Book Description
It was the site of one of the most infamous assassinations in American history. Now bestselling mystery master Margaret Truman premieres a new murder at Ford’s Theater–one that’s hot off today’s headlines.
The body of Nadia Zarinski, an attractive young woman who worked for senator Bruce Lerner–and who volunteered at Ford’s–is discovered in the alley behind the theatre. Soon a pair of mismatched cops–young, studious Rick Klieman and gregarious veteran Moses “Mo” Johnson–start digging into the victim’s life, and find themselves confronting an increasing cast of suspects.
There’s Virginia Senator Lerner himself, rumored to have had a sexual relationship with Nadia–and half the women in D.C. under ninety. . . . Clarise Emerson, producer/director of Ford’s Theatre and ex-wife of the Senator, whose nomination to head the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is now threatened by the scandal . . . Jeremiah Lerner, her aimless, hot-tempered son, said to have been sleeping with Nadia when his famous father wasn’t . . . Bernard Crowley, the theatre’s controller, whose emotions overflow at the mention of the crime . . . faded British stage star Sydney Bancroft, desperate for recognition and a comeback, and armed with damning information about Clarise Emerson . . . and other complex characters from both sides of the footlights.
With her unparalleled understanding of Washington and its players, and her savvy sense of how strange bedfellows cut deals even in the midst of mayhem, Margaret Truman always delivers the most sophisticated and satisfying suspense. Murder at Ford’s Theatre is her most compelling, insightful novel yet, sure to earn her a standing ovation from her many fans and new followers alike.
From the Hardcover edition.
Download Description
The body of Nadia Zarinski, an attractive young woman who worked for senator Bruce Lerner, and who volunteered at Ford's, is discovered in the alley behind the theatre. Soon a pair of mismatched cops -- young, studious Rick Klieman and gregarious veteran Moses "Mo" Johnson -- start digging into the victim's life, and find themselves confronting an increasing cast of suspects.
There's Virginia Senator Lerner himself, rumored to have had a sexual relationship with Nadia -- and half the women in D.C. under ninety... Clarise Emerson, producer/director of Ford's Theatre and ex-wife of the Senator, whose nomination to head the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is now threatened by the scandal... Jeremiah Lerner, her aimless, hot-tempered son, said to have been sleeping with Nadia when his famous father wasn't... Bernard Crowley, the theatre's controller, whose emotions overflow at the mention of the crime... faded British stage star Sydney Bancroft, desperate for recognition and a comeback, and armed with damning information about Clarise Emerson... and other complex characters from both sides of the footlights.
With her unparalleled understanding of Washington and its players, and her savvy sense of how strange bedfellows cut deals even in the midst of mayhem, Margaret Truman always delivers the most sophisticated and satisfying suspense. Murder at Ford's Theatre is her most compelling, insightful novel yet, sure to earn her a standing ovation from her many fans and new followers alike.
Customer Reviews:
Setting for melodrama.......2006-02-26
Johnny Wales is six feet, four inches. He is employed as a stage hand at Ford's Theatre. He trained as an actor and stage technician at the University of Wisconsin. He hears park rangers conducting tours of the facility. Next, Johnny runs into a dead girl, Nadia Zarinsky, an intern who worked for a senator.
Johnson and Klayman are partners in the police force. A homeless man, Joseph Partridge, claims he saw a man hit the woman. Mackenzie Smith is teaching a course entitled Lincoln the Lawyer. Mac's wife, Annabel, is a gallery owner. Her friend, Clarise Emerson, is the theatre director. Clarise has been tapped to lead the NEA. She is a former wife of the senator. Johnson and Klayman interview an English actor and employee of the theatre, Sydney Bancroft. Johnson is a scholar of jazz, and Klayman a scholar of Lincoln. In fact, Klayman has enrolled in Mac's class. Since Clarise's son is charged with the homicide and Mac and his former partner represent him, things start to get interesting.
In the end, Clarise withdraws her name from NEA consideration. The actual murderer is discovered in very vivid fashion. The couple of Mac and Anabel Smith are pleasant characters as are the twosome of Johnson and Klayman. The intelligence and taste Margaret Truman brings to the task of crime writing are welcome qualities.
A Thoroughly Enjoyable Mystery.......2005-05-31
Margaret Truman's mysteries get better with each new one that appears. In this one, she uses Ford's Theatre as her site. Anyone who has visited Ford's Theatre will agree that she picked a place with the right atmosphere for a mystery. Someone murdered Nadia Zarinski in the alley behind Ford's Theatre. She was an intern for Senator Bruce Lerner, and there are rumors of an affair, so he is a suspect. The murder also casts an unwanted spotlight on Clarise Emerson, Lerner's former wife, head of the Ford's Theatre Society, and presidential nominee to chair the National Endowment for the Arts. Aging actor Sydney Bancroft claimed that Jeremiah Lerner, son of the Senator and Clarise, had been dating the victim. A surly brat, he ran when confronted by detectives, and was soon arrested for the murder. Clarise begs law professor Mac Smith to help her son. Mac and wife Annabel, an urbane couple, are in many of Margaret Truman's mysteries. Mac agrees to help, and the real mystery unfolds until it reaches a surprising climax. This is a splendid tale, with real characters (not cardboard) and a nice pace.
I was hoping for more..........2003-09-21
This was not one of Truman's best books. I kept waiting for some action and mystery... and then it did not come. The other Capital Crimes book I read most recently (Murder at the Smithsonian; Library of Congress) had a lot more intrigue. I did like the many DC references, but those are in all of her books... hopefully Ms. Truman will have some better books to offer in the future.
An Inside the Beltway Thriller.......2003-04-15
In her latest novel, Margaret Truman stages "Murder at Ford's Theatre" with a cast drawn from recent headlines and past novels in her Capital Crime Series. The murder of Senate intern Nadia Zarinski, romantically linked to her boss, outside the historic theatre now run by the senator's ex-wife and Hollywood producer, Clarisse Emerson, who is preparing for her confirmation hearing as the next chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts sets off a media frenzy all too familar in the nation's capital. The case is so sensational that Truman's favorite Washington couple, George Washington University law professor Mackensie Smith and his wife Annabelle, are compelled to play leading roles once again. Supporting cast members and Lincoln buffs, detectives Klayman and Johnson, representing the Metropolitan Police Department, and Sydney Bancroft, aging British thespian and Ford Theatre artistic director, add colorful moments to this fast paced drama.
It is impossible for me to criticise Truman's work. Her attention to detail especially about local landmarks and legends in Washington, DC provides the reader with a sense of place that locals recognize and visitors remember. I don't doubt that Truman strolled the cafes and galleries of Dupont Circle sipping latte at Kramerbooks & Afterwoods researching the details about historic Ford's Theatre that she got correct right down to the spelling.
Above all, "Murder at Ford's Theatre" is first rate suspense. Whether you live inside the infamous beltway or not, add this book to your list right away.
A great mystery set at Ford's Theatre in DC.......2003-02-11
Nadia Zarinski, intern to Senator Lerner, is found dead in the alley out back of Ford's Theatre in DC. She volunteered time at the Theatre now and then. She was found by Johnny Wales, a stage hand at the theatre. The only eyewitness to her murder is John Partridge. He is an alcoholic and thinks he is a CIA agent. He was sleeping it off in the alley.
Detectives Rick Klayman and Mo Johnson are investigating this death. There are rumors that Nadia and Senator Lerner were involved. The Senator's ex-wife, Clarise, is the head of Ford's Theatre and was unaware that Nadia was volunteering time at the theatre. Clarise is also to be confirmed as the head of the National Endowment of Arts within the week.
The Senator and Clarise's son Jeremiah becomes a suspect in the murder when a previous boyfriend of hers mentions that Jeremiah dated Nadia. That information is confirmed by another source.
Mac Smith is now a professor of law. He is teaching a special class on Lincoln the lawyer. He was a criminal lawyer until a drunk driver hit and killed his first wife and only son. He is remarried to Annabel who was a divorce lawyer and now owns and operates a Columbia art gallery. Mac is asked by Clarise to assist Jeremiah when he is arrested. Mac and his former law partner Yale Becker represent Jeremiah.
Detective Klayman wonders if they haven't been hasty in arresting Jeremiah. He's not convinced that all the other suspects were sufficiently interrogated.
Mac and Annabel are surprised by the Senator's and Clarise's detachment from Jeremiah through this ordeal.
Detective Klayman is very interested in President Lincoln and attends Mac's class. They are careful to not discuss this case, just Lincoln.
I am very happy that Margaret Truman has returned to her Capital Crimes series. I like Mac and Annabel and always enjoy seeing Mac get involved in a murder investigation. They feel like very down-to-earth people to me. Like your neighbor next door.
The Senator in this book was very well written. He was very detached and always too busy to deal with the daily problems.
All of the peripheral characters were well constructed as well. In the end of the book, I found myself flip-flopping from thinking one person did it to another. I wasn't able to easily pick out the killer. A sign of a good mystery!
I highly recommend this book and all the books in this series. The fact that I know the DC/VA area that was discussed always makes it more interesting.
Product Description
10 PBs by Margaret Truman: 1. Murder at the Pentagon. 2. Murder at the National Gallery. 3. Murder on the Potomac. 4. Murder in the White House. 5. Murder at the Kennedy Center. 6. Murder in the Smithsonian. 7. Murder on Capital Hill. 8. Murder in the CIA. 9. Murder at Union Station. 10. Murder at Ford's Theatre.
Customer Reviews:
"Oh, yes. Bread for everyone!".......2006-07-09
As their third-year wedding anniversary draws near, the wizard Kedrigern learns, to his consternation, that his wife Princess desires a magic wand for her anniversary present. The travel-detesting Kedrigern and the extroverted Princess embark on a journey of quite epic proportions and soon encounter the ensorcelled sword Panstygia, Mother of Darkness (Louise, to her friends). Panstygia implores Kedrigern, the master of counterspells, to reverse the spell cast on her and her three royal kin (now respectively an iron shield, a crown, and a wand) by a cunning, vindictive but now deceased wizard. The cranky Keddie (who is, at heart, a softie) promises to do what he can...They set off on their new quest and must brave perilous roads, enchanted woods and a castle under a wicked spell. In their travels, they come upon odd creatures: Hamarak, the simple fellow who becomes a monarch, but really only wants fresh, hot bread; the menacing spoilsport giant Green Riddler; and a jovial fellow in the woods who keeps his feet in a puddle. Armed with the magical might and sagacity of Kedrigern, the courage and wings of Princess, and the invincible sword Louise (oops, I mean, Panstygia, Mother of Darkness), these questers are determined to win through. And, somehow, Kedrigern must still come up with Princess's anniversary present.
Wonderfully written by John Morressey, Kedrigern in Wanderland is the third book in the Kedrigern series, and is another clever sendup of various classic fantasy elements. Surprisingly (but in a good way), halfway thru the book, the storyline takes a darker turn, inspiring the author to actually write introductory words of caution to his readers. But, not to worry, it doesn't take long before things are back to its lighthearted, whimsical normality. I had fun reading about Zorilon, possibly the worst fairy tale storyteller ever, and the three very subpar "evil" witches ( the Witch of Over There Someplace, the Witch of Sticky Little Things, etc), who each went away for years to cause mayhem but, at their worst, only managed to accomplish very menial heinous acts.
Nice to see also, near the end, the comeuppance of a certain nasty bog fairy, with whom the Princess is very familiar.
And word to the wise and the faint-hearted: lurking in the pages of this book is a fart joke, which amuses me but incenses Kedrigern. But then again, Keddie is much more of a prude.
Home run for John Morressy!.......1999-12-06
This is the third book in John Morressy's wonderful Kedrigern series, the first two being A Voice for Princess and The Questing of Kedrigern. In this book Princess develops a desire to obtain a magic wand and prods the reluctant Kedrigern into undertaking yet another journey. Along the path, Kedrigern and Princess encounter a princess who was cruelly turned into a sword by an evil wizard; who also turned her brother into a shield, her sister into a crown, and her cousin into . . . a wand!
In this book, Morressy delivers a triumph of wit and adventure topping even his first two wonderful books. As an added bonus, at the end of their quest, just when you think that the story is over, there comes one last adventure: Keddy and Princess encounter Bertha the Bog-fairy, the villainess who turned Princess into a toad and left her without a memory. Bertha does not like having her spells undone by meddling wizards, so who will get the "sweet revenge?"
a delightful magical diversion!.......1999-10-29
A world where magic is commonplace. I love the author's sly witticisms, and his character's practical, matter-of-fact dealings with the counter-spells which Kedrigern specializes in. Meet an enchanted family, now in the forms of a sword, a crown and a shield. A dragon becoming himself, a giant Green Riddler, and a malevolent bog fairy. A superb escape!
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful!.......2007-08-15
This wonderful book set contains the first three books in John Morressy's wonderful Kedrigern series (the remaining two being Kedrigern and the Charming Couple, and A remembrance for Kedrigern). This highly entertaining series tells the story of a great wizard named Kedrigern of Silent Thunder Mountain. Kedrigern discovers a toad that is actually a beautiful princess turned into a toad by a bog-fairy. He breaks the spell, only to find that it was booby-trapped - the hapless princess ceases to be a toad with a princess' voice, and becomes a princess with a toad's voice! And so, Kedrigern sets out on adventure after adventure, seeking the magic necessary to return the princess to her normal form.
Overall, I must say that this is one of my most favorite fantasy series. The author does an excellent job of making the stories entertaining and yet gripping. I love these books and think that you will too. So, if you like your fantasy served up with wit and humor, then this book is for you!
Book Description
In the first edition of this important bestselling book, praised by Newsday as “the bible for a whole generation of menopausal women,” renowned physician and pioneering women’s health advocate Dr. Susan Love warned about the potential dangers of the long-term prescription of hormone replacement therapy. Her insightful words of caution have been backed up by the stunning results of the recent studies on hormone replacement.
In this revised edition, Dr. Love offers a remarkably clear set of guidelines as to what the studies have shown about the risks regarding heart disease, breast cancer, stroke, and other conditions, and what effect hormone therapy has on osteoporosis. She offers definitive expert advice about whether or not to go on hormone replacement therapy and, if so, for how long, as well as how to taper off hormones; and she introduces the alternative methods for treating the symptoms of menopause.
Dr. Love stresses that menopause is not a disease that needs to be cured—it is a natural life stage, and every woman ought to choose her own mix of options for coping with symptoms. A questionnaire about your own health history and life preferences helps you develop a program that will best fit your unique needs. With clarity and compassion, she walks you through every option for both the short and the long term, including:
• lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, and stress management)
• alternative therapies (including herbs and homeopathic remedies)
• available medications other than hormones
Customer Reviews:
DESERVES SIX STARS.......2007-06-09
This important book has been around for a while and now it's been updated! What a treasure. Every woman should read this. The information is valuable and usable. I highly recommend it. Pamela D. Blair, Author The Next Fifty Years: A Guide for Women at Mid-Life And Beyond
Dr Susan Love's Menopause and Hormone Book.......2007-03-29
Dr. Susan Love's Menopause and Hormone Book: Making Informed Choices
Menopause - a user's guide........2006-04-02
The most practical, informative, and entertaining (I'm not kidding) book I've found on perimenopause and menopause. Dr. Love tells you what you may (or may not) experience, without committing a "one-experience-fits-all" blunder. I enjoy her social commentary regarding American attitudes toward women, aging, and aging women. It's especially helpful to me as I near this second puberty.
Women and men of all ages would probably benefit from reading Chapter Two alone. The pharmaceutical companies are not (necessarily) your friends.
Good stuff.
Dr susan Love's menopause and Hormone Book.......2005-09-30
So far so good. Very believeable and understandable. makes good sense. I'm not even 1/2 way thru book yet. I was not happy though with the construction of the book. Some of the pages are falling out because they were not glued in right.
FANTASTIC ATTITUDE!!.......2003-11-13
This is a revision of Dr. Susan Love's Hormone Book - which was updated and republished after the Prempro arm of the Women's Health Initiative was halted.
The best thing about this book is its perspective. Susan Love writes as a woman experiencing menopause. She's a doctor and serious researcher who insists on hard EVIDENCE, not just good theories. She's a doctor who feels a responsibility to her patients and readers, a responsibility to fully and accurately INFORM them, so that they can make their OWN choices. She's a researcher who knows how to analyze and re-analyze data. She is open minded.
This book sets out to inform women about menopause, its mechanisms, its symptoms, its accompaniments, and ALL the available treatment choices from positive thinking, to diet, to acupuncture, to herbs, to pharmaceuticals, to exercise, and everything in between. It includes information on what is and isn't known about each possible treatment, as well as the risks and benefits of each.
Dr. Love is not looking for "converts" to one side or the other of the "hormone wars," as so many menopause/hormone authors seem to be. She is not the sort of doctor who tells patients/readers what to do. She clearly feels that every woman should make her OWN choices, and that those choices will be different for each individual woman. While educating her readers, she is also good enough to state her own positions, so readers can factor in consideration of her personal prejudices. Yet, she clearly supports women's choices whether or not they are ones she would make herself. She asks only that those choices be based on understanding and knowledge.
The Prempro phase of the Women's Health Initiative was halted due to the serious side-effects of that drug. Susan Love largely predicted those results in the earlier editions of this book. She had the courage to stand-up to other doctors in a field which is not her specialty (she's a breast surgeon), and question the "evidence" upon which they relied for their theories and therapies. She stuck to her guns although she was severely criticized (and readily admitted when she herself was in error). Despite the fact that Dr. Love was widely vindicated by the Women's Health Initiative, she refrains from taking an "I told you so" position in this new edition that incorporates the Prempro findings of the WHI.
This book goes further than just informing. It goes into detail on just about every possible form of menopause therapy: eastern, western, new-age and old wives' tale. It also details virtually every variety of drug, every dosage, every form of administration, as well as the particulars of what actions specific medications, herbal and naturopathic remedies might have. Dr. Love educates us with whatever solid knowledge there is about each, and she gives us tools to help evaluate future data. She is a scientist whose mind is open to considering all possibilities. And, she's a woman who knows the menopause experience.
Amazon.com
In an empowering and demystifying book about menopause, Dr. Susan Love, a noted breast surgeon and women's health advocate, tells it straight about hormones. "Hormone therapy is neither a fountain of youth nor an 'evil empire,'" Love writes with her coauthor, Karen Lindsey. "I can't tell you in this book whether or not you should take hormones, but I can spell out the pros and cons, examining the various promises that have been made for menopausal hormone therapy, and letting you know what the side effects and dangers can be."
But even before she gets into the promises and the pros and cons, Love lets the reader know what menopause is biologically, and how its symptoms can vary widely. Particularly fascinating is the second chapter, titled "The Medicalization of Menopause." Love's examination of how women in other cultures actually look forward to menopause, and of how the medical establishment and the pharmaceutical industry have a vested interested in making menopause a disease, is a convincing one. It puts menopause and hormone therapy into a whole new light.
Chapter by chapter, Love reviews the scientific evidence for the promised benefits of hormone therapy--protection from osteoporosis and heart disease--and for the potential risks--increased chance of breast and endometrial cancer. And she answers almost every imaginable question about alternatives to hormones, from dietary changes to exercise to acupuncture to herbs.
While Love and Lindsey, who worked together previously on Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book, are up-front about their perspective on hormone therapy, they also give women the information they need about the various hormones on the market and provide a questionnaire to help them assess their values, so that readers can make their own informed choice about hormones during menopause.
Book Description
"We're the baby boomers," writes renowned women's health advocate Dr. Susan Love. "We wanted to change the world in the sixties. During the sexual revolution we claimed the right to enjoy our bodies. We wanted more knowledge about how our bodies worked. We read books about menstruation and childbirth. Now we're approaching menopause, and we want to decide for ourselves how we'll experience this process as well. But how do we do that? We're faced with all kinds of options, and with them all kinds of questions."
With
Dr. Susan Love's Hormone Book, Dr. Love will help you decide for yourself how you want to move through this stage of life. Here's the information you really want to know to answer your most pressing concerns:
You've been having symptoms -- hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings. What are your options for coping with them?
You've read in the newspapers that after menopause women are in danger of heart disease or osteoporosis, and you don't want to wind up like that hunched-up elderly woman you saw in the supermarket checkout line. How likely is it?
Your doctor thinks taking hormone replacement therapy might be the answer, but you're not sure: How does it work? What can and can't it do? Is it safe?
Your mother sailed through menopause and your symptoms don't bother you. Do you need to do anything at all?
You've had breast cancer or heart disease. What choices will work for you?
You don't like the idea of medication. Are there any life-style changes or alternative approaches worth exploring?
With clarity and compassion, Dr. Love will help you sort through the answers to these and other confusing questions. She emphasizes that menopause is not a disease that needs to be cured; it's a natural life stage. She tells you what you need to know about coping with symptoms and addressing concerns about osteoporosis, heart disease, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and more. And she walks you through every option for the short and long term.: lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, and stress management), alternatives (including herbs and homeopathic remedies), other medications, and a thorough discussion of the pros and cons of hormones. An in-depth questionnaire on your personal health risks and lifestyle preferences will help you put it all together to make choices to fit your unique needs--choices Dr. Love encourages you to reconsider as your life situation changes. Also included are guidelines for finding the right health care professional, a resource guide of helpful books, newsletters, and organizations, and more.
You know your body better than any doctor, and you're in the best position to assess your individual needs, risks, and lifestyle choices and to decide how you want to more through menopause. With Dr. Love's authoritative, comprehensive new book, you'll have the information you need to make the decisions that work best for you.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Comprehensive Resource.......2002-07-08
This book covers all the bases you'll want to consider when facing menopause. The author discusses many aspects of menopause, including symptoms, treatments (both conventional and alternative), and long-term risk of breast cancer, osteoporosis, and heart disease.
Some of the things I really like about this book: The author dispels several myths (like taking estrogen leads to youthful-looking skin) and pulls the curtain back on the cozy relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and medical research. The reason all the "gold standard" studies on menopause have been done using Premarin, which contains horse estrogens not found in humans, is because researchers get that drug free from Wyeth-Ayerst (the Premarin manufacturer and patent-holder). As the author acknowledges, the collecting the urine that goes into Premarin causes hardship to countless horses and their offspring, and women ingesting the drug get all sorts of serious medical complications. It will be great for women everywhere when medical researchers give equal study to the hormones that are found naturally in human women (which so far seem to be much more benign than Premarin, but being non-patentable hold less potential for financial profit).
Some things I didn't like about the book: The author cites a lot of evidence gleaned from nonhuman studies (done on monkeys, rats, and mice) even though common wisdom holds that animals are a very poor model for humans. (About 80% of the drugs that pass animal tests are later found to be harmful to humans.) She does mention the importance of vitamins and minerals beyond calcium and Vitamin D, but I'd like to see more emphasis given. (See books like The Bone Density Diet or Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis for more on that.) Finally, she doesn't acknowledge that women without a uterus can also benefit from taking progesterone; in fact she often muddles the (important) difference between progesterone and progestin and falsely implies at times that the harmful effects of taking progestin apply to progesterone as well. (Note: progesterone is natural to a human woman's body; progestin is a molecularly altered compound which can be patented but which acts differently from progesterone in the body.)
Overall, there is a ton of helpful information in this book and the good certainly outweighs the bad. This is a great primer for women who plan to live for a very long time!
Anti-hormone slant........2002-02-05
I was looking for something a little more objective.
Anti-hormone slant........2002-02-05
I was looking for something a little more objective.
Great balanced viewpoint.......2001-12-19
This book presents a comprehensive discussion of hormones and alternatives to dealing with premenopause, menopause, and long-term prevention. Details are provided which include alternative approaches, including diet, exercise, etc. It even includes a final helpful chapter on making your own decisions. The only negative thing is that it was written in 1997, and there may be more current information available now. Wish she would release an updated edition.
one true voice.......2000-01-28
I write on January 27, 2000, two days after the embargo was lifted on the National Cancer Institutes new findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, on the role of estrogens alone, and estrpogen -progestin combinations, in breast and uterine cancer. If you have a uterus and take estrogens without progestins you invite endometrial cancer. If you add progestins to the estrogen you avoid the cancer "down there" but substantially increase your chances of getting it "up top" in your breast. The longer you stay on hormones the more your chances of uterine and breast cancer keep rising...and rising.. There's much to consider and under some circumstances taking hormones, especially for the short run might make sense. - See if you can look the article in the Journal of the American Medical Association -- and check out the accompanying editorial by scientists from Harvard's School of Public Health, titled "Postmenopausal Estrogens- Opposed, Unopposed or None of the Above" which concludes that "it is time to reasses...the commonly held belief that aging rountinely requires pharmcological management..." In 1997,Susan Love was excorriated for presenting exactly this reasonably cautious and honest viewpoint in her splendid HORMONE BOOK Meantime, 12 million US women continue to take estrogen alone, while 8.6 take it with progestin. I wish every one of them would read this excellent work., and reconsider. And I personally am exceedingly proud to present a 1999 interview with our heroic Dr. Love in my own new book (with Gary Null) FOR WOMEN ONLY; YOUR GUIDE TO HEALTH EMPOWERMENT.
Customer Reviews:
Cooking course in a book.......2007-01-11
I had the good fortune to take a three-day "cookery" course from Darina Allen at her school in County Cork. She is the Julia Childs of Ireland. The demonstrations were great and then the students got to cook selected recipes the next morning. I recommend this book because it has 1. tested and easy-to-follow recipes. (The school always has students and instructors working from the written recipes.) 2. The Irish specialties, particularly the breads, are wonderful. Ireland is now a "foodies" paradise with hundreds of homemade cheeses and other artisan specialties, superb seafood, and a whole "slow food" movement. This cookbook is in its way a bible to what's going on. It is one you will use again and again.
Darina is right on the money.......2007-01-06
I am a professional chef and have reviewed many cookbooks. This cookbook is one of the best I have ever seen and used. I was so impressed by it that I went and attended the 13 week course at the School in Ireland. The recipes are timeless,delicious,and will work every time if followed properly. This is what cooking should be fresh, beautiful, and nutritious.
Excellent general textbook from the Irish Alice Waters. Buy It........2006-01-27
The `ballymaloe cooking school cookbook' by school co-owner and Irish TV cooking show host, Darina Allen is my second volume in my search for the perfect Irish cookbook. As it turns out, this very heavy and long (639 pages) book is much, much more than a book about Irish cooking, as well it should be, since it is comparable to the Culinary Institute of America's textbook, `The New Professional Chef'. That is, it is a general textbook for essentially all styles of European and American cooking, with a tendency to include more Irish recipes than you would expect from a French or Italian cooking textbook. In fact, a quick browse reveals recipes from around the world, many with an attribution to a close Darina Allen friend, such as Marcella Hazan.
When I saw Darina Allen on the old Sara Moulton show, `Cooking Live' on the Food Network, I had no idea that her Ballymaloe Cooking School was so big and well established to support such a comprehensive volume.
Ms. Allen's general tone in this book follows much the same path as the Chez Panisse guru, Alice Waters in that it strongly emphasizes good, fresh ingredients and a philosophy to waste nothing. Even the most lowly scraps can be recycled in the compost heap or the stock pot.
Unlike Ms. Allen's `The Festive Food of Ireland', I am happy to say that these recipes give all their units in an uncluttered and familiar English system of units, such as pounds and ounces, cups, tablespoons and teaspoons. I was just a bit surprised to see Ms. Allen recommend using standard spoons out of the silverware drawer to measure for savory recipes. On one hand, this is brilliantly simple, since a standard teaspoon (5 ml) is a rounded `teaspoon' and an English tablespoon (20 ml) is a rounded soupspoon. One important difference to note here is that the English (and Canadian) tablespoon is 25% larger than the American tablespoon (15 ml).
The book covers a very broad range of subjects, featuring 24 chapters on stocks & soups; appetizers; eggs; rice, other grains, & legumes; pasta and noodles; vegetables; salads; fish & shellfish; poultry; lamb; pork & bacon; beef; variety meats; game; desserts; cheeses; cakes & cookies; breads, scones & pizzas; jams & preserves; breakfast; barbecue; finger foods; drinks; and sauces.
One of the first things that struck me about this book is that it delves into subject which few if any other cooking texts touch, such as shopping, fashion, kitchen safety, and manners at the table. Many of the book's more conventional sections are a bit off. The `cupboard basics' section violates the notion that you should never buy an ingredient unless you have definite plans to use it in a recipe in the next week. Ms. Allen's list includes things such as dried fruit, Carr's Water Biscuits, Nam Pla (fish sauce), Pesto, and Ballymaloe's own brands of Tomato Relish and Jalapeno Relish. I would make pesto myself and I don't anticipate using nam pla, harissa, tortillas, Carr water biscuits, or chorizo in the next month, and maybe not even in the next year. The same general comment can be made of the `essential kitchen equipment' list. I always go back to Madhur Jaffrey's sound advice to simply make the recipes you want and buy for only those recipes. Sooner or later, you will have built up a pantry and assembly of cooking tools to match your personal style.
I do not weigh this too heavily against Ms. Allen, as she also has great advice on what to do if your power fails on your freezer or if you plan to move and are dealing with a full freezer.
Although this is a text for training future professional chefs, many of the classic recipes are remarkably unfussy. The master recipe for chicken stock cooks for only 3-5 hours, and adds all the vegetables at the beginning of the cooking rather than waiting for the last hour. Similarly, the master recipe for the basic omelet only cites one basic kind of French omelet and leaves out at least one of the fussier steps I have heard from various sources. The recipe for scrambled eggs is also not quite as fussy as the classic French method requiring a double boiler (bain marie).
Some techniques are illustrated with a set of photographs illustrating the steps, but these tend to be small and some major techniques are not so illustrated.
True to the author's emphasis on raw materials and the fact that the school has its own farm for vegetables, eggs, and fresh herbs, the introductory paragraphs to each section are rich in advice on how to pick and use raw materials. The introduction to eggs, one of my favorite subjects, is especially good on identifying the best eggs (how long ago was it laid) for each job.
Overall, this is an excellent reference for all sorts of recipes. I happened to check out the recipe for `basic hamburgers' and found a recipe that exactly duplicated my projected improvement over Julia Child's favorite hamburger recipe. Where Miss Julia has us put sautéed garlic and onion sandwiched between two layers of ground meat, Ms. Allen recommends the sautéed savories be mixed in with the ground meat, together with egg. A surprising touch recommends we also wrap it in caul fat, but this is optional.
One thing you will find in this book that you will not find in a CIA tome is a very personable, comradely tone which almost places Ms. Allen at your right hand as you read through the recipes. That means you will have a lot more fun reading this book than you may with a CIA text.
If you are very new to cooking, I highly recommend this as a first cookbook, especially if your ancestry can be traced back to the Emerald Isle! But, this is much, much more than a cookbook of Irish recipes.
excellent modern cuisine.......2005-08-12
The recipes are excellent and interesting, the commentary is informative and educational. The emphasis on seasonality is a good reminder of the real growing cycle of food, and the fairly simple treatment of ingredients highlights the flavor of well grown ingredients.
If I could have only one cookbook this would be it.......2003-01-08
I am a cookbook addict. Many times I have been asked if I could have only one cookbook what would it be? I never had an answer until I read this book.
So many basic teaching cookbooks focus on mainly american cuisine. I love the global focus of this book, great recipes from many different cultures all with very clear instructions that make it a perfect book for beginners and advanced cooks.
Books:
- Murder in Grub Street (Sir John Fielding)
- Murder on the Prowl
- Murder, She Wrote: Dying to Retire (Murder She Wrote)
- Nobody Loves a Centurion (SPQR VI)
- Note of Peril (Hideaway Series #4) (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense)
- Occam's Razor
- One Fearful Yellow Eye
- Paragon Walk
- Parthian Shot: A Marcus Corvinus Roman Mystery (Marcus Corvinus Mysteries)
- Play with Fire (Kate Shugak Mystery)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Cabinet of Natural Curiosities: The Complete Plates in Colour, 1734-1765
- When Lightning Strikes
- Squish!: A Wetland Walk
- Tellurite Glasses Handbook: Physical Properties and Data
- The Quilter's Legacy
- Who Moved My Cheese
- Top Secret Recipes Treasury II: More Kitchen Clones of America's Favorite Brand-Name Foods ; With Il
- Lautner, 1911-1994: Disappearing Space
- Sustainable Architecture: Low Tech Houses
- Hotel Pastis: A Novel of Provence
General
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Murder at Union Station: A Capital Crimes Novel (Capital Crimes)
Murder in Havana (Capital Crimes Series.)
Murder in Foggy Bottom (Truman, Margaret, Capital Crimes Series.)
Murder at the Washington Tribune: A Capital Crimes Novel (Truman, Margaret, Capital Crimes Series.)
Murder at the Library of Congress (Capital Crimes)
