Taming a Seahorse

Book Description

Nice girls don't. But blond, beautiful April Kyle does. She's a hooker hooked on the wrong guy -- and she's on her way to trouble. So is Spenser.

Looking out for April has landed him in the crud of Times Square. It's not a long way to big-business boardrooms where blood money get laundered into long green, sex is a commodity, and young girls are the currency.

"Spenser's back and New York's got him...proficient with his gun and fists, not to mention his quick verbal shots." (Daily News)

Customer Reviews:

One of the Worst Spensers.......2007-09-22

I've read most of the Spenser novels, and TAMING A SEA HORSE is probably in my bottom five. The thirteenth Spenser novel isn't terrible, but it pales in comparison with most of the other entires in the series.

The story involves Spenser looking for April Kyle, a character from an earlier Spenser novel entitled CEREMONY, who has fallen under the charms of a charismatic pimp. Most of the novel consists of Spenser confronting people, making wisecracks, and then roughing them up. Throughout all this violent confrontation, Spenser hardly breaks a sweat. He is never really in danger, and this book has few genuine thrills.

TAMING A SEA HORSE is pretty much a by-the-numbers effort, and the plot has an over-the-top quality that makes the book hard to believe. For example, you have to believe that April Kyle's pimp is a student at Julliard, which is the top music school in the world. A lot of the later Spenser novels have this fantastical quality, which makes Parker's more recent work difficult to thoroughly enjoy.

If you've never read Parker before, you may find TAMING A SEA HORSE to be mildly enjoyable. But my advice is to stick with Parker's first ten or so books in the Spenser series, which are by far the strongest ones.

Looking for April Kyle . . . again . . ........2007-07-05

In the 13th in the Spenser series, Patricia Utley - a high class madame with a call girl service in New York City - contacts Spenser because April Kyle - who we first met in Ceremony - has gone missing again. When Spenser begins to look for her, he runs straight into a brick wall of lies and threats that have him running from Maine to St. Thomas looking for clues when the one link he did find - another hooker who had apparently known April - ended up murdered, along with her pimp.

The action never lets up and we're treated to a lot of peeks into the world of the professional sex trade. It is frequently not very pretty.

A strong entry in the Spenser series. A recommend from me.

In the Arms of the Angels. This old, cold motel room..........2007-02-14

I'm ashamed to admit this about my reading weakness. I did overcome it, given full use of the gift of Parker's skill as an author. The confession:

The first few paragraphs of TAMING A SEA-HORSE worked more as the wrong end of a magnet than a draw into the story. My immediate, automatic response was I didn't want to immerse my emotions again into the heartbreaking, depressing world of Patricia Utley and April Kyle.

And then the save:

Reading into the story a couple pages, I was hooked into Spenser's world and cares. I wanted to know why April had gone to the different call agency, and how Spenser might convince her to return to Utley's more realistic, kinder "retirement program." And, the conversation with Utley was engrossing, about the various angles of Call Girls' dreams, the sour and the creme.

I was also caught by Spenser's description of compulsions and controls (successes and failures) of his rampant appetites, in this case for martinis over lunch, through lunch, concluding with a healthy cherry cheesecake wallow.

Of course Spenser's first conversation with April over a noon lunch, which was breakfast for her, was full of reader bait, as was his first exchange with April's high-brow musician pimp. With Spenser's satiric takes on the seedy sides of NYC ambiance swirled into the mix, I willingly gave up any resistance to sinking into the unique plot mix in book # 13 in the series. Given the sensitive ending (and the increasingly engrossing ride to it, youthful shrugs included) I'm really glad that resistance would have been futile here.

Susan and Hawk didn't show up until about half through the plot, but their scenes were prime, especially if a reader has come upon them in sequence, through the storms of the previous novels. A special playful newness to Susan and Spenser's relationship had emerged, and I could feel the subtle pride and quiet warmth in Hawk, which had expanded due to the intense intimacy of soul ripping situations through which they had passed in absolute commitment to each other, in previous novels.

Due to the delay of entrance of Susan and Hawk, though, readers were again allowed the ambiance of the private eye walking alone, for another while. Instead of reeking of loneliness, though, this time disgust and frustration fumed in the solitary detective who realistically makes very little progress in his games, enduring endless hours and hour-packed days of tedious observation, and expensive exploration into seeming dead ends. Parker does Spenser's boredom shuffle to perfection.

The plot heat-up (from the appealing gumshoe dragging) was gradual in a satisfying way (with literary style and bits of great humor), and effective in easing me into reading a few hours in the middle of the night... thinking I would just read long enough to get sleepy and fall back asleep. Sure. Finished the book first, then went back to sleep, after another 30 minutes tumbling the story around in my mind, feeling a healing contentment about what Spenser accomplished in this one, even if it was just a novel.

I was haunted by knowing, first hand from my experiences in police work, about the young girls who would never have a Spenser to save them. Some of them would have someone; some of them would somehow save themselves.

Linda Shelnutt

Even Hawk cannot bring back the Spenser wit.......2006-01-31

In this story, Spenser is once again on a noble mission and people are killed, but unlike other Spenser stories, the plot didn't grab me. Furthermore, the dialog lacked the wittiness found in the other Spenser stories. He was much more subdued, almost fatalistic. Even the scenes with Hawk lacked the dynamic and witty dialog that makes their relationship so unique.
April Kyle, the teenage prostitute Spenser saved in "Ceremony", has left the high-class brothel run by Patricia Utley and is now on the street for a man named Robert, who is a student at Juilliard. Spenser easily tracks her down and she tells him that her and Robert are in love and she is hooking in order to put him through school. Spenser investigates and learns that Robert is in love with many different girls and is in fact the pimp for a collection of hookers. Spenser spends some professional (his) time with Ginger Bucky, another girl in Robert's stable. He finally breaks into her hardened heart to learn that her father repeatedly raped her before he sold her to a brothel.
When April disappears and Ginger is murdered, Spenser investigates the seedy world of prostitution, where girls are sold and there are various levels of the trade. Along the way, Spenser makes a trip to Lindell, Maine to have a chat with Ginger's father and to prove to him that he is not the toughest man in Lindell. Other people are killed as Spenser follows the trail of Ginger in the hope that it will lead him to April. Eventually it does, as Spenser makes a deal with the head of a major prostitution ring to get her back.
Throughout the story, Spenser has his ego reinforced by Susan Silverman, as he questions what he is doing and his attempts to right some of the wrongs of the world. There is no great climactic ending, his meeting with the prostitution lord is little more than a swap of one person for another and a decision by Spenser to largely ignore Ginger's death. The book ends with April back in Spenser's arms and they start making simple plans as to what they will do next. Unlike other Spenser books, this one is dark and unsatisfying. The dialog and story line are weak, as they drag you from one slightly interesting situation to another.

Ooooh, lucky us!!.......2004-09-21

(...) It is easy to understand that Spenser represents a modern day Knight. But is it necessary that all of the objects of his gallantry (both male and female) must be so damn unworthy. Even Spenser admits he doesn't like these creatures. In this sense, the story is ridiculous. And it's a damn shame, cause Parker is such a great writer!

Average customer rating:

Neptune taming a seahorse
John Kolyer
Manufacturer: Branden Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Taming a Seahorse (Spencer Mystery Ser.)

Average customer rating:

Taming a Seahorse (Spencer Mystery Ser.)
Robert B. Parker
Manufacturer: New York, NY, U.S.A. Delacorte Press .
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

5 Titles By Robert B. Parker Spenser Series : A Savage Place Ceremony The Widening Gyre Valediction Taming a Seahorse

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5 Titles By Robert B. Parker Spenser Series : A Savage Place Ceremony The Widening Gyre Valediction Taming a Seahorse
Robert B. Parker
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Product Description

multiple books ship as one item. save on shipping/handling charges.

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Taming a Seahorse

Manufacturer: Delacorte
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Book Description

A new Conan adventure--from one of today's most popular writers of fantasy and SF!For decades, millions of readers have thrilled to the adventures of Conan, the barbarian adventurer invented by Robert E. Howard and further chronicled by other fantasy greats, including such notables as L. Sprague de Camp, Poul Anderson, and Robert Jordan.Now Harry Turtledove, one of today's most popular writers of fantasy and SF, contributes a novel to the Conan saga--a tale of Conan in his youth, in the year or so before he becomes the wandering adventurer we know from the tales of Howard and others. On the verge of adulthood, he lives in a Cimmerian hamlet, caring for his ailing mother, working in his father's smithy, and casting his eye on the weaver's daughter next door.Then war comes: an invasion by the Aquilonian Empire. Conan burns to join the fight, but he's deemed too young. Then, from the border country, comes an unbelievable report: The Aquilonians have smashed the Cimmerian defending forces, and can rule as they please. Soon their heavily garrisoned forts dot the countryside. Their settlers follow after, carving homesteads out of other men's land.Every Cimmerian longs to drive the intruders out with fire and sword, but they must stay their hands, for the Aquilonians have promised savage reprisals. Then, intolerably, the Aquilonian commander takes a wholly dishonorable interest in the weaver's daughter -- and he's not a man to wait, or even ask permission.It's not a recipe for a peaceable outcome.

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-02

While Conan of Venarium is readable enough, the boy band reject on the cover, and the scence of Conan chopping the vegetables in the kitchen alongside his ailing mother are all rather incongruous, and I am sure I am not the only one that feels that way.

Alternate history may be Turtledove's thing, but not much place for it here.

A Diluted Tale.......2006-05-23

Turtledove's writing craft is present, but Conan of Venarium lacks depth. Frankly, the young Conan in this book isn't that interesting as a person. But, how many 15 year olds are very interesting anyway? None, I suppose. Other characters, like his father Mordec and the enigmatic Melcer from the far northern border of Cimmeria, are more interesting. Overall, I like the story and would recommend it. The one true disappointment is the climactic battle of Venarium. I'd always thought of that battle as the event that defined Conan as a fearless and bloody warrior. Turtledove's battle lacks in pitched intesity, strategy and realism. It's more like something choreographed for Hollywood.

One more note, many of the Conan books by later authors desperately need editing and Conan of Venarium is no exception. In the book Conan encounters an ancient temple and ancient, giant snake in the woods. The event is out of context and un-needed in the story and should have been either left out or further explained. Conan books published by Tor and Ace are always like this. Rather annoying.

Only if you've never read Conan before, this might be OK... otherwise save yourself the agony!.......2005-12-28

I don't even know where to begin... wait, yes I do... deplorable for a tale of Cimmeria and passable as generic fantasy.
I waited for months to get my hands on this novel and had a copy in hardcover as soon as it hit the shelves. Within thirty minutes of settling into the couch and cracking the book my sigh of satisfaction had turned to a moan of dispair... didn't they give Mr. Turtledove any background information at all? Did he even have the opportunity to read any of the 42 previous Tor Conan novels? Why did I wait so long to review this? The memory was to lucid and painful to discuss until now.
After reading this cover to cover I felt like crying. Turtledove is a fine author, but obviously was working under an incredible deadline when he rendered this. There are not 13 lapses, as a previous review indicated but at least 22 ( I have read all of the Tor, Ace, Bantam and Lancer Conan pieces and know my Hyborea )... the banner of the Lion reference was simply absurd, the chronology is faulty and the lifestyle of a Cimmerian as represented in this book was laughable... think Scotland around 50 AD and you might have a clearer picture of what Howard had intended.
Sure it's a fantasy novel.
Yep, it's make-believe.
But this book is like reading a Superman comic in which Clark Kent answers the Batphone, flys an invisible jet and wears a green power ring from which his power flows... jumbled and confusing if you know anything about the history of the character and world.

Not beyond criticism BUT..........2005-03-21

...Not so bad it deserves any one star rating! First the actual quality of Turtledove's writing alone in style IS above par, and even moreso when compared to some of the other contracted Conan written stuff that I have read. His prose is extremely readable. Now, the critics that point out faults with Cimmerian culture as portrayed by Turtledove are, for sure, not out of line. There ARE a few places that just scream out, anachronism. There ARE a few places that stretch credibility and are incongruous with what a lifelong fan could/should expect to see portrayed. One problem is that for so long Conan fans had been left to make up for themselves, based on a few snippets from actual Robert E Howard written stories, what Conan's youth was like. This made an "origin" novel a tough task for any writer. And Turtledove has to take a few hits, just from individual expectations alone. Certainly the Aquilonian villain could have been more villainous enough to me, and I did expect Cimmerian women to be stronger-willed.

It does read at times as if it was at onetime intended as a YA(Young Adult) re-imagining of Conan; at other times, as if it was a story originally written of some young Celt dealing with Roman oppressors, but the Celt was changed to a Cimmerian named Conan and the Romans were changed to Aquilonians. Now THAT original story may otherwise have deserved four, even five stars, from me, and perhaps a couple stars more from other critics. As a CONAN story it IS far from what it could/should have been. Purchase with caution, and not too high an expectation, but it is enjoyable for what it is. It is a good read in and of itself, but not very Howard-ian.

HARRY IS A CONAN FAN?.......2005-01-08

The book states that harry is a lifelong Conan fan. Well, it must be Conan O'Brian because it certainlt isn't Conan the Barbarian. How could anyone who ever READ and any of Robert E. Howard's works ever come up with such a mess as this. I was quite excited about it as the Sack of Vanarium is the first significant event that Robert E. Howard ever mentions about the 16 year old Conan but never put it into story. I would have preferred that it wasn't now. Of course this concerns Aquilonia, the most powerful kingdom of the Hyborian world, expanding its borders deep into the northen lands and into Conan's home of Cimmeria, and of the subsequent destruction of Venarium outpost by the Cimmerians.

Poorly developed characters including Conan's mother not to mention most of the Cimmerians who come off as more like brutish stupid Picts than the powerful, yet clever warriors they were. And since when do Cimmerians live in towns??? There were tribesman. Nomadic Tribesman who lived more along the lines of native Americans in animal skinned or wood huts or even caves...but not in structures that Turtledove describes.

The action scenes are poorly paced and boring, the characters are boring, and Conan comes off in his youth as a sniveling momma's boy. Turtledove makes Roland Green look like Tolkien by comparison. Just Awful!

Average customer rating:

This Works

Easy Read

A real feel better book

hmmm

I've lost 16 lbs. so far. It works.

The Fat Resistance Diet: Unlock the Secret of the Hormone Leptin to: Eliminate Cravings, Supercharge Your Metabolism, Fight Inflammation, Lose Weight & Reprogram Your Body to Stay Thin-
Leo Galland
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Low Cholesterol | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Weight Loss | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Weight Maintenance | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Low-Fat Diet | Special Conditions | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Nutrition | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Mastering Leptin: The Leptin Diet, Solving Obesity and Preventing Disease, Second Edition

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The Leptin Boost Diet: Unleash Your Fat-Controlling Hormones for Maximum Weight Loss

ASIN: 0767920538
Release Date: 2006-12-26

Book Description

No more counting carbs, calories, or fat grams! This revolutionary diet plan works with your hormones to curb your appetite, boost your metabolism, and take the pounds off for good!

Cutting-edge research shows that losing weight is not about carbs, calories, or even willpower—it’s about a hormone called leptin, and how it functions in your body. Leptin is your body’s natural weight-loss mechanism: it curbs your appetite, jump-starts your metabolism, and when working properly makes you literally fat resistant—you will lose weight effortlessly and efficiently and never gain those pounds back.

If you’re struggling to lose weight, chances are you are “leptin resistant”—your body no longer responds to leptin, making it impossible for you to slim down. The Fat Resistance Diet is the first and only eating plan designed specifically to combat leptin resistance and reprogram your body to start melting away the pounds. Using a breakthrough combination of anti-inflammatory and hormone-balancing foods, the three-phase regimen delivers:

A loss of six to ten pounds in the first two weeks.
A loss of at least two pounds a week thereafter.
Fun, flavorful meals that make sticking with the plan a breeze.
An easy maintenance program that keeps you fat resistant for life.

With over 100 delicious recipes designed for maximum satisfaction and eating pleasure, the Fat Resistance Diet is the only diet you’ll ever need—a brand new way to eat that will transform your body into a lean, fat-fighting machine.

Customer Reviews:

This Works.......2007-09-26

After a lifetime of diets,my search stops here.Well done book which really allows you to change your lifestyle and realize that what you do eat is more important than what you do not eat.This did not start as a weightloss plan,maybe that's why it's so good. I strongly recommend this book.

Easy Read.......2007-09-19

This book is an easy read with a lot of useful information. There are a lot of good points for living a healthier lifestyle and it isn't just about eliminating food.

A real feel better book.......2007-09-11

This book is filled with information on making your body feel better and lose weight . . . An easy read . . . I'm just getting started and already feel better.

hmmm.......2007-08-31

I have read just about every diet/nutrition book out there. This is the first one that actually had some new information that I was not previously aware of. The concept is great, but the diet is so rigid it would be very hard to actually follow the food choices - oh wait, there are no choices! That is right, no substutions at all. It is interesting to read though.

I've lost 16 lbs. so far. It works........2007-08-15

I've lost 16 lbs. so far. If you could get an appointment with a famous Harvard-trained doctor who had a phenomenal record of success in helping anyone lose weight--based on all the latest research. And if it would cost you less than $25--and you would be guarantied to lose weight and stay thin for the rest of your life. Would you take the appointment? If yes, buy this book and follow the advice. I did and you can track my progress below. I eat only the recommended foods and enjoy them very much. And I am so happy not to be starving, or filling my body with "heaven-know's-what's-in-these?" pills, herbal concoctions, or shakes--which, when I stop buying them, I know I'm going to have the same weight problem in 6 months. This is a way of eating that can last you your whole life long. If you are familiar with "SuperFoods", then those same (natural) foods are what you'll be eating in this eating plan...with some very interesting additions. If you don't mind eating healthy foods that have been around since almost the beginning of time--and ignoring every food that was "invented" in the 20th century and that has a catchy name (Tostitos!)--then try this and follow it exactly for one month and watch the weight loss occur. You will never look back. If by chance it doesn't work for you, then it likely means you need to attend to the psychological or physical stressors that hammering your body/life and preventing your body from working as it is designed to. If so, I sincerely recommend looking into EFT as the best way to deal with that. This will be my last post, until I hit my weight loss goal of 30 lbs. which should come in early December, I'm guessing. The comments I've posted since I began eating this way are below.

40 days 16 lbs lost. This is effortless. I am never hungry because I eat whenever I feel like it.

30 days 13 lbs. lost...this has included two vacations where I weathered lots of meals where I was forced to make hard food choices that would have crushed me with any other way of eating. With this method of eating I had no problems at all. In fact, I lost 3 lbs. on my last vacation. This is the real deal--finally a way of eating that focuses on good foods that requires zero calorie counting--and does what it is supposed to do--lose weight--even for a 50 something person with a slow metabolism.

15 days 8 lbs. lost

14 days in and I've lost 7 lbs. and my body is clearly in weight loss mode. I still love the food choices. I would have lost more, I think, but I spent 5 days at a resort that had an incredible desert buffet and I couldn't help myself from tasting. I otherwise ate the foods recommended at the resort and didn't gain any weight! Interestingly, I've stopped eating nearly as much food--stop at one serving at dinner, where I always had two. Also, I crave all the foods that I'm eating and have lost my cravings for any foods (cheese, sweets) that used to be my downfall. Everything that the book says would happen is happening.

6 days into the diet and have lost 4 pounds. I love it because it's a simple list of approved foods. Haven't been hungry and have had more energy...which has turned my normal 4 mile walks (which never helped me lose weight) into 3 miles of jogging a day. I do like to eat greens and vegetables and fruits, so I've had no trouble taking to this way of eating. I like the idea that I will have a way of eating that I can easily sustain without thinking about it. I'll write more as time goes on

Amazon.com

"The Chinatowns around the world are amazing communities," writes Martin Yan in his Chinatown Cooking, "filled with history, culture, friendship, and of course food." Naturally, in this companion book to his public television series, Yan focuses on the food--a rich stew from the world's Chinatowns, including, exotically, those in Singapore, Sydney, and Macao. The 200 recipes included reflect a profoundly rich food culture (or cultures, as Chinese cuisine is regionally diverse). Some dishes, like Steamed Whole Fish with Ginger and Green Onions and Sweet-and-Spicy Garlic Shrimp, are beloved classics; others, including Hawaiian Lu'Au Stew, mirror adjustments to local ingredients or tastes; while still others, such as Crispy Seafood and Mango Packets and Steamed King Prawns with Chinese Pesto, are the innovations of modern chefs. But old or new, the dishes are endlessly tempting, and, because of Yan's knowledgeable yet relaxed approach and the clarity of his recipes, completely manageable.

Covering dishes from dim sum, appetizers, and soups, to meat and seafood specialties, rice, noodles, and even desserts like Lucky Treasure Rice Pudding, the book also profiles the Chinatowns, noting their unique qualities (Yokohama's is host to 18 million tourists a year!) while also offering restaurant and dish recommendations (at Macau's Restaurante Chan Chi Mei, order the hanging fish hot pot). Yan also provides illuminating cultural asides such as those about Hakka cuisine or Singapore's Sam Sui women, who were pivotal in the construction of that country's Chinatown. But it's the dishes that make the book a treasure. The book also contains comprehensive food and technique glossaries and color photos throughout. --Arthur Boehm

Book Description

When it comes to Chinese cooking, no one has as much culinary talent and encyclopedic knowledge as Martin Yan. That talent and knowledge are presented here in Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking, a companion volume to his new public television series.

Martin takes you on an unforgettable culinary journey through the gates of eleven Chinatowns around the world. Visit the streets, shops, homes, and restaurants you would never experience without Martin as your guide. From London to San Francisco to Yokohama, Martin introduces shopkeepers, chefs, and home cooks who, for the first time, share their cooking secrets. And as you travel the globe with Martin, you'll discover how Chinese food is different in Macau, Singapore, and Sydney.

Each of the eleven cities is featured along with a list of Martin's favorite restaurants and his favorite dishes and house specialties. Learn Martin's tips for ordering in Chinese restaurants and dim sum parlors. Discover how Chinese food and culture are inextricably linked, as Martin explains the significance of traditional festivals and their accompanying symbolic foods.

Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking has stunning full-color photography throughout and recipes that make it easy for cooks to create more than two hundred dishes at home, from takeout favorites such as Kung Pao Chicken to restaurant classics such as Steamed Whole Fish with Ginger and Green Onions. Exotic-sounding recipes like Good Fortune Fish Chowder, Flower Drum Crab Baked in the Shell, and Double Harmony Meatballs in Sweet and Sour Sauce are made easy. Don't live near a Chinatown? Try your hand at making your own Roast Duck, Char Siu (barbecued pork), and Gin Doi (sweet sesame balls with duck). Martin makes the exotic familiar by offering tips on unfamiliar ingredients and specific techniques in combination with Chinatown history and culture.

Whether you end up cooking a dish at home or enjoying it in your nearest Chinatown neighborhood, Martin teaches you all you need to know about Chinese cuisine and culture. Travel with Martin Yan through a world of Chinatowns and satisfy your taste for adventure with Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking.

Customer Reviews:

YAN CAN COOK!...AND HE CAN WRITE TOO!.......2005-02-01

I've been a fan of Martin yan's ever since seeing him on PBS some 15 years ago or so. Before Emeril came along Yan was one of the few TV cooks who tried to entertain as well as educate on cooking. I'm quite disappointed he's no long on the Food Network anymore as I just don't see him pop up on PBS that often but maybe I am just missing him.

I was able to pickup this book on the bargain Rack at the local Mediaplay for just a few bucks so it was well worth the price. Different than his other books, Martin takes on a guided world tour to various Chinatowns around the world including San Francisco, Sydney and Yokohama, complete with brief histories and Yan's recommendations on restaurants to visit in each chinatown.

The Recipes are grouped by course. Some of the recipes are pictured; all included a brief introduction, telling a bit about the recipe or hints to making the dish. The directions are easy to follow once you became acquainted with the ingredients. Any questions are easily solved by a trip to the Asian Market or a quick look at the Chinese Pantry section. The Chinese ingredients and many other less common ingredients in the recipes were covered in this Section.

The index, an important area of any cookbook, is great! If you want a duck recipe, look up duck. If you want an appetizer, you got it. Recipes can also be found under their name as well as various main ingredients. You would be able to find "Roast Duck Nachos", under any of these headings.

All in all, not only is this a good cookbook, but a good history into some of the world's finest chinatowns.

Great Food, even 4Chinese.......2004-05-04

I think Yan's book is great, the food is delicious. My granparents are from mainland China, my family & relatives are liig scattered around Asia, Australia and United States. I've been eating out since toddler (my parents are traders, no time to cook) in Indonesia, then 5 years in Australia (mainly eating Schezuan & Cantonese food in Chinatown), few months in Singapore; and I'm sure the taste of Yan's cooking is very close to the one I used to eat at restaurants. Yeah, boiled & steam fish are hard to cook (most untrained cook will end up with cooked but smelly fish, or plain taste). But, in restaurants, steamed fish are great tasted! I admit some recipes are hard to make due to extensive ingredients and difficult if u never taste/see the cooking method before. But, they are really rare & prestigius recipes (not many restos have them on the menu list)-- when they r cooked by professional chef, taste like heaven! So we can't judge it by the result of our cooking, better go to the restaurants first and eat it and then u try the recipe: is the taste similar or not.
IF ANYONE WISH TO THROW ANY COOKBOOKS, OR HAVE TOO MANY COOKBOOKS, JUST DONATE THEM 4 CHARITY IN INDONESIA. MY FRIENDS & I ORGANISE TO DONATE FOODSTUFFS TO ORPHANAGES/ELDERLY SHELTERS IN SOUTH KALIMANTAN. IF U R WILLING TO DONATE COOKBOOKS, PLS KINDLY DUMP THEM TO US: Mariane, PO Box 356, BJM 70000, SOUTH KALIMANTAN INDONESIA. Thanks 4 your generousity!

Yan's Chinatown Cooking.......2003-12-24

Martin Yan is a true pioneer in bringing Chinese cuisine to our living rooms via his TV shows, with his sense of humor, blazing knife skills, and a teaching style that makes him a real pleasure to watch. But Yan also is a prolific writer who has written 10 best selling cookbooks. With an easy-to-follow style, the books is a real treasure for anyone wanting to learn more about Chinese cuisine. And even if you're never been to a Chinatown, this book will help educate you into the many variations of this wonderfuol cuisine.

This cookbook contains 200 recipes from 11 Chinatown's throughout the world. Recipes are clearly written, and each step is numbered to make it easy to follow. Yan also clearly describes the size of each ingedient. As an example, "large eggs", "unsalted butter". As a result, the recipes produce the intended results with such clear instruction.

The beginning of each recipe includes a short paragraph that provides useful informaiton about the dish preperation, serving suggestions, or recipe variations. Although some recipes contain a large list of ingfredients, that shouldn;t deter you. Yan has done an excellent job of making each dish seem simple to make. And for those of you who are pressed for time, some can be made with just a few ingredients. The book also includes a unique recipe called Char Siu Quesidillas, that combines a Mexican recipe with a Chinese twist. And some recipes have been adapted by Yan for those readers like myself who may not live close to a Chinatown.

I also found the index to be quite helpful, with some dishes listed in multiple locations depending upon it's ingredients. As an example, a fish custard is listed both under eggs, as well as fish. The recipe names also are straightforward - I dislike recipes with names that tend to obscure the recipe's ingredients.

Who should buy this book? Anyone who wants to expand their culinary repjitoire and enhance their knowledge of Chinese cuisine. Yan has done a superb job of covering the many different stlyes of Chinese cooking that can be found in Chibatown. For novice cooks, a 10-page section covering equipment and techniques provide manyn helpful hints, But even more seasonedf cooks like myself found this secion useful. As a case in point, Yan talks about what to do when buying a clay pot. Now, I finally know how I am supposed to prepare the pot before using it - something the manufacturer and store never told me.

The book also includes related informaiton on Chinese culture and celebrations such as celebrating Chinese New Year. Yan talks about his personal memories as well as typical traditions, and how the food is a huge part of the celebration.

I also liked the section on "How to Order in a Chinese Restaurant," that include 11 helpful tips on making your next visit to a Chinese restaurant more enjoyable.

The book is richly illustrated with color photos that make me hungry just looking at it.

Still, I was disappointed that I didn't find some traditional American-Chinese favorites suchs as egg foo yung, and chicken chow mein, that while aren't considered authentic Chinese cooking, nevertheless are probaly some dishes that many of us are most familiar with. Nevertheless, the book is well worth it, and certainly expands one's culinary palette.

CHINATOWN FOOD AT HOME! GREAT IDEA!.......2003-06-04

This is a great cookbook. The recipes are simple, the execution is easy, and the food is yummy. Every recipe we tried did not disappoint. We have cooked clams, eggplant, and fish using recipes in this book, and they all turned out great. We have been to a couple of the Chinatowns from which Mr. Yan harvested these recipes, and when we cook this food, it is like a trip back...without having to buy a plane ticket. We have now stocked our kitchen with hoisin sauce, fish sauce, five spice chinese powder, and other tools and ingredients so we can be ready to cook Chinatown style! If you want fancy Chinese food for a big Chinese wedding, look elsewhere. If you want great tasting Chinese food that comes close to what you would get on Mott Street in NY, then give this book a try!

One lousy cookbook.......2003-03-20

What a disappointment. But I should have known. I have two other Martin Yan cookbooks and only the first one did I get something useful out of. This one I was hoping to be able to get some great recipes from because we love going to Chinatown in Boston and eating up a storm. Alas, the food we savor aren't anywhere in this cookbook. What's up with that? It's like the Chinese culture, the kinds of food often ordered by a host we're visiting are usually show dishes that have very little taste or substance but was ordered to show gratitude for the visit or to show off. Granted, we may be a simple Chinese family but I can't help but wonder why there are so many recipes in this cookbook that we would never order because it just doesn't taste very good. One example would be for fish. Either boil or deep fry it. Yuck! Where are the stir-fry recipes for fish, squid, lobster, shrimp? We have created stir-fry dishes for these and my Irish brother-in-law loves them all. There's one thing I learned: Yan can't cook, but he can sure entertain with his knives. My book went into the recycle bin by the curbside along with one other. The first one isn't far behind them. Bad Chinese food is NOT a tradition. I'll never buy another Yan cookbook.

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