Death of a Dentist (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries)

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Delving deeper into the village's rural dish in search of the murderer, Macbeth uncovers long-buried relationships, an illicit local still, a robbery that is not what it appears, and the expected deceptions and partial truths his countrymen tell the police for reasons only a local character like Hamish can understand. Once again, he has occasion to contact his former love, the adamantine Priscilla Halburton-Smyth, and her friend, Sarah Hudson, even helps Hamish hack into police records for his investigation.

Macbeth's efforts bustle charmingly along against the background of quirky Scots dialect and rustic pubs. And Beaton's tangled web of a mystery is tidily resolved to the satisfaction of the locals and, surely, for all the devoted fans of this winning series. --Barbara Schlieper

Book Description

In this addition to Beaton's series featuring unassuming Scottishpoliceman Hamish Macbeth, Hamish finds himself precipitated by a vicious toothache into the world of Dr. Frederick Gilchrist.Gilchrist is a local dentist best known for his eagerness to replace healthy teeth with inexpensive dentures, and infamous for his hard hand on the drill. Maggie Bane, his lovely assistant with a harsh and unlovely voice, surprises Hamish with her hostility, but he is even more astonished to find the dentist's dead body reclining in his chair with mysterious drill marks on his teeth.Delving deeper into the village's rural dish in search of the murderer, Macbeth uncovers long-buried relationships, an illicit local still, a robbery that is not what it appears, and the expected deceptions and partial truths his countrymen tell the police for reasons only a local character like Hamish can understand. Once again, he has occasion to contact his former love, the adamantine Priscilla Halburton-Smyth, and her friend, Sarah Hudson, even helps Hamish hack into police records for his investigation. Macbeth's efforts bustle charmingly along against the background of quirky Scots dialect and rustic pubs. And Beaton's tangled web of a mystery is tidily resolved to the satisfaction of the locals and, surely, for all the devoted fans of this winning series. --Barbara Schlieper

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The small Highlands village of Lochdubh did not boast a dentist and anyone with a toothache had to travel to Mr. Frederick Gilchrist's dental surgery in the town of Braikie, some 20 miles away. Gilchrist was inexpensive and the average highlander still preferred to save money and have the offending tooth pulled rather than saved. Hamish Macbeth sided with the more modern, painless procedures practiced by dentists in Inverness. But one day, he awoke with a blinding toothache and decided to try Gilchrist. When he got there, he found the dentist lying dead on the floor of his surgery. He discovered that Gilchrist, a nonsmoker, had died of nicotine poisoning, a clear case of murder. He wasn't surprised to find that there were suspects galore. The dentist had many unhappy patients, a number of women he had harrassed, an impatient landlord, and a bitter and angry wife. Once again, Hamish must solve a murder before he can extract himself from a muddle he's stumbled into by accident.

Customer Reviews:

Removal of a Malpracticing Skirt Chaser.......2007-05-01

M.C. Beaton specializes in finding a scoundrel to kill off. Many times the person isn't so much an evil-doer as an unpleasant person. Some of the stories aren't quite as strong because removal of the obnoxious isn't nearly as interesting as elimination of the truly bad apple.

Death of a Dentist contains one of M.C. Beaton's most detestable victims, Dr. Frederick Gilchrist. The not-so-good doctor is famous for pulling teeth which can be saved (which his impoverished patients don't see as such a drawback), destroying perfectly good teeth with a slip of the drill ("The Great Australian Trench), and taking advantage of any woman who attracts his attention.

Normally, Hamish Macbeth, Lochdubh's finest police constable, attends an excellent dentist in Inverness. But excruciating pain drives Hamish first to Dr. Brodie who diagnoses an abscess which requires antibiotics before any dentist will be able to help him. No sooner does Hamish return to the station, and he learns of a large robbery of cash from a not-so-safe (which has a wooden back rather than reinforced steel). By the next day, Hamish is back in great pain and decides to look in on Dr. Gilchrist in near-by Braikie (an inspired choice of a name) rather than driving all the way to Inverness. Arriving at the office, no one's there. Hamish discovers one very dead dentist.

As usual, everyone else wants the credit for finding the thief and the murderer. Hamish, however, thinks that he should locate both because the crimes are on his patch.

No one is willing to tell Hamish what Dr. Gilchrist was really like. Hamish keeps prodding until clues start to spill out about the doctor's fondness for the ladies . . . that the ladies usually don't want to say much about.

As Hamish checks out matters, it's clear that other false notes are being sounded. What else are people hiding?

In the middle of the muddle, a beautiful hiker appears who turns out to be a friend of Priscilla's. Hamish is immediately smitten, but Sarah Hudson seems more interested in Hamish as a friend than as a lover. But Sarah does have one Priscilla-like ability; she is soon helping Hamish investigate and unravel the riddles.

Soon, Hamish has fallen into a bigger mess than he realized, and Sarah's help becomes crucial.

Before the book is done, you'll find that three crimes need to be solved and many major and minor mysteries resolved.

The misdirection in Death of a Dentist is excellent, and the plot will delight those who like lots of action and challenge in their Hamish Macbeth stories.

This Series is a Delight!.......2004-01-30

This is a really strong entry in the Hamish Macbeth series. In it we see a dentist from the neighbouring village of Braikie get murdered. He was apparently not a very good dentist, and was rather fond of "drawing the tooth" rather than repairing it, but Hamish has an incredible toothache, and needs it taken care of right away. He goes to this dentist and finds him dead in his chair. As he delves into the life of Dr. Gilchrist, he finds angry husbands and jilted lovers galore in his past. The problem is not who has the motive, but which one. Hamish sets out to find the murderer in his unpreposessing, but charming way. I really like this series. The people from the sleepy little village of Lochdubh and it's neighbouring villages are eccentric and delightful. It's always fun to see what they're up to next. My personal favourite is the fisherman with the nagging wife - Archie Macleod.

The Bleakness of the Scots Winter.......2001-10-18

The Pre-Christmas season certainly isn't cheery in Lochdubh! Hamish MacBeth deals with the usual assortment of eccentric characters here, as he tries to solve a burglary in a dreary motel and the grisly murder of a dentist. The secondary characters are all rather sinister and unpleasant, and Hamish is lonely. The loneliness is exacerbated by the arrival of Sarah, a friend of Priscilla's, who initially appears to be opening the door to romantic hope, but who ultimately is just as disappointing as most of the other characters. Hamish is just as delightful as ever here, but he and the reader know that he needs something to change in his life!

"DEATH OF A DENTIST IS DELIGHTFUL!!!!!.......2001-05-07

Another good one by M C Beaton. I have read 10 of the Hamish Macbeth series, all have been good but I think this one might be one of the best. As usual Hamish is caught in the middle of a murder and then guess what---a second murder-----guess who finds both bodies? Beaton has provided plenty of good characters to go with Hamish and it make for a good light read. It won't scare you to death or cause you do loose sleep from fright but it is good. Hamish has to fight the bad Inspector Blair as always. I liked the part of the Smiley Bros. Could they make moonshine and be killers too???? How about Kylie, pretty but has bad, bad boy friends. A surprise in the end, many twist and turns. Priscilla finally shows up again, will they get back together???? Beaton leaves enough to let you know they will be more forth coming.

Beaton continues her series in this "driller"!.......2000-11-14

The M.C. Beaton Hamish Macbeth series is not exactly the type of police procedural one can sink his/her teeth in to, but, nonetheless, it is a fun one to read. Beaton apparently isn't concerned about being compared to Ruth Rendell, P.D. James, or Martha Grimes, as she has culitvated her own following! In "Death of a Dentist," Macbeth, the lovable, affable, and dedicated local constable in the Scottish Highlands village of Lochdubh, has a toothache (literally!). He is quite reluctant to have it attended to, as he does not particularly care for the dentist, Dr. Gilchrist, who, among other things, has a reputation for being a womanizer with "traveling hands"! And, of course, the good doctor winds up dead--with any number of possible suspects, mainly from disgruntled husbands rather than complaining patients! It is up to Macbeth to solve, once again, a local crime. In driving to the expected conclusion and solution, Macbeth uncovers a surprising (and shocking) "dental

history," as it were. Predictable as it is, "Death of a Dentist" is still a pleasant read. There are some 13 books in this series and all are bonuses! (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

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Jazz Playing Dentist:Amateur Sleuth

Death In The Dentist's Chair: A Steve Raymond, D.D.S. Mystery
Eric B. Olsen
Manufacturer: 1st Books Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1414023715

Customer Reviews:

Jazz Playing Dentist:Amateur Sleuth.......2005-02-05

This was an excellent read. The second in a series, about the adventures of Dr. Steve Raymond--a crime solving dentist and jazz saxophonist. The police investigation seems stymied after a patient of a another dentist dies in the chair following a reaction. Then the dentist dies. Was it murder or a suicide? Plenty of potential murderers. The dentists former husband or could it have been her partners? Suspense right up till the case is solved!

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DEATH OF A DENTIST

Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GR4RU6

Civilians pay in war: nurses, physicians, midwives, physiotherapists and dentists join in saying civilians pay the terrible price for war in death, injury ... An article from: International Midwifery

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Civilians pay in war: nurses, physicians, midwives, physiotherapists and dentists join in saying civilians pay the terrible price for war in death, injury ... An article from: International Midwifery

Manufacturer: International Confederation of Midwives
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from International Midwifery, published by International Confederation of Midwives on January 1, 2003. The length of the article is 497 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Civilians pay in war: nurses, physicians, midwives, physiotherapists and dentists join in saying civilians pay the terrible price for war in death, injury and disease.(Brief Article)
Publication: International Midwifery (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2003
Publisher: International Confederation of Midwives
Volume: 16 Issue: 1 Page: 12(1)

Article Type: Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Death at the dentist's: what parents can do to keep kids safe.(NATIONAL REPORT): An article from: Jet

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Death at the dentist's: what parents can do to keep kids safe.(NATIONAL REPORT): An article from: Jet
Dana Stagle
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000MEX2I6
Release Date: 2007-01-03

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Jet, published by Thomson Gale on October 16, 2006. The length of the article is 1083 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Death at the dentist's: what parents can do to keep kids safe.(NATIONAL REPORT)
Author: Dana Stagle
Publication: Jet (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 16, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 110 Issue: 15 Page: 8(3)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Preventive dental care elusive for minority kids: lack of access to a dentist willing to take Medicaid contributed to the septic death of one Maryland ... Trends): An article from: Pediatric News

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Preventive dental care elusive for minority kids: lack of access to a dentist willing to take Medicaid contributed to the septic death of one Maryland ... Trends): An article from: Pediatric News
Kate Johnson
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Medicaid & Medicare | Administration & Policy | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Pediatric News, published by Thomson Gale on April 1, 2007. The length of the article is 932 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Preventive dental care elusive for minority kids: lack of access to a dentist willing to take Medicaid contributed to the septic death of one Maryland boy.(Practice Trends)
Author: Kate Johnson
Publication: Pediatric News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 41 Issue: 4 Page: 66(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

BLACK CAT MYSTERY - Issue (1) One: The Adventure of the Norwood Builder; Trail of the Scrimshaw; A Talk with Death; The Damned Thing; The Fall of the House of Usher; The Demon Dentist of Dundas Street

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BLACK CAT MYSTERY - Issue (1) One: The Adventure of the Norwood Builder; Trail of the Scrimshaw; A Talk with Death; The Damned Thing; The Fall of the House of Usher; The Demon Dentist of Dundas Street

Manufacturer: March Chase Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GVWI8U

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Death of a Dentist
M. C. Beaton
Manufacturer: Mysterious Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HN9ZVA

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Death of a Dentist
M. C. Beaton
Manufacturer: Mysterious Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VAP7SY

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Death of a Dentist
M. C. Beaton
Manufacturer: Mysterious Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VE512M

Customer Reviews:

Interesting and Useful.......2005-08-26

I was looking to understand the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant a bit better, and this book helped out a lot, even though it deals primarily with the First Chronicles. If you're addicted to Stephen R. Donaldson's stuff and want to return to the Land (if only in a tangential fashion), this is a good book to check out.

Excellent review of Donaldson's work.......2004-10-19

As a fan of Donaldson's Covenant series, I was delighted to see that there was a scholarly work of literary criticism covering the Chronicles. There have been so many written about The Lord of the Rings (deservedly so) but none regarding Covenant. I felt this was a mistake, as Donaldson's works, while certainly not equal to Tolkien's, bear significant literary merit.

One of the things I found most interesting was the shared vocabulary between Senior and Donaldson. Any reader of Donaldson knows that he enjoys employing archaic words. Senior even levies this as somewhat of a criticism. However, *he uses some of the same words*. I couldn't help but chuckle. To argue for clarity, and then go against your own argument is, well, silly.

But that's the worst I can say about the book. Other than works on literary criticism regarding Tolkien, this was one of the very few that I read from cover to cover. He didn't miss many points (although as others have pointed out there were some factual innaccuries; these were minor, though).

Here are some chapter titles, to give you an idea of what's in the book:

1. Modern Fantasy and Stephen R. Donaldson
2. 2. Thomas Covenant: Leper as Hero
3. Donaldson and Tolkien (great chapter)
4. Myth
5. Narrative, Structure, and Knowledge
6. Life and Death
7. The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: "To Bear What Must Be Borne".

There are also two rather extensive interviews, which for those Covenant fans who don't participate in the "gradual interview" on www.stephenrdonaldson.com or who don't follow the bulletin boards on www.kevinswatch.com, offer much needed insight into the mind of an author who is much more complex than he seems to the casual observer.

readable literary criticism of Donaldson.......2003-04-11

Keep in mind, contrary to most of the reviews below, this is NOT a novel by Stephen Donaldson. It's a scholarly book written by a PhD ABOUT Donaldson's Thomas Covenant trilogies. If you're looking for the actual books, don't get this one. As for this book, Variations on the Fantasy Tradition, it's readable, if somewhat over written and in places awkward--a common failing of academic writing. It examines Donaldson's Covenant books (mainly the First Chronicles) in light of general trends and tendencies in fantasy. As such, it's often a compare-contrast operation: this is what a fantasy hero is usually like; this is how Thomas Covenant is similar and different from the standard fantasy hero. It covers in its chapters the hero and how Covenant is something of an inversion of the typical hero; comparisons to Tolkien; myth and how it is used in the Covenant books; the significance/importance of knowledge in the books and how it is gained; the narrative structure; and how life and death are viewed and what meanings they are given in the text. It also does a general coverage of the Second Chronicles. Some "trivia" are gotten wrong or misstated, so that could have been tightened up, though that in itself doesn't affect any of the main points made. The scholarship isn't ground-breaking and it's fairly straightforward, but interesting to me as someone who liked the Covenant books and has taken English courses. The interviews with Donaldson are interesting, though I wouldn't buy it only for them ....If you liked thinking about the themes and ideas in the Covenant books, you may like this, though more of it is devoted to form and structure and than the meanings/reasons behind them (i.e. how Covenant differs from typical heros as opposed to _why_ make him not like other heros). But, then, that's not really why this book was written. It's aim is to locate Donaldson in the literary canon of fantasy. So in that sense, it does all right. Say, three and a half stars.

An over analysis of a great work........2000-07-19

I really like the Covenant series, and so I picked this book up to see how others reacted to it. What I found was a work that read far to much into Donaldson's work, missed some major points, and committed simple errors (such as which hand Covenant had fingers amputated from). Maybe it's because I'm not a huge fan of lit.crit., but I found this text very dense to work through, and Senior came across as trying too hard to make his points.

The superlative in Fantasy criticism.......2000-03-31

This text is the definitive work on Donaldson and an enlightning exploration into the genre of Fantasy. This work has provided me with several quotes for academic papers as well as guide points on teaching traditional and non-traditional Fantasy. Senior never vascilates on his arguments, and there is yet to be an error found in his thinking. A cheap price for a priceless reference source.

Customer Reviews:

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

Dragondrums is a similar sort of story to Dragonsong/Dragonsing. A young man with musical talent has the puberty thing hit. He ain't singing soprano anymore.

So, off he goes wandering on adventures, gets into trouble, and makes friends with a fire lizard, and takes up drumming, eventually settling down.

This book is a winner!.......2007-05-27

My admiration for Anne McCaffrey knows no bounds. I think she has created some wonderful fiction. I credit her Harper Hall series with fostering a great love of reading and music in me at a very young age. I found the first book DragonSong at the library when I was about eleven or twelve and proceeded to devour everything I could find that she had put out. I eagerly awaited each new book. I became interesting in vocal music after reading these books and decided to try out for our choir in high school, choral music is still an important part of my life.

I feel badly for the people who came to this book expecting something that they did not find, namely it looks like folks thought it was going to be about Menolly and were disappointed to find it was about Piemur.

In this book as with all of her Pernese novels McCaffrey has constructed a wholly believeable world (Dragons and fire lizards? Sure! I'm down with that!) inhabited with wonderful characters who live interesting lives. They are by no means perfect. Most of the major characters evolve or transform at some point, so I have never found the world stale or boring.

A favorite wrinkle of mine is that there is no smoking on Pern. I always thought that was funny when it was compared to Tolkien's world and those of other Sci-Fi authors. No one is lighting up a pipe, no one is smoking anything. It is funny how much time can be spent padding a novel with smoking business. No smoking on Pern. At least I couldn't find any. Which was a wonder for me since when I was a kid my Mom smoked and I hated it.

I think these books are a perfect intro to Sci-Fi/Fantasy for young readers.

Great if you like Sci Fiction.......2007-05-13

The Pern series of books from Anne McCaffery are great. Better if you read them in order, (look online at her website for recommendations). This is futuristic science fiction, but if you liked Aregon, you would probably like this series too

Surprise -- it's not about Menolly.......2007-02-22

*sigh* I've been loathe to write about this book. I'm hoping I've distanced myself enough from it to actually avoid a rant. I guess we shall see....

Dragondrums is the final book in McCaffrey's Harper Hall Trilogy and personally, this story collection should have ended with the two books. There was no need for a third, especially when it wasn't even about the heroine of the first two books, Menolly.

The focus of the third book is on Piermur, a boy that befriended Menolly in the second book, Dragonsinger. His voice cracks and he's forced to face the idea that when his voice does finish changing, he may no longer have a singer's voice. In the meantime, the Masterharper puts him to work by sending him on missions as a messenger and spy. He also becomes a drum messenger.

While Piermur's antics as a troublesome kid in Dragonsinger seemed amusing, in this book he merely comes across as a jerk. He lies to his friends and uses their concern for him just to get more pies. Personally, I felt that after three years he would have grown up some. Guess not.

I didn't like how everyone dismissed his behavior with a "boys will be boys" mentality. Stealing a fire lizard egg just because he wanted a lizard was childish and annoying to read about.

There is also a point where he gets seriously injured by other kids. These murderous natured children were punished with a slap on the wrist. Again with the "boys will be boys."

I also expected us to see more of Piermur dealing with the loss of his voice and the prospect of never getting to sing as well again. In the end, he never even tries to sing again. Instead he makes a dramatic change to his life that makes no sense and seemed to come out of left field. And everyone around him thought his decision was perfect. This confused me.

On a side note, we did get to see Menolly some. But it was mostly in passing. And sadly, in a scene that just disturbed me. There is a sex scene between her and Sebell that bordered on being rape. Sebell's fire lizard was in heat and she mated with another lizard. Since owners of fire lizards experience each other's emotions, he was overwhelmed by what she was feeling and his own feelings for Menolly. He just had to have her. And I had to think...this is a kid's book right?

Anyway, I hope this didn't come off as too much of a rant. I was disappointed with this book. Bored through most of it. And just creeped out by it too. Ick.

I wanted this book to be about Menolly.......2007-01-29

As the third in the Harper Hall series that has exclusively followed the character of Menolly, I began reading this with the expectation it would be about how the more mature Jouneywoman Harper Menolly changes her society into a less stupid and less sexist Pern.

Instead I get a book about that funny one dimensional scamp Piemur from Dragonsinger. As a plus, by the end of this book he is no longer one dimensional, and I understand his character. Or I think I do... because if I did, I'd know why he makes those choices in the end of the novel. Those choices directly opposed to his precious dreams and wild ambitions throughout the entire novel of Dragondrums.

So yeah, this book disappointed on multiple levels. This book is a decent adventure story of Pern with firelizards, but I wanted more than that. If you don't have my expectations, add more stars. Dragondrums is not relevant to the other books in this 'trilogy,' and the amount of loose ends (especially about Menolly) left at the end of novel are huge.

The Harper Hall of Pern (Dragonsong; Dragonsinger; Dragondrums)

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3 favorite Pern books.
Three Harper Hall trilogy books in one volume - not a new book

The Harper Hall of Pern (Dragonsong; Dragonsinger; Dragondrums)
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Nelson Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: B0006YJF7E

Customer Reviews:

3 favorite Pern books........2007-04-26

These 3 Pern books, other than the trilogy of Dragonquest, Dragonflight, and The White Dragon, plus The MasterHarper of Pern are my favorite Pern books. I wish there were more Pern books about the regular people and the Harper Hall itself. I absolutely love the dragons and dragonriders, but I also love the Harpers and the Craftspeople.

If you're looking for Pern books to get a teenager, or anyone, and are confused; I recommend the Dragonriders of Pern trilogy(Dragonquest, Dragonflight, and The White Dragon), along with the Harper Hall trilogy.

Three Harper Hall trilogy books in one volume - not a new book.......2007-01-28

This book contains Dragonsong, Dragonsinger and Dragondrums. I liked the Harper Hall trilogy. These three books stand alone and take place concurrently with Dragonflight, Dragonquest, and The White Dragon. It is written as a young adult series but is definitely readable by adults as light reading. If you like McCaffrey's Pern series, these are recommended for you.

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Dragondrums
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0553228048

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Dragondrums

Manufacturer: CORGI BOOKS (TWLD)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GSWV12

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Dragondrums
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HLJ7GA

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Dragondrums
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IWE9A2

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Dragondrums

Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GROI00

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Dragondrums

Manufacturer: Recorded Books Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 0788763709

Product Description

When the voice of Piemuran apprentice at Harper Hallchanges, he has to leave the companionship of Master Shonagar behind. But his disappointment is soon replaced by a new challenge. He is to enter the service of the Master Harper himself as a rider of dragons. Soon, he embarks on a dangerous mission to the Southern Hold. The future of Pern hangs on his success.

Dragondrums (Harper Hall Trilogy, Volume 3)

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Dragondrums (Harper Hall Trilogy, Volume 3)
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Recorded Books, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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

General | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
ASIN: 1556906188

Product Description

6 cassettes. When the voice of Piemuran apprentice at Harper Hallchanges, he has to leave the companionship of Master Shonagar behind. But his disappointment is soon replaced by a new challenge. He is to enter the service of the Master Harper himself as a rider of dragons. Soon, he embarks on a dangerous mission to the Southern Hold. The future of Pern hangs on his success.

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Dragondrums 1ST Edition
Anne Mccaffrerey
Manufacturer: ATHENEUM PUBLISHERS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000Q9N0AW

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Not impressed

Perfectly Cooked!

Loves the sound of his own voice

Self-congratulatory and uninsightful

A delicious read

Turning the Tables: Restaurants from the Inside Out
Steven A. Shaw
Manufacturer: William Morrow Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Essays | Gastronomy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Gastronomy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Dining | Food & Lodging | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
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The Seasoning of a Chef: My Journey from Diner to Ducasse and Beyond

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Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany (Vintage)

ASIN: 0060737808
Release Date: 2005-08-16

Book Description

Go behind the swinging doors of the restaurant world with eGullet's irreverent Fat Guy.

Have you ever wondered how that flawless piece of fish or that rare farmstead cheese reached your plate? Or how to read between the lines of a restaurant review? Or why some restaurants succeed while others fail?

Steven A. Shaw has the answers -- and he offers them up with style and humor. More than a how-to guide, Turning the Tables is an exploration and a celebration of the incredibly intricate workings of professional kitchens and dining rooms.

No snooty critic, Shaw has crisscrossed North America in search of insider knowledge at every level, from temples of haute cuisine to barbecue joints and hot dog stands. He has gone undercover in kitchens and dining rooms, trailed top restaurateurs and suppliers, and has the burns, girth, and aching feet to prove it.

In Turning the Tables, Shaw weaves an intriguing tapestry of journalism and opinion to deliver an unprecedented look at every aspect of the world of restaurants. His infectious enthusiasm and penetrating observations make Turning the Tables a joy to read. It is a paean to the cooks, servers, farmers, and restaurateurs who sustain us, and an unrivaled examination of a world that remains hidden to most.

Customer Reviews:

Not impressed.......2007-02-15

I picked up a bargain copy of this at a bookstore and was glad I hadn't paid full price for it. The topic is interesting to me as I love eating at fine-dining restaurants, but this book was not a worthwhile exploration of that topic. I was hoping for the kind of insider scoop on restaurant operations you get from, say, Anthony Bourdain's books. Instead, this is all about how you, the lowly restaurant-going peasant, should suck up to hosts, waiters and chefs because what they do is soooo cool and you are soooo not worthy of their time and effort. I kept thinking of the term "scenester" when I read this - someone who is so interested in getting into the "hot" place du jour that they'll do anything short of humiliating themselves to get inside. The whole tone of the book is fawning towards chefs and restaurant owners/personnel and there's not really a lot of "insider" information here that you couldn't figure out for yourself. And the book is overcomplimentary towards restaurant people in the extreme. Shaw's book makes it seem like if a restaurant treats a customer poorly, it's obviously the customer's fault because fine restaurants run by celebrated chefs are pinnacles of perfection and couldn't possibly do anything wrong. It seemed to me like Shaw mainly wrote this book to give props to his chef friends and get accolades from people in the business for writing a book that made them look so good, and therefore get nsider access to even more chefs/restaurateurs (and free gourmet meals, of course). I don't think there was an honest intention here to give any kind of real "inside" story.

I agree with the reviewer who said this book is a lot like the discourse you'll find on eGullet, pretentious and self-righteously obsessed with details the average person could care less about. I couldn't even finish reading this. Another book for the charity pile, although frankly I feel bad about inflicting this on anyone else.

Perfectly Cooked!.......2006-05-20

I read this book on vacation & it was the perfect morsel for a leisurely, fun read. I appreciated that Steven shaw did his homework in learning about the food/restaurant industry.

Loves the sound of his own voice.......2006-02-25

Just like eGullet: pretentious 'I'm holier than thou' writing. Shocking stuff. Avoid.

Self-congratulatory and uninsightful.......2006-02-12

The author writes with a dissonant combination of pomposity and indiscriminate praise, like an overconfident, star-struck teenager. In lieu of the investigative, eye-opening look at resturants his book's title implies, Shaw offers self-promotion and uncritical opinion, which he presents as fact in regular, two- to five-page lectures worthy only of a soapbox on a deserted street. Turning the Tables is 200 pages of pure agony. Avoid it at all costs.

A delicious read.......2006-01-30

Wonderfully written, witty and packed with practical information, this little book gave me a big dose of reading pleasure.
Some of the negative reviews here seem irony-impaired to me. If you love restaurants--from smallest bistros to grandest gourmet temples-- I think you'll love Shaw's insights and advice.

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