1 comments about Introductory Algebra (Bittinger Developmental Mathematics Series).

1. I bought This book for a Math Class, I highly disagree with the Previous reviewer, Math is an important subject, (how else could this other person know how much they spent on there credit card each month?) If you don't know math, then you are at a disadvantage to everyone else. Math Is Not dead, like latin, It is just as alive as American English. It is just not understood, Please let me tell you I am no math Major, I am a dislexic who has worked hard to over come my mental mix-ups. So in regards to this particular Math book? It is very detailed and informative, So I am very pleased with it.

2 comments about The Summer Shack Cookbook: The Complete Guide to Shore Food.

1. This is a delightful cookbook because it is so wonderfully put together. Each recipe has a few paragraphs providing background for the dish. These articles can talk about a variety of things: the history of the dish, the author's personal association with the dish (always interesting), and considerations about the ingredients, preparation, or equipment needed.
   
   The list of ingredients also includes equivalents and the steps for preparation provides helpful information about what you can do to work ahead of time and variants. There are some beautiful color plates of selected dishes grouped in various sections of the book. The first 50 pages or so include very helpful introductory information about preparing and service seafood along with the equipment you will need and want to have to prepare it properly.
   
   The book has eleven chapters (each with its own introduction and table of recipes for easy lookup): the first chapter lays out the basics, chapter two talks about eating seafood raw, especially oysters, clams, and such. Chapters 3 & 4 are about kettle cooking by steaming, boiling, soups, chowders, and stews. Chapter 5 uses your icebox for chilled dishes and seafood salads. You move to the grill in chapter 6 and 7 takes you to indoor cooking on your stovetop and in your oven. Chapter 8 provides favorite Shack fried dishes. You get into the morning baking of biscuits, breads, pies, and other dessert items in chapter 9. Chapter 10 takes you into drink recipes. The final chapter addresses basic sauces, dressings, and stocks you will use in preparing and serving other dishes. There is also a very useful index.
   
   I was fortunate to meet Chef White at a special dinner here in Ann Arbor at Zingerman's Roadhouse (a wonderful place to eat anytime, by the way). Chef Alex of the Roadhouse and Chef White worked together to present more than 100 of us a sampling of starters, salad, entrees, side dishes, and desserts. While these were smaller individual portions, the sheer quantity of dishes left us all achingly full. And the delight of trying so much wonderful food (obviously prepared with care and love) made it an evening we will always remember.
   
   Chef White talked about his philosophy for the food at his Summer Shack restaurants. He focuses on the quality of the ingredients with simple preparation that tries to present the ingredients at their best rather than trying to make them into something else. I think he said that he wanted to stay out of the way of the ingredients. This showed in the dishes we were served. It was Chef White who told us that Ari Weinzweig and Paul Saginaw, the founders of the Zingerman's businesses here in Ann Arbor were given a lifetime achievement award by Bon Appetite. We here in Ann Arbor have known about Ari and Paul for decades and our community has been blessed to have them, but it is especially nice when they get well-deserved recognition by others.
   
   This is a very interesting book to read, the recipes are inviting to the non-professional chef because they seem to be something you can accomplish without extensive training or an incredibly well equipped kitchen. A few key pieces of equipment, some good ingredients, a ready heart and a desire to experiment and learn are all that is required.
   
   Enjoy!
   
   Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI



2. I've been a fan of Jasper White's for many years, but I held off ordering this book because I was afraid it would be full of lobster recipes. I realized long ago that I was not going to pay the premimun lobster demands in the south, so why buy another book heavy on lobster. Well, I was wrong! This is a terrific book of seafood recipes and side dish ideas too. The thing I liked best is that all the food is very casual, not the fancy stuff that looks great on the cover but that you'll never cook. The fish recipes offer ideas for substitutions if the ideal fish isn't in season or region.

5 comments about Frommer's New England (Frommer's Complete).

1. Let's face it; most travel books are a glance-and-go proposition. Most of them do a passable job providing key information, but they aren't exactly a pleasure to read. Frommer's New England 2003 changes all that. Not only are the cititations clear, correct, and complete, many of them are laugh-out-loud funny or wickedly sly. At the end of a busy day on the road, I actually found myself reading the guide for fun (while happily settled in one of the recommended accommodations).A literate guide obviously written by folks in the know.



2. We bought the Mobile book, the "Everything" book and this book. Of the three, this had the most detailed information. The maps are not great but the rest of the book makes up for that. The regional grouping was a great help.



3. This travel guide is heavily weighted toward Massachussetts and very thin on New Hampshire, and somewhat thin on Maine. In hindsight consider reviewing some of the other New England Guides such as Fodor's and Lonely Planet before considering this one. A bit of a disappointment.



4. My husband and I did a New England driving tour based on this book. I'd liked Frommer books before so basically used this book and the web (including the digital version of this book) to plan the trip. Not such a good idea.
   
   There are lots of errors/difficulties with the book...just a few examples:
   *Listings of lunch places that have NEVER served lunch (and you show up and the guy yells at you and has never heard of Frommers and oh by the way you're 20 minutes from the next location...and in all honesty, no one wants to be yelled at when they're on vacation).
   *Dinner places that have closed down
   *Maps that show roads that don't exist or that don't show key roads that you need
   *Out of date info on hotels (including phone numbers)
   
   I started keeping track and realized it wasn't my job to edit this book. But it was disappointing. It was still a great vacation and I would heartily recommend the vacation...but not the book.



5. I was disappointed that there wasn't much said for Connecticut in this book and almost half of the book was on MA. There are other states in New England other than MA!!

5 comments about The Outermost House: A Year of Life On The Great Beach of Cape Cod.

1. I particularly enjoyed this book as it is set in an area that has a large simularity to where I grew up and I particularly liked the lonliness and bleakness that I identified with.



2. Note: I made some Mormon reader angry over my negative reviews of books written by Mormons out to prove the Book of Mormon, and that person has been slamming my reviews.
   
   Your "helpful" votes are appreciated. Thanks.
   
   This wonderful book doesn't need a long review. "The Outermost House" is Henry Beston's account of his year on Cape Code in the 1920s. It's a classic of nature writing and worth reading just for the poetic lines. Here is an example:
   
   "For a moment of night we have a glimpse of ourselves and of our world islanded in its stream of stars--pilgrims of mortality, voyaging between horizons across eternal seas of space and time."
   
   I hope you agree that this wonderful line makes my short review worth reading.
   
   Highly recommended!



3. The Outermost House is a marvelous book; one of my all-time absolute favorites in the whole world. It's not, by the way, about outhouses, as one of my children wondered aloud upon hearing the title. Monsieur Beston has a terrific eye and an interesting style; his affection and respect for the interrelatedness of the natural world and concern that we humans forget our connection to it is akin to Thoreau's.
   
   This edition has a lengthy introduction by Robert Finch. Highly recommend skipping the intro until AFTER you read the book. Mr. Finch probably meant well, but he quotes extensively from the book - thereby spoiling some of the best parts - instead of giving us just enough to further pique our curiosity about the book or limiting himself to biographical information about Monsieur Beston.



4. This was one of my winter reading books. I enjoyed it very much because the writing was very clear and vivid. Henry spent a year on Cape Cod writing about the nature and how the season changes the land and his surroundings. He writes about a lot of the birds that migrate in and out of the region and raises some important environmental concerns about the delicate nature of our actions on the wildlife. I appreciated the light hearted feel of the writing and it stuck to the middle of the road as far as imposing any of his personal opinions about all and any subjects, which I thought was safe and perhaps is the one of the negatives I feel for the writing. It was written with a modest sense of pleasure and feeling. It was in any sense, a very nice read and very indicative of the northeastern way of life.



5. After another family trip to Chatham I desperately wanted to bring Cape Cod home and preserve the atmosphere that takes residence in your soul when you give yourself fully to its powerful coastal calling. As daily obligations put a layer of fog over my memories it was very cathartic to end the day reading Henry Beston's observations in an Eastham cottage in the 1920's.
   
   Beston is an able writer with a poetic style who is able to capture the allure of Cape Cod. He effectively brings the reader onto the beaches with all the animal and plant life that breathes life into this region. However, he has a tendency to write lengthy musings about specific birds or plant life that can get very tedious. Portions of his observations seem to be nothing more than the ramblings of someone who is bored and in need of companionship other than a group of flittering birds searching for food in the dunes.
   
   In the end, Beston was able to evoke a powerful longing that provided the soothing and comforting effect I was looking for. Recommended for anyone who wants to bring a "peace" of the Cape home, and for anyone interested in solitary observations of nature along the beaches of one of the best places on earth.

5 comments about Studies in the Sermon on the Mount.

1. "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones brings great insight into the fundamentals of Christianity thru an in-depth look at the Sermon on the Mount. Lloyd-Jones shows a stark contrast between our world's values and the way in which a believer is called to live. To get the most out of this book than one needs to be willing to examine their heart and actions.



2. This book is exceptionally rich in spiritual understanding, easy to follow and written from the heart of the author. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones knows how to bring out the truth of God's scripture. The book is actually two volumes in one, comprised of 60 sermons from Matthew 5, 6 and 7. The sermons will challenge you to review your Christian walk in contrast to the Word of God. Every sermon presented in this book brings the reader back to the foot of the Cross of Christ for self examination. It is a very humbling book, written to the heart of those that love God and his Son, Jesus Christ. This book will spiritually enrich your walk and strengthen your relationship with Christ. If you are searching for an in-depth study of The Sermon on the Mount you will not find a better book than this one. This is not a book you will read only once.



3. Through forceful, powerful, blatant, bold Calvinistic and evangelistic sermons, Pastor Jones did a marathon preaching on one of, if not the most controversial and heavily debated Sermon on the Mount; shattering other man-centered, self-centered, legalistic, antinomian, perfectionist interpretations. I have to admit before I read these sermons, I had most of my interpretations wrong. Here are some observations from what I took in. First, the Sermon on the Mount is not a social gospel where all it cares about is the actions, ethics and morale of the story. Though important, they are neither the meat nor the center of it; Christ the Preacher is. Not only is this so, but as Pastor Jones remarked in the concluding sermon, that throughout the course of it, Christ declares, I would say, both implicitly and explicitly, that he is the true giver, interpreter and center of the law. Second, no one can rightly live out the principles taught in it unaided unless one is a believer relying on the grace and power of God who enables him to do so. Third, it is not something one has to do to become a Christian. Instead, it shows what Christians should become as a result of a new gracious ruling principle in their hearts. Fourth, in some cases like turning to the other cheek, going extra miles, giving away both the cloak and the coat, loaning to those in need, not committing adultery, it is the general bigger-picture principles behind the detailed examples that was to be conveyed, not the actions themselves that are the most important. I wouldn't write what they are here, but let the readers discover on their own. Fifth; on the other hand, it involves some details which Pastor Jones beautifully expounds within the general description or principles, for example, on what the Lord's prayer means and how it is to be prayed properly with the right heart and attitude, how to determine the characteristics and signs of false prophets and professors, what it means to enter through the straight gate and going through the narrow way, what building house on sands and rock by the foolish and wise man signify and how we know which one of these categories we fall into. These are stunningly soul-searching; something critical that those of us who confess to be Christians should test ourselves with. Here is one of his quotes worth musing on what it urges us to do in regard to entering the strait gate,
   
   "You have to go out of your way to find this gate. You will have to analyze yourself and be very honest with yourself, and having refused to hold back, say, `I am going on with this until I discover exactly what I have to do'. Here are so many who do not find this way of life because they have never sought the gate and entered in.... [it involves] fasting, sweating and praying... we must give ourselves no rest or peace until we know for certain that we are on this way."
   
   And lastly, without trying to be simplistic, the underlying principle of it all is that it is the spirit, not the letters that matters. It is the heart, the desire, the attitude, the character and the outlook on one's life, not the actions, that Christ is concerned the most and therefore focuses his sermons on to graciously rebuke, correct and encourage. Despite his sober and frightening warnings, we should not lose heart but continue to persevere to the end to follow him for he who has began a good work in us will never leave us nor forsake us and will carry it on to completion.



4. This book on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is one of the best books ever produced by Martyn Lloyd-Jones. If you have never encountered Lloyd-Jones then you will be blessed as you read this book and discover a man with a passion for both the Word of God and the God of the Word.
   
   Lloyd-Jones, according to John Piper, is one of the last true Calvinistic Methodist from the days of George Whitefield. Here was a man who not only embraced Reformed Calvinism but also embraced a passion for God from the likes of Whitefield and John Wesley. He not only wanted to study the Bible and teach it clearly but he wanted to give people a hunger for Jesus that would become evident in holiness in life and character.
   
   In this book, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explores the implications of the Sermon on the Mount for the Christian. He works his way slowly through each passage giving not only the content of the passage but many points of application for your life. I would encourage you to have your Bible open to Matthew 5-7 as you read this book and even more to memorize the passage (Psalm 119:11). This is a solid book well worth the price and its also a book you will refer to again and again.



5. This is a wonderful book and well worth the time to invest in reading it. I would urge you to buy this timely book.

5 comments about Native Plants of the Northeast: A Guide for Gardening and Conservation.

1. This book proved to be a big help in determining native plantings for my yard. The latin names helped eliminate "look alikes" in plant catalogs. It is worth the money



2. For anyone in the Northeastern part of the USA, this book will become a well thumbed reference. The developing of a web of life based upon the system of native flora and fauna is clearly and compellingly presented. In a world where native plants are often thought of as weeds, this book is a fresh look at what makes the Northeast its own special region.



3. I know how to garden in Kansas, Maryland, Australia, South Texas and Florida, but now I'm learning what plants work for New England. This book is a life saver with descriptions of ferns, grasses, wildflowers, vines, shrubs and trees suited to the region.
   The photos are good, full-color, but aren't always on the same page as the description. Each plant is listed with its scientific name, followed by its common names and family group. It gives the zones, soil requirements, and light needs plus a short description. There are propagation tips for each and notes for special information and an indication of the plant's natural range. It is really a pretty exhaustive book.
   Some helpful lists at the end includes:
   Plants that tolerate wet soil
   Plants that tolerate dry soil
   Plants that tolerate shade
   Plants with flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds
   Plants with fruits that attract birds
   Plants with fruits that attract mammals
   This can be used as a wildflower identification book or to select plants for special needs in your northeast garden.



4. The book is a good list of plants, shrubs and trees for the area. I find the text to be a little technical for the novice/intermediate gardener.



5. Very informative and chocked full of valuable material pertaining to specific types of plants you may desire for your garden. I have only one complaint - the pictures of shrubs and trees show only, in most instances, just the branch containing the leave or flower. I wanted to see pictures of the entire shrub or tree since I desired to observe the fullness or lack thereof of specific species for my garden. In other words, to get an idea how the plant would look when it is in place.

5 comments about The Big House: A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home.

1. This book was recommmended to me by someone who had read it, so i knew what to expect, a very well researched history of a family and the intertwined relationship of the family as it grew over the generations to the big house that was their common home away from home. The writing was excelllent which made it very easy to relate to the characters that we met and got to know. The stories of the individuals was realistic and punches were not pulled in several of the histories, which made me at times believe that I was reading fiction. When the time came to part with the old home, I was as devastated as George Colt (author) was, I felt so part of the story. A good read.



2. The Big House and The Hidden House are two summer homes on the Atkinson/Colt ancestral property at Buzzard's Bay on Cape Cod. Similarly, author George Colt Howe offers us two stories within one book: First, a magnificent tale of life at that big family summer retreat on Cape Cod and its evolvement over the last century. Second, a stupefying slog through five generations of Boston Brahmin lore. In a nutshell, great granddad was the nineteenth century patriarch who bankrolled the good life for four generations. Hitting tennis balls and winning sailing pennants preoccupied the lives of his progeny, no one else worked too hard. Fortunately, every other generation, an industrious grandson-in-law shows up to keep the home in the family.
   
   The story of the house, and the author's emotional attachment to it, is colorful and endearing. Howe writes with painstaking love for special nooks and crannies of the Big House, of magical childhood memories, and the traditions he wishes he could afford to pass on to his own children. Readers with a longtime family residence, summer home or other special place held dear in their hearts will connect with this author. His descriptions of 'old Cape Cod' chronicle a bygone pre-fastfood era when the Cape was truly an isolated getaway.
   
   You can't blame Howe for the dullness of reading about rich dead white guys who were his forebears. His editors failed him. Skim the genealogy, don't worry about who was who's granduncle or aunt. We could have had more specifics about the patriarch Ned Atkinson, and far less about his descendants. It's always the relatives who spoil a summer vacation.



3. Lots of padding in this book. Hard to read as it was only mildly interesting. It just scraped in for a 3 star rating.



4. I enjoyed reading "The Big House" and have recomended it to several friends. Anyone in the Boston and Cape Cod area or enjoyed summer vacations on the cape would enjoy the book, I highly recommend. I purchased this book from a review, and because it is a true story about real people and an area I have visited. It covered facets of my life. It told how the family used the house and each generation was interested in the previous generations, from the relative that build the house to the present time. It is a good read.



5. I'm on p. 199, reading this in Tel Aviv while keeping my ill sister-in-law company (I'm from California). I have lived every page, every lush detail, and now it's becoming so heartbreakingly sad. I'm in a foreign culture, reading about another very different foreign culture (Boston Brahmins), and reading this book helps me to understand BOTH better.

No comments about New England (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

5 comments about Family Tree.

1. When I had read a book review on Barbara Delinsky's new release, "Family Tree," I was already sold. The plot of the story impressed me as did the writer's courage in telling it. A topic involving a baby's color being perceived as "wrong" by his own parents is one not often discussed, let alone expounded on.
   
   Not three chapters into the book the vapid quality of the story's characters begin to come into focus. The result is similar to looking at a piece of mediocre impressionist art that is rendered in grays and blacks. The images and their hues blur together, unmemorably. That description could also apply to the leaves on the branches of this "Family Tree."
   
   It seems implausible that any new parents faced with such a question as significant as their child's natural heritage, would restrict their search to hearsay. But collaborative tales from the knitting circle and other loose threads form the basis for piecing together Baby Lizzie's genetic profile. All the while, the characters feature in the book much like shadows across a snowy landscape. You can vaguely make them out, but it is impossible to "feel" anything about them.
   
   In summary, I found myself wondering why Delinsky didn't make it easier on herself and just pay a genealogist to write the story. It would have been considerably more believable and definitely more interesting.



2. I loved this book. Once I started I couldn't stop. I was immediately drawn into the story line and thought that the story and characters developed in an even pace. I have already recommended it to several of my family & friends!



3. Such a great premise: What if everything you thought you knew about your family was a lie? Sometimes family secrets come down through DNA to reveal its truth. I loved this novel. The situations are real and the reactions of the characters are true-to-form. It got wordy after the birth of the baby but Delinsky redeems herself quickly and the mysteries come to a very believable end. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.



4. I am a long-time fan of Barbara Delinsky. Her stories are fascinating and her characters are believable and deep. Delinsky consistently delivers a tale with twists and turns, with romance and mystery. In this story, a white couple welcomes the birth of their baby, only to experience a shock when the infant clearly has African American traits. Blue-blood Hugh and his wife, Dana, who never knew her father, are at odds with each other over the "blame" and each one begins a journey of discovery. Dana looks into her roots while Hugh faces yet another surprise.
   
   Like all Delinsky novels, The Family Tree is ripe with women supporting one another. In this book, the connecting thread is the yarn store owned by her grandmother, where the customers become family, in more ways than one.
   
   Treat yourself to a wonderful read and grab a copy of The Family Tree. If you're a knitter, you will love this book even more as it creates a glorious picture of the haven that a yarn shop can provide. If you don't knit, I'll bet you'll check out a shop after you finish the book!!



5. Excellent book by Barbara Delinsky. Loved the story line. If you're into Family History, you'll love this book.

1 comments about Not for Tourists 2008 Guide to Boston (Not for Tourists Guidebook).

1. This book is simply the best book for getting around Boston and doing it quick. If you move quick and travel lite, this is for you - an essential carry along. [...] I love this book....