The Forgotten Man (Elvis Cole Novels)

Book Description

Elvis Cole is back...

With his acclaimed bestsellers, Hostage (a New York Times Notable Book) and Demolition Angel, Robert Crais drew raves for his unstoppable pacing, edgy characterizations, and cinematic prose. Now, in The Last Detective, Crais returns to his signature character, Los Angeles private investigator Elvis Cole, in a masterful page-turner that probes the meaning of family and the burdens of the past.

Elvis Cole's relationship with attorney Lucy Chenier is strained. When she moved from Louisiana to join Elvis in Los Angeles, she never dreamed that violence would so easily touch her life -- but then the unthinkable happens. While Lucy is away on business and her ten-year-old son, Ben, is staying with Elvis, Ben disappears without a trace. Desperate to believe that the boy has run away, evidence soon mounts to suggest a much darker scenario.

Joining forces with his enigmatic partner, Joe Pike, Elvis frantically searches for Ben with the help of LAPD Detective Carol Starkey, as Lucy's wealthy, oil-industry ex-husband attempts to wrest control of the investigation. Amid the maelstrom of personal conflicts, Elvis and Joe are forced to consider a more troubling lead -- one indicating that Ben's disappearance is connected to a terrible, long-held secret from Elvis Cole's past.

Venturing deep inside a complex psyche, Crais explores Elvis's need for family - the military that embraced him during a troubled adolescence, his rock-solid partnership with Pike, and his floundering relationship with Lucy - as they race the clock in their search for Ben. The Last Detective is Robert Crais' richest, most intense tale of suspense yet.

From the Hardcover edition.

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In his major New York Times bestseller, THE LAST DETECTIVE, Robert Crais returned to his signature characters, private investigator Elvis Cole and his enigmatic partner, Joe Pike. Now Crais delivers a stunning, edge-of-your-seat suspense novel that leads Elvis to the very thing he’s always searched for—the dark secrets of his own life…as well as a brutal killer determined to stop him.

Los Angeles, 3:58 a.m.: Elvis Cole receives the phone call he’s been waiting for since childhood. Responding to a gunshot, the LAPD has found an injured man in an alleyway. He has told the officer on the scene that he is looking for his son, Elvis Cole. Minutes later, the man is dead.

Haunted throughout his life by a lack of knowledge about his father, Elvis turns to the one person who can help him navigate the minefield of his past— his longtime partner and confidant, Joe Pike. Together with hard-edged LAPD detective, Carol Starkey, they launch a feverish search for the dead man’s identity—even as Elvis struggles between wanting to believe he’s found his father at last and allowing his suspicions to hold him back. With each long-buried clue they unearth, a frightening picture begins to emerge about who the dead man might have been and the terrible secret he’s been guarding.

At the same time, Elvis has no way of knowing he has awakened a sleeping monster. The further he goes in his investigation, the closer he draws to a merciless killer who is violently connected to the unidentified man’s past. This psychopath believes Cole is hunting him, and he goes on the attack to find Elvis before Elvis can find him.

Summoning all the powerful elements that have made Robert Crais one of the preeminent crime writers today, THE FORGOTTEN MAN is a spectacular tour-de-force of suspense and intrigue.

Customer Reviews:

Should have been better.......2007-09-27

I've read all the Elvis Cole novels and I found this one to be lacking cohesion.There was just too much going on and the basic premise of the story turned out to be unfulfilling.I'm not going to get into re-telling the story because that has been done by other reviewers. I would have liked to have had Joe Pike more involved in the story.I feel he is a much more interesting character than Elvis Cole.The pointless inclusion of the ex-girlfriend and Detective Starkey's pathetic pining for Cole was a waste of paper.I gave it 3 stars because even though it was not up to Robert Crais usual standards, it was alright.

Hard to put down this story.......2007-09-11

This is my second Robert Crais novel, and if I'm right I have somewhere between 7 or 8 books to go. With that said I have some excellent books to look forward to. I thought that "The Forgotten Man" was well written, and the story flowed evenly from one chapter to the next. By midway in the story I found it hard to put the book down, but I did and picked it up the very next day. There was plenty of action surrounding the turbulent life of the private detective, Elvis Cole. I highly recommend this book.

The Forgotten Man.......2007-08-06

At the scene of a crime, a gunshot victim tells an officer that he is looking for his son, Elvis Cole. By the time Elvis is notified and reaches the man, he has passed away. Elvis isn't sure whether he is related to the dead man or not. While growing up, his mother never divulged the identity of his real father, and Elvis has been searching all his life for this mysterious person.

Elvis and his partner, Joe Pike, along with LAPD detective Carol Starkey, begin an intense search to identify the dead man. What they unearth reveals a man with a secret past linked to murder. Unknown to Elvis, he has been targeted by a killer who is intent on keeping the secret intact.

The plot was easy to follow and the mystery fairly easy to resolve. This is a well-written novel, especially pertaining to Elvis's feelings about his childhood and his unknown father. The Elvis Cole series continues to strengthen with each outing and reveal, layer by layer, what makes Elvis Cole tick.

A big disappointment.......2007-06-12

"The Forgotten Man" is a far cry from "The Last Detective." It wanders for 356 pages to a ridiculous ending. Overwritten and not at all helped by the whining Carol Starkey and her fantasies about Elvis Cole.

good, easy reading.......2007-06-11

Robert Crais novels are like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels. It is easy reading, good, and funny (with a dose of adventure and mystery)

Robert Crais CD Collection: The Last Detective, The Forgotten Man, Hostage (Elvis Cole Novels)

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Robert Crais CD Collection: The Last Detective, The Forgotten Man, Hostage (Elvis Cole Novels)
Robert Crais
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio on CD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1597377260
Release Date: 2006-07-29

Book Description

The Last Detective:
While attorney Lucy Chenier is away on business and her ten-year-old son, Ben, is staying with Elvis, Ben disappears without a trace. Amid the maelstrom of personal conflicts, Elvis and his enigmatic partner Joe Pike are forced to consider a troubling lead - one indicating that Ben's disappearance is connected to a terrible, long-held secret from Elvis Cole's past.

The Forgotten Man:
Responding to a gunshot, the LAPD has found an injured man in an alleyway. He has told the officer on the scene that he is looking for his son, Elvis Cole. Minutes later, the man is dead. Elvis turns to the one person who can help him navigate the minefield of his past - his longtime partner and confidant, Joe Pike. At the same time, Elvis has no way of knowing he has awakened a sleeping monster.

Hostage:
In a sleepy suburb north of Los Angeles, a convenience-store robbery turns violent. With the police on their tail, three criminals flee the scene and invade a home in an exclusive gated community, taking captive a panicked father and his two children. Police chief Jeff Talley, a former hostage negotiator with the LAPD's SWAT unit, is now thrown back into the high-pressure world that he has so desperately tried to leave behind. But Talley's nightmare has barely begun…

Dc Comics Presents Superman and the Forgotten Heroes No. 77

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Dc Comics Presents Superman and the Forgotten Heroes No. 77
marv wolfman
Manufacturer: DC comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

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ASIN: B000MTDDPS

Product Description

the forgotten heroes are animal man,cave carson,dolphin,immortal man,rip hunter and rick flagg of the suicide squadron. the villain is the enchantress

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A Forgotten Man: A Novel
Carl Bancoff
Manufacturer: National Book Network
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 094046103X

The Transformers # 25 : Gone But Not Forgotten (Marvel Comic Book 1987)

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The Transformers # 25 : Gone But Not Forgotten (Marvel Comic Book 1987)
Bob Budiansky
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

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The Forgotten Man (Elvis Cole Novels)
Robert Crais
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVFA46

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Some detail on the layouts and structure of the most used setting in the Amber world. For afficionados only.

Castle Amber is just, that, a castle, so you woulud almost have to be interested in castles or castle design to be keen enough to get this, if not an Amber freak.

A Review from the Middle of the Road..........2003-10-09

I've never understood the "love it or hate it" reaction that so many people have to this book.

Zelazny was interviewed by Randall and Hamilton for the express purpose of creating this little book. He described the people, the places, and the history of Castle Amber in more concrete detail than you get from the 'Amber' novels, and his descriptions were then "fleshed out" a bit with original prose and illustrations to create 'The Visual Guide to Castle Amber.'

Your guide is Flora, one of the characters from Zelazny's 'Amber' series, and her narration takes you on a floor-by-floor tour of the Castle. Each floor and many rooms of the castle are mapped and thoroughly described. There are also Trump illustrations, along with an incomplete family tree (the 'Visual Guide' appeared before all of the 'Amber' novels were published). Quite interesting, fairly well-organized and well-presented, and authorized by Roger himself. What's the fuss?

The way that fans react to this book has always been amusing to me. Depending upon the individual, the 'Visual Guide' is either a foul blasphemy that defiles THAT WHICH IS THE ONE TRUE AMBER, or else it's a definitive "last word" that was so important that Zelazny assumed flesh-and-blood form to deliver it to the unworthy masses.

I look at it this way: The 'Visual Guide' is ONE VIEW of what Amber might be like, informed by Roger Zelazny and expanded by a couple of self-professed Ambermaniacs. I've seen better, I've seen worse. Generally speaking, I like the maps fairly well but most of the Trump illustrations are run-of-the-mill. I enjoyed leafing through this book quite a bit, and I'd say it's worth reading if you're an 'Amber' fan like me, but I don't go back to it time and time again the way I do with Zelazny's fiction.

Taken for what it is, the 'Visual Guide' is a nifty piece of fan art and fiction, no more and no less.

Disappointed.......2003-04-16

I got this book expecting to read about the secrets of Castle Amber, to put a "face" on the Pattern, and to see some COLOR pictures of the beautiful artwork described in the books. None of that happened. There was no color, only black and white floorplans of everyone's rooms. ZZZ. Worse, they made all the Amberites obsessed with Earth. They made it seem like they were all there all the time, with everyone having a decor drawn from Earth. And worst of all, the authors made no effort to give a picture of the Pattern. I always have a hard time trying to visualize it.

For nonfans, this book is filled with allusions to the other books, so it may pique your interest to read the others. For someone familair with "Corwin's story", it was very very tame.

Much maligned, but quite interesting.......2003-01-29

Looking over the past reviews, one would surmise that this book is simply awful. Actually, quite to the contrary. Example: The illustrations are far from crude. In fact, they are well-drawn and very detailed. I think this is similar to the controversy surrounding the "Lord of the Rings" movies coming out. Many fans are crying "Heresy!" because the director's vision doesn't fit their notions of how the characters look and act. ....Read this one, and enjoy, it is rich!

Wayne Gralian
Wayne's World of Books / Krakow RPGs

I Wanted My Money Back.......2002-08-15

This book is formatted as a walk-through tour of the castle, with some discussion of major characters. I bought the first edition in 1988, and eagerly started reading it for its promised "revelations." Instead, I found it to be a HUGE disappointment. Anyone who is "into" Zelazny's Amber novels will cringe at the vast number of errors in this book and the insipid illustrations. Although Zelazny is listed as first author, he seems to have had next to nothing to do with the contents of this book, and he certainly didn't write the banal text. Errors run the gamut from maps that are at odds with the text in Zelazny's books, to listing as dead a character who isn't, to making ludicrous claims, such as non-royals going mad if they view the Pattern (an artifact central to the Amber novels). The illustrations disagree with the original text. There are major conceptual errors, such as describing part of Amber as "almost" an archetype, when it is by definition *the* archetype. The authors used a character from the novels as a tour guide, and then crudely mishandle her persona in their writing. The only good thing about this book is the encouragement it may offer would-be writers: if something this bad and sloppy can get published, then almost anything can. If you are interested in this book's topic, *The Complete Amber Sourcebook* is a much better choice, despite a few errors.

Roger Zelazny's VISUAL GUIDE TO CASTLE AMBER

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Roger Zelazny's VISUAL GUIDE TO CASTLE AMBER
Roger Zelazny , and Neil Randall
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Roger Zelazny's Visual Guide to Castle Amber
Roger; Randall, Neil Zelazny
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: B000B9P4BK

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Roger Zelaznys Visual Guide To Castle Amber
Roger Zelazny
Manufacturer: AVON BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Visual Guide to Castle Amber
Roger; Randall, Neil Zelazny
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound

Book Description

Five thousand years into the future, humankind itself is in jeopardy!

In a time of intergalactic peace and faster-than-light travel, a group of intelligent cybernetic servants rebel against their creators using a cyber-virus that could lead to the mass extinction of humans and near-human species. Now the governmental ruling party of the known systems—the Matriarchy—must find a solution, at any cost and by any means. Tension mounts as political factions across the known systems use this current crisis to attempt to overthrow the Matriarchy itself.

Filled with subterfuge, compassion, and unexpected surprises, Dryland's End takes you on a journey to worlds of wonder and excitement. The story begins as a Species Ethnologist named Ay'r Kerry Sanqq is sent to a previously unexplored human-populated planet to find his nearest living relative. What he finds is friendship, danger, intrigue, and new hope for the future. Meanwhile, the leader of the Matriarchy—Wicca Eighth—has become embroiled in a battle not only to keep humans alive but to keep her sovereignty alive as well.

Also involved in this high-stakes game of life and death are elements such as

the incredibly wealthy Hesperians who wish to undermine the Matriarchy, led by the devious Lord Mart Kell and unwavering Captain Diad.
Councilor Gemma Guo-Rinne, Sector Health Councilor for the Matriarch, whose past comes back to haunt her as she searches for the cure
North Taylor Diad—Hesperian and Captain, he is caught in the middle of two warring parties as he spies for one and loses his heart to another
Cray 12,000—an intelligent Cyber who has come into near-human awareness, he is the leader of the Cyber-rebellion and fighting for the freedom of his people

This book is a science-fiction adventure with social significance for the new millennium. Originally published in 1995 by Sunset Books Inc, Dryland's End is a little-known milestone in the career of Felice Picano, the father of gay literature. Dryland's End touches on many of today's controversial subjects, such as interracial relationships, cloning, and homosexual pairings, and views them with a lens toward the future. Harrington Park Press is proud to bring this extraordinary work back to print.

Customer Reviews:

highly questionable ethics.......2006-05-11

There should be no doubt about Mr Picano being a talented author: despite the many unnecessary abbreviations already pointed out by other reviewers his writing is proficient.

We face here a long, hard SF novel, fairly well paced; a good plot structure (one chapter for the outer space adventures of Ay'r and companions - one for the intrigues of politicians); interesting issues such as racism, distribution of wealth, individual vs general interest, alternative sexuality. All this coming from an unspecialised writer, one who does not write SF only.

One severe flaw I found in this novel is the lacking characterization of some of the main characters: Ay'r, for example, who in my opinion lacks depth and acts inconsistently; P'al too is someone whose thoughts and actions are inexplicable. For such major flaw only I would have taken three stars, but this is a very long novel and it is clear that Mr Picano chose to focus more on the width of scope, a goal he achieved.

Another problem is to believe that a culture that can mesh the genes of three different people to produce a single embryo and possesses artificial wombs can have difficulties in conquering a virus who simply destroys the woman's natural womb (anybody knows that any body cell contains a complete dna which could theoretically be duplicated and cloned into a new being).

Some readers might be confused by the first chapters: the author introduces a lot of characters and settings at a time and it takes quite a bit of concentration to keep all the loose threads in mind until they finally begin to intertwine.

I took all stars out of the rating because I really do not like how Mr Picano treats some issues. Everyone is entitled to his own opinions and the novel is good but I simply could not stand that attitude.

I wish to discuss the matter thoroughly but to do so I have to give away much of the plot. Those who have not read the novel yet may therefore wish to stop reading NOW.

SPOILER ### SPOILER ### SPOILER ### SPOILER

Ay'r's father chose, when there was still no cyber virus in sight, to study new reproductive possibilities, such as the possibilities for males to carry children in their own womb and was therefore prosecuted by the matriarchy which saw his attempts as a menace. Though I am a strong supporter of the idea that an entirely sane and emancipated male has to possess and develop many psychological aspects traditionally considered feminine, I cannot see how it can seem right to alter a perfectly functional course of things for the sake of scientifical research.

After his ban from the Matriarchy Ay'r's father and "mother" decide to continue their researches in the faraway world of Pelagia. To do so they kidnap the young men of the planet, inject them with hormones and dna and implant them with an artificial womb to assign them later to a companion. These chemicals alter their character, nature and partly their body, changing perfectly straight men into sex starved effeminate gays and forcing them to bear at least a child.
Such chemical, if existent, would probably make the joy of many transexuals and I would not object such a substance but I happen to find it disgusting to force such a change on an unwilling subject. Moreover parenthood is not a task to be undertaken lightly nor to be forced on someone. The changed boys are said to be happy with their new life, their change is useful to prevent the end of humankind due to the above mentioned cyber virus and Ay'r cursorily mentions his being perplexed about the kidnappings but he later accepts the fact and is going to become a rich man thanks to the patent of the process without the author's bothering to make any more objection.
Of course this is only smalltalk, there being no such DNA chemicals, something I am deeply thankful for, but I simply cannot cope with such a lax sense of what is right and wrong. Nothing (not even the end of humankind) can justify such lack of ethics and respect for human dignity and freedom of choice: an author is at freedom to mention anything for the sake of a good story but he should not try to convince us that what is wrong is wright.

Very disappointed..........2006-03-20

I got a used copy of this book and was glad I hadn't paid full price. It bothers be when the characters start reciting History lessons as a way of explaining the story.
I felt like I was reading a techinical manual and not enjoying the book.
One of the few books I didn't even finish.

Good premise, terrible storytelling........2005-04-29

I checked Dryland's End out on a whim, and I'm glad that I did--instead of buying it on a whim. Were it a movie, it's the sort I'd recommend you don't buy but perhaps check out from Blockbuster for a night's entertainment--and then go watch something better.

Felice Picano is not a good storyteller. He's not horrible, but his ability to hold my attention--compounded by awkward language, cookie-cutter characters, and terrible science--waned as I got further through the book. I only made it halfway through before my desire to find out the "great mystery" behind everything petered out completely, in large part due to the fact I couldn't stand any of the characters. The protagonist, Ay'r, is lackluster and uninteresting, with nothing to distinguish him from his companion P'al at all. Many of the female characters--despite Picano's "revolutionary" premise of a female-ruled society--end up as nothing more than bags of machismo, men with their breasts pasted on. Instead of being fascinating, the move is as boring as portraying all dominant male characters in the same light--and utterly uninteresting.

While it claims to be a work of "science" fiction, and given Picano's reference in the introduction to the works of Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov, the science--especially the biological science--is terrible. At several points we're supposed to believe in the idea of "Fasts", space ships with "Plastro-Beryllium" (Plastro-Beryllium, by the way, is atomic number 900--despite the fact science has yet to discover any stable, natural element beyond 92!) hulls that can shrink to the size of an electron and because "electrons have next to no mass" they can exceed lightspeed. (As anyone who knows anything about linear accelerators can tell you, this is patently not so!) At others, we're presented the idea that a society with cloning techniques perfected to the point they can produce perfect children from three or more genetic contributors could be completely wiped out by a "microvirus" that renders its women sterile and changes the X chromosomes into something "completely different". (This is after destroying the reproductive organs completely in under twenty-four hours, with the only symptoms--instead of the expected massive internal hemorrhaging or blood poisoning or other evidences of toxic shock as several pounds of cell-death products are suddenly dumped into the blood stream--being a mild rash and a high fever.)

Needless to say, as a student of biology, this made me want to bash my head into a wall repeatedly in attempts to reassert my suspension of disbelief. Alas, this was not to be.

All of these problems are compounded by Feli. Pic. insistance on use. contract.s aft. having intro.d the term they corresp. to only onc. or twi.. This, coupled with the capitalization of EVERY new species name and EVERY new term he's invented, made for terribly choppy reading--as did the poor editting job and the absolutely horrible dialogue that ended in exclamation points half the time! (At least his characters weren't so excitable as to use two!!)

Anyway. Off the top of my head I can name several books that took on the topics Picano attempted to cover in this "opus" of science fiction, and did it better. His story suffered from trying to cram in a coming-of-age story (try Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card) with a futuristic society ruled by women cheek-by-jowl with one ruled by men (Heart of Gold, Sharon Shinn), with gender roles either switched or made equivalent and consequence-free sex abounding (Dreamsnake, Vonda McIntyre), in which an important role was played by a special new atomic element that allowed space travel (Psion, Joan D. Vinge, but don't just read it for the politics!)...

I could go on. But it does suffer seriously from the attempt to cram in far too much at once, which resulted in a host of uninteresting or laughably unbelievable characters, a murky plot, and the general unreadability of the book--combined with poor editting and horrid writing style.

Do yourself a favor--save the sixteen bucks, or go buy Ender's Game and Psion. It'll be much more worth your time.

A simple warning... Mostly just about the loveliness........2005-04-02

Please do note. If you love science fiction you will enjoy this but it has very progressive themes. So if you think your male pride will get hurt... Maybe you shouldn't read it.. If you enjoy alternative sexual oriention lesbian or gay male then you might enjoy it. But remember this book is first Science Fiction before it is gay. If you don't enjoy both in some capacity this will not be a good read and should be avoided. Everyone has different taste in books. You should know already whether you would be interested or not.

As far as the characters I do agree that their was amazing development. They really did exist in my mind. The plot is conceivable as in way way in the future conceivable. Some things did make me question the validity of the situations. But not enough to dislike or turn away from it and I'm the type who would find those things. Beautiful piece of Science fiction.

don't waste your time.......2004-09-20

Although the premise is good, the execution is poor. Overwritten,poorly edited, no good, consistent character development and an overall arrogant tone make this a waste of time. Herbert, Lewis and Delany do it better, cleaner and more interesting. This is the first Picano book I've read and I'll avoid the others.

End of tour report (Dryland wheat production)

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End of tour report (Dryland wheat production)
Floyd E Bolton
Manufacturer: U.S. Agency for International Development]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007AGV38

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Good collection, easy to follow :-()

Good Variety of Cookies

Watch out, cookie monster!

Excellent!

Wonderful

The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Cookies (Williams Sonoma Collection)
Marie Simmons
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Cookies | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Desserts | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Muffins (Williams Sonoma Collection)

The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Dessert

Williams-Sonoma Collection: Cake (Williams Sonoma Collection)

Williams-Sonoma Collection: Breakfast (Williams Sonoma Collection)

Williams-Sonoma Collection: Bread

ASIN: 0743226836

Book Description

Whether it's a classic chocolate chip cookie for an afternoon snack at the kitchen table, a tangy lemon bar as a treat after lunch, or a delicate jam-filled cutout cookie shared at a special gathering of friends, we all have a favorite cookie or two that we just cannot resist.

Williams-Sonoma Collection Cookies offers over 40 delicious recipes, including time-honored favorites as well as fresh new ideas. Brighten up a rainy day with chocolate cookie sandwiches, tempt guests with light hazelnut meringues after a dinner party, or celebrate the holidays with sweet and sparkly cutout stars. Here, you will find all the classics as well as cookies for making with and enjoying with kids or for sending to faraway friends. If you are planning a party or searching for a cookie to establish new holiday tradition, you'll find plenty of recipes with style inside these pages. In addition, a chapter devoted entirely to decorating provides you with simple ideas for transforming cookies into little works of art.

Full-color photographs of each cookie recipe help make it easy to decide which one to bake, and photographic side notes throughout highlight key techniques or essential ingredients, making this book the ideal source to have on hand for making cookies. An informative basics section and glossary fill in all you need to know to create a wide array of irresistible cookies.

Customer Reviews:

Good collection, easy to follow :-().......2005-09-19

I am not a novice in the kitchen - that's for sure. But with the help of this book, I've managed to make some of the nicest cookies I've ever made. I found the recipes easy to follow and clear instructions. The smells in the kitchen are so good, we've often eaten the goods before they are cooled properly. If you are a little kitchen challenged, this is for you because as I mentioned, I'm finally getting some serious results (and putting on a pound or two).

Good Variety of Cookies.......2004-11-15

I have had excellent experiences using this book. Although some of the recipes call for non-standard kitchen equipment (like Madeleine trays or silicon baking sheet liners) most of the recipes are both easy to use and very good to eat. I particularly liked the chocolate chip cookie recipe; it never fails to turn out chewy and delicious chocolate chip cookies.

Here are the rest of the recipes included:
Scotch Shortbread, Sugar Cookies, Lemon Bars, Anise Biscotti, Madeleines, Linzer Cookies, Oatmeal Cookies, Brownies, Blondies, Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches, Black & White Cookies, Nutty Butter Balls, Crisp Chocolate Bites, Ruby Jewel Cookies, Almond Sand Cookies, Neapolitan Cookies, Chocolate Espresso Bars, Almond Crisps Drizzled with Chocolate, Peanut Butter Cookies, Brown Sugar Tuiles, Cigarettes Russes, Pistachio-Spice Cookies, Double-Ginger Snaps, Lizzies, Hazelnut & Dried Cherry Biscotti, Butterscotch Coconut Cookies, Oatmeal, Date, & Walnut Spice Cookies, Coconut-Macademia Triangles, Spritz Cookies, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Moravian Molasses Cookies, Brandy Snaps, Bourbon Balls, Rugelach with Apricot and Pistachio Filling, and Hazelnut Meringues.

The book also has an excellent section of decorating tips and every recipe features a beautiful full-page color photo.

Watch out, cookie monster!.......2003-11-20

The recipes in this cookbook are very straightforward and easy-to-follow. And at this price, it's totally worth it, because you'll definitely find at least two or three recipes you'll fall in love with. I personally love the Gingersnaps, and they've been a big hit with my family as well. Give yourself a little extra time the first time you prepare any of these recipes: they're not hard, but you'll definitely get better/faster at it the more you do it. Highly recommended for anyone, whether you're a master chef or just a beginner -- the great photos and straightforward directions are perfect for any skill level!

Excellent!.......2003-11-13

As with the reviewer of "Wonderful," I had this on my wish list since I saw it on Amazon.com. Having just received it, I have made the chocolate-chip cookies (still searching for the best recipe!), blondies, butterscotch-coconut cookies, and espresso bars. Of course they all turned out wonderful! The pictures in the book are luscious, as will all William Sonoma's books. I feel the author does a good job of presenting cookies with varied flavors (espresso, fruit, chocolate, ginger, etc.) and giving a wide variety of cookies to choose from (bars, rolled, drop). I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves cookies or just simply enjoys looking at beautiful food photography.

Wonderful.......2003-10-29

I had this on my wish list for a long time. I received this as a birthday gift in the mail from Amazon recently. I couldn't wait to make some of these cookies. They all look so wonderful. As the holidays get closer I am sure I will turn to this book more and more. The recipes are straight forward and clear. They are easy for a non-professional to follow. Great fun!

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