Patient Prayers: Talking to God from a Hospital Bed

Customer Reviews:

Been there, done that, but never wrote it down.......2007-04-29

John Chervokas has a monk's perceptivity of the ordinary which sees the daily and very humble routine and worries of a patient with keen insight.
I don't know if this book sells well; but maybe a higher cost would help.

Average customer rating:

Maybe worth your time
Thought provoking
Surprised to be So Touched and Moved
Good Story--Expected More
Great read!

Talking in Bed
Antonya Nelson
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Domestic Life | Women's Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0684838001

Amazon.com

Antonya Nelson's first novel examines the complexities and ironic inconsistencies of romantic intimacy that she's tackled in her highly acclaimed short stories. Talking in Bed focuses on two married couples on the verge of middle age. Psychologist Evan Cole and his wife Rachel, a lawyer, befriend Paddy (a roofer) and Didi Limbach (a Mormon housewife). The two couples forge an awkward, yet comforting friendship that leads to an affair between Paddy and Rachel. As the dynamics between the characters shift, each tries to keep life from spinning out of control by grasping desperately at love.

Customer Reviews:

Maybe worth your time.......2004-03-28

If you're the type of person that analyzes everything, then I think you would like Talking in Bed. If you don't like analyzing and just want to get through your day and life as it hits you, then Talking in Bed will drive you crazy. I'm stuck somewhere in-between these two types of people, so even though I was slightly annoyed by the character's over-analyzing of everything (even having a puppy -- which is just a small paragraph in the book, not even part of the book as a whole), I did finish the book. I think if a good editor came along and stripped out about 100 pages or so of Ms. Nelson's novel, then Talking in Bed would have appealed more to me.

It's just a bit too much for a situation that happens in life (marriage falling apart, death in family, infidelity -- not really new and shocking at this point of my life). I'm not even sure if at the end of the novel that the characters have grown at all or learned anything from their experiences. Only one character seemed to come to terms with something he did (killed his father -- but you have to read the book to understand that's not as mental as it may sound), and once he told his wife about doing it two years later, he was instantly absolved and mentally healthier. I just find that hard to believe.

Talking in Bed has some pretty heavy content but it's not content that I think is necessarily worth the time getting through. Use your best judgment based on your personality, otherwise you may be completely annoyed that you spent the money on the book.

Thought provoking.......2001-09-20

This book made me question whether a person can be both an intellectual, who is not guided by instinct and a person who can feel unconditional love for another human being. I think that the two personalities are exclusive and that each contributes its abilities to the world.

Surprised to be So Touched and Moved.......2001-05-30

Antonya Nelson's Talking in Bed is a wonderful book. I became enraptured by the three main characters and fell head long into their lives. The triangle they form changes all their lives forever and even the resolution is equal parts both satisfying and disturbing because these three people will never be the same. That is both good and bad as it is the world outside of fiction. I give the author many points for making me care so much about these people (and even the main couple's children are given marvelous, small places to shine). The book is smart and very touching without becoming sentimental. There are no epiphanies only small decisions and deceits that reverberate. A wonderful read.

Good Story--Expected More.......1998-08-24

What I loved most about this novel was that it was set in my hometown. Ms. Nelson has a good feel for the city and she certainly placed the characters in the right neighborhoods for their socio-economic ranks.

However, I had a difficult time believing that the affair would last so long before Evan did anything. This part was the only reason why I didn't like the book as much. It would take nearly a year from the time he discovers his wife is having an affair to wake up from his Jodi-coma? I can't imagine a Chicago guy doing this...or rather not doing anything.

Minor drawback perhaps, but a key one for this reader. Looking forward to the next work.

Great read!.......1998-05-06

Thoroughly enjoyable relationship story. The line that stuck with me (I quote from memory so excuse any deviation) is: "people are like artichokes, it takes alot of work to get to the heart"...

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (The Five Little Monkeys)

Average customer rating:

reading and singing
Amazon Books rock!
Useless
Daughter's Favorite Bedtime Story
No more jumping on the bed

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (The Five Little Monkeys)
Eileen Christelow
Manufacturer: Clarion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0395601150

Product Description

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed Listen and learn with carry along books and cassette favorites

Customer Reviews:

reading and singing.......2006-08-28

It'll be a good fun bedtime story for little ones, your children will love it. Reading and singing can be motivating to foreign students from 5 to 7, it can be used at a sleepover

Amazon Books rock!.......2006-04-09

Good book, great price! Even better than you can get in-store. My wife wanted this book for our baby's collection because she grew up with this book and she loved it as a child. This book gives children the pictures to go along with the related song, too.

Useless.......2006-03-16

This book is boring, doesn't teach the child anything new (might as well just sing the easy lyrics), and the illustrations are dull. Waste of money!

Daughter's Favorite Bedtime Story.......2006-01-30

This has become our daughter's favorite bedtime story. She's 3 1/2 and I wish that I had gotten the book earlier. She likes to read along with us, and has each monkey say "goodnight mama" in different voices. At first she wanted to jump on the bed as well but she didn't liked being called a silly monkey.

No more jumping on the bed.......2005-09-30

One of my daughter's favorite. Her playdates all like the book too. They like to say it with me. No more jumping on the bed.
I highly recomend because kids will see how the monkeys get hurt and cry with the booboos. Keila is 27 months old

Average customer rating:

Talking in Bed
Antonya Nelson
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflen Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KWKU8A

Teddy the Talking Cat (Bed-time Story-land Books)

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Teddy the Talking Cat (Bed-time Story-land Books)

Manufacturer: The Platt & Munk Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HJ0B7G

Product Description

Small 8vo.; pictorial covered boards; hardcover; b/w and color illustrations; Bed-time Story-land Books;

Average customer rating:

The Teddy Bear with Laser Eyes
I thought the story was....
talking heads
These people are everywhere
British Genius

Talking Heads
Alan Bennett
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0007WAARY

Book Description

Alan Bennett's award-winning series of solo pieces is a classic of contemporary drama, universally hailed for its combination of razor-sharp wit and deeply felt humanity. In Bed Among the Lentils, a vicar's wife discovers a semblance of happiness with an Indian shop owner. In A Chip in the Sugar, a man's life begins to unravel when he discovers his aging mother has rekindled an old flame. In A Lady of Letters, a busybody pays a price for interfering in her neighbor's life.

First produced for BBC television in 1988 to great critical acclaim, the Talking Heads monologues also appeared on the West End Stage in London in 1992 and 1998. In 2002, seven of the pieces were performed at the Tiffany Theater in Los Angeles for a highly praised brief engagement, and in 2003 a selection of the monologues premiered in New York at the Minetta Lane Theatre. These extraordinary portraits of ordinary people confirm Alan Bennett's place as one of the most gifted, versatile, and important writers in the English Language.

Customer Reviews:

The Teddy Bear with Laser Eyes.......2001-03-09

Alan Bennett has been called England's National Teddy Bear, so beloved is his work and person. It's a sweet moniker, but misleading to those who may not have yet read Bennett. Insightful and compassionate with a wit so sharp it effectively amputates sentimentality, this is a Teddy Bear with laser eyes and sharp claws that are only just retracted.

Bennett's character sketches in Talking Heads are devastating. The grown man whose safe little existence begins to unravel as he discovers his dear old mum has taken a lover, the vigilent, upright busybody who ends up in prison for invading her neighbor's privacy, the widow of "Soldiering On" whose emptiness of purpose is revealed through her inability to grieve--each uncomprehending character Bennett has created in these astonishing soliloquies is undone by his or her brave and steadfast unwillingness to acknowledge the bare-knuckled truth of human emotion.

Bennett is not cruel in revealing the weaknesses of his characters, but he is uncompromising in revealing those weaknesses. This is the Teddy Bear who brings to the picnic the sharp knives that cut through the bread and fat prepared and packaged by his companions.

Also recommended are Bennett's Writing Home, The Clothes They Stood Up In, and any and all of his other plays, particularly The Old Country; and, for those who just must have the soft and fuzzy version of the Teddy Bear, listen to Bennett's reading of Winnie the Pooh, or go see his stageplay of The Wind in the Willows.

I thought the story was...........2000-11-17

Honestly I thought the story was quite dull he tells us about the dull part of their lives, I'm surprised I didn't sleep reading it. It's the worst book I've ever read. You probably won't put this on display on the computer, but you asked what I thought of it and I told you the truth, I'm sure many others agree with me that the story was boring. . Thankyou

talking heads.......2000-02-04

I have been studying Alan Bennett and like many others find it highly amusing. It works remarkably well as a television series and not just on the page. The personalisation and connection to the viewer draws you in and makes it appear that each character is actually talking to you. Excellent work

These people are everywhere.......1999-05-07

I suppose I am a bit biased because I grew up in the same town as Alan Bennett (Leeds, Yorkshire) but this book is truly remarkable. The characters are a mixture of people we all know. A chip in the sugar is the man who lives down the street, A lady of Letters is always in the post office (usually in front of me !). All these people exist, what Alan Bennett does is drag them out of their lives and our heads and put them there in front of us. We may read about them and dismiss them as characters in fiction but they all exist and in most cases there's bits of them inside each of us. Thanks Alan Bennett for entertaining us and teaching us at the same time.

British Genius.......1998-07-23

I can't believe I'm the first person to review this masterpiece! Maybe it's because Bennett seems so very British, English even, that he's not appealled to American readers. I'm sure you're missing something worth having.

Bennett is a masterful observer of character and the six monologues gathered in this collection all display strong characters revealled with a sharp eye and a compassionate heart. Bennett is witty and controlled in his approach, allowing his characters to reveal themselves and their foibles subtley. I find these little tales deeply moving as well as funny, despite the apparently mundane subjects he's dealing with.

I can't think of a comparison to make to illuminate his style, especially since monologue is very rarely seen these days. I can see an affinity to A. Maupin and R.Rodi in terms of waspish observations of people and their social milieu. Bennett's characters aren't blatantly queer like Maupin's or Rodi's, they're not young and tre! ndy things either, but Bennet's own sensibilites and sensitivities give queer readers pause for thought, especially about the older, isolated members of society.

He takes us right inside the heads of six very ordinary people and lays bare their lives, their self-delusions and their petty snobberies in their own words. The texts were originally written as television plays and were broadcast on the radio by the BBC too, however, they work perfectly well on the page, rather like short stories. Why not try it and see for yourselves!

Average customer rating:
The Dallas Titans Get Ready for Bed
Karla Kuskin
Manufacturer: Listening Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Kuskin, Karla | ( K ) | Authors & Illustrators, A-Z | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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The Philharmonic Gets Dressed (Reading Rainbow Book)

ASIN: 0807201413

Average customer rating:
Talking in Bed
Antonya NELSON
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VAUCX4

Customer Reviews:

The comic book stories that inspried the television series.......2004-11-09

"Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" supposedly brings together the comic book stories that inspired the ABC television series. But if you watched the television series with Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher do not expect to read any stories that will remind you of specific episodes. What you will get is a sense of how "Lois & Clark" reflected the new and improved version of the Superman mythos that was created in 1986 when writer-artist John Byrne revamped the Man of Steel. That is why the most interesting part of this collection is Byrne's introduction where he explains his thinking on changing the dynamic between Lois Lane and Clark Kent.

Although the decision to have Ma and Pa Kent still in alive when Superman was an adult was seen as the most controversial element of Byrne's new mythos, the keystone to freeing the character of Lois Lane from the strictures of the past was the simple exercise of eliminating global knowledge that Superman had a dual identity. No longer was Lois trying to figure out who Superman "really" was, which meant she no longer had to be constantly working on some scheme to find out that secret identity. This also meant that when Lois met Clark Kent all she saw was Clark Kent, the man who got his job at the "Daily Planet" by beating her to the first exclusive on "Superman" ("The Story of the Century"), which is not something that would endure him to her.

But in the end, Byrne decides something even more radical with the infamous "Triangle Built for Two," because this time around Lois is going to end up loving Clark as much as he loves her from the start. The big secret in this new version is that Superman is the secret identity and Clark Kent is the real person. That is why it had to be Clark than won Lois' heart and not the superhero. Unfortunately, that is only touched upon in the comic book stories from 1986-90 that are reprinted here (e.g., "The Limits of Power" and "Survival"). What you get more often are the inevitable problems that arise when a third party enters the picture (e.g., "The Name Game").

You also have stories where Lois & Clark are spending some serious time doing reporting. "Tears for Titano" is basically an illustrated Lois Lane piece. There is also a nice Lex Luthor short, "Metropolis - 900 mi," and "Home for the Holidays" is a Christmas story that glosses over the fact that Clark is about to leave the "Planet." While the first story is the most important for the new Superman mythos, the last two are the best stories in the collection although they have nothing to do with inspiring the television series whose stars appears on the front and back cover. Byrne is responsible for half of the offerings while Jerry Ordway, Roger Stern, Dan Jurgens and others write and draw the other half.

Heat Wave (Lois & Clark the New Adventures of Superman)

Average customer rating:

Super Reader
Great show, great book!
Great book!
A Great L&C book!

Heat Wave (Lois & Clark the New Adventures of Superman)
Michael Jan Friedman
Manufacturer: Harpercollins (Mm)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Movie Tie-Ins | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0061010618

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-06

In a scorching hot Metropolis summer, some dodgy Hollywood types are out to sabotage the production of a big budge crappy plot update of the Robin Hood story.

Perry White sends Lois and Clark in undercover to find out what is going on with all the accidents. Lois works it out while Superman runs around saving lots of people from heat-induced accidents.

Great show, great book!.......2002-01-23

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of L&C. The characters and the tone of their relationship are(is) true to the television series. MJ Friedman really paid attention to detail and it paid off. I really enjoyed this book and found it a fun read. There is great interaction between the title characters, just like in the show, and the plot moves along nicely. Great book!

Great book!.......1999-04-06

Romance, mystery, show business, and even some *heat*. I love this book

A Great L&C book!.......1998-03-25

This is really a great book and all FoLCs (Fans of Lois and Clark) ought to really enjoy it. It was just like watching an episode of the series, except with more detail. I truly loved it and will read it again often.

Lois and Clark (The New Adventures of Superman)

Average customer rating:

Great read for what it is.

Lois and Clark (The New Adventures of Superman)
C.J. Cherryh
Manufacturer: Boxtree Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews:

Great read for what it is........2007-06-18

I have been proud of the fact that I have read every novel penned by CJ Cherryh numerous times. She is that good of a writer to me. That being said, I had never read Lois and Clark, for a few reason, first, I didn't even know about it when it was in print, and second by the time I found out about it, collectors are selling it for the kind of crazy prices that I see today ($133.00) I would have to have it read to me by CJ Cherryh for that kind of money. And probably the biggest reason, is I have never been a comic book guy, and I didn't watch Lois and Clark when it was on the air. So... when I finally did end up with a copy last year, it stayed in the trunk for almost a year and yesterday on a whim, I read it in a couple of hours.

Is it up to Ms. Cherryh's normal standards? well no... and yes.

Here is a story where, you see a conflicted Superman, with a Lois that you can understand Superman being in love with. I never could understand that with the original Black and White series as a kid.

But what is cool about this story is, Ms. Cherryh shows a Superman with powers that make sense, going into detail about laws of conservation of matter and energy. I don't think any Hollywood screenwriter is going to pull that off.

So bottom line is it is a story that I enjoyed reading, and I think any Superman fan, who is somewhat educated may find fascinating. But that's just what I think.

Heat Wave: Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

Average customer rating:

Heat Wave: Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Michael Jan; Friedman, M. J. Friedman
Manufacturer: Harpercollins (Mm)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEV29A

Lois & Clark the New Adventures of Superman

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Lois & Clark the New Adventures of Superman

Manufacturer: HarperPaperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HU0AHG

Average customer rating:

Lois & Clark: The new adventures of Superman
Dean Cain
Manufacturer: Warner Bros. Television
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006RYCNS

Amazon.com

Will we ever colonize space, and if we do will our settlements be more like EPCOT Center or a trailer park? Skylife: Space Habitats in Story and Science takes a broad-ranging look at space colonies through the eyes of some of this century's greatest science fiction writers. Edited by Gregory Benford and George Zebrowski, the volume is largely optimistic, even given the writers' urgent need to pose problems for their characters. Arthur C. Clarke's 1957 story "The Other Side of the Sky" contains nearly every important element of today's (and tomorrow's) space program: communications satellites, space shuttles, and orbital stations. David Brin's "Tank Farm," as grim and bleak as its title, still offers hope against the technological and psychological barriers to space travel. Thirteen other pieces, including one each by the editors and nonfiction by Larry Niven and Isaac Asimov, round out a collection spanning 60 years of forward thinking. The editors' introduction is an absorbing, concise history of the collusion between scientists and authors to imagine and promote space colonization, from Jonathan Swift to Gerard O'Neill and Freeman Dyson. Seven full-color plates illustrate conceptions of our future extraterrestrial life that are alternately high-tech and idyllic. As the space program returns to public prominence, we would do well to consider the words of those who have already thought deeply about how we can best adapt to space. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

Respected science fiction author-editors Gregory Benford and George Zebrowski present an anthology, with unique color illustrations, that is filled with the excitement, poetry, and adventure awaiting us in the limitless final frontier that is the sky. For years, science fiction has portrayed humankind growing away from the cradle of Earth through spacecraft, space stations, and space homes. Skylife features stories by such masters of science fiction as Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Larry Niven, Joan Vinge, and James Blish-in addition to several essays by scientists-all of which come together in one spectacular volume to provide a picture of our possible future beyond Earth.

Customer Reviews:

Sci Fi Foundations of Space Science.......2006-09-07

A collection of science fiction short stories portraying situatoins of otherworld settlements by humans and the cultures they developed. Writers explore how human societies might develop in non-Earth environments: other planets, planetoids, multi-generation colonization ships, mining colonies on asteroids, and such.

It is a cultural or social collection from Sci Fi, in which various authors portraying their made-up universes and worlds, or various aspects of the quest to conquer pace.

The volume has an excellent introductory essay by the editors, providing a literary and technical foundation. This essay and introductions to each short story in the collection provides a technical reference for actual science and physics involved in the questions of space travel and related physics and engineering knowledge and design.

Many well-known science fiction writers have been very meticulous in their study and use of actual science, physics and other technical subjects, including sociology and economics. Many have been actual science consultants and have written as scientists in their own right. For instance, Isaac Asimov, had a PhD in Chemistry and was a university professor.

Many Sci Fi writers have had uncannily accurate prophecies and forecasts in their stories. Some have specifically dealt with the engineering details of science and its possibilities. This collection of stories provides interesting views of possible social and technical problems and successes in the attempts to establish living environments on artificial satellites, long-range colony ships and actual colonization of other worlds.

One story, "The Other Side of the Sky" by Sir Arthur C. Clarke was written in the 1950s. Yet all the details he describes here about space exploration are right.

It has sometimes been the case that NASA and other space strategists and engineers actually referred to Sci Fi writers as guides to techniques and design. In fact, some of you may have even seen Clarke on coverage of NASA space launches. Clark is a noted consultant on actual space technology. Some terminology now commonly used began in Sci Fi stories of the past.

This is the level of quality of this collection. Two new stories are included which were written just for this volume.

Perfect blend of science and fiction.......2000-06-10

This is a terrific book, containing knowledgeable and reliable science explorations of the possibilities of living in space with some of the best hard science fiction writers' stories treating the same subject, like Greg Bear's WIND FROM A BURNING WOMAN. SKYLIFE ought to be in every middle and high school library! It also reads beautifully as entertainment.

Skylife : Space Habitats in Story and Science

Average customer rating:

Skylife : Space Habitats in Story and Science
Gregory (editor); Zebrowski, George (editor) Benford
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJFMFA

Average customer rating:

High nerdiness in a brewpot

Knowledgeably and expertly written

Detailed, but repetitive

Very good book for reference..

Very heavy book.

Dave Miller's Homebrewing Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Make Great-Tasting Beer
David G. Miller
Manufacturer: Storey Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Beer | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Third Edition (Harperresource Book)

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Brew Ware: How to Find, Adapt & Build Homebrewing Equipment

New Brewing Lager Beer: The Most Comprehensive Book for Home and Microbrewers

How to Brew: Everything You Need To Know To Brew Beer Right The First Time

ASIN: 0882669052

Amazon.com

While authors of entry-level brewing books do well to alleviate the fears of anxious new brewers, advanced writers benefit from a pointedly informative approach. Dave Miller's dry, technically versed style has earned him widespread respect through his own publications as well as his work with Brewing Techniques, the first-rate magazine for small-scale brewers. Really an update to his classic Complete Handbook of Home Brewing, Dave Miller's Homebrewing Guide is clear enough to introduce advanced techniques to the average home-brewer, yet thorough enough to provide a permanent reference for the expert.

Miller manages to improve upon his earlier book--itself one of the finest advanced brewing books available--by updating and better organizing the information. While the Homebrewing Guide does provide a cursory introduction to basic brewing techniques and a sampling of supplementary topics (kegging, filtration), its real value is in the thoroughness and clarity with which all-grain brewing is described. Grain mashing, for instance, is discussed in three different chapters: a summary of various mashing techniques, a description of the underlying biochemistry, and a step-by-step description of the mashing process. By compartmentalizing the information into short chapters and carefully organizing their sequence, Miller creates a guide that can be read straight through as an initiation to advanced brewing or easily referenced for specific information on brew day. --Todd Gehman

Book Description

This book offers the author's two decades of know-how to help beginners ensure that they make great-tasting beer or ale every time. Dave Miller's first homebrewing book has sold over 100,000 copies.

Customer Reviews:

High nerdiness in a brewpot.......2007-06-10

Books on homebrewing aren't as common as they were in the late 90s, sadly, but there's still enough good basic literature available in bookstores to get someone to a pretty high level of proficiency. The traditional introduction for most American homebrewers has been Charlie Papazian's The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Third Edition (Harperresource Book), which is a time-tested and generally pretty good introduction on the subject. But Papazian has issues -- his hyperenthusiasm and loopy whimsicality often seem more appropriate to a book on beer lore than an introductory text to what is, after all, quite a technical hobby. Enter this book.

Dave Miller is also a respected author in the brewing instruction field, and is known for producing works that are more technical and less informal than Papazian's work. This book definitely falls into that category, by and large being a combination of basic instructional technique and enough brewing science to help the novice understand many of the chemical changes in the brewing process, making troubleshooting easier for both novice and expert. If you want a book that will tell you almost everything and can't afford much more than that one book, this is an excellent choice; in fact, there's even enough information on professional brewing techniques that as a simple explanation of what goes on in a brewery, it's actually a pretty good choice for a beer nerd who doesn't actually want to try making their own.

That's kind of a problem, though -- it really is a nerd's book. I don't think that's a liability per se, as everyone has a different approach to learning. But it's more of a reference than a tutorial, so if your learning style requires more structure, it may not be the choice. It is also rather dry, using tremendous amounts of brewing, chemistry, and biology jargon, and could really use more pictures (especially of fermenter designs). But it's good to have around as an adjunct to Papazian, and if you're a fairly nonstructured learner, it's a good replacement if you find Papazian to be too informal, corny, or just unapproachably weird.

Knowledgeably and expertly written.......2004-02-08

Knowledgeably and expertly written by the winner of a lifetime achievement award from the American Homebrewers Association, Dave Miller's Homebrewing Guide is an all-encompassing and up-to-date 358-page instructional and reference guide to brewing great-tasting beer in the privacy of one's home. Covering malts, water and water treatment, mash methods, hops, necessary equipment -- including kettles and wort coolers, methodical directions, practical and safety tips, and more, Dave Miller's Homebrewing Guide is a "must-have" for anyone seeking to brew their own beer at home whether as an simple pastime or as an approach to acquiring a professional microbrewery expertise.

Detailed, but repetitive.......2002-07-21

This book contains a lot of good info, which I've found to be both interesting and useful as I get back into brewing after a break of a few years. I have Papazian also, and of the two books, I pick this one up more often, and find what I'm looking for more easily.

Despite the comments of some other reviewers, one doesn't need to be an all-grain brewer to find this book useful. I'm creating my own recipes using extracts and specialty grains, and find this book to be very helpful.

However, Miller is pretty repetitive. It is only a slight exaggeration that there are 3 chapters on each topic: on each on theory, equipment and method. I find that there is a moderate degree of repetition of material across these chapters. A consolidation of each topic into 1 chapter could well result in a 1/3 reduction in pages for the book.

I'll echo another reviewer, who commented negatively on the recipes towards the back. They are really just lists of ingredients, without discussion on method (eg. mash temperatures) or variables.

Having made these mild complaints, I'll go on picking this book up every day or so as I think about what to do for my next brew.

Very good book for reference.........2002-04-30

I am buying this book for the second time... I lost my old one and HAVE to replace it in my book collection..

There is allot of great information in this book. This was one of my first books that I got whe I started homebrewing. If the information seems heavy. Have faith and go back to it periodically as you become more familiar with brewing it self. I still find myself reading sections over and finally "getting them" (especially the chemistry part).

But, the homebrewing practices are solid and many of the reference sheets I use all of the time. My only beef are the recipes in the back... They are accurate if you use the percentages/ratios of ingridients but, are not accurate if you use them for 5 or 10 gallon recipes.... Other than that no complaints.

Very heavy book........2002-04-02

This book is for the homebrewer that doesn't just accept that brewing works because it does. David Miller gets into some pretty heavy theory in this book and if you can keep up him you'll learn a hell of a lot.

There are many pages dedicated to the organic chemistry surrounding the brewing process. There are plenty of other pages that explain things a bit simpler.

Good book overall.

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