hack, or an international anti-corporate campaign. NO LOGO uncovers a betrayal of the central promises of the information age: choice, interactivity, and increased freedom. Instead, job security and consumer choice have been swallowed whole by companies who enlist us as their human billboards and spokesmen. Equal parts cultural analysis, political manifesto, mall-rat memoir, and journalistic expose, NO LOGO is the first book that both uncovers the sins of corporations run amok and explores and explains the new resistance that will change consumer culture in the 21st century.
Customer Reviews:
Informatively frustrating.......2007-08-17
It was well written exploring many aspects of branding, culture jamming, and production.
This book will leave you with frustration and questioning how you change change something, and what CAN you buy that isn't made from Export Processing Zones.
It does give great information but yet leaves you frustrated and feeling helpless that you can't change the current conditions or avoid buying products made in places like china, el salvador, indonesia where they treat their workers worse than dirt.
Insight into an Ad-driven culture.......2007-07-14
This book offers a deep insight on how advertising are creeping into our lives, even conveyed to us in a subliminal way. If left unchecked, the corporations would be the authors our culture. It also showcases the exploits of major corporations in employment.
However, one must be critical when reading the book, as some of the things Naomi bashes on, such as the Starbucks expansion strategy, are genuine business strategies. In some cases, we have to be realistic and not blindly adopt and anti-corporation stance.
The first 3 chapters, No Space, No Choice, and No Jobs are exceptionally informative, but the last chapter, No Logo, falls short and descends into a boring rant on countermeasures that in my opinion, are far from effective and often, impractical.
Buy the book, read the first 2, skip the last.
Anti-Corporate Handbook.......2007-05-20
What are the effects of multinational corporations in the Branding Age? Naomi Klein tackles that in this seminal work on the subject. While somewhat dated (published in 2000), it gives the most comprehensive picture of the transition corporations have undergone from providing competent products and services to providing ubiquitous branding and advertising to produce loyalty and sell peripherals. This book gives the total picture of the devastation left in the wake of total corporate dominance in the U.S., Canada, and worldwide.
As she details, what has emerged in the last half of the 20th century is a new kind of totality - an economic imperialism spearheaded by Nike, The Gap, McDonalds, Shell, and Microsoft and their lawyers, contractors, and advertising agencies. As they break open markets, crush competition, and lower wages across the globe they've gotten so powerful as to dictate to scores of countries what their trade and economic policies are going to be. These policies are always anti-Union and terrible for workers, leaving nations worse off than before they were Industrialized and Advertised - creating massive wealth gaps and uneven distributions across the board.
The four major sections of the book: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs, and No Logo, each show in example after example, case study upon study that advertising is the product now and the more money spent in that avenue, the more profitable the corporation can be while taking every opportunity away from the poor and disenfranchised, forcing horrible conditions and worse jobs on them, and decreasing their access to health care and nutrition. This is not an accident. This is a concerted policy foisted upon the world through the corporate enforcement arm of the WTO, World Bank, and U.S. Military.
Is it hopeless? Well, civil disobedience is one way to combat the trends and takeover and Klein offers many suggestions and examples in this book. However even she admits that the situation is bleak.
Good luck . . . and good read.
- CV Rick
NO LOGO will fundementally alter the way you think about the world........2006-11-04
Naomi Klien's treatise on the anti-corporate movement of the last decade provides tremendous insight into the philosophies behind today's anti-corporate culture, and more importantly, the "branded" society that has spawned it. Well written and intelligent on every level, NO LOGO carefully tracks such disturbing phenomenons as the disappearance of public space, the rise of corporate censorship, and the transformation of living wage jobs for Americans into sweatshop labor in the third world. If you are completely unfamiliar with today's cultural rebellion against corporate control, NO LOGO serves as an excellent introduction, clearly outlining the dubious marketing trend of promoting "brands not products" such that you will never be able to watch commercials the same way again. If you are a seasoned WTO protester or billboard adbuster, NO LOGO will provide you with all the philosophical and factual ammo necessary to start converting your friends away from their unthinking materialistic lifestyle. This book is a must read for anyone who considers themselves and independently thinking consumer, as well as anyone who is interested in the latest cultural rebellion taking place among today's young and disenfranchised.
The Third World has always existed for the comfort of the First.......2006-11-03
Naomi Klein sketches perfectly the major shift in corporate strategy today: transnational companies are not interested in production anymore, only in branding: products are made in factories, brands in the mind. Branding creates big margins, production in home countries meager earnings.
This strategy causes monstrous layoffs in the First World and creates EPZ (Export Processing Zones) in the Third World.
In the First world, corporations transformed themselves in `engines of wealth growth' for their shareholders, instead of `engines of job growth'. `CEO's of the 30 companies with the largest announced layoffs saw their total compensation increase by 67%.'
The jobs they need are predominantly outsourced, or are McJobs (no `adult wages') and temporary stop-jobs.
The First World stirs fierce competition between Third World countries in order to get rock-bottom prices for their `branded' products, creating colossal margins in the home countries.
Wages in EPZs are so low that most of the money is spent on shared dorm rooms and basic food. Workers cannot afford the consumer goods they produce.
Another aspect of our branded world is the sheer size of the (trans)national corporations created by relentless mergers and acquisitions. Their size permits them to decide what items (also magazines, DVDs) should be stocked in a store, in other words, they create a new kind of censorship.
Big mergers in the media landscape allow conglomerates to produce their own news and in this sense jeopardize basic civil liberties.
While Naomi Klein's analysis of our consumer planet is very revealing, the remedies she proposes are rather innocent, epidermic, symptom healing or too general: ad and brand busting, radical ecology (Reclaim the Streets), anti-globalization and anti-corporate mass protests, boycott, building greater critical social consciousness. Individual actions like attacking in court (Shell in Nigeria), revealing Nike's sweatshops or denouncing McDonald's food are ultimately not more than temporary needle pricks in elephant skins.
What the world needs is a global vision, which we can find in the works of Joseph Stiglitz or (for a view from the South) Walden Bello.
Highly recommended.
Average customer rating:
- great story, ok execution
- Well-imagined combination of history, fantasy, and manners
- A fine beginning.
- BAD
- What a page-turner!
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His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, Book 1)
Naomi Novik
Manufacturer: Del Rey
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Dauntless (The Lost Fleet, Book 1)
ASIN: 0345481283
Release Date: 2006-03-28 |
Book Description
Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors rise to Britain’s defense by taking to the skies . . . not aboard aircraft but atop the mighty backs of fighting dragons.
When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Capt. Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future–and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire.
Customer Reviews:
great story, ok execution.......2007-09-25
I read a lot of reviews before I bought HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON and almost all of them got around to making the same two points: the story is fantastic, the writing is fairly flat. Lo and behold, now that I have read the book I have to say that all those reviews were on-target. It is totally delightful to read about dragons in the Napoleonic Wars, and bizarrely fitting: of course the same people that charge into battle on horses, or frail wooden ships, would be at home on flying beasts. The details are wonderfully worked out, the blend of historical research and imagination is hard to read without real relish.
Novik maintains a steady level of tension throughout the book. The story doesn't really build to a climax and then resolve; but there are no dull passages, and no saggy middle. Her characters are a little wooden and Laurence, in particular, is so painfully noble that even if he were more vividly drawn he would still be fairly one-dimensional.
I might read more of this series, and I'm sure that I'd enjoy it. But I can't imagine feeling very passionate about it, given what I know of the first installment.
Well-imagined combination of history, fantasy, and manners.......2007-09-23
I was a little hesitant about the Novik novels at first, never having been a dragon fiction fan and not being able to recall what was the last grown-up fantasy novel I read, unless you count "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" as fantasy fiction. Still, I knew that Novik was partly inspired by the works of Patrick O'Brian and Jane Austen, weighty names that lent some worth to her reputation. By the middle of the first novel, the well wrought combination of dragons, Napoleonic wars, and Regency propriety sealed Novik's reputation for me. And it's a good one.
The best thing about the series is the friendship between a Jack-Aubrey-styled hero, Will Laurence, and the Chinese-by-nature and British-by-nurture Imperial dragon, Temeraire, named for a French ship captured by the English at the Battle of Lagos in 1759. (Temeraire's egg was taken from a French ship that Laurence had won.) I was completely won over by Temeraire, who is curious, polite, brave, eager for knowledge and action, and harbors revolutionary inclinations. He and Will make a brilliant team as they endure danger and triumph during their battles against the French.
A fine beginning........2007-09-17
Naomi Novik, His Majesty's Dragon (Del Rey, 2006)
It took me almost a year after I first started hearing about Naomi Novik's Temeraire Trilogy to actually get round to reading the first book in the series, and I regret that. This is some fine stuff right here. Novik has reimagined the world as it was in Napoleon's time, creating an alternate universe where only one thing is changed: the existence of dragons. This is an entry in the martial-fantasy subgenre, where the emphasis is off swords and sorcery and is more on military tactics and the like (viz. Elizabeth Moon's The Deed of Paksenarrion or Steven Erikson's Malazan books), but Novik goes one deeper, spending a good deal of time examining the mores and customs of the time, and figuring out how the existence of dragons might affect those (as well as the obvious effect on the military). The result is a quite stunning period piece. Oddly, though, what it most reminds me of is Joan Aiken's The Stolen Lake, but without Aiken's sense of whimsy.
Temeraire is a dragon, still unhatched when the book begins. Navy captain Will Laurence gets the egg as part of the bounty after capturing a French warship, and after the dragon hatches, it befriends Laurence, and the two of them set off on a grand adventure in the Napoleonic wars.
The book's been called by more than one reviewer "Patrick O'Brian with dragons." I, embarrassingly, have not yet read O'Brien, but if he's this much fun, I'll start as soon as I can. Novik's martial writing is on a par with Erikson's, if not on the same epic plateau, while her examination of customs and mores has a nice subtlety to it. A fine book, this, and I'm much looking forward to the rest of the series. ****
BAD.......2007-09-17
According to the review, all this book is is a copy of Eragon with a little British theme thrown in. Even the staling of the egg mirrors Eragon. I would never buy this book, ever. Anybody who is reading this, definitly spend the extra $10.00 for Eragon. It is way better.
What a page-turner!.......2007-08-31
This is one of the most enjoyable books I've read in the past five years. I loved how Will Laurence changed in a wholly believable manner from the prototypical stiff, formal Regency hero into a core member of Britain's new Aerial Force. I loved how the dragon Temeraire develops from an infant, albeit a sentient infant with language, to an adult. I loved the culture of the Aerial Corps, and how it differed so intensely from the rest of society (just as the precursor of the RAF did from the rest of the British military).
I'm not even fond of dragon stories, fantasies, or Regency fiction, but this was superb! I haven't had that much fun reading in a very long time!
Amazon.com
The Mekong region, which extends south from China through Laos and Thailand to Cambodia and Vietnam, offers extraordinary food. Hot Sour Salty Sweet, which takes its name from the principal taste sensations of the region's cooking, provides an unparalleled culinary journey through this fertile land. Though the book contains a wealth of anecdotal material, its great strength lies in its 175 recipes, explicit formulas for the likes of Shrimp in Hot Lime Leaf Broth, Lao Yellow Rice and Duck, and Hui Beef Stew with Chick Peas and Anise. The breadth and substance of this authentic yet approachable collection is truly exciting; readers who cook from the book (not difficult to do once ingredients are assembled and techniques understood), as well as those searching for the best kind of armchair travel, will be delighted.
Beginning with a discussion of the Mekong region, its people (a complicated mix, among them the Kai, Akha, and Cham), and their characteristic foods, the book then provides recipes organized by ingredients, dish types, and topics such as "Everyday Dependable," "One-Dish Meals," "Kids Like It," and "Vegetarian Options." This latter style of division helps define and "domesticate" a vast array of cooking, often enjoyed at times and places foreign to Westerners. Chapters devoted to such sweets as Tapioca and Corn Pudding with Coconut Cream, grilled specialties, and fare for adventurous cooks, such as Aromatic Steamed Fish Curry (more painstaking technically, though not truly difficult) further widen the book's scope. Illustrated throughout with 150 color photos and containing a comprehensive ingredient glossary, the book is a definitive point of entry to a mostly unexplored culinary port of call. --Arthur Boehm
Book Description
Luminous at dawn and dusk, the Mekong is a river road, a vibrant artery that defines a vast and fascinating region. Here, along the world's tenth largest river, which rises in Tibet and joins the sea in Vietnam, traditions mingle and exquisite food prevails.
Award-winning authors Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid followed the river south, as it flows through the mountain gorges of southern China, to Burma and into Laos and Thailand. For a while the right bank of the river is in Thailand, but then it becomes solely Lao on its way to Cambodia. Only after three thousand miles does it finally enter Vietnam and then the South China Sea.
It was during their travels that Alford and Duguid—who ate traditional foods in villages and small towns and learned techniques and ingredients from cooks and market vendors—came to realize that the local cuisines, like those of the Mediterranean, share a distinctive culinary approach: Each cuisine balances, with grace and style, the regional flavor quartet of hot, sour, salty, and sweet. This book, aptly titled, is the result of their journeys.
Like Alford and Duguid's two previous works, Flatbreads and Flavors ("a certifiable publishing event" —Vogue) and Seductions of Rice ("simply stunning"—The New York Times), this book is a glorious combination of travel and taste, presenting enticing recipes in "an odyssey rich in travel anecdote" (National Geographic Traveler).
The book's more than 175 recipes for spicy salsas, welcoming soups, grilled meat salads, and exotic desserts are accompanied by evocative stories about places and people. The recipes and stories are gorgeously illustrated throughout with more than 150 full-color food and travel photographs.
In each chapter, from Salsas to Street Foods, Noodles to Desserts, dishes from different cuisines within the region appear side by side: A hearty Lao chicken soup is next to a Vietnamese ginger-chicken soup; a Thai vegetable stir-fry comes after spicy stir-fried potatoes from southwest China.
The book invites a flexible approach to cooking and eating, for dishes from different places can be happily served and eaten together: Thai Grilled Chicken with Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce pairs beautifully with Vietnamese Green Papaya Salad and Lao sticky rice.
North Americans have come to love Southeast Asian food for its bright, fresh flavors. But beyond the dishes themselves, one of the most attractive aspects of Southeast Asian food is the life that surrounds it. In Southeast Asia, people eat for joy. The palate is wildly eclectic, proudly unrestrained. In Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet, at last this great culinary region is celebrated with all the passion, color, and life that it deserves.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful.......2006-08-17
This was given to me by a good friend. I love to cook, and over the years have struggled with South East asian, Thai in particular, cooking. But this book lays it all out in such a way, and has such clear instructions that, in combination with an asian grocery store, it is foolproof. As a bonus, the travelogues and side bars are wonderfully interesting. Even if you don't cook, you will be taken away on a wonderful culinary journey through the region.
Some issues with book.......2006-07-12
Pondering on whether to return book or not. Purchased for Cambodian recipes, having a hard time finding a Cambodian cookbook, this was the best bet = and it does have dishes for things we ate like Khmer soup, pumpkin curry and a similar version to Amok. (oddly i have the amok recipe in my New York Cookbook, a favorite standby)
But as an avid photographer and traveler and cookbook collector, i have to say the travel writing is amateurish, the photos are not great (a mini picture of Angkor wat and i don't think i saw many pictures of places i'd been to in thailand or vietnam - just street scenes - what kind of travelogue is this?) and never seem to match the right page (you would think there would be a photo of what you are reading about next to it) and the pictures of dishes are far and few between. For the huge irregular book format of the book there are not that many recipes. Compare for example "the Cook's Book" for the same heft has 685 recipes.. Compare with Nobu Now for the difference in food photography capability..
if many of these reviews didn't say the recipes are good they are part of daily repetoire, i'm tempted to return. it really is way to big for the content inside.
Very Good Coffee Table Book. Good recipes, but expensive.......2005-12-31
`Hot Sour Salty Sweet' by husband and wife team, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid is a troublesome book to evaluate. Its biggest problem is its relatively high list price ($45) for no more than average culinary content. Much of that inflated price is based on its oversized heft and the fact that it mixes cooking content with comments on culinary regionalism and pure travelogue in text and pictures.
I confess that this is a very attractive book, very similar in appearance to their later volume, `Home Baking' that I enjoyed and very favorably reviewed. And, since the authors have just come out with a new book with similar heft, price, and subject, I figured it was time to attend to reviewing this volume.
Aside from the price, I have one major problem with this book. While its focus is the culinary world of Southeast Asia, the text is far more anecdotal and personal than it is analytical. After reviewing many excellent books on the regional cooking of France, Italy, and other parts of the Mediterranean, I really find this book very thin on substance. Part of the problem for me may be that it tries to cover far too great an area. In 324 pages of material, they cover Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Yunnan Province of China. Thailand alone has required a 675 page book (`Thai Food') from David Thompson. And, on the ingredients of Asia, you can get a far more comprehensive coverage in Bruce Cost's classic `Asian Ingredients'.
In contrast, the books on Italy's regions all include great insights on the origins of culinary mores in these relatively small venues. And, while Arthur Schwartz' book on Naples may include 50 detailed recipes for pasta in Campania, this book gives but 10 for a much larger region. On the other hand, I give the authors extra credit for providing a recipe for fresh, homemade rice noodles. You may have a bit of a problem wrangling this big book around your kitchen and making a decent photocopy of the oversized page, but it is still a good recipe.
If you have no interest whatsoever in acquiring any OTHER books on Southeast Asian cuisine and you have the budget for it, this is a very nice book. I just think that if you are serious about learning about food, you look for books with greater depth and less fluff.
I find it very interesting that none of the blurbs on the back of the book refer to this volume and none are from culinary notables. All refer to the authors' earlier book on flatbreads and most come from general publications such as `The New York Times' and `The Globe and Mail'.
I can really appreciate all the nice things other reviewers have said about this book, as I was impressed with it when I first looked at it 300 cookbook recipes ago. Since then, I find it just a bit too light for the price.
Recommended as a good coffee table book. Look for it at a steep discount!
This literary and culinary triumph is a ticket to SE Asia........2005-06-20
Of the dozen cookbooks I own, this remains my favorite. Mr. Alfrod and Mrs. Duguid bring the sights, sounds and smells of the Mekong river alive with excellent prose, assisted by photos from their travels. I have made about half the recipes in this book, and they are excellent. As the authors mention, their children love it, and I can believe it. Some ingredients and techniques are unusual, but the detailed instructions and indexes make it easy to get into SE Asian cooking. Some days I end up reading a few dozen pages when a just meant to pick a simple recipe. It is as delicious to enjoy in the study as in the dinning room!
Like Southeast Asian Food? Get this book!.......2005-06-18
I have been cooking food from Southeast Asia for over 15 years, so I have quite a cookbook collection. I must say that this is one of the best books on the subject that I own. They got it right in the title: hot, sour, salty, sweet---the combination of flavors used all over Southeast Asia. Great information for beginner or seasoned cook. And, wonderful, authentic recipes to boo! A must have for anyone interested in cooking food from this area of the world. ---Rev. Jeff, www.revjeff.com
Book Description
From the first time David Cross and Bob Odenkirk's cocreation aired on late-night TV in 1995, Mr. Show began developing a cult-like following, which has only grown since the series end. This lavishly-illustrated book features original, never-before-seen material — plus a complete episode guide — making it a rich, unique retrospective.
Customer Reviews:
A must for any Mr. Show fan..........2006-02-19
I'm usually not one for writing these reviews, but I thought i would spread the wonderfulness that is Mr. Show. If you haven't seen it, check it out, you'll love it, and then you'll want to pick up this book. It's an amazing account of how the show started, and it comes with an episode guide, and what Bob and David thought about doing each particular show. Pick it up, you won't regret it.
This book is very tall.......2005-08-25
The pages literally dwarf my fingers. The book is printed on massive, slick paper hotglued into the spine, where sit strategically-placed ball bearings, all to make reading this monster a chore--well, unless you're reading it while lying on your stomach. Then it's easy. Plus, I must admit that I've lost 72 pounds turning the heavy pages, and all the ladies comment on my abs (the paper cuts finally healed). So, Bob, Dave, Naomi, thanks for that. You probably saved my life.
On the serious side, WHAT HAPPENED?! is strongest when the author, Naomi Odenkirk, steps back and allows the writers/performers/guest stars/hangers-on to speak, using an oral storytelling format pioneered by Legs McNeil and Gillian Gaar's PLEASE KILL ME. Its failings are more evident in Naomi's prose, which is passable and at times amusing, but could've benefitted tremendously from a more strident editor, as well as another cutthroat round of proofreading--this sleek little volume is riddled with errors, leading/font issues and consistency, and misprints.
Despite all that it lacks, it's great to have Bob and Dave on paper, and WHAT HAPPENED?! does a serviceable job chronicling the sturm and DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN of HBO's finest comedy. Recommended, but with a slow exhalation.
On an unrelated subject, I would like to take this opportunity to announce my intent to become Amazon's top reviewer. I will stop at nothing to reach this goal. Over the next few weeks I will be conducting full-scale investigations into the lives of all who precede me, and am willing to challenge even the heftiest of scribes to fistfights near the corner of Sunset and Vine in Hollywood. I have the wind of passion and hunger at my back, propelling me to stardom like Clubber Lang doing chin-ups; you folks in the Top 10 had better watch your backs. You've been complacent too long. You will taste the silver of my rapier scallawag.
Satisfying "before," disappointing "after".......2005-02-16
If you're a big Mr. Show geek like I am, you're going to buy this book no matter what any review says, so you might as well quit reading and start spending. But your satisfaction with your purchase will depend upon how you interpret the "What Happened" in this book's title. If you take it to mean "what happened in each of the episodes," you'll get exactly what you want and be thrilled to fondle its ever-stickier pages. But if you assume, as I did, that the more pressing question facing Mr. Show fans is, "what happened to cause this brilliant show to be taken off the air, thus rendering my life meaningless," you'll be sorely disappointed.
There is no discussion whatsoever about the show's cancellation, its aftermath, etc. I can imagine many political reasons for omitting this information/carping but doing so does not increase my satisfaction with this book. Perhaps the Odenkirks are prepping us for a sequel, leaving us hungry for more, but somehow I don't think so.
The strong suit of this book is the information on how Mr. Show came into being, how the cast members met, their work before the series. Some tidbits that were new to me: Bob Odenkirk wrote that SNL Chris Farley sketch about "living in a VAN down by the RIVER;" Bill Odenkirk has a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry.
The only way I can satisfy my craving for more fantastic newness is by watching all of my Mr. Show DVDs, obliterating my memory with drugs, then repeating the process again and again. I recommend it highly.
Inspirational.......2004-10-25
If you're a serious fan of Mr.Show and a serious fan of comedy then you'll definately dig this book. It gives great insight into the actors themselves as well as the creation of each eposide from the early writing process to the final completed show. And for anyone wanting to get into comedy writing themselves it is truly inspirational and a must read.
I Licked This Buk.......2004-07-12
I licked this buk, I licked this buk very much. Straynge howe the two projecks released by the genyuses... sorry, the geniuses behind Mr. Show, the funniest sketch show of them all (while it lasted), both turned out to be horrendously shoddy productions. I mean, Run, Ronnie, Run? Why, boys, why?! Why center your one shot at a feature film around a character who amounts to just another typical parody of just another TV show, and Cops, to boot! Sure, David's song was sweet, but one good bit does not a movie make. The entire "let's parody Cops" comedy idea was DONE on the Ben Stiller Show 10+ years ago, NO MORE WAS NEEDED! Anyway, so that movie sucked, quality-wise (oh, but their heart was in the right place and they were only screwed by the Big Conglomorate Boys! How many times they gonna use that excuse?!) and so does this book, production quality wise. Anyway, so what. Like many of the fans have said, at least it gathers in one place all the geeky info the fans like to have, the fact that it's at a xeroxed fanzine level doesn't matter... that much, or should I say "mutch". Only complaint I have is that I felt a little like the Mr. Show creators, or "The Genius Squad," as I like to call them, were, through the half-baked premise and execution of their "film" and this "book," all excuses revolving around supposedly nefarious dealings aside, kind of thumbing their noses at the fans, as if we should all just "be cool, man" and not retain any rabid interest in this show, this "Mister Show," which we found so damn funny, so mind-breakingly inventive, and, yes, so cool that we just had to have a little more. Then again, I may be (I am) paranoid. For all the flaws the show may have had, Mr. Show is still the best thing any of these guys have been involved in to date. So, buy this book but be prepared to cringe. Oh yesss, and regarding the controversy over the short mention of Mary Lynn Rajskub. Yes, she was only on the show because she was sleeping with David. Heck, even I have had Ms. Mary Lynn Rajskub!
Average customer rating:
- Intrigue and treachery and new ideas in Throne of Jade
- Wow again...
- Throne of Jade
- muddled and meandering
- Befuddling But Still Worth The Read
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Throne of Jade (Temeraire, Book 2)
Naomi Novik
Manufacturer: Del Rey
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Black Powder War (Temeraire, Book 3)
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His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, Book 1)
-
Empire of Ivory (Temeraire, Book 4)
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Moon Called (Mercy Thompson Series, Book 1)
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The King's Own: A Borderlands Novel
ASIN: 0345481291
Release Date: 2006-04-25 |
Book Description
When Britain intercepted a French ship and its precious cargo–an unhatched dragon’s egg–Capt. Will Laurence of HMS Reliant unexpectedly became master and commander of the noble dragon he named Temeraire. As new recruits in Britain’s Aerial Corps, man and dragon soon proved their mettle in daring combat against Bonaparte’s invading forces.
Now China has discovered that its rare gift, intended for Napoleon, has fallen into British hands–and an angry Chinese delegation vows to reclaim the remarkable beast. But Laurence refuses to cooperate. Facing the gallows for his defiance, Laurence has no choice but to accompany Temeraire back to the Far East–a long voyage fraught with peril, intrigue, and the untold terrors of the deep. Yet once the pair reaches the court of the Chinese emperor, even more shocking discoveries and darker dangers await.
Customer Reviews:
Intrigue and treachery and new ideas in Throne of Jade.......2007-09-06
When I had first heard of Naomi Novik's novels about dragons in alternate world of the Napoleonic wars, I was pretty skeptical. It sounded pretty over the top, and I had my doubts as to whether or not it would work. I shouldn't have worried. After I had finished His Majesty's Dragon, I was hooked.
The second book in the series, Throne of Jade has Will Laurence and Temeraire in a rather difficult situation. Temeraire had originally been intended for Napoleon, as a gift from the Chinese Emperor, but the ship had been captured by Captain Laurence, and the hatchling dragon decided that Laurence was going to his companion and no other. So began a new way of life for Captain Laurence, one that is turning his notion of what is an officer completely upside down.
Now an embassy from the Chinese have come to England, and are demanding that Temeraire be returned, preferably, without Laurence. Temeraire, as a Celestial dragon, is certainly not to be with such a low-born person as Laurence, and sending the rare dragon into combat -- well, the fury over that one is scarcely to be contained. Laurence is facing a possible courts-martial and possibly hanging as a traitor -- and coping with threats from his superiors in the Admiralty who can't fathom the unique relationship between a dragon and his human companion.
Eventually, some sort of compromise is reached, and Laurence, Temeraire and their crew are embarking for China on board a transport specially designed for dragons. Along the way there are attacks, a gigantic sea serpent, and political manuvering from the Chinese, led by Prince Yongxing, who seems to have his own reasons for wanting Temeraire to come to China -- and stay. And if Laurence or any of the other British are killed, well, that's just too bad.
Most second novels falter when it comes to keeping up the pace and excitment of a first novel. This one certainly doesn't. I was enthralled from the first chapter and on, very curious to see just how Laurence and Temeraire were going to be able to handle the quandary that they were in. While this one does lack a lot of the freshness and battle scenes of the first novel, it doesn't lack for adventure -- the journey that they take around the Cape of Good Hope and through the Indian Ocean is fraught with plenty of natural perils.
Novik isn't shy either about weaving in the actual history of Europe here either. There are glimpses of the ghastly slave trade, the dreadful news of Napoleon's victory at Austerlitz, and the struggles that the British and other Europeans had in getting trade started in the lucrative Chinese markets. How all of this is handled is one of the reasons why I'm starting to like this series so much -- Novik knows just how much to show us, but never overwhelms the reader with too many of the details.
Finally, and what tends to draw me in the most, are the depictions of how humanity would live with dragons. These are dragons with intelligence and smarts, and not a low level of cunning either. They have personalities, charm and not at all shy about speaking their minds. It's a truly alien and still familiar world. Too, the constrasts between the Chinese and European worlds are vividly drawn, and I liked how the author kept the attitudes of this time in period true to form -- Laurence thinks and acts like an Englishman of the time in his views towards women, combat and the like.
Novik's writing is clear, well-paced and full of insights. She manages to keep the anachronisms out of the way, and manages to give the story plenty of punch and fire. If you're a fan of the seafaring novels of Patrick O'Brian or C.S. Forrester, this new series are a treat. In short, I suspect that Novik has created a series that is going to be around for a while, and for anyone who wants something new and thrilling, this is a series to take in.
This paperback edition has an excerpt from the third novel in the series, Black Powder War, and a little addendum about dragons, written from the perspective of a researcher of the time.
Four and a half stars.
Happily Recommended.
Wow again... .......2007-07-08
Lawrence and Temeraire go to China... oh boy.
This series is brilliant, well written and researched, yet still fantasy - seeing politics and 17th century morality through the eyes of a dragon is an amazing way to view the world. Lawrence, who has never questioned his country or his belief system, is becoming unsettled in his unquestioning loyalties by Temeraire's constant search for understanding; Temeraire is as young and impatient as ever, technically brilliant but completely incapable of understanding the finer points of human society, politics or deviousness. And they're chucked together into an isolationist China, with Temeraire the center of some truly cut-throat political machinations.
Throne of Jade.......2007-07-07
It was a great book with dragons in it. This is the first series with dragons that I really liked. I have read the whole series and they are all good.
muddled and meandering.......2007-06-29
After the joyful exuberance of His Majesty's Dragon, this sequel was disappointingly full of preachy political arguments that quickly turned into an interminable bore. In addition, it was sad to watch Laurence and Temeraire's relationship sour. Lastly, don't think the final book in the trilogy will tie everything up or resolve anything -- it's just a series of depressing and weary battles that go on and on and on. If the first book hadn't left me so invested in what happens to Temeraire, I would have give both this second book as well as the third one a single star.
Befuddling But Still Worth The Read.......2007-06-29
I devoured His Majesty's Dragon with out regret but Throne of Jade simply did not leave me quite as satiated. I didn't despise the book but in the end I was left with more questions about what had just occurred then a feeling of warm-fuzzy-good-book-afterglow that I had with HMD. The plot wasn't super strong to begin with and as many others have pointed out the boat voyage was needlessly lengthy. It seemed to focus more on the perils of ocean traversing then the adventure of a dragon.
I also felt like the characters of Laurence and Temeraire sort of devolved in that Temeraire seemed more petulant and Laurence more wooden. In the first novel there was a great journey of personal development for Laurence from a strict one minded Navy man into a more empathetic dragon Captain. But all through out TOJ he seemed more concerned with what was best for England then Temeraire. Also I found Temeraire's character to be presented as more impetuous and fool hearty. His romance with another dragon was strange because even though at first Temeraire seems completely twitterpated (so much so he allows great danger to befall Laurence) he just as swiftly decides to return to England to amend dragon's rights. That again I found confusing, the correlation between human slavery and Western dragons was sort of a stretch. The sudden spirit of needed change in the treatment of war dragons was an unnecessary plot branch for me. The love and partnership of HMD also seemed to be missing from this sequel.
Once the characters reached China I was spellbound by the beautiful description and incredible relationship of Chinese dragons and people. But it felt like just a sip of the setting when I wanted a gallon. The Celestial dragons were touted for they're fabulous wisdom and skill. They seemed to study a lot but their intelligence wasn't really fleshed out. None of the creatures said anything particularly astute and there was talk of their poetry and some sorts of examinations were mentioned but this was never explained leaving me feeling shorted.
But I think in the end that like others have said more eloquently Throne of Jade is simply a stepping stone to Black Powder War and it definitely at times feels that way. It's not a bad book and if you love His Majesty's Dragon you will surely like Throne of Jade and it is worth a swift read. But if you're like me and desire a more solid story of human and dragon interaction then you may not love TOJ in the same way as it's magnificent prequel.
Book Description
For this companion volume to the award-winning
Hot Sour Salty Sweet, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid travel west from Southeast Asia to that vast landmass the colonial British called the Indian Subcontinent. It includes not just India, but extends north to Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal and as far south as Sri Lanka, the island nation so devastated by the recent tsunami. For people who love food and cooking, this vast region is a source of infinite variety and eye-opening flavors.
Home cooks discover the Tibetan-influenced food of Nepal, the Southeast Asian tastes of Sri Lanka, the central Asian grilled meats and clay-oven breads of the northwest frontier, the vegetarian cooking of the Hindus of southern India and of the Jain people of Gujarat. It was just twenty years ago that cooks began to understand the relationships between the multifaceted cuisines of the Mediterranean; now we can begin to do the same with the foods of the Subcontinent.
Customer Reviews:
Mangoes & Curry Leaves: Culinary Travels Through the Great Subcontinent.......2007-09-10
A beautiful book that can be a coffee table book, cookbook, and an adventurous travel read. It has gorgeous colorful pictures with short vignettes about the recipes and people of India. It will transport you to a different world and the cooks will not be disappointed with the unique recipes.
Finally tried some of the recipes - all turned out great!.......2007-09-04
I've had this book for about three months, and have flipped through it many times, but this weekend I finally bought the staple ingredients that many of the recipes needed, and tried out three of them. They all turned out delicious! Don't be put off by strange ingredients, they were all very cheap, and easy to cook with.
Book of travels not recipes.......2007-01-29
The pictures and stories of the travels through the region are fabulous, but if you are looking for good instrutctions and pictures of the recipes, this is not the cookbook you are looking for.
Excellenet!.......2007-01-24
I just got this book yesterday and I'm already planning my week's meals based on the recipes! :)
I've made Andhra Style Scrambled Eggs so far and they are DELICIOUS, especially served with plain basmati rice, ghee and pickle.
All the recipes in here sound very interesting. The dal recipes(tok dal and mountain dal) look like they'll turn out great.
Being an Indian, I can certify this book contains authentic recipes that people cook and eat everyday at their homes in India. This is what makes this cookbook different from the other so called Indian cookbooks....the other books just offer a westernized Indian selection while this book focuses on home cooking that is prevalent in India.
The previous reviewer perhaps eats Indian only at restaurants where everything is over spiced and the delicate flavor is lost. I just came back from visiting India and I saw that very less spices and masalas are used in rural Indian homes.
I LOVE this book and will always refer to it when I'm in the mood for some different Indian food...although I cook mostly Indian at home, this book offers a lot of different recipes and variations from various local regions....so much so that I'm sure I'll be proficient in Indian cooking in no time!
UPDATE: These are all the recipes I've tried from their book so far
1) Scrambled Eggs (5 stars)
2) Cachoombar (3 stars)
3) Cauliflower Dum (3 stars)
4) Tamarind Pulao (3 stars)
5) Bangla Dal with a hit of lime (4 stars)
6) Tilapia Green Fish Curry (5 stars)
7) Karnataka Chana (2 stars)
8) Hot Cucumber Salad (2 stars)
9) Fish Bolle Curry (3 stars)
10) Chappatis (3 stars)
11) Prawn White Curry (4 stars)
12) Eggs with curry leaves (4 stars)
a few nitpicks.......2007-01-07
I agree that this is a great 'coffee table' type book and that the authors have done some immaculate research into some of the lesser well known cuisines of the subcontinent and have lovely pictures to document their travels. What I didn't care for are the 'Westernizing' of the names of the dishes. For example, Gulab Jamun (which is a pretty well-known dessert to most Indian food fans)becomes something like Cottage cheese soaked in syrup. As an Indian, I also found a lot of the dishes very underspiced. I know that with Indian food, it really is a matter of taste, but I often found myself adding up to 3times the amount of spices called for in a recipe. Because it's so bulky, I often find myself turning to my other Indian cookbooks which are easier to keep near me as I cook in the kitchen.
Book Description
Every parent would happily give up ever scolding, punishing or threatening if she only knew how to ensure that her toddler/child/teen would thrive and act responsibly without such painful measures. Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves is the answer to this universal wish. It is not about gentle ways to control a child, but about a way of being and of understanding a child so she/he can be the best of herself, not because she fears you, but because she wants to, of her own free will.
"Aldort's book should be on the must read list of all Moms and Dads. This book could carry a subtitle: "Saving the Emotional Lives of Our Children and The Future of Humanity.""
- James Prescott, Ph.D. Institute of Humanistic Science
"Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves operates on the radical premise that neither child nor parent must dominate; it is for those who want to give up scolding, threatening and punishing. Her SALVE "formula" alone is worth the price of the book." - Peggy O'Mara Editor and Publisher of Mothering
"Every once in awhile, a writer comes along who is comfortable speaking the truth, no matter how much it might challenge us or make us uncomfortable. Naomi Aldort is one of those people. In Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves, Naomi Aldort takes the struggle out of parenting and replaces controlling and shaping style of parenting with one that values, trusts and nurtures children's innate abilities and autonomy."
- Wendy Priesnitz Editor of Life Learning magazine, author of School Free and Challenging Assumptions in Education
"In this stunning insight into human nature, Naomi Aldort opens a window into harmonious family living. This book should to be widely read and not just by parents but by every being who strives for a more peaceful world."
- Veronika Robinson, Editor of The Mother magazine, UK
Customer Reviews:
I'm buying it for every parent I know.......2007-09-10
I recently read "Raising our Children, Raising Ourselves"
and I have to say that it is an amazing book and one that has created a
fundamental shift in how I approach my relationship with my children. I
have always been an advocate for gentle and respectful parenting, but this
book has offered me "mental" tools to examine my own internal world and
reactions to my children, and frankly, my spouse. I've passed it along to
several friends and they feel the same.
Like any other good parenting book..........2007-08-31
...you take what is reasonable for you and your family and discard the stuff that is not. It flows along the lines of attachment parenting, Easy to Love; Difficult to Discipline type of thinking. I found many parts useful and enlightening AND there were parts where I found myself thinking "do what??" So, as with everything else; use it as a guideline, not a bible.
If I recommended only one parenting book...........2007-04-13
This book is wonderful! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. I want to recommend this to every parent I know, and some who aren't.
It is validating not only what I've been doing as a parent, but also what I secretly want to be doing, but am not sure about. I also struggle at times with compromising my commitment to my child to avoid losing approval from my parents. I feel totally clear now about not making that trade-off ever again.
And it's validating so, so many experiences and feelings I had as a child... Helping me have huge clarity around what I need for my healing process as an adult (just reading has felt immensely healing), and clarity around how to better respect and honor my husband in our marriage
This is EXACTLY the information I was looking for.
Thank you so much, Naomi Aldort
Excellent Book.......2007-03-08
Very good book with focus on communication and relationship which nurturing child personality and dignity. Almost al "theoretical" explanations are provided with some examples. The underlined logic present in explanations are so acceptable.
I'm indeed interested in Montessori education. On some Montessori forum recommended this book. It's really very, very god book!
Our world needs this book - QUICK!.......2007-03-06
I agree with most of the 5-star reviews here. This is the best parenting book I've found - a great leap from the many modern parenting books out there. In fact, I'd say it is the only parenting book you will ever need! Like another reviewer, I am ordering many copies and actively distributing to all the parents I know.
Finally, a book that spells out with crystal clarity that yes, you can respect and trust your children fully, and love them unconditionally, without any "ifs" and "buts".
Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves provides the tools for being always kind and loving in our day-to-day interactions with our children, and illustrates the guidance via eloquent real-life examples. These tools are easy to remember and put to practice, and they actually work. This book has transformed my relationship with my 10-month old, giving me permission to fully love her the way I always felt - without holding back ANYTHING! Quite a liberating shift. The guidance carries all the way from infancy through the teen years, and I am so grateful that I stumbled upon it while she is still little!
The transformative effect of the book goes way beyond parenting, as both the title, and the subtitle proposed by James Prescott on the cover ('Saving the emotional lives of our children and the future of humanity'), suggest. It lays out a readily available path to self-healing and self-realization through our relationship with our children (as well as with other people): simply by starting to examine how we respond to others a little more closely. Imho, this is one of the most important books ever written, period.
I have a wish. I grew up in Europe (France) and, really, I CANNOT WAIT to see the book available there as well, in other languages, and start infusing its wisdom and compassion overseas. Any publisher out there interested in making a difference? Call Naomi today, you'll do yourself and the world a favor. Our world needs this book. QUICK!
Books:
- Myth and Metamorphosis: Picasso's Classical Prints of the 1930s
- Nancy Crow
- Nature's Art Box: From t-shirts to twig baskets, 65 cool projects for crafty kids to make with natural materials you can find anywhere
- North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment
- Patterns in Design, Art and Architecture
- Paula Deen: It Ain't All About the Cookin'
- Remote Control: Power, Cultures, and the World of Appearances (Writing Art)
- Scot On The Rocks (Red Dress Ink Novels)
- Shawls and Scarves: The Best of Knitter's Magazine (Best of Knitter's Magazine series, The)
- Shibori: The Inventive Art of Japanese Shaped Resist Dyeing
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- ROOM FULL OF MIRRORS: A BIOGRAPHY OF JIMI HENDRIX
- Golden Age Spectre Archives, Vol. 1
- Bombay Time: A Novel
- Cypress Grove
- DVD Demystified Third Edition
- Handbook of Explosion Prevention and Protection
- God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man: A Saltwater Geechee Talks About Life on Sapelo Island, Georgia
- Japanese Country Textiles
- Communing with Nature: A Guidebook for Enhancing Your Relationship with the Living Earth
- Secondary phloem of Calycanthaceae,
Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal
Kitchen Table Wisdom 10th Anniversary
Kitchen Table Wisdom & My Grandfather's Blessing (2 Volume Set)
The Art of being a Healing Presence
The Will to Live & Other Mysteries
