A Morbid Taste for Bones: The First Chronicle of Brother Cadfael

Customer Reviews:

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

A decent period detective story, very English style, so to speak. You have an avuncular, likable, main character, who is sharper than he appears to those around him, and uses that to his advantage. A bit Middle English Midsomer Murders, almost, you could say, but that sort of style.

Might be too slow moving for some.......2007-08-08

The story unfolds slowly. I felt that the author spent more time weaving together beautiful prose instead of a solid plot. The combination of medieval setting and murder mystery is compelling, but in the end I found the book to be too slow and predictable. I often found myself counting the pages until a chapter was finished. It was an effort to push through.

It is not a bad book, nor is it a great book. If you are looking for a change of pace this may be a good selection. If you are looking for a great mystery, you can do better with Agatha Christie.

A Great Series.......2007-06-04

I highly recommend this book and all the others in the Brother Cadfael mystery series. This book was a great way to meet the main characters. And I love how they develop with each book read. So please try and read them in order. You won't regret it!

The First Cadfael Book.......2006-11-07

The premise is interesting. A cloistered brother with a non-monastic past solves crimes in middle ages England. Further, this brother is imminently likable and pursues the solutions in a manner that keeps himself out of the spotlight. Instead, he nudges the investigations along and prompts clues and confessions upon others, suggesting lines of thought that allow others to claim insight. What a great main character.

It's no wonder that Ellis Peters has dipped into this well about 20 times.

I liked the book and I liked the writing. It wasn't monumental, it didn't change my life, but it was a quick and fun read and there are a lot of times when that's just what I need.

- CV Rick

Let the series begin!.......2006-09-07

If you `love to read' there is always a sense of excitement in beginning the first book of a long series. Since this one is already complete, you know the story will come to an end, but you have 20 more books in front of you, and you wonder. Will the first book temp you to the second? Will the series live up to the rep?

Yes, probably, and A Morbid taste for Bones, the first Cadfael, gives you a true taste of what is to come.

The Brother Cadfael series isn't for everyone. The mystery is often minor, the romance more than a sub-plot, Peters will wax overly poetic at times, and just not spend enough words on Cadfael's actual job at the Abbey. That said, she is a story teller and her plots are often surprising and will hold your interest. Her characters are distinct, vivid and [by and large] interesting although I think she never got a handle on Hugh Beringer, whom I find generally uninteresting, which he really shouldn't be. So, yes, it is a series worth beginning if only to see where it takes you.

A Morbid Taste for Bones: The First Chronicle of Brother Cadfael

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A Morbid Taste for Bones: The First Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
Ellis Peters
Manufacturer: Time Warner Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIQD9K

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The first Cadfael and a great mystery

A Morbid Taste for Bones: The First Chronicle of Brother Cadfael

Manufacturer: Time Warner Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GLJZ9U

Customer Reviews:

The first Cadfael and a great mystery .......2006-09-03

As with many books or stories that we get involve with, the characters and their relationships to others in the environment is an important as the mystery. Ellis Peters strikes a balance between the characters, history and the mystery. Sprinkled throughout is faith, and a chance that thy (the monks) may be correct in the explanation of saints and how the world works.

The external environment is the ongoing struggle between Empress Maude and King Stephen. We also have references to the different societies as they travel to Wales. These become more relevant as the series progresses. The inward struggle between faith and power is depicted as an individual monk is persuaded or wants to be persuaded to go on a mission to retrieve a neglected saint.
If you saw the movie you will immediately see the differences between it and he book. One main point is the fact that the monk was cured before the trip. The best difference is reviled with the detection and solution to the mystery.

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

It's A Bird, It's A Plane, IT's a Really Ugly Demon
A Pleasant Read

The WITCH & THE CATHEDRAL
C. Dale Brittain
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0671876619

Customer Reviews:

It's A Bird, It's A Plane, IT's a Really Ugly Demon.......2006-09-04

It's going to be a tough time for Daimbert the Royal Wizard. The King of Yurt has passed away and Daimbert has dreams of finally getting a chance with the queen now that Prince Paul was approaching his majority. Unfortunately, life rarely fulfills our dreams. When Daimbert returns from a teaching stint at the wizards college he discovers that the woman he has loved in silence for years has up and decided to marry someone else.

On top of that, unpleasant magical things are happening in the cathedral city of Caelrhon. Daimbert's old friend, Joachim, now Dean of the Cathedral, asks the wizard to look around. From fairy lights to flying demons, there is trouble about, and it doesn't help matters that the old Bishop is weakening and may soon have to be replaced. And, wonder of wonders, a pretty young witch sets her sights on Daimbert just when he is sorely in need of a diversion.

The wizard finds himself in the middle of complex events, secret plots and dangerous efforts to disturb the balance of the various powers. Now not just Yurt, but the kingdoms around it face great danger.

I've often warned that for all the surface humor, Brittain's books can be very serious. While there is darkness at the core of this tail it is fairly light fair, with Daimbert making something of a fool of himself over not one, but two women. It's something of a test for him since neither the Queen or the witch behave in what he thinks should be a predictable manner.

This fifth in the Yurt series is well written as usual with an interesting plot that promises to return in later episodes. We have reached the point where the reader is better off starting earlier in the series than hoping to get everything that is going on in the present volume. Since they are all enjoyable books that shouldn't be seen as a chore.

A Pleasant Read.......2001-04-18

The Witch & The Cathedreal, following the tradition of Brittain's Yurt series, is an enjoyable reading experience. It is light hearted and good for a chuckle. Beyond that, it intorduces a new chapter in the main character's love life. The tangled events leading up to his new love interest, and their connection together, porvide decent suspense and keep you turning the pages. If you're looking for deep and life-altering reading, than this is not the book for you. If you want something enjoyable to pass the time--you've found your book.

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Shadow of a Witch

Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GUXLPU

Product Description

A spectre from the past was the uninvited guest at that young bride's marriage. Julia French sat alone in the reconstructed Brightsea cathedral, awed by the majesty of the architect's conception and felt the first chill of fear. Someone was there, a very definite presence, watching her. Julia's journalistic assignment was to interview the elusive architect, Mark Winterton. She had no way of knowing that at her first look into Mark's cold troubled gray eyes, she would fall deeply in love. Their love would involve a desperate struggle to disentangle them both from Mark's carefully buried past. The shadow of danger would reach out and keep them dangling on a slender thread of life.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Unabridged)

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The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Unabridged)
Victor Hugo
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B000HWY0BQ

ROYAL WIZARD OF YURT - Daimbert Sequence: Book (1) One: A Bad Spell in Yurt; Book (2) Two: The Wood Nymph and the Cranky Saint; Book (3) Three: Mage Quest; Book (4) Four: The Witch and the Cathedral; Book (5) Five: Daughter of Magic

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ROYAL WIZARD OF YURT - Daimbert Sequence: Book (1) One: A Bad Spell in Yurt; Book (2) Two: The Wood Nymph and the Cranky Saint; Book (3) Three: Mage Quest; Book (4) Four: The Witch and the Cathedral; Book (5) Five: Daughter of Magic
C. Dale Brittain
Manufacturer: Baen Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N5EFAI

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Warriors of Mars; Blades of Mars; Barbarians of Mars (Michael Kane)

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Warriors of Mars; Blades of Mars; Barbarians of Mars (Michael Kane)
Edward P. Bradbury (Michael Moorcock)
Manufacturer: Lancer Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GVXB72

City of the Beast or Warriors of Mars (Michael Kane, Vol. 1)

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Super Reader
Quite similar to Carson Napier's Cycle from ERB....

City of the Beast or Warriors of Mars (Michael Kane, Vol. 1)
Michael Moorcock
Manufacturer: DAW
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Masters of the Pit or Barbarians of Mars (Michael Kane, Vol. 3)

ASIN: 0879974362

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-30

Moorcock has written an unapologetic, no holds barred, Burroughsian rip..errr.. riff. :) Complete with the same lack of wardrobe for the characters.

Michael Kane, a physicist, becomes involved with a project that can transport consciousness, it appears. Think Adam Strange sort of thing, complete with limited time of travel.

It also happens, than growing up, he lived near a French fencing master, who gave him many, many lessons.

Needless to say, he ends up projected to Mars, meets a princess, fights Blue Giant armies, has an evil raven haired sorceress femme fatale lust after and want to kill him, after seducing his princess' fiance, no less.

He also happens to rescue a relative, make friends with an enemy, and all that sort of thing.

Pure escapism, and a lot of fun.

Quite similar to Carson Napier's Cycle from ERB...........1997-09-02

Ever read ERB's (Edward Rice Burroughs)Mars Cycle ? Then you might find some correlation or even similitudes with it. Anyway, it is still a very good book, great heroic action. Unless in most of the book from Moorcok, the hero is not a looser from the beginning, he fights his way against all the dangers he might meet. Read, Read, read..

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City of the Beast (or Warriors of Mars)
Michael Moorcock
Manufacturer: DAW #UW1436 (#321)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000PG3MNQ

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City of the Beast (Warriors of Mars)
Michael Moorcock
Manufacturer: Lancer Books, New York
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000QVAE8Q

Product Description

Orig. as'Warriors of Mars', as by E. Bradbury.

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City Of The Beast/Warriors Of Mars
Michael Moorcock
Manufacturer: Paizo Publishing, LLC.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Space Opera | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1601250444

Book Description

Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion returns as Kane of Old Mars, a brilliant American physicist whose strange experiments in matter transmission catapult him across space and time to the Red Planet. Kane's is a Mars of the distant past - a place of romantic civilizations, fabulous many-spired cities and the gorgeous princess Shizala. To win her hand and bring peace to Mars, Kane must defeat the terrible Blue Giants of the Argzoon, whose ravaging hordes threaten the whole planet!

LORD OF THE SPIDERS (WARRIOR OF MARS, NO 2)

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LORD OF THE SPIDERS (WARRIOR OF MARS, NO 2)
MICHAEL MOORCOCK
Manufacturer: Lancer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GTG8B0

THE LORD OF THE SPIDERS - BOOK II OF WARRIOR OF MARS TRILOGY

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THE LORD OF THE SPIDERS - BOOK II OF WARRIOR OF MARS TRILOGY

Manufacturer: Lancer Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HQTMJW

Nuclear Strategy And The Code Of The Warrior - Faces Of Mars And Shiva In The Crisis Of Human Survival

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Nuclear Strategy And The Code Of The Warrior - Faces Of Mars And Shiva In The Crisis Of Human Survival
Richard Grossinger -
Manufacturer: North Atlantic Publishing -
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NPL7UO

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Nuclear Strategy and the Code of The Warrior: Faces of Mars and Shiva in the Crisis of Human Survival

Manufacturer: North Atlantic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Mars | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0938190490
Release Date: 1993-04-16

Book Description

The preface to this anthology begins, “Nuclear war sits as a kind of zen riddle in the heart of modern civilization.” The goal of Nuclear Strategy is to publish essays, poems, a play, and a round-table discussion in an attempt to go beyond the current fixation of arms-control agendas emphasizing détente and missile-counting to discover assumptions and inherited wisdom from many quarters about the conduct of war and war-making. What would be an alternative future to having the planet in perpetual thrall to nuclear warfare? What constitutes honorable warfare? The pieces seek to uncover the “hidden drives that cause us to make war –the unconscious myths and belief systems that prevent us from becoming a planetary community.” (Gordon Feller) The round-table discussion chaired by Hough and Grossinger pulled together the views of martial artists Bira Almeida (capoeira), Richard Heckler (aikido), and Martin Inn (t’ai chi); poet Gary Snyder, theater and video artist Karin Epperlein on the peace movement, the role of the professional military, dualism, and the possibility of warriors without war. Contributors include James Hillman, Charlene Soretnak, Arch Obler, Thomas Powers, Freeman Dyson, Charles Ponce, Jed Rasula, and Sri Chinmoy.

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Good, but not great

Great book, pretty pics, good advice

Fantastic sushi book

Encyclopedia of Sushi Rolls
Ken Kawasumi
Manufacturer: Japan Publications Trading
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Sushi: Taste and Techniques

The Complete Book Of Sushi

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Sushi for Parties: Maki-Sushi and Nigiri-Sushi

ASIN: 4889960767

Book Description

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SUSHI ROLLS

Dazzle your friends with over 180 kinds of sushi rolls. The fully illustrated step-by-step instructions in this book will show you how to make everyone's favorite sushi-bar staples, new styles of sushi with Western ingredients, and dazzling decorative creations.

- 27 large rolls (futomaki)
- 26 small rolls (hosomaki)
- 3 floral shapes made from multiple rolls
- 28 hand rolls (temaki)
- 12 inside-out rolls (uramaki, including the popular California Roll)
- 85 decorative rolls (kazarimaki, including flowers, animals, landscapes, and all 26 letters of the alphabet)

This book is written for beginners and old hands alike. Beginners will enjoy the detailed instructions on finding the proper equipment, cooking the rice, choosing the nori, and rolling perfectly every time. Sushi experts can expand their repertoires with the inventive decorative rolls and the
surprising flavor combinations. All readers will treasure the beautiful illustrations and the special tips on how to fix common sushi rolling problems. Whether you roll the sushi yourself or have your guests join in the fun, The Encyclopedia of Sushi Rolls is the perfect planner for your next party
or picnic.

Customer Reviews:

Good, but not great.......2005-09-19

I bought this book thinking it would have lots of, what I thought were "common," recipes to pick from. There's lots of recipes, but they're just.....different. The instructions are detailed with decent photos and there's plenty of interesting pieces to make in the artistic section.

Great book, pretty pics, good advice.......2004-07-28

I checked this book out from my local library and has it changed my sushi fabrication! This book lends insight into basic creation as well as artistic possibilities of sushi.
This book has detailed instructions and pics for all the common roll types. It features many recipes, most of which require ingredients inaccessible to me, but interesting nonetheless.
The last many pages are devoted to 'artsy' sushi types such as letter, numeral, and animal sushi shapes.
The pictures are really excellent: I like this book so much I'm sending it to my mom for her bday.

Fantastic sushi book.......2002-08-11

I actually bought this for my mom for mother's day - she loves making sushi rolls but until now just did it based on what she'd had at restaurants. She's a great cook and certainly can improvise but this cookbook has opened her up to a whole new set of ideas and recipes to mess around with. It has great pictures, instructions are clear, and it's a lot of fun. Highly recommend this cookbook! One of the best we've come across.

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The Encyclopedia of Sushi Rolls
Ken Kawasumi
Manufacturer: Japan Publications Trading Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N780G6

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