A Darkening Stain
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Feel the Heat
  • First Rate African Noir
  • A cesspool of criminality
A Darkening Stain
Robert Wilson
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 015601131X

Book Description

When schoolgirls begin to disappear on the West African coast, "troubleshooter" Bruce Medway tries to remain detached. Meanwhile, he reluctantly acquires a new job from former nemesis and mafia capo Franconelli. Franconelli gives Bruce forty-eight hours to find a French trader, Mariner, whom not even the mafia has been able to track. Yet as Bruce sets out on his assignment, he is unable to remain disconnected from the mysterious schoolgirl disappearances, and finds that girls, gold, and greed are all interconnected; corruption abounds everywhere. There are no safe havens for Bruce in this situation, and he must devise a scam that risks everything in order to stay alive.

A brilliant follow-up to Blood is Dirt, and the fourth novel in the Bruce Medway series, A Darkening Stain takes Bruce Medway into the darkest territory of West Africa yet.

A Harvest Original

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Feel the Heat.......2007-05-11

This novel of evil and intrigue in Nigeria and Benin reeks with authenticity. You can feel the African heat. But the protagonist, Bruce Medway, is cool -- cool and deliberate and focused. With foes stalking him he, nevertheless, pursues a noble cause -- solving the mystery of the disappearing schoolgirls. Wilson is a master of the organic plot which unfolds naturally, not relying on coincidence or heavy-handed serendipity to solve plot problems and, in so doing, insult the reader's intelligence. This was my first Africa book by this outstanding writer and I look forward to reading his others.

4 out of 5 stars First Rate African Noir.......2005-11-23

I think Wilson's Spain/Portugal novels are superior historical thrillers. I came to the Bruce Medway Africa series tentatively, but after reading one, I've consumed them all. Medway is a fixer in Nigeria, hacking his way through a series of ugly situations. From my point of view, Wilson has drawn a believable character who is hard charging without being omniscient, and who has plausible relationships with Africans & Europeans alike.

A Darkening Stain is one of the best pieces of noir fiction I've ever read - I'd compare it favorably to Chandler, Crumley, Cain, Ellroy. The plot is a little hyper, but never comes apart. The characters are well drawn and complex. The picture of western Africa is ugly, brutal; a toxic dump of greed. Medway works through the situation in the best hard boiled style, with a minimum of 'coincidences' to guide him.

But the keystone of this tale is the story which Medway is forced to concoct in order to cover his tracks, and then which he is forced to deliver under emotionally tortured circumstances. I was completely drawn into the wringer with this one, left feeling worked over when I finished the novel. The crowning touch is the line the bad guy delivers which sends Medway over the edge: "They're just blacks, Bruce..."

Good stuff. 4+

3 out of 5 stars A cesspool of criminality.......2004-06-28

Picking up where Blood is Dirt leaves off, PI Bruce Medway is saddled with the unwanted attentions of Mafioso Roberto Franconelli; no longer in the Capo's good graces, Medway is still trapped in extenuating circumstances, instructed simply to locate a Frenchman, Jean-Luc Marnier and then fade quietly from the scene.

Circumstantially, five men are found dead on a boat owned by Marnier, bringing the noble Detective Bagado into the picture, the pivotal moral center of the series. Then innocent schoolgirls begin to disappear, an issue that stirs up enormous public fear. Medway, as usual, has his hands full, juggling villains and thugs, one step ahead of their evil intentions. When Bagado's daughter is one of the targeted schoolgirls, the action heats up and moves in a more violent and graphic direction than any of the previous novels.

Medway trolls the late-night dens of concupiscence, opening up another fertile area of the West Africa coast, the flesh trade, the same low form of the human species found everywhere, where nothing is sacred and everyone is for sale. In order to survive this new dimension, Medway must betray himself in a manner that may destroy everything he values in life.

At this point in the series, Wilson's protagonist is faced with an acute moral dilemma, slithering along the dark side with some of humanity's most despicable characters. Inspector Bagado has been a moral compass, tipping Medway back into reality, saving him from ambiguous circumstances time after time. Meanwhile, Medway's personal life has turned increasingly, well, personal, perhaps to more obviously identify him with recognizable humanity. But Medway's mid-life passion with his now-pregnant girlfriend only adds to the desperate emotional edge of the hard-drinking PI. Perhaps it is time, after all, for Medway to consider a career change. Luan Gaines/2004.
DARKENING STAIN
Average customer rating: Not rated
    DARKENING STAIN
    ROBERT WILSON
    Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback
    ASIN: B000O8QHLY

    The Rice Room: Growing Up Chinese-American from Number Two Son to Rock 'n' Roll
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • On the Inside of "Rolling Stone"
    • The Rice Room
    • Great read!
    • A Straightforward Look at an Interesting Life
    • An Inspirational Story For All
    The Rice Room: Growing Up Chinese-American from Number Two Son to Rock 'n' Roll
    Ben Fong-Torres
    Manufacturer: Plume
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    RockRock | Composers & Musicians | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
    ChineseChinese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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    ASIN: 0452274125

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars On the Inside of "Rolling Stone".......2007-09-21

    To those who are not fervent fans of "Rolling Stone" magazine, Ben Fong-Torres is probably most memorably known as the editor of "Rolling Stone" portrayed in the rock movie "Almost Famous." This book is the story of his and his family's life in the San Francisco Bay Area, and how a guy like Ben ended up as a founding editor of the world's most famous rock magazine. Hint: he was a college DJ.

    The story chronicles the inauspicious beginnings of the magazine, with details about early life at the magazine and Jann Wenner's vision. It is also the story of Ben Fong-Torres's attempt to balance the lure of rock and roll with his parents' more traditional view of what a good Chinese- American boy should do with his life.

    Fong-Torres describes well the counterculture atmosphere of the 1960s that gave way to the founding of the magazine. However, the part of this autobiography that is most compelling is the description of the Chinese-American community in the Bay Area and the story of Fong-Torres's own brother's death. This is a great book for rock history junkies, but more than that, it is a sincere tale of growing up Asian in America.

    5 out of 5 stars The Rice Room.......2007-01-10

    Ben Fong-Torres has a way of painting great pictures with words. Having grown up in Oakland, and attended the same high school. His book brought back vivid memories for me. I just ordered one of his newest books cnd can't wait to read it. He has such a passion for writing and for music, that clearly jump out at the reader.

    5 out of 5 stars Great read!.......2004-11-03

    Ben Fong Torres has lived a life that many of us dream about! Meeting some of the most famous rock stars the world has ever known and getting a chance to do what he loves to do! What a great country we live in! Reading Ben's tome about growing up in California was so interesting..Ben writes with such honesty and wonderful detail that you can imagine yourself propelled back in time sharing those experiences with him! I admire Ben for his straightforward account of growing up asian american in this country and as an asian american I really identified a lot with what Ben went through! Fantastic book!

    5 out of 5 stars A Straightforward Look at an Interesting Life.......2004-09-25

    It would have been tempting for Ben Fong Torres to write one of those "rockstars I've met" memoirs, replete with purple prose about purple people. Ben Fong Torres takes a different tack in this autobiography, telling us about two disparate worlds. One is the world of being the child of Chinese immigrants, living without a great deal of money. The other is the story of a man who seemed born to be a journalist, coming of age in 1960s San Francisco.

    Many novels chronicle the Asian American experience in California with a magical realism. The author instead uses a conversational, simple style.

    The book is not free from flaws. One section of the book tries to communicate the 60s "free love" experience, but comes off a bit like "hippie chicks I've conquered". It's as though the social failure from high school must show his belated prowess even after all these years. But it's a quibble, overall.

    But overall, this book feels more "real" than many more "visionary" works. Mr. Fong Torres' description of how a family tragedy indirectly helps him connect the disparate pieces of his bicultural world really works well.

    I thought this book would be flamboyant. It is anything but. It's a simple, solid read by a good writer. It's worth taking in.

    4 out of 5 stars An Inspirational Story For All.......2004-02-11

    This was a wonderful story and one I would recommend to anybody, especially children of 1st generation immigrants. Being the child of 1st generation immigrant parents, I could also relate to Mr. Fong-Torres search for identity and acceptance. I was moved by his perseverance and determination at getting ahead in life. The fact that he didn't fit the typical Asian mold of becoming a stereotypical doctor or lawyer, but rather the head editor of a musical writing empire (Rolling Stone Magazine) impressed me even more, because he showed a very souful spirit, one that went after his passion of music rather than trying to pursue an obligation at attaining a status symbol job in order to prove success as an Asian-American. In addition, I also thought his stories were fun and entertaining. He grew up in a very colorful time (particularly the 60's) so it was enjoyable to read about all his experiences from that era, which helped make him who he is today.
    The Chinese Room
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      The Chinese Room
      Vivian Connell
      Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

      GeneralGeneral | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
      SuspenseSuspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Romance | Subjects | Books
      ASIN: 1419124285

      Book Description

      Out of print for decades, Barricade Books is reprinting the complete and unabridged text of The Chinese Room. First published in America in 1942, Dial recalled the original edition soon after publication. The Society for the Suppression of Vice demanded the censorship due to the sexual nature of a particular phrase. Citadel Press offered an edition in 1943 minus the offending phrase, and a bestseller emerged, eventually selling more than three million copies in its various editions.

      Unlike many books, The Chinese Room will be all things to all readers. Some will see it as a mystery story of the mind with suspense building up to a surprising yet inevitable climax.

      Others will see a deeply satisfying tale of love and marriage-a story that shows us how much wiser we are than we know-at least in our bodies, if not in our minds.

      Here is an uninhibited story about one of literature's most absorbing themes: the relationship of the sexes.

      The Chinese Room merits a place in the league of earlier novels, censored due to erotic content, now accepted as literary masterpieces: Lady Chatterley's Lover, Lolita, and Tropic of Cancer.
      ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM HERBERDEN COIN ROOM: GUIDE TO THE GREEK, ROMAN, ENGLISH AND CHINESE COINS.
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM HERBERDEN COIN ROOM: GUIDE TO THE GREEK, ROMAN, ENGLISH AND CHINESE COINS.

        Manufacturer: Oxford
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback
        ASIN: B000HJIP10
        Chinese Foods and Recipes (The Rosen Publishing Group's Reading Room Collection)
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Chinese Foods and Recipes (The Rosen Publishing Group's Reading Room Collection)
          Erin Maher
          Manufacturer: Rosen Publishing Group
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Library Binding

          ChineseChinese | Asian | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
          ASIN: 0823937488
          The Chinese Room
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            The Chinese Room
            Vivian Connell
            Manufacturer: The Citadel Press
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover
            ASIN: B000NX0KQ8
            The Chinese Room
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              The Chinese Room
              Vivian Connell
              Manufacturer: Bantam
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Mass Market Paperback
              ASIN: B000RTG5DU
              The Chinese Room
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                The Chinese Room
                Vivian Connell
                Manufacturer: New York: Bantam Books, 1960
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback
                ASIN: B000LVIMLC
                Chinese Room
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  Chinese Room
                  Vivian Connell
                  Manufacturer: UNSPECIFIED VENDOR
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Paperback
                  ASIN: B000UDQVTQ
                  The Chinese Room
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    The Chinese Room

                    Manufacturer: Bantam Books
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Mass Market Paperback
                    ASIN: B000GSOB6U
                    The Chinese Room
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      The Chinese Room
                      Vivian Connell
                      Manufacturer: Bantam
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Paperback
                      ASIN: B000JMC6H4

                      Colorful Introduction to the Anatomy of the Human Brain, A: A Brain and Psychology Coloring Book
                      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                      • Finger paint your way through neuroanatomy
                      • Very helpful
                      • Good for students
                      • Good focus on functionally important structures
                      • A good neuroanatomy resource
                      Colorful Introduction to the Anatomy of the Human Brain, A: A Brain and Psychology Coloring Book
                      John P.J. Pinel , and Maggie E. Edwards
                      Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Paperback

                      NeuropsychologyNeuropsychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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                      AnatomyAnatomy | Basic Science | Medicine | Subjects | Books
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                      NeuroscienceNeuroscience | Neurology | Internal Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books
                      NeuroscienceNeuroscience | Neurology | Internal Medicine | Medicine | Medical | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
                      AnatomyAnatomy | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
                      GeneralGeneral | Behavioral Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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                      3. Physiology of Behavior (9th Edition) (MyPsychKit Series) Physiology of Behavior (9th Edition) (MyPsychKit Series)
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                      5. Fundamentals of Human Neuropsychology Fundamentals of Human Neuropsychology

                      ASIN: 0205162991

                      Book Description

                      Acknowledging the difficulty many readers have when first attempting to learn about the brain's psychological functions, the authors of A Colorful Introduction to the Human Brain have created a book that makes the fascinating world of brain psychology research accessible to readers with little or no background in neuroscience. Readers learn the material in several steps. First they read through the introduction and definitions on the left page; then they color the illustration on the facing page; and finally they use the special cover flap to conceal the illustration labels while checking their knowledge, until they feel they have completely learned the material. Review exercises at the end of each chapter provide an opportunity for self-assessment, with answers provided at the end of the book.

                      John Pinel, a professor of biopsychology at the University of British Columbia, is an award-winning teacher and the author of over 200 scientific articles. However, he is best known for his reader-oriented writing. His clear concise introductions to behavioral neuroscience have inspired, enthralled, and amused a generation of students and lay people.

                      Customer Reviews:

                      4 out of 5 stars Finger paint your way through neuroanatomy.......2006-07-11

                      If you loved your third grade art class, you'll love this brain coloring book. The truth is we learn by doing, using our hands, applying colors. Many areas of the brain are involved in what we think of as simple learning tasks. Adding manual tasks to learning the complicated anatomy of the brain strengthens the learning process - forces you to linger over the page and get involved in learning the structures.

                      I feel the text on each facing page is quite useful but could have been a little more detailed on the clinical end. You will come out of the 'coloring book' experience with far greater confidence in your understanding of neuroanatomy than you expected. You may find reading on neuropsychology a good deal easier, now that you have, in effect, overstudied the anatomy and physiiology underlying it.

                      For those who want to go beyond this text to a really superior text in this subject, I highly recommend Clinical Neuroanatomy by FitzGerald and Fokan-Curran published by W. B. Saunders. It is already marvelously colored and illustrated with much greater detail and clinical information. It is an exceptional medical text (and priced accordingly). The medical illustration, scans, photos and other teaching aids are excellent and profuse. The coloring book is just a sort of 'boot camp' to prepare you for this. I have not seen a better text on neuroanatomy. If you are seriously in need of learning or reviewing your knowledge of this subject, this is the one.

                      ADDENDA: I have just read Pinel's other excellent work called BIOPSYCHOLOGY. Illustrated by his partner (sic) Maggie - superbly and contributing greatly to the success of the book as a great teaching medium in neuropsychology and neurology. It is a textbook for undergraduates in Psychology and assumes little in previous physiology and anatomy, using extensive explanations of vocabulary and concepts. Frankly, you might as well buy this one instead of the coloring book. It will cost more but you will get a lot more out of it along with the same high quality of illustrations necessary to understand this challenging subject. John Pinel has an engaging writing style, some surprising personal anecdotes, and many case histories. I highly recomment BIOPSYCHOLOGY.

                      5 out of 5 stars Very helpful.......2006-03-16

                      This is a must for anyone interested in learning about the anatomy of the human brain.

                      It is also essential for anyone studying physiological and / or biopsychology.

                      3 out of 5 stars Good for students.......2006-02-18

                      I bought this book to help my bachelor level students learn the parts of the brain. They found it helpful in their learning process to color the parts of the brain. Although, because they are bachelor level students, there were only a few pages that were surface knowledge...lots of detailed pictures that would be more appropriate for doctorate level.

                      5 out of 5 stars Good focus on functionally important structures.......2005-11-24

                      I teach an interdisciplinary course in psychology and neuroscience, and my psych students have found this book helpful for getting up to speed on neuroanatomy. I've also started using some of the pages as overheads during my lectures, since the diagrams are uncluttered and easy to draw on.

                      I'm writing a review because I thought I should mention that I found this book *much* more useful than its better-known competitor. The other book has more fine-grained anatomical detail, of the sort that would be most useful to someone studying to be a neurosurgeon - but the result is that it's very hard for a casual student to tell what's worth studying or remembering. This book does a much better job of focusing on the important structures, the ones that you're likely to see mentioned in popular science books and articles. The second half (Functional Neuroanatomy, with chapters devoted to the systems subserving different functions) is especially useful.

                      For anyone interested in self-study, or who just wants a quick reference source for neural structures that they see mentioned in other texts, I'd strongly recommend this book.

                      5 out of 5 stars A good neuroanatomy resource.......2005-09-30

                      A very good resource for the beginner neuroanatomy student. Coloring makes learning such complex material fun and if you study the coloring book along with textbook notes and lecture notes, you can really get a great handle on the material.
                      A Colorful Introduction to the Anatomy of the Human Brain: A Brain and Psychology Coloring Book (2nd Edition)
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        A Colorful Introduction to the Anatomy of the Human Brain: A Brain and Psychology Coloring Book (2nd Edition)
                        John P.J. Pinel , and Maggie Edwards
                        Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Paperback

                        GeneralGeneral | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
                        ASIN: 0205548741
                        A Colorful Introduction to the Anatomy of the Human Brain A Brain and Psychology Coloring Book
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          A Colorful Introduction to the Anatomy of the Human Brain A Brain and Psychology Coloring Book
                          John P. J./ Edwards, Maggie E. Pinel
                          Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Paperback
                          ASIN: B000OOMBZY

                          Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe
                          Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                          • Cookbook that got me cooking
                          • Absolutely terrific
                          • Not in the least delightful.
                          • Heavy food, hyper delivery
                          • Delightful and Nutritious Guide to Good Breakfasts
                          Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe
                          Mollie Katzen
                          Manufacturer: Hyperion
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Hardcover

                          GeneralGeneral | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
                          GeneralGeneral | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
                          BreakfastBreakfast | Meals | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
                          GeneralGeneral | Vegetables & Vegetarian | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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                          2. EAT, DRINK, AND WEIGH LESS: A FLEXIBLE AND DELICIOUS WAY TO SHRINK YOUR WAIST WITHOUT GOING HUNGRY EAT, DRINK, AND WEIGH LESS: A FLEXIBLE AND DELICIOUS WAY TO SHRINK YOUR WAIST WITHOUT GOING HUNGRY
                          3. Still Life With Menu Cookbook Still Life With Menu Cookbook
                          4. Honest Pretzels: And 64 Other Amazing Recipes for Cooks Ages 8 & Up Honest Pretzels: And 64 Other Amazing Recipes for Cooks Ages 8 & Up
                          5. The New Moosewood Cookbook (Mollie Katzen's Classic Cooking) The New Moosewood Cookbook (Mollie Katzen's Classic Cooking)

                          ASIN: 0786862696

                          Amazon.com

                          Can there possibly be anyone left in the U.S. who hasn't heard of Mollie Katzen? Or if not Mollie herself, at least her first cookbook, the now classic Moosewood Cookbook? Few writers have reached so broad an audience with a healthy-cooking, pro-vegetarian message. Ms. Katzen's latest effort, Sunlight Café, turns breakfast into a healthy, fulfilling showpiece meal, a morning sanctuary for assembling the day. She explains how to do this, no matter what your time crunch or disinclination might be. And in an introductory essay called "Breakfast for Metabolic Health," she explains why.

                          There are chapters in Sunlight Café devoted to beverages, fruit, grains, muffins and the like, eggs, potatoes, breakfast vegetables, griddle foods, puddings, etc. Katzen takes the time and space to explain how to scramble eggs, how to enrich scrambled eggs, how to augment scrambled eggs, and how to achieve the world's creamiest scrambled eggs. Does that sound comprehensive? Well, the entire book has been written that way. Nothing has been left out. Not sure how much water goes with a cup of brown rice, or how long to cook the grain? Katzen supplies the all-encompassing chart. It's one of many, and worth the price of the book. Among the 350 recipes you'll find easy, delicious baked goods to make ahead and eat at your desk (Katzen is not out of touch with the working world). You'll also find menus for the relaxed brunch you can lay out on the weekend. Leave it to Mollie Katzen: she has taken breakfast and made it better than ever. --Schuyler Ingle

                          Book Description

                          Can there possibly be anyone left in the U.S. who hasn't heard of Mollie Katzen? Or if not Mollie herself, at least her first cookbook, the now classic Moosewood Cookbook? Few writers have reached so broad an audience with a healthy-cooking, pro-vegetarian message. Ms. Katzen's latest effort, Sunlight Caf+, turns breakfast into a healthy, fulfilling showpiece meal, a morning sanctuary for assembling the day. She explains how to do this, no matter what your time crunch or disinclination might be. And in an introductory essay called "Breakfast for Metabolic Health," she explains why.There are chapters in Sunlight Caf+ devoted to beverages, fruit, grains, muffins and the like, eggs, potatoes, breakfast vegetables, griddle foods, puddings, etc. Katzen takes the time and space to explain how to scramble eggs, how to enrich scrambled eggs, how to augment scrambled eggs, and how to achieve the world's creamiest scrambled eggs. Does that sound comprehensive? Well, the entire book has been written that way. Nothing has been left out. Not sure how much water goes with a cup of brown rice, or how long to cook the grain? Katzen supplies theall-encompassing chart. It's one of many, and worth the price of the book. Among the 350 recipes you'll find easy, delicious baked goods to make ahead and eat at your desk (Katzen is not out of touch with the working world). You'll also find menus for the relaxed brunch you can lay out on the weekend. Leave it to Mollie Katzen: she has taken breakfast and made it better than ever. --Schuyler Ingle

                          Customer Reviews:

                          5 out of 5 stars Cookbook that got me cooking.......2007-06-20

                          I love this book! It was given to me as a gift. I am not much of a cook, never even enjoyed it, until I read Mollie's book. Breakfast is my favorite meal and Mollie has amazing ideas of quick, simple, tasty ways to make breakfast fun and simple. Her drawings are beautiful. The woman has a million talents. Thanks Mollie! I have had a blast using your book.

                          5 out of 5 stars Absolutely terrific.......2006-12-15

                          I regularly make delicious meals from this absolutely terrific book. The recipes are well written and come out very well. There are interesting ideas for adding soy protein powder and other ways to increase protein content if you want. There is a great variety of recipes, sweet and savory. Eggs, tofu, beans, fruit, tomatoes, as well as muffins and breads. Sure, some are treats. But I am very happy to have the ability to make what I call "the best waffles in the world" when I want them. Breakfast doesn't get enough attention in cookbooks.

                          1 out of 5 stars Not in the least delightful........2006-01-30

                          Tired, rehashed garbage from an aging Berkeley hippie. Why pay good money for Nothing New? So many better cookbooks from people like Nick Stellino. Katzen sorely needs some new ideas.

                          1 out of 5 stars Heavy food, hyper delivery.......2005-07-24

                          If only Mollie Katzen's food was as feather weight as her gee whiz, Ma, tone. But is there anyone nowadays (short of people running a marathon) who can eat like this? Obviously, Katzen hasn't gotten the message that America's gone low carb. However what she lacks in recipes, she more than makes up for in enthusiasm. Back when she was leading the vegetarian vanguard, (look behind you, there's no one on that parade anymore), her hype convinced because all the world needed encouragement to eat veggies. But now we've heard that a million times. So she's turned her attention to breakfast (whoopee! it's breakfast) but this presents a major challenge, because eating French toast, porridge and the other foods she recommends more often than once a season will fatten you up real fast. I realize that recipe books like this one are mostly just fantasy reading as most people try to stick to the latest diet-- and usually people who write them don't pretend to be health conscious. But Ms. Katzen does. What happens when your healthy shtick is no longer healthy?

                          5 out of 5 stars Delightful and Nutritious Guide to Good Breakfasts.......2004-04-06

                          Mollie Katzen's self-named book `Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Café' is a very welcome addition to the very small number of books available on breakfast. As I have just reviewed a classic, `The Breakfast Book' from the widely recognized author, Marion Cunningham, it seemed only appropriate that I tackle this new breakfast book by an equally honored writer who is best known for her books on vegetarian cooking co-authored with the Moosewood Collective.

                          Before I loose you in my usually long discourse, let me say that this book can do more good for your eating and health than just about any three other books put together. This opinion is based both on the quality of the book and the special position of it's subject.

                          Most people give less attention to breakfast than to either lunch or dinner. This means that breakfast is the one meal where the room for improvement is the greatest. It certainly has a higher potential for improvement than lunch, as most people eat lunch outside of the home. Even if they carry lunch from home, the range of foods, which can be made portable without special equipment, is smaller than what can be prepared and eaten in ones own kitchen.

                          This book is directed not only at a very wide range of good breakfast food, it is also directed at giving you the information you need to eat a nutritious breakfast with few or no `empty calories.

                          The book starts with a brief essay on how the body deals with carbohydrates, especially upon eating the first meal of the day, or, `breaking fast'. The long and the short of this story is that you are much better eating whole grains with protein and good fats rather than sugars and quickly digested starches. The remainder of the book is dedicated to making this option appealing.

                          The recipe chapters are:

                          Beverages: The straight skinny on coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and smoothies.
                          Fruit, including fruit salads, dried and roasted fruits, and crisp or cobbler.
                          Grains, Cereals, and Porridges, including an excellent tabular presentation of grain cooking characteristics.
                          Muffins, Biscuits, Breads, and Buns, including all the classics plus great stuff with bran and whole grains.
                          Eggs, Tofu, Scrambles, Quiches & Souffles, or Protein Central. Lots of basic methods.
                          Potatoes, Beans, Tempeh & Hashes. Lots of Potato recipes and unusual hashes.
                          (Other) Vegetables for Breakfast, especially tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach
                          Griddle Foods: Pancakes, Waffles, Blintzes, Crepes & French Toast

                          Yogurt and Cheese: Lactose central with (mostly) ricotta and other soft cheeses.
                          Puddings and Custards: Sweeten up your egg protein and vegetable goodness.
                          Condiments, Sauces, Toppings & Spreads with syrups, sauces, salsas Jams, Aioli, Ketchup, etc
                          Breakfast Bars, Coffee Cakes & Sweet Somethings: Home for lots of nuts, berries, and seeds
                          Menus, or how to really do a healthy pig out on Sunday morning

                          The book is laid out with lots of sidebars on tips and techniques which make it very easy to read and to find what you are looking for. Each chapter title page gives a complete table of recipes in the chapter. Almost (but not quite) as good as a complete list of recipes in the front of the book. Be sure to check the index when you are looking for a specific recipe. French toast, for example, appears in Griddle Foods and not Eggs or Breads and Potato Pancakes appears in griddle foods and not under potatoes.

                          The author wins me over completely when she quotes the line on omelets by Elizabeth David that says that the perfect omelet recipe is the way you make it. Another good quote describes an omelet as nothing more than eggs, butter, and body English. Of course, she goes on to give detailed instructions on how to make a good omelet and says it is not easy. Moral of the story, read and emulate her directions, but don't get too hung up on the result not looking like something done on the Food Network. Just keep practicing until you are happy with the result.

                          Not nearly enough has been written about the economics of home cooking versus prepared foods. Ms. Katzen's recipe for granola is probably an excellent place to start. A quick look at the health food aisles of my local megamart shows designer brand containers with less than a pound of food for prices that would make a beef fillet blush. Granola is a product that is almost completely foolproof to make from ingredients that individually are very, very cheap. And, I checked out those same health food aisles in the megamart and I found every single ingredient in bulk.

                          To repeat, Ms. Katzen's book is probably one of the very best places to start in improving what you eat. It is a very nice bonus that the list price of the book is significantly lower than the average cookbook and the artwork done by the author is truly delightful.

                          Very highly recommended. Easy for people with little cooking knowledge.

                          Books:

                          1. A Knife to Remember (Jane Jeffry Mystery Series #5)
                          2. A Long Finish
                          3. A Man Lay Dead (A Roderick Alleyn Mystery)
                          4. A Moorland Hanging (A Knights Templar Mystery)
                          5. A Murder is Announced (Miss Marple Mysteries)
                          6. A Pocket Full of Rye (Miss Marple Mysteries)
                          7. A Whole Lotta Love
                          8. After Dark, My Sweet
                          9. Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam (An Agatha Raisin Mystery)
                          10. Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell (An Agatha Raisin Mystery)

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