Land Development Handbook (Handbook)

Book Description

Successfully navigate the confusing maze of land development

If you're looking for cutting-edge blockbuster coverage of the land development process, the search ends here! Written by one of the nation's premier consulting firms, this new edition delivers up-to-date coverage of planning, engineering, and surveying . . . all with over 700 illustrations, including diagrams, detailed drawings, plats, and reports generated at the various design stages, as well as charts, tables, and more.

This edition includes regulatory changes; new data on open space areas for landscape architects; coverage of the latest advances in GPS and GIS technology; new perspectives on urban growth; and updated case studies, plans, and details. You'll find a thorough description of the design and approval process for residential, commercial, and retail land development projects and access to valuable bottom-line information on:

* Environmental issues, including erosion and sediment control, storm water management, environmental impact studies and assessments, and water quality
* Types of local regulations; where to get necessary project approval; what to expect during the process
* Site analysis and selection criteria for feasibility studies
* Technical information on the design of suburban infrastructure components such as water treatment and supply systems, sanitary sewer systems, storm drain systems, and roads
* The complete spectrum of surveying methods, including Global Positioning System Surveys and Geographic Information Systems

Customer Reviews:

A good guide from start to finish .......2007-07-24

As a general civil engineer in private practice this book has provided a good overview on the more abstract side of land development including financing, rezoning, and public involvement. All of which, are topics that typical engineers strugle with as it is not the enjoyable aspect of what engineers are trained to do. Nevertheless, these abstract components are just as real as the plans we develop. Of course, the book is excellent for hands on design and calculation support.

Learn a lot.......2007-05-13

As a novice developer, this book put me on the right track without all the confusion and terms I would have never understood. It was simple to understand and after reading it, I felt like I knew a lot more. Very interesting and satisfying. Great reference guide all the way around.

very good all-around reference.......2004-03-01

I primarily work as a structural-architectural engineer and am becoming more and more involved in civil-site work. This handbook is exactly what I was looking for in terms of something that would quickly get me "up to speed" in the fundamentals of civil-site design.
Of course, no single book could (or should) be thought of as a substitute for the experience and mentoring received from seasoned professionals in a design office, but this one has enough technical explanation and details to get you going with confidence.
I choose this one over the Colley book (reviewed both before making purchase) as Land Development Handbook has more of the technical info that engineers would seek.

Difficult to follow!.......2003-12-16

I am in a class at Community College of Baltimore County and we are using this book at this time. Our whole class along with the Professor find this book to be very difficult to follow. The book constantly repeats itself making it extremely boring to read and is not fluent at all. They have examples that reference charts that are 3-5 pages apart from the problem being discussed the formulas you almost have to figure out for yourself how they are used and there are alot of typos.
I recomend burning this book!!!!!!!

A Must Have Pub.......2002-07-04

Ever since I purchased this publication I can't stop using it. Every civil engineer should have this as part of their reference library, regardless of your area of specialty. It provides macro to micro scale explanations of general processes, design applications, etc in a very readable format. More times than I can remember I have looked to this book for an answer or at least for some guidance and was throuroughly satisfied. No it is not a definitive reference for civil engineers but its' breadth and usability overshadows any technical shortcomings. If I had to have just one reference book for my area of practice (general civil), this would be it. Yeah, yeah, the "Standard Handbook for Civil Engineers" is a more definitive reference, but I usually find out what I need in this pub.

ps - Almost everyone of my fellow employees that has used the book has purchased their own, find someone you know who has a copy and check it out for yourself.

Average customer rating:

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Cast Off

Eat, Sleep, Knit!

I also had a hard time getting through this.

From one SABLE owner to another

Don't like it

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off: The Yarn Harlot's Guide to the Land of Knitting
Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Manufacturer: Storey Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Favorite Socks: 25 Timeless Designs from Interweave

Knitting Rules!: The Yarn Harlot's Bag of Knitting Tricks

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ASIN: 1580176585

Book Description

From the best-selling author of At Knit's End and Knitting Rules! comes yet another hilarious book of tongue-in-cheek observations on the world of knitting. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off invites knitters of all ages, levels, and persuasions to embark with her on a journey deep into the land populated by those who are obsessed with yarn, needles, and what’s on their needles now.

Using a travel guide format as her launching pad, Pearl-McPhee acts as tour guide extraordinaire, displaying her trademark razor-sharp wit as she describes and critiques every aspect of this land she knows so well — its people, native language, familiar phrases, strange beliefs, etiquette, and cultural customs. Readers will love her timeline of notable dates in knitting history and rarely celebrated knitting heroes, from the samurai warriors of Japan to the "Ter-rible Knitters of Dent." And, while the land of knitting is a peaceful place, it does have its political arguments, such as the acrylic versus natural fi bers and circular versus straight needles debates.

As she's toured (and knit) her way across North America during the past two years, Pearl-McPhee's smart, perfectly timed banter has captured the hearts, minds, and funny bones of thousands of knitters far and wide. No fan is going to want to be left behind as Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off on her latest yarn-bound expedition.

Customer Reviews:

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Cast Off.......2007-09-21

I enjoy reading Stephanie Pearl McPhee's books, it gives a lot of good information in a fun way

Eat, Sleep, Knit!.......2007-09-15

This book is hilarious! I laughed from cover to cover and have learned new places to store my stash! Thanks for the laughs!

I also had a hard time getting through this. .......2007-09-13

Every five pages or so, I couldn't stand it any longer. I had to go knit. (I haven't yet worked out how to knit and read at the same time, sadly.)

Seriously, I've been away from knitting for the last three years going to law school. I feared I had forgotten how to knit. And then I picked up this book, and suddenly it all came back. Since I bought it two weeks ago, there have been three mad trips for yarn, and I've become the kind of person who gets stared at for knitting in restaurants. I am all-but-finished with a project that I'd been barely picking at for the last six months when I had thirty seconds to rub together, I've started a new pair of socks, and I'm looking for the yarn that will become that legendary wonderful/awful first sweater.

Depending on how you look at it, I've finally gone off the deep end, or my sanity is finally returning. And this book, which I finished somewhere between one project and the next, is what sent me on the trip.

Stephanie, thank you. This was exactly the right book at the right moment for me. Your travel book helped bring part of me back home.

From one SABLE owner to another.......2007-09-08

My SABLE (stash acquired beyond life expectancy)has been decreased by a donation to the local Goodwill shop. I feel pounds lighter and can now, without guilt, purchase just a few items at my local yarn store.
Stephanie knows what all the rest of us Yarn Harlots are all about, and how we feel when one of our number casts off and goes to the great yarn store in the sky. What a pleasure to read her books!

(Although I've never been able to knock off an afghan in 100 hours!)

Don't like it.......2007-08-11

I have ALL of her books but this is my least favorite one. I've had it for months and cannot even get thru reading it. With all of her other books I had a lot of good hearty laughes while reading them. This one I don't think has even made me smile. Not sure what is "different" about this book but it's my least favorite. I don't care for the dark green color pages and the drawings on these pages either. Just not easy on the eye.

Real Estate Development: Principles and Process 3rd Edition

Average customer rating:

Developer Book
It's a good starting point...
Textbook, Not Real World
worst than boring school text book
all about development

Real Estate Development: Principles and Process 3rd Edition
Mike E. Miles , Gayle Berens , and Marc A. Weiss
Manufacturer: Urban Land Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0874208254
Release Date: 2000-01-17

Product Description

Ideal for those new to real estate development, this comprehensive reference book offers a thorough and practical introduction. Using an eight-stage model of the development process, the authors explain idea conception, feasibility, planning, financing, market analysis, contract negotiation, construction, and asset management. Ongoing case studies of an office and a multifamily development provide realistic examples.

Customer Reviews:

Developer Book.......2007-02-04

It's a school book with an enormous amount of information. It would take years to go through. Great for a class course where an instructor could teach the chapters quickly and point out all of the important details.

It's a good starting point..........2007-01-05

This book is a well intentioned attempt at explaining the development process. Unfortunately, development is too specific depending on project type and region to be easily summed up in one volume. If you are looking for a lengthy and well detailed process overview, this book is for you. If you need something a little more specific, keep searching and let me know if you find something.

Textbook, Not Real World.......2006-09-06

Coverage of theoretical, not application. Useful for referencing concepts and reinforcing a specific point, but much more of a teaching text than reference material.

worst than boring school text book.......2006-08-11

This book is worst than school text book!!! Don't understand how others rated this book so highly. It is full of principles and theories vs. practicle real life informations. If you want to waste $$ or if your desire is to obtain dry, boring book to help you sleep, this is the one.

all about development.......2006-02-25

This book is very helpful to the novice real estate developer or student. It's very clearly written and the information is well ordered. Ideas, concepts and explanantions are well expressed. The glossary is also helpful. Highly recommended.

Practical Real Estate Law (The West Legal Studies Series)

Average customer rating:

Great Price - Far Better than Local Bookstores
Superb

Practical Real Estate Law (The West Legal Studies Series)
Daniel F. Hinkel
Manufacturer: Thomson Delmar Learning
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1401817807

Book Description

Practical Real Estate Law is a vital tool in instructing paralegal students about the intricacies of real estate transactions. Students and instructors will find just the right mix of theory and practice for both residential and commercial concerns. The text features detailed instructions in carrying out such important transactions as closings, sales and mortgage loans secured by real estate. The text is designed not only to serve as a study guide but also as a reference tool for paralegals in practice with the inclusion of checklists, tips, advice and residential- and commercial-specific real estate forms.

Customer Reviews:

Great Price - Far Better than Local Bookstores.......2007-05-15

I saved nearly $80 by using this older edition of the textbook for my Real Estate Law class. The book arrived promptly. Differences between the 2nd and 4th edition were negligible. Thanks for helping students save money!

Superb.......2004-09-21

Another excelent hard bound text from Thompson/Delmar Learning publishing house. This textbook will teach you the fundamentals of real estate law giving you example after example on situations with can and probably will occur.

Ghettonation: A Journey Into the Land of Bling and Home of the Shameless

Average customer rating:

(RAW Rating: 4.5) - A Mindset
A great book even though some readers miss the point!
'Should be on Oprah's Book Club list
Finally, someone who articulates the problem!
Long on Examples, Short on Analysis

Ghettonation: A Journey Into the Land of Bling and Home of the Shameless
Cora Daniels
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0385516436
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Book Description

From the Introduction:

ghet-to n. (Merriam-Webster dictionary) Italian, from Venetian dialect ghèto island where Jews were forced to live; literally, foundry (located on the island), from ghetàr, to cast; from Latin jactare to throw
1: a quarter of a city in which Jews were formerly required to live
2: a quarter of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure
3a: an isolated group b: a situation that resembles a ghetto especially in conferring inferior status or limiting opportunity

ghet-to adj. (twenty-first-century everyday parlance)
1a: behavior that makes you want to say “Huh?” b: actions that seem to go against basic home training and common sense
2: used to describe something with inferior status or limited opportunity. Usually used with “so.” ;
3: a quarter of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure.
4: common misusage: authentic, Black, keepin’ it real

As current and all-consuming as “ghetto” is in these days of gold teeth, weaves (blond and red), Pepsi-filled baby bottles, and babymamas, ghetto has a long history. The original ghetto was in the Jewish quarter of Venice, a Catholic city. Before it became the Jewish quarter, this area contained an iron foundry or ghèto, hence the name. These days, ghetto no longer refers to where you live, but to how you live. It is a mindset, and not limited to a class or a race. Some things are worth repeating: ghetto is not limited to a class or a race. Ghetto is found in the heart of the nation’s inner cities as well as the heart of the nation’s most cherished suburbs; among those too young to understand (we hope) and those old enough to know better; in little white houses, and all the way to the White House; in corporate corridors, Ivy League havens, and, of course, Hollywood. More devastating, ghetto is also packaged in the form of music, TV, books, and movies, and then sold around the world. Bottom line: ghetto is contagious, and no one is immune, no matter how much we like to suck our teeth and shake our heads at what we think is only happening someplace else…

From an award-winning journalist and cultural commentator comes a provocative examination of the impact of “ghetto” mores, attitudes, and lifestyles on urban communities and American culture in general.

Cora Daniels takes on one of the most explosive issues in our country today in this thoughtful critique of America’s embrace of a ghetto persona that demeans women, devalues education, celebrates the worst African American stereotypes, and contributes to the destruction of civil peace. Her investigation exposes the central role of corporate America in exploiting the idea of ghetto-ness as a hip cultural idiom, despite its disturbing ramifications, as a means of making money. She showcases Black rappers raised in privileged families who have taken on the ghetto persona and sold millions of albums, and non-Black celebrities, such as Paris Hilton, who have adopted ghetto attitudes and styles in pursuit of attention and notoriety. She explores, as well, her own relationship to the ghetto and the ways in which she is both part of and outside the Ghettonation.

Infused with humor and entertaining asides—including lists of events and people that the author nominates for the Ghetto Hall of Fame, and a short section written entirely in ghetto slang—Ghettonation is a timely and engrossing report on a controversial social phenomenon. Like Bill Cosby’s infamous, much-discussed comments about the problems within the Black community today, it is sure to trigger widespread interest and heated debate.

Customer Reviews:

(RAW Rating: 4.5) - A Mindset.......2007-09-29

Author Cora Daniels gives us her take on what she believes is ghetto. She states that ghetto is a mindset and no one is immune from it be it, inner city or suburban residents. While this is not a critical analysis of the ghetto phenomenon, Daniels does site some sociological ills and possible blame. That in itself is cause for debate.

Often portrayed with humor, the author interviews an array of people on what their take is of the term ghetto; what ghetto is to one may not be ghetto to another, be it children or adults. She speaks with boys hanging on street corners, boys and girls who are doing well academically and have college set in their minds and those who have done well financially, but chose to stay in the inner city, further demonstrating that ghetto is a mindset and running to suburbia does not eliminate the ghetto mentality, nor the chance you may see not ghetto. While GHETTONATION by Cora Daniels can cause a serious debate, it is also a reality check for many.

Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

A great book even though some readers miss the point!.......2007-08-29

A Great book that will have a broad appeal to people of all ages! To those of you who feel like the book didn't offer you enough, I think that you miss the point that this book is written not just for the highly educated but its also written in a style that is of interest to the young men and women on the street corner. BrotherMan on the corner is not interested in black socialism or a book about black culturalism. This book is a wake up call to all people in the sense that it's asking you to think about what it is that you do and why you do those things that are considered to be ghetto. On that note, Mrs Daniels hit the mark. Pass it on to those that are ghetto fabulous and see if you have something worthwhile to talk about! Peace!

'Should be on Oprah's Book Club list.......2007-08-25

Some weeks ago I watched as a mainstream television newscaster referred to the police as the "po po's," a term that is, at this moment used by inner city youth. It's obvious that when such language becomes "accepted" by the mainstream, the words are on their way out...or are they?

Author Cora Daniels would probably say that such usage is further indication of the ghettonization of America and she's more than likely correct. In her amusing and thought-provoking book, the writer exposes all the aspects of American society that reflects how the ghetto mentality flourishes. She sites the entertainment industry, Madison Avenue, professional sports, as well as the everyday instances wherein that which we once thought was only a part of the inner city has become commonplace.

As entertaining as the book is, she hits hard when she challenges readers to consider her words and take action in order to stop or, at least, slow down the spread of "ghettoism" in this nation.

This is a definite "must read" for all Americans that want to understand what's going, not just with the young people, but among us all as we fall further and further into the rationale of the street.

Finally, someone who articulates the problem!.......2007-08-21

Suffering for sometime from the notion that the end is nigh for American civilization, being assaulted daily by the sights, sounds and stories of angry babbymammas and the gangstas who did 'em wrong, mysogynistic rap, the objectification of the female figure everywhere; girls as young as ten wearing t-shirts that read "If you surf I'm available" and crusted with bling, picking visible thongs out of their exposed cracks; young folk with the crazed look of meth/crack/coke in their eyes; fearless pedophiles defiant both about their sickness and civil rights; celebrities crashing and burning; and wondering who and where were the new role models, and where were our real poets and music makers -- and please don't tell me its Fall Out Boy, The White Stripes, or Pussy Cat Dolls or Beyonce or Timblaland or Timberlake-- I wearily picked this book up at my local library and began to read, and continued, and couldn't stop. In fact, I read Ghettonation in two readings, stopping only to pick up my kids from school and make a (rather ghetto) meal of hotdogs and canned beans. I had to rush back to this book.

I've been wrestling with American notions of class, race, identity, the decline of Western civilization, economic disparities, greed and respect, what constitutes illegal immigrants, education, environmental devastation, pitbulls, drugs, babymammas, and rap and hip hop music for a decade and more. I see how lowering the bar, for all of us, has resulted in a free fall for relationships, in parenting, manners, basic common sense, civility, charity, and even basic human discourse. In Ghettonation, Ms. Daniels finally articulated my inchoate thoughts and theories.

When Gwenyth Paltrow called her baby Apple that was a ghetto move. What a concept! This patrician looking, some would say Aryan, blonde with blue eyes doing something other than the classy she generally projects, but it's an absolute spot-on observation. An ah-hah moment, and this book has no shortage of other such examples to remind us all that ghetto isn't a class thing, it's not a race thing, it's simply about not being the best of what we can and should be.

The section on ghetto literature is terrifying. Proceed with caution. I had no idea these books were B. available and B. popular. I also had no idea that high profile music industry figures, such as Snoop Dogg (and more recently Dave Navarro) were getting involved in porn and doing well with it. Yes, we've come a long way from Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and MoTown. Yes, we are much more morally bankrupt than we used to be, even compared to the anything goes 70s days of decadence.

This is an important book, it's a wake up call to all who care about the world and our human family, that we need to be smart, we need to be kinder, we need to take care of our children, our business, our schools, and our world. It's the only one we have.

Thanks, Ms. Daniels, for this eye opening and cogent analysis of the most urgent problem facing America today. You managed to walk the fine line without resorting to snobbery, elitism, and also without giving an inch.

Ghettonation is essential reading.

Long on Examples, Short on Analysis.......2007-07-26

This book offers a blend of opinion, autobiography, and ethnography to ask why "ghetto" (and its adjectival uses, as in "That's sooo ghetto") has become an accepted "mind-set" in this country. Daniels does well to catalog the many ways in which ghetto culture is organized by "low expectations" and fosters carelessness, irresponsibility, and general unpleasantness. Her examples can be illuminating, including the website Gizoogle.com, which translates any webpage into "ghettospeak."

The problem with this book is its complete lack of organization and argumentative structure. I second one reviewer's claim that Daniels tends to substitute her own rambling musings for critical social analysis. Her back-and-forth rhetoric about "I'm ghetto, I'm not ghetto" typifies this problem: Daniels seems to think her examples are so self-evident that we should already know WHY she supposedly "is" or "isn't" ghetto. This sleight of hand is inexcusable for a book that means to delineate the properties of the "ghetto mind-set." We expect explanation here, not self-indulgent "you know it when you see it" joking.

The book also suffers from having an overly expansive definition of the ghetto mind-set. Daniels's examples are so wide-ranging and far-fetched (even referencing the heir to the throne of Monaco's philandering) that she loses sight of the specific (social, cultural, historical) reasons why "ghetto" has become fashionable among American youth. At times it seems Daniels interprets ghetto as signifying anything (or anyone) that thrives off "low expectations." Such an abstract definition means very little when applied to concrete examples.

In the end, I wanted more critical focus in this book. (A little less authorly self-indulgence would have helped.) The examples are sometimes illuminating, as I noted, but Daniels's basic theme is tackled more pointedly in black sociological criticism and black cultural studies.

SAS Survival Handbook: How to Survive in the Wild, in Any Climate, on Land or at Sea

Average customer rating:

SAS Survival Handbook: How to Survive in the Wild, in Any Climate, on Land or at Sea
What about cabin avalanche?
Great!
SAS Survival Handbook - Great buy
An overview on Survival

SAS Survival Handbook: How to Survive in the Wild, in Any Climate, on Land or at Sea
John Lofty Wiseman
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Rayovac SPHLTLED 3-in-1 LED Head-Lite

ASIN: 0060578793
Release Date: 2004-03-02

Book Description

The SAS Survival Handbook is the Special Air Service's complete course in being prepared for any type of emergency. John 'Lofty' Wiseman presents real strategies for surviving in any type of situation, from accidents and escape procedures, including chemical and nuclear to successfully adapting to various climates (polar, tropical, desert), to identifying edible plants and creating fire. The book is extremely practical and is illustrated throughout with easy-to-understand line art and diagrams.

Customer Reviews:

SAS Survival Handbook: How to Survive in the Wild, in Any Climate, on Land or at Sea.......2007-09-27

With the new tv shows showing actual survival skills in the wild my family and I have developed a real interest in this topic. I am enjoying the book. It was written in a very easy and understandable way. I feel confident that with this book by my side that I could survive quite well in a variety of situations.

What about cabin avalanche?.......2007-09-19

I found this book to thoroughly take me through the fundamentals of survival, however, I am always thinking of some very particular situations that I could find myself in that weren't addressed.

For instance, what about the "trapped in a cabin by avalance" that we're all fearful of? I play it over and over in my head. Most likely it would be 3 or 4 of us on a weekend ski trip. I've always felt that it would be best to go ahead and turn on the others very early on in the event of an avalance instead of waiting for starvation to decimate the group.

For one, each day trapped in that cabin means that everyone will be burning calories, making themselves thinner and thinner, not leaving much of a meal if natural course is left to do the dirty work of finishing them off. Not to mention, you might be too weak for a death match days later.

Also, turning on them early will almost assuredly be unexpected, since ditching ethical behavior at first opportunity is not the norm and especially with so much food still in the fridge. You're going to need that element of surprise, b/c let's face it, when you start helicoptering that timber axe over your head, the line will clearly be drawn in the sand and its 1 versus 3 at that point. You'll need to mow them all down very quickly. Don't worry that you aren't hungry yet, as there should be plenty of snow at the windows that can be used to keep the bodies from spoiling.

But I definitely liked the informative chapter on which leaves are ok to eat and which are poisonous.

Great!.......2007-09-14

Contains just about anything you would want to know about survival. I am reading the whole thing, and it is quite interesting!

SAS Survival Handbook - Great buy.......2007-09-14

This book is full of useful and practical survival tips. Full color illustrations helps outline edible and poisonus plants. From setting up camp to tracking and killing animals this book has it all. I recommend it to anyone interested in camping and wilderness survival.

An overview on Survival.......2007-09-03

No book this size can even come close to delivering what the title claims. There are indeed some good illustrations and pointers to go along with them, but a survival manual this is not. Great for a bar on a slow night or as a coffee table book.
Why one star??-------->
Two examples of shoddy research or and lack of experience: The section on bow making is only twenty seven lines (it has a thirteen line introduction with a seven line description on how to actually make a bow. This is matched by seven more lines on how to fit the string to your new hunting weapon). Look at the Bowyers Bible, a set of three books on bow making by some of the best in the business.
The "Spear Thrower" section is flat wrong, illustrating that the author not only never made/used one before, but never saw one in use or otherwise. There are other shortfalls, but I'll keep the description to two. Don't believe me? Make one as described in the book or do a google search on "Spear throwers" or "Atlatl".
There are some things he describes well and clearly has experience with, perhaps the publisher urged him to include things beyond his experience, but that does not excuse the inclusion of manufactured "facts".
All in all good for the survival book collection with a few good bits, but lacks too many details.
Remember when reading these reviews that it is often a case of the blind leading the blind as owners of newly purchased copies are not qualified to recognize if a skill is thoroughly covered. Just because the table of contents lists a skill does not necessarily translate to the reader being able to accomplish the skill. Ask a survival school or instructor with real experience which book they would recommend. Any way you slice it, the skills must be practiced regardless of the book you buy, don't wait until you need a shelter to build one or a fire lit to attempt lighting it.

Average customer rating:

Still her fan
Just not a Dot Frank fan, I guess!
A delightful and refreshing story
Touching and funny with great characters
The Bird has the Best Lines

The Land of Mango Sunsets: A Novel
Dorothea Benton Frank
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060892382
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Book Description

Miriam Swanson is thoroughly provoked and she doesn't mind letting you know. Twenty years ago her husband Charles, a powerful attorney with one of the last remaining white shoe law firms in New York, dumped her for a younger woman nearly half her age. Obviously it happens all the time and it's not exactly news, but what's fascinating is to watch Miriam evolve from pathetic to spectacular. Perfectly proper Miriam's great metamorphosis results from the arrival of a little red neck school teacher, Liz, from Nowhere, Alabama. Liz is Miriam's tenant along with Kevin, a 50 something gay man who is Miriam's best friend. Liz is everything that Miriam is not: young and thin. They constantly clash. Then finally, she meets a man named Harrison who changes her into a gal named Mellie.

Miriam spins out from the revolving door of her postured life as a Manhattan quasi socialite while she thirsts, no, starves for recognition. How did she become what she hates the most and what does she endure to realize it? And where are the answers? It takes a few spins, dips and one spectacular fall until Miriam gets her head on straight. Then in a whoosh she's off to see her mother in the enchanted and mysterious land of Sullivans Island, deep in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

Customer Reviews:

Still her fan.......2007-09-23

This one was better than the previous one but not as good as her earlier books (Sullivan's Island, Plantation). I know you can do it, Dottie, so keep on writing! But give us more of that "South Carolina moon " atmosphere.

Just not a Dot Frank fan, I guess!.......2007-09-07

Okay, here it is...loved "Sullivan's Island," haven't liked anything she's written since. STILL too many exclamation points (see my review of "Pawley's Island). Characters and plots unbelievable (main character, Miriam, a middle-aged uptight lady, has wild naked sex on beach with someone she just met, years of estrangement from her sons are overturned in an instant with everybody loving everybody, etc., etc.) and bad editing in places (in one spot a character is called "Laura," I believe and then later in the paragraph is called "Diane." There was some line about "are they regular or decaf," that I read three times and still don't get. Mirian is irritating and selfish but overnight does a complete 180 degree turnaround. It's pretty bad when the best character in the book is a parrot. I love South Carolina and would like to love this author but I just can't. Read Mary Alice Monroe instead, folks, for a Southern author who creates believable characters in plausible situations that might actually occur in real life. Oh well, at least this one didn't have the usual black servant found in most of this author's works.

A delightful and refreshing story.......2007-08-29

Dorothea Frank has created another wonderful story and I just thought Land of Mango Sunsets was just a great read. The characters are clever and appealing especially Miriam Swanson. Actually, I felt that she gave all the variety of splendid characters real feelings that I could relate too. This is a great book to take to the beach and read. It's an easy read and with the wonderful descriptive scenes of South Carolina, that Ms. Frank portrays you feel like you are roaming around in the beautiful state. I hope I haven't given away too much of the story for those who haven't read it. In summary, it's a delightful and refreshing story with humor, romance, a bit of mystery, and some valid issues concerning our environment. Highly recommend.

Another refreshing Women's Fiction story is Gathering of Cans by Robert L. Saunders. This is a stunning Women's Fiction that gives a breathtaking view in the fascinating life of Zoie Baker. This heroine is determined to build a swimming pool for the local kids by gathering aluminum cans. Unique cans that she stumbles on, i.e., Nehi, Mountain Dew, etc., takes the reader on a glorious journey in the life of Zoie from World War II where she meets Nat, a Marine, through the 1980's. This gripping story will keep you up to read just one more chapter. Check it out it's just a wonderful story. All 530 pages. You too won't be disappointed! Bye.

Touching and funny with great characters.......2007-08-11

A story about a woman of a certain age that finds herself challenging some long-held assumptions and habits. The story is filled with quirky, fun characters and will have you both laughing and crying. A very touching story with enough twists and turns to keep your interest.

The Bird has the Best Lines.......2007-08-06

As usual, Dorothea Benton Frank, presents her readers with a colorful cast of characters (bitter ex-wife, Miriam, flamboyant Kevin, damaged Lisa, and mysterious Harrison to name a few), but this time she's also added an irrepressible parrot named Harry who adds his own brand of charm and charisma to the mix. The main character, Miriam has numerous issues with her mother, her children and the circle of friends she cultivates in New York society. She travels to her childhood home in Sullivan's Island to find some sort of peace only to find her proper southern mother's gone "back to the earth" to the point where she's raising her own goats and chickens.

Hilarious and witty as always, there's also plenty of Frank's disarming dialog and descriptive prose that her readers have come to know and appreciate.

This is one of DBF's best novels and is worthy of being read in one sitting.

The Everything Mediterranean Cookbook: An Enticing Collection of 300 Healthy, Delicious Recipes from the Land of Sun and Sea (Everything: Cooking)

Average customer rating:

Fantastically Healthy Recipes...
Work up front
My Least Favorite Cookbook
The Everything Mediterranean Cookbook
Not authentic, but good

The Everything Mediterranean Cookbook: An Enticing Collection of 300 Healthy, Delicious Recipes from the Land of Sun and Sea (Everything: Cooking)
Dawn Altomari-Rathjen , and Jennifer Bendelius
Manufacturer: Adams Media Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

International | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1580628699

Book Description

The bountiful cuisine of the Mediterranean evokes thoughts of luscious grains, pasta, vegetables, fruits, and, of course, olive oil. But did you know that current research also indicates that people who reside in these regions have the lowest rates of chronic diseases and one of the highest life expectancies in the world?

In The Everything® Mediterranean Cookbook, Culinary Institute of America graduate Dawn Altomari-Rathjen teams up with registered dietician Jennifer M. Bendelius to provide you with 300 of the most sumptuous—and healthy—recipes that the Mediterranean has to offer.

From Roasted Garlic Served on Crostini and Oven-Dried Tomatoes to Mushroom Ravioli with Walnut Parsley Pesto, The Everything® Mediterranean Cookbook helps chefs of all levels bring the Mediterranean into the comforts of their own home.

Featuring:
·Acorn Squash Bake
·Frittata
·Red Lentil Lasagna
·Stuffed Grape Leaves
·Braised Okra with Tomato
·Vegetable Samosas

Whether you're cooking for one or having a full dinner party, The Everything® Mediterranean Cookbook will have your guests begging you for the secret recipe!

Customer Reviews:

Fantastically Healthy Recipes..........2007-06-27

Great cookbook...wonderful for those who are looking for ways to cook Mediterranean or for the experts who want to add this book to their collection. I love it !!!! :)

Work up front.......2007-05-12

I haven't tried any of the recipes yet because most of them require the prior preparation of a stock or sauce (recipes are also provided for these)in order to prepare the main recipe. The recipes sound good and flavorful, but I need to make the time to prepare the sauces/stocks and put them in the freezer so I can make these recipes on a moments notice. So if you're looking for a cookbook that you can just pick up and instantly make the recipe, this is not the one for you.

My Least Favorite Cookbook.......2007-02-06

Nothing to talk about. Just a very plain average cookbook with little or no originality. Very disappointing

The Everything Mediterranean Cookbook.......2006-02-17

This book (in general)contains a basically half dozen base recipies, such as stock, to which various ingredients are added.

Not authentic, but good.......2006-01-11

I like mediterranean food but this cookbook seems tailored for Americans. It's not authentic. But don't let me spoil your appetite.