Death of a Prankster (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries)

Book Description

"A case that Hamish Macbeth fans will relish." Booklist.
A Hamish Macbeth Mystery by the author of "Death of a Snob."
When it comes to murder, Constable Hamish Macbeth can't see the joke. Rich, old practical joker Andrew Trent summons his kin to remote Arrat House in the dead of winter for a deathbed farewell. But when they arrive, the old coot is in perfect health, cackling at his joke and ready to torment them with others.
But it turns out the joke's on Trent. As the saying goes, he who laughs last, kills first! And when Trent is murdered, Constable Macbeth must step in and solve the crime before the punchline of the next killing joke knocks him right into an early grave!

Customer Reviews:

Not Much to Laugh or Smile About.......2007-01-20

Death of a Prankster is that rarity in this series, a pretty ordinary mystery and story that borders on not quite being up to the average level. Unlike many of the other stories in the series, you could skip this one and not miss anything. But I think you'll enjoy Death of a Prankster well enough, as long as you don't expect it to begin to match up to Death of a Hussy.

Think of this novel as the case that got Hamish central heating for the Lochdubh police station where he resides.

Andrew Trent is a monster of a man, playing cruel, crude jokes on one and all: It's his purpose in life. His family avoids him like the plague, but because Andrew is rich, they flock together when he tells one and all that he's on death's door. Trent may not have meant that to be true, but it turns out to be the case when someone murders the old scoundrel. But bumping off Trent doesn't end the murderous mayhem. Until late in the book, it's clear that almost everyone hated Trent . . . but the motive and method of his murder are unclear. A chance investigative foray reveals all, and the ending simply explores the harm that greed does to the soul. In typical Hamish Macbeth fashion, there's a confrontation with all of the suspects that leads to a confession (Perry Mason style) based on a pretty far-fetched scenario.

Trent doesn't ring true as a character. That's a major flaw in the book. In addition, most of the other characters don't ring true either. Some, while ringing a little bit true, aren't anyone you want to know more about. So you're left with the story to keep you entertained. It's not a very entertaining story. So you'll find yourself simply cherishing the moments when it's all Hamish and Priscilla in their intimate-at-arm's-length relationship.

The book is ultimately almost totally forgettable. I don't even remember having a good laugh or smile while reading the material.

Not one of her best.......2003-10-15

In this book we see Hamish called to Arrat House on the demise of the master of the house, Mr. Arthur Trent. Hamish has had a previous run-in with this man because of one of Trent's endless practical jokes, so Hamish is not sure if it's a real murder when he's called or just a prank. It turns out to be real, so Hamish sets out to find a killer. We see the odious Inspector Blair and more of Priscilla in this book. I found the plot a little thin, and it's missing a lot of the unique highland flare that shows up in Ms. Beaton's other books, but well worth a read if you're reading the series as I am.

Not her best , but still enjoyable.......2003-01-05

Hamish McBeth is called to a strange murder scene. Inveterate practical Joker Andrew Trent has been murdered by a guest in his home. The live in couple already have him laid out with candles on his billiard table. Apparently, the deceased got all of his relatives to visit him by saying that he was dying. After tormenting them with various cruel practical jokes, he is found stabbed to death in one of the guest's rooms. They all hated him enough to kill him, but which one actually did?

This wasn't the best of the series. The characters are not very sympathetic and are pretty two dimensional. Hamish and Priscilla's relationship has no real place in the story, and the ending really doesn't resolve much. A quick read, but not up to her usual standards.

Not her best , but still enjoyable.......2003-01-05

Death of a Prankster.......2002-02-02

"Death of a Prankster" is the seventh Hamish Macbeth mystery by M. C. Beaton. Andrew Trent, a rich old man, who is a terrible practical joker has called his family to his home telling everyone he is dying. It is a practical joke, but comes to pass as he is murdered. When Hamish Macbeth is told that Mr. Trent has been murdered at his home, he hesitates thinking it is just another practical joke. But Andrew Trent has been murdered. Hamish Macbeth investigates finding several people in his family that wanted him dead. Was he killed for hate, or was he killed for money? This novel is good, but some of the local Scottish flavor that is in the other books is absent in this one, but if you are reading through the series, as I am, it is worth your time.

3 Titles in Hamish Macbeth Series - Death of a Prankster - Death of a Hussy - Death of a Cad

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3 Titles in Hamish Macbeth Series - Death of a Prankster - Death of a Hussy - Death of a Cad
M. C. Beaton
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Product Description

3 massmarket paperback Titles in Hamish Macbeth Series - Death of a Prankster - Death of a Hussy - Death of a Cad

Death of a Prankster (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries)

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Death of a Prankster (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries)
M. C. Beaton
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSYRXY

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Death of a prankster.
M.C. Beaton
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000P08RCS

Scion of the Serpent: Anok, Heretic of Stygia Volume I (Age of the Conan Hyborian Adventures)
Average customer rating:

4 stars-A solid read

Anok is no Conan!

We don't need three of these!!!

Continuing On A Great Tradition

More of a Dungeons and Dragons story then a Hyborian Adventure
Scion of the Serpent: Anok, Heretic of Stygia Volume I (Age of the Conan Hyborian Adventures)
J. Steven York
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Heretic of Set: Anok, Heretic of Stygia Volume II (Age of Conan Hyborian Adventures)

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Age of Conan: Songs of Victory: Legends of Kern, Volume IIl (Age of Conan Hyborian Adventures / Legends of Kern)

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ASIN: 0441013368

Book Description

Anok Wati, a young warrior of the streets, strikes a pact with an ancient and forbidden god who gives him a seemingly impossible task. To unravel the mysteries of the past and avenge his father's death, Anok must join the sinister cult of the snake-god Set--and destroy them from within.

Customer Reviews:

4 stars-A solid read.......2007-10-07

This book is a solid read. No its not REH, its York. if you want to only read Howard's Conan then read only Howard. But if you want to read a solid action packed story set in Howards world this is a good book for you. The plot is good, and the characters have breath. There are some PG-13 clean sex scenes in it as well that are are quite nice. Its a quick and easy read and wont let you down. I give it a C+ , one thumb up.

Anok is no Conan!.......2006-08-04

After reading the debut trilogy of this exciting Age of Conan series - which was pretty good - this one fell far shorter.

I was hoping for much better in these new tales in the hyborian age - but all I got after a few chapters here was - hyboredom!

It is unfortunate. I was really hoping some writers could definately spin some awesome tales in the grand tradition of Conan. The comic books of the past and present are full of good Conan writers. Why can't these modern-day writers capture the essence of the hyborian age?

I think they need to go back and read the classics of Robert E. Howard, along with some of the great 70's comic book writers like the Thomas's.

Let's see if the next writer, Richard K. knaak, can do better.

We don't need three of these!!!.......2006-04-14

This book, like most sci/fi trilogies, doesn't need to be stretched over three books. It's clearly padded with words to stretch it out so consumers will have to shell out extra bucks to get to the conclusion. And what it is padded with is a boring-love-that-can-never-be tale. This is a very boring book with the Conan name tacked on to sell copies. A total waste of time. Why would anyone read this anyway, when there are so many actual Conan books other there and many of them very well done (and none of them are trilogies!). Heck, just read the Robert E. Howard stories. If you've read those, work on John Maddox Robert, Karl Edward Wagner, John C. Hocking, Lin Carter. Even Robert Jordan's Conan stories are not as bad as Anok.

Continuing On A Great Tradition.......2006-02-18

I haven't read Conan in ages, but I have been a big fan of York's other works and when I saw this one I picked it up. It's a great read! Steven brings Anok to life and makes him breath. The settings are excellent. I'm planning to get the rest of the series as well.

More of a Dungeons and Dragons story then a Hyborian Adventure.......2006-01-11

I love the concept of the Age of the Conan Hyborian Adventures, but not this book so much.
The story started out strong and I like the plot, but it ended up being more of a Dungeon and Dragon story then something that should be taking place in a Robert Howard creation.
A lot of writers have tried a hand at Conan, but only a few get it right. While Robert Howard's stories can be rightly accused of being somewhat formulated, there is a certain feel to them that either you get or you don't. I'm sure it's a daunting task to carry on another writer's concept and come-up with good orginal stories, but if you're going to take it on, it needs to be done right.
This story just didn't fit into a Robert Howard creation.
The rest of the Age of the Conan, need to be more like Legend of Kern or I think Howard fans are going to be very disappointed.

MISSION OF GRAVITY
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Not Free SF Reader

The most unique race of beings to be found in "hard" SciFi

Some pretty "heavy" ideas here!

MISSION OF GRAVITY
HAL CLEMENT
Manufacturer: Pyramid Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0515034797

Product Description

"Every so often a science-fiction novel is published which is immediately recognized as a classic--a book which makes an instant and lasting appeal to readers, which is read and re-read with increasing enjoyment. A magic combination of character, story and imaginative science is, mainly, what makes such a unique book--and this combination is what has made MISSION OF GRAVITY one of the best-remembered science-fiction novels ever written."

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-25

This book is great. Great planet, great, interesting aliens, who are,
well, alien. A fine piece of work, while being explanatory you don't
necessarily notice it a lot. Then the twist at the end, just beautiful.
It is quite short, but you don't really know it. There is some questing
involved in the plot, and it doesn't seem rushed.

Highly recommended.

The most unique race of beings to be found in "hard" SciFi.......2007-02-21

In spite of its publication date of 1954, 'Mission Of Gravity' contains one of the most unique races of aliens ever brought to the written world to date. The planet of Mesklin is explored in 'Mission Of Gravity'. Clement's studies and training have paid off in this "hard" SciFi novel of physical possibilities.

A valuable rocketship has crashed in the polar regions of Mesklin, an area of such high gravity that a human could never travel there. At the "Rim", or the equator of the planet, however, the gravity is only three times Earth's gravity. It's here that human Charles Lackland meets Barlennan, Captain of the merchant ship Bree, and establishes communication with the strange being. The Bree is an odd ship, composed of many rafts lashed together, and as tough as her captain.

Here at the Rim, Barlennan and his crew are in dangerous territory, so light that a small wind could lift them away. The Mesklinites are genetically designed to live in the outrageously heavy gravity of the poles, looking like a cross between a scorpion and a caterpillar, accustomed to severe gravity, and only fifteen inches in length and two inches in diameter.

Lackland and Barlennan come to an agreement. In exchange for weather reports and maps, the wily merchant Captain agrees to salvage the un-manned ship at the southern pole. Through a hydrogen atmosphere, across seas of liquid methane, and through ammonia snows, the captain boldly sets out on Lackland's mission - but he has an agenda of his own, something he wants from Lackland in return for his favor.

Barlennan and Dondragmer (first mate of the Bree) are two of the most interesting alien life forms I've ever read about. The interaction between what could be considered on an insect on Earth and the humans at the moon station is astoundingly well written. Barlennan is a fascinating personality, bold and clever and completely likable.

'Mission Of Gravity' is "hard" enough for the science expert yet thrilling enough for the "soft" or "vague" SciFi aficionado, 'Mission Of Gravity' is a well-told story that will enchant every fan of every sub-genre of SciFi. Accompanying this timeless novel is an Afterward comprised of an article Hal Clement wrote for 'Astounding Science Fiction' magazine in June of 1953, outlining the work he put into this pleasurable tale. Enjoy!

Some pretty "heavy" ideas here!.......2007-02-11

In "Mission of Gravity", Hal Clement created Mesklin, a very odd planet indeed - so massive, so oblate and spinning so rapidly that its gravity varies from 3g at its equator to 700g at its poles! Its day is little more than 20 of our minutes long and its temperature is so low that it has liquid methane oceans. Its high eccentricity orbit causes seasons of grotesquely uneven length. Charles Lackland and his team of human space faring scientists can manage at the equator with mechanically assisted survival suits but existence under 700g at the poles is simply beyond human engineering capabilities. Recovery of a rocket with all of its instrumentation landed at one of the poles is a problem that seems insurmountable until our intrepid explorers stumble into a serendipitous encounter with Barlennan, a rather audacious native traveling merchant. Barlennan's species, best described as 15 inch caterpillars with outrageously strong pincers, has evolved under the extreme conditions at Mesklin's pole. Being on an exploratory mission themselves in Mesklin's equatorial region, they admit to feeling somewhat giddy and "light"-headed under what they describe as virtually non-existent gravity in comparison to what they are used to on their home turf!

Clement has created a delightfully simple plot that revolves around the hard science of his hypothetical planet. Lackland enlists Barlennan's aid in recovering the stranded hardware in exchange for information such as maps and weather forecasts. Along the route to the pole, Clement proposes physical problems and raises questions - What might the weather of such a planet be? How does a reconnaissance satellite achieve a low altitude geosynchronous orbit of a planet that is spinning at such an enormous speed? How might its natives appear having evolved under such dramatically different conditions? How might their psychological outlook on this world be different as a result of those physical conditions? How might engineering problems, simple on earth, be made astonishingly difficult on Mesklin and what modified approaches would be used in their solution? What surprising effects are caused by the universality of physical rules that apply regardless of the local gravity?

It should come as no surprise to a reader to learn that Clement was also a skilled high school science teacher. The development of the science in his story is lean, lucid and clear to a fault. Clement lets the plot and his characters naturally encounter the problems, puzzle through their difficulties and propose and create clear logical solutions which seem to clarify the science. Clement never bores the reader with dull narrative explanations, never over-explains and shows rather than tells.

Sadly, at less than 200 pages, "Mission of Gravity" suffers by its very brevity. Mesklin is such a vast, unique and dramatic concept that Clement barely scratched its surface. I found myself wanting much, much more science and a greater depth in the development of potential avenues to explore. The soft science was effectively ignored. For example, Barlennan's attitudes and reactions were anthropomorphized to the extent of being cartoonish (C'mon, Hal ... let your aliens be alien!). Barlennan's mastery of English came conveniently easily but communication with other races on the planet was abandoned as an unsolved problem.

"Mission of Gravity", while not a frenetic page-turner, is an enjoyable story that ends on a mild plot twist and a universally warm, optimistic note. It has earned the moniker "classic" and I certainly look forward to the sequel "Starlight". Perhaps the broadened scientific horizons that I hope for will appear there!

Paul Weiss

Average customer rating:

Hard SF classic

Mission of Gravity
Hal Clement
Manufacturer: GOLLANCZ (ORIO)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0575077085

Book Description

For a profit -- and adventure -- Barlennan would sail thousands of miles across uncharted waters, into regions where gravity itself played strange tricks. He would dare the perils of strange tribes and stranger creatures -- even dicker with those strange aliens from beyond the skies, though the concept of another world was unknown to the inhabitants of the disk-shaped planet of Mesklin.
But in spite of the incredible technology of the strangers and without regard for their enormous size, Barlennan had the notion of turning the deal to an unsuspected advantage for himself . . . all in all a considerable enterprise for a being very much resembling a fifteen-inch caterpillar!
This book also contains Hal Clement's classic article "Whiligig World."

Customer Reviews:

Hard SF classic.......2007-08-30

I read a 1950s hard cover of this Hal Clement novel, a sort of hard SF archetype well worth reading.

"Mission of Gravity" is suffused with what some might call a naive optimism about science and technology-- its like a love letter to physics and mechanical engineering. Lacking any literary pretensions, it is a straightforward account of how explorers deal with a series of technical challenges on a planet with a very unusual environment. Clement's fascination with science is infectious, and the book charmingly succeeds in accomplishing exactly what it set out to do; unlike some later hard SF novels which get loaded down with incompetent character development or boring philosophical digressions, Clement keeps his book lean and focused, and never tries to do something he isn't good at. A classic.

7 Titles by Hal Clement - From Outer Space (aka Needle) - Star Light - Mission of Gravity - Iceworld - Cycle of Fire - Natives of Space - Close to Critical

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7 Titles by Hal Clement - From Outer Space (aka Needle) - Star Light - Mission of Gravity - Iceworld - Cycle of Fire - Natives of Space - Close to Critical
Hal Clement
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000TBWGW0

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Multiple books shipped as one item for your convenience. Save on Shipping/Handling charges.

Aeromagnetic, Bouguer gravity, and generalized geologic studies of the Great Falls-Mission Range area, northwestern Montana, (Geophysical field investigations)

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Aeromagnetic, Bouguer gravity, and generalized geologic studies of the Great Falls-Mission Range area, northwestern Montana, (Geophysical field investigations)
M. Dean Kleinkopf
Manufacturer: U.S. Govt. Print. Off
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Artificial Gravity (Space Technology Library)

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Artificial Gravity (Space Technology Library)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Aeronautics & Astronautics | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0387707123

Book Description

Protecting the health, safety, and performance of exploration-class mission crews against the physiological deconditioning resulting from long-term weightlessness during transit and long-term reduced gravity during surface operations will require effective, multi-system countermeasures. Artificial gravity, which would replace terrestrial gravity with inertial forces generated by rotating the transit vehicle or by short-radius human centrifuge devices within the transit vehicle or surface habitat, has long been considered a potential solution. However, despite its attractiveness as an efficient, multi-system countermeasure and its potential for improving the environment and simplifying operational activities, much still needs to be learned regarding the human response to rotating environments before artificial gravity can be successfully implemented.

This book reviews the principle and rationale for using artificial gravity during space missions, and describes the current options proposed, including a short-radius centrifuge contained within a spacecraft. Experts provide recommendations on the research needed to assess whether or not short-radius centrifuge workouts can help limit deconditioning of physiological systems.

Breaking Ocean Waves: Geometry, Structure and Remote Sensing (Springer Praxis Books / Geophysical Sciences) (Springer Praxis Books / Geophysical Sciences)

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Breaking Ocean Waves: Geometry, Structure and Remote Sensing (Springer Praxis Books / Geophysical Sciences) (Springer Praxis Books / Geophysical Sciences)
Eugene Sharkov
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Oceanic Thermohaline Circulation: An Introduction (Atmospheric and Oceanographic Sciences Library)
The Near-Surface Layer of the Ocean: Structure, Dynamics and Applications (Atmospheric and Oceanographic Sciences Library)
Fundamentals of Ocean Acoustics

ASIN: 3540298274

Product Description

This book represents the most comprehensive description of the physical findings of an investigation into the spatio-temporal characteristics of the gravity of breaking waves and the foam activity in open sea by methods and instruments of optical and microwave remote sensing.

The study of physical and electrodynamics' properties of the gravity wave breaking processes and the foam spatio-temporal activity is an important facet of satellite oceanography, ocean engineering, air-sea interaction and ocean remote sensing. In particular, the contribution of foam formations of various types to the mean and the spatio-temporal variations of radio emission, back-scattering, IR and optical parameters of the disturbed sea surface is highly significant. The statistical characteristics of wave breaking and attendant foam forming are very important to ocean wave dynamics. The study and measurement of spatio-temporal characteristics of wave breaking and sea foam formations are of fundamental importance in ocean remote sensing.

Much emphasis is placed on the physical aspects of breaking processes necessary to measure the possibilities and limitations of remote sensing methods in specific observation cases of an oceanic surface. Numerous practical applications and illustrations are provided from air-borne, ship-borne and laboratory up-to-date experiments.

First CHAMP Mission Results for Gravity, Magnetic and Atmospheric Studies

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First CHAMP Mission Results for Gravity, Magnetic and Atmospheric Studies

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 3540002065

Book Description

The German research satellite CHAMP had been launched in summer 2000. Its modern instruments and near Earth orbit allow for the first time to collect data of the gravitational and magnetic fields and in addition to sound out the atmosphere and ionosphere by using GPS techniques. The book is the result of the first meeting of the international CHAMP research groups gathering 18 months later at the GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam. Besides technical information the volume offers a comprehensive overview over the use of CHAMP data for Earth System Research in the fields of Geodesy, Geophysics and Meteorology.

Gravity, Geoid and Space Missions: GGSM 2004. IAG International Symposium. Porto, Portugal. August 30 - September 3, 2004 (International Association of Geodesy Symposia)

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Gravity, Geoid and Space Missions: GGSM 2004. IAG International Symposium. Porto, Portugal. August 30 - September 3, 2004 (International Association of Geodesy Symposia)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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General | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 3540269304

Book Description

This volume represents the proceedings of the International Symposium on Gravity, Geoid, and Space Missions (GGSM2004), held in Porto, Portugal, 30 August - 3 September 2004. The symposium encompassed the themes of Commission 2 (Gravity Field) of IAG, as well as interdisciplinary topics related to geoid and gravity field, including integration of heterogeneous data and contributions from satellite and airborne techniques. Special focus was on gravity-dedicated satellite missions like CHAMP, GRACE, and GOCE. Projects addressing topographic and ice field mapping using SAR, LIDAR, and laser altimetry, as well as missions and studies related to planetary geodesy were also covered.

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MISSION OF GRAVITY

Manufacturer: Pyramid
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HTIUAG

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MISSION OF GRAVITY
Hal Clement
Manufacturer: Street & Smith
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KEK4LG

French Cooking in Ten Minutes: Adapting to the Rhythm of Modern Life (1930) (1930)
Average customer rating:

Dear Rachael

I adore this book!

Edouard.. where are you now that I really need you

The most delightful cookbook in my collection!

Old Favourite

French Cooking in Ten Minutes: Adapting to the Rhythm of Modern Life (1930) (1930)
Edouard de Pomiane
Manufacturer: North Point Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 086547480X

Book Description

A beautiful reprint of Edouard de Pomiane’s classic collection of recipes for simply prepared meals is more useful now than ever before. Illustrated with period pen and ink drawings, French Cooking in Ten Minutes offers an array of recipes for quick soups, extemporaneous sauces, egg and noodle dishes, preparing fish and meats, as well as vegetables, salads, and deserts.

Customer Reviews:

Dear Rachael.......2007-05-05

Okay, so I'm probably not your kind of cook. I'm the geeky sort of guy who thinks Julia Child is a reasonable substitute for divinity, who worships the ground Chris Kimball walks on in a "Brocktoon" sort of way, who considers superstars like you and Emeril the people the Food Network employs to keep the lights on for Alton Brown. But you know, even if I'm not exactly a fan, that doesn't mean I don't respect what you do. So I have to say right now, if you've never heard of this minute masterpiece from 1930, read it, reread it, incorporate some of his stuff into your own recipes, and then lay a wreath on Pomiane's grave next time you and John are in France to shoot an episode of Tasty Travels, because this guy is your granddaddy just as much as the nice Sicilian fellow you're always talking about on the show.

I mean, look at this guy. He hits practically every French classic that can be done in ten minutes and he's got you beat on organizational technique (first thing you do when you get in the door and want to cook Pomiane-style: boil a pot of water. Doesn't matter why, you'll find a use for it.). The recipes are simple and tasty, and would do Julia, Simca and Louisette quite proud. He even provides menus to plan from, because life is more than meat and two veg. He hits a few of the classic sauces (though his "white sauce" recipe is written as a joke), features a good-sized section on vegetables, and provides a surprisingly diverse selection of meat dishes ranging from a simple steak to some surprisingly complex veal and pork dishes.

There is a sizeable and varied selection of soups (none of those annoying "stoups", fer chrissake) and some remarkably fast desserts, including a chestnut puree that the author was very proud of. A decent but concise section covers cooking techniques suitable for quick cooking, and the whole thing is topped off by a nicely informative preface by the translators describing how to handle Pomiane's recipes in a kitchen three-quarters of a century in his future. And did I mention this guy had a hell of a sense of humor, even in translation? Seriously, take a hint. Not one catch phrase anywhere, and he's still a hoot to read.

Rach, here's the deal. You're the reigning queen of convenience cooking and a kitchen superstar. Controversial, yes, but few have the luxury of near-universal love like Julia, and at the very least you've got it all over that bimbo Sandra. But you gotta give this guy props -- after all, like I said, he's your granddaddy.

Signed,
Brian from the Cape

I adore this book!.......2006-08-05

This is the perfect book for a beginner! It teaches you very basic techniques on cooking that everyone should know, such as how to make a sauce from burnt on meat juices. Its recipes also build on previous ones which makes memorization easier. What I loved most were the lessons on organization that will enable you to cook more efficiently.

In all, this is a great book to start anyone off as a cook. I made a sauce the other day by following the book's guidelines, rather than following a strict recipe and it turned out pretty good. The advice is great in that it gives you room to experiment without destroying your meal. In all, this is a great book to start anyone off as a cook. It's excellent!

Edouard.. where are you now that I really need you.......2005-10-22

This book should be a staple in every discerning cooks kitchen. Ten minutes or not, in the era of Rachel Ray (and I think she is lovely by the way) its nice to have a little class and soul in a "quick fix" cookbook.
Dr. de Pomiane is funny, insightful, and guiding. He not only gives you wonderful recipes to work with, he takes you by the hand and tells you just how to achieve the perfection you deserve and still have time to dwaddle over your coffee.

The most delightful cookbook in my collection!.......2002-10-14

Extremely useful as well. I read it cover to cover the day it arrived (just last week) -- and I can't say that about ANY other cookbook! It is written (and translated) in a graceful and witty style, and is as enjoyable for the historical and cultural perspective it offers as it is for its culinary instruction and gastronomic joie de vivre. I have prepared two of Docteur de Pomiane's suggested menus and have greatly enjoyed both of them. I can see that with a bit of practice, I will indeed be able to turn out a 5-course lunch for two in about 15 minutes (not counting the time it takes to boil the water, of course).

With this book and a little (fun) practice, you can impress your friends, astound your dates, and enhance your own quality of life. So what are you waiting for?

Old Favourite.......2001-10-29

I have owned this book since 1974 - in fact I taught myself to cook from it. It's so much more encouraging than most cookbooks - no fancy equipment needed, no expensive ingredients, but lots of encouragement and enthusiasm. Should be on everyone's shelf.

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