Customer Reviews:
Yves. Again!.......2007-08-16
This is sort of a weird book. Yves starts the book writing in the style of a wannabe Hunter S. Thompson and then decides that he may as well just start "writing". I would say that the abrupt transition starts in maybe the first 80 pages.
I believe that Yves Lavigne is probably the most knowledgeable author in the world about the major motorcycle clubs, other than insiders like Barger (or even Wethern) or undercovers like Queen or Dobyns (through authors), or in-touch contacts like Thompson.
But Yves has some sort of agenda that makes him report every myth and fantasy that has EVER been posited as if it is a FACT. It doesn't take long to tire of this book if you have read everything else, because you have to believe, based upon acquired knowledge, that 30% of what he says is suspect, at best.
I respect Lavigne for his obviously superior knowledge of the topic as a whole. But read every other account and determine for yourself if he has some personal agenda, even if it is as simple as money.
Lame but not all bad.......2007-01-19
The guy that wrote this book was really trying to show how cool he is. I mean the the way he wrote it was over the top. You can tell he was trying to prove something. I have read Sonny's book and others and they much better written.
This guy skips around, repeats things he's previously talked about in the book. And the way he talks to the reader is just crude. I mean, sure he's dealing with a rough subject, but come on, use better english.
And I know what I am talking about. I lived the underground life for many years. I knew people like this, and this writer is someone who has never lived this life. He writes like a person who has never been around the people he is writing about.
This book is an over the top, stereotypical view of the big red machine written by a total sidewalk commando, or rather keyboard commando.
This book could have been a much better or clearer view of the HA than it is, but the writer's crude "trying to prove how cool I am" vocabulary, unfocused chapter organization, and other poor writing errors make this book a real dud. I'm still reading it, it's not so horrible that I put it down, but it came close.
This book should have never been published the way it is. The publisher should be ashamed.
If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand..........2007-01-10
Long live the Big Red Machine! 8181818181818181818181.......
I had a personal inside view into that world in my teens........2006-10-27
I grew up in the the near west suburbs of Chicago from 55-73, when we moved to DuPage County. There were 2 large biker gangs in the Lyons,IL area called the Chicago Outlaws and the Hells Henchmen. I knew several of the Outlaws as acquaintances, there were a few members who I had casually met that were not very nice and I was afraid of them. One member of the Outlaws was my best friends boyfriends older brother, John Klimes. He was always very nice to both me and my girlfriend whenever we saw him. He was murdered in McCook, IL in 1981. There was a huge biker funeral for him and it was on the local news. They never arrested anyone for his murder,but rumor has it that they wanted to kill both John and his girlfriend. His girlfriend worked at a local strip club, Michael's Magic Touch, she could placed the head of the Outlaws as the last person seen with a young woman the night before she was found dead in Busse Woods. There was also speculation that the head of the Outlaws was afraid that John was going to take over the Outlaws Lyons chapter. The talk around town at the time was that "they" were trying to kill both John and his girlfriend. A bomb was planted under John's Bronco and when he went over train tracks in McCook,IL it exploded killing him, his girlfriend was not in the vehicle at the time. I was saddened at John's death because he had always been very nice to me and came to my defense when one of the bikers was threatening me. During the news footage I discovered he had been under surveillance by the FBI for drugs trafficing, prostitution and other illegal activites. That side of him I had never seen. His younger brother was anti-drugs and a very nice guy, we did not meet him until he came home from Vietman in 70-71. John "Burrito" Klimes murder has never been solved. If you go the the McCook Police department website, the open murder is posted there. This book filled in some of the information I was not aware of. Interesting read!
fascinating........2006-09-12
Pretty good read, it did repeat the info quite a bit over and over.
But still a very good look into the lives of the Biker gang.
Book Description
When Stella Crown hires a new farmhand to help run her Pennsylvania dairy business, she gets more than she bargained for. The Mennonite widow arrives burdened not only with grief, but with rumors of infidelity and murder. And a young child. Stella herself is battling deep sorrow over the loss of her long-time friend and employee Howie and worries over her shaky finances. Before you know it, she is coping with an influx of nasty in-laws, heartbroken beaus, and spiteful vandalism. Determined to protect herself and her farm, Stella sets out to discover the truth while trying to give her new employee a respectful benefit of the doubt.
Meanwhile, Stella's good friend and fellow biker Lenny is riding a crisis. At one moment jovial, the next angry and suspicious, Lenny is haunted by pain and secrets he won't share with Stella. His odd behavior is soon complimented by bizarre attacks on his home and his business.
Now there are two people close to Stella with undisclosed pasts. And the saying, "Three can keep a secret, if two are dead," suddenly gains new and terrible meaning.
Customer Reviews:
A fast, fun read........2007-02-22
Being a Mennonite woman, a sometime motorcyclist and well acquainted with farm life, I found the book fun to read and quite accurate on all three items. The events happened a little too fast and furious for my taste, but the book is not boring. Wonder how the author is received in her own area? If you are looking for a quick escape from boredom, read this book.
The second book is as good as the first........2006-10-23
Stella Crown is trying to keep her head above water, which is difficult in the farming business today. She needs a new farmhand, since her long-time friend and former hand has died. She needs a new heifer barn after her old one burned down. And she is waiting for her beloved Harley Davidson bike to be rebuilt after a nasty crash.
The new farmhand is a Mennonite widow, Lucy Lapp. Lucy comes with baggage: a young daughter, former in-laws who are looking to make trouble, and some religious issues. But she is a hard worker and knows what she's doing, so Stella is glad to have her. Not so happy about the graffiti which shows up on the barn one night. Lucy turns out to have more backbone than one might expect, given her life. It's a treat to watch her deal with her husband's family.
One of the friends working on her bike, Lenny, is behaving strangely. He doesn't want to talk about it, and generally seems miserable. Does it have something to do with his past, of which Stella knows very little? Or the young, scruffy, and rude couple who shows up at the bike shop one day?
Stella is also trying to sort out where her heart lies. Abe, her old sweetie, is doing her books and making attempts to resume their old relationship. This is a little difficult, since in TILL THE COWS COME HOME, he brought home another woman. She's gone, but her memory lingers. Stella had a low-grade romance with another man, who turned out to be not at all what he said he was, and they did not part amicably. But Stella stills has a yen, and isn't sure what to do about her memories and Abe.
Stella slogs on, putting out one small fire after another. This takes a physical and emotional toll on her. Then there's the tornado, which really messes up her life. Her extended family comes through for her, as they have before and will again. Stella's public persona as a tough, Harley riding, assertive woman is believable, as is her not-so-public kind-hearted nature and willingness to give people a second chance. She's a strong woman doing a tough job.
Clemens has done a very good job on her second book. Stella grows as a person, as do some of the continuing characters. While the reader knows that Stella's life won't ever be easy, it's clear that this is the life she wants, the life she needs. The endless work which is part of farming is also part of THREE CAN KEEP A SECRET, which lends verisimilitude to Stella's life without bogging the reader down in superfluous details. It's just Clemen's showing us what Stella and her help do on a daily basis.
THREE CAN KEEP A SECRET is a good mystery, with great characters and an interesting setting. What more can a person want? I look forward to the next book in the series; if Clemens keeps writing like this, it will be a definite pleasure to follow this series.
Stella Crown is a great character!.......2005-10-07
Still adjusting to life without mentor Howie Archer (his death was chronicled in Clemens' debut, the absorbing Till the Cows Come Home), Stella Crown hires ranch hand Lucy Lapp to assist her in running her Pennsylvania dairy farm. Along with her daughter, Tess, however, Lucy also comes toting some heavy personal baggage with her, most of it stemming from the death of her husband Brad some months prior. Struggling with her own grief, Stella is forced to deal with Lucy's problems as well, even as she tries to help her stoic friend Lenny cope with some potentially lethal issues arising from his days as an outlaw biker.
Two things that drive this book are its setting and the compelling first person narration of Stella Crown, truly an old soul despite her relative youth . The action of the novel is set against the backdrop of an insular Pennsylvania farm community sporting a varied populace including Mennonites and, surprisingly, bikers. Stella comments knowingly about both, having grown up in the Mennonite faith and having later embraced the biker lifestyle. Her telling insights and pointed observations, coupled with her vibrant emotional reactions, make the reader feel part of that strange community, rendering the evidence of its prejudices and hidden violence all the more jarring. Feeling as if they're looking over their heroine's shoulder, readers accompany her on a perilous journey of discovery, uncovering the secrets of the seemingly quiet little town. It's a journey most will conclude was well worth their time.
A Crown Jewel.......2005-09-13
The second installment of the Stella Crown series is wonderful. My bloodshot eyes attest to the fact that it can't be put down; maybe I shouldn't have read it at bedtime.
Only Judy Clemens can pull off a single Mennonite woman who milks cows by day and rides Harleys by night. And the tattoos. Wow. What a bold move.
Way to go Judy! Give us more!!!
a single woman who likes Harleys and cows...what's not to like.......2005-09-03
This was a fun quick read with very likeable characters. Clemen's Stella Crown, her farm and her friends, Harley driving and not, engage you fully from the first pages to the last. The plot develops quickly but with some very unexpected turns.
Customer Reviews:
A great companian book.......2004-05-12
Kraig Blackwelder and his colleagues have put together an indispensible supplement for players wanting to find a home in the world of Dark Ages Inquisitor. Kudos to Blackwelder for bringing in one of the field's heavy hitters, Jonny Shepherd, to offer his own unique perspective and clever writing. The play samples in this book are interesting, and explained well. And the parallels raised between the mythos of the Buffyverse and Dark Ages are compelling; both use the structure and symbols of Christian legend and rituals, but by subverting/reinventing their contexts, they imbue them with a bizarre new relevance.
Book Description
A memoir of hope for the thousands of women struggling with infertility, from one who beat the odds by simply tuning in to her body and tapping her well of sheer determination.
At a time when more and more women are trying to get pregnant at increasingly advanced ages, fertility specialists and homeopathic researchers boast endless treatment options. But when Julia Indichova made the rounds of medical doctors and nontraditional healers, she was still unable to conceive a child. It was only when she forsook their financially and emotionally draining advice, turning inward instead, that she finally met with reproductive success. Inconceivable recounts this journey from hopeless diagnoses to elated motherhood.
Anyone who has faced infertility will relate to Julia’s desperate measures: acupuncture, unidentifiable black-and-white pellets, herb soup, foul-smelling fruit, even making love on red sheets. Five reproductive endocrinologists told her that there was no documented case of anyone in her hormonal condition getting pregnant, forcing her to finally embark on her own intuitive regimen. After eight caffeine-free, nutrient-rich, yoga-laden months, complemented by visualization exercises, Julia received amazing news; incredibly, she was pregnant. Nine months later she gave birth to a healthy girl.
Unlike the many infertility books that take a clinical “how to” approach, Inconceivable simply professes the wisdom of giving expert status back to the patient. Julia’s self-discovery, and her ability to see her body as an ally once again, yield a beautiful message about the importance of honoring the body’s innate powers, and the power of life itself.
Download Description
A memoir of hope for the thousands of women struggling with infertility, from one who beat the odds by simply tuning in to her body and tapping her well of sheer determination.
At a time when more and more women are trying to get pregnant at increasingly advanced ages, fertility specialists and homeopathic researchers boast endless treatment options. But when Julia Indichova made the rounds of medical doctors and nontraditional healers, she was still unable to conceive a child. It was only when she forsook their financially and emotionally draining advice, turning inward instead, that she finally met with reproductive success. Inconceivable recounts this journey from hopeless diagnoses to elated motherhood.
Anyone who has faced infertility will relate to Julia's desperate measures: acupuncture, unidentifiable black-and-white pellets, herb soup, foul-smelling fruit, even making love on red sheets. Five reproductive endocrinologists told her that there was no documented case of anyone in her hormonal condition getting pregnant, forcing her to finally embark on her own intuitive regimen. After eight caffeine-free, nutrient-rich, yoga-laden months, complemented by visualization exercises, Julia received amazing news; incredibly, she was pregnant. Nine months later she gave birth to a healthy girl.
Unlike the many infertility books that take a clinical "how to" approach, Inconceivable simply professes the wisdom of giving expert status back to the patient. Julia's self-discovery, and her ability to see her body as an ally once again, yield a beautiful message about the importance of honoring the body's innate powers, and the power of life itself.
Customer Reviews:
Great read. A wonderful story of alternatives!.......2007-09-08
I bought this for my sister-in-law, but since I'm a pregnancy/birth junkie I read it before sending it to her. I think it's a wonderful reminder that western docs do not know everything there is to know about fertility and infertility, but they tend to act like they do and present no alternatives.
My sister-in-law just had her first baby a few months ago after 10 years of trying. The few years of Western fertility treatment did not work and she hadn't yet gotten around to the acupuncture I was urging her to get. It happened naturally after they came out to visit my hubby and daughter and me.
Nothing like someone else who understands........2007-07-26
Although the author is struggling with secondary infertility she still is suffering, as we all are. I saw I was not alone in what I was feeling and she opened up my mind and heart through her journey. I found it very helpful and I read in 24 hours cover to cover.
Amazingly hopeful, beautifully written, a must-read for anyone struggling with infertility.......2007-04-19
In the midst of my own struggle with infertility, I luckily came across Julia Indichova's beautiful book, Inconceivable. Her story of hope has touched me like no other book I've read on this subject and it was this book which allowed me to discover the author's support circles, workshops and website community which I have found to be an invaluable resource on this difficult journey. I highly recommend this book for anyone, male or female, who is struggling with infertility. I also highly recommend her second book, The Fertile Female which provides hands-on techniques for practicing what Julia calls her "Fertile Heart" tools. Incorporating these tools into my daily life has transformed me mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. While there are many tools regarding diet, exercise and relaxation, the most valuable and unique tools are the mind-body imagery and body talk tools. Deep within each of us who travel on this confusing, often scary journey through infertility, there exists a powerful and magnificent life force that is yearning to be heard. We can tap into this force more easily by listening to our bodies and connecting with our true self. The Fertile Heart tools exist to help us to this, and I am so grateful to have found them. The Fertile Female: How the Power of Longing for a Child Can Save Your Life and Change the World
Worthwhile...but read with a HUGE grain of salt.......2007-03-26
First of all, don't read this book if you are looking for in-depth info or specifics regarding a story of infertility. The reader is given pretty vague details about the author's "infertility"--only her age, FSH number, and a previous pregnancy, and no details on when the FSH was even taken in her cycle (we presume 3, but it isn't confirmed), and no other numbers from her testing, and the reader is then led to believe that a woman with an FSH of 42 (with her lab assay indicating 20 being limit for normal) can't conceive--at all.
The premise of this book is false. In reality, if you read up a lot on infertility, then you are probably aware that numerous women with higher FSH can and do conceive. Even if a woman has poor egg quality and quantity, that doesn't mean that every once in a while, she can't kick out a decent egg in a given cycle and achieve pregnancy. Not common, but it happens. The difference is that assisted reproduction techniques, especially IVF, depend on a woman being able to produce a decent number of quality follicles after drug stimulation. Women with high FSH and age typically are poor candidates for IVF, because they can't generate many follicles, of a decent size, and even if they do, the eggs sometimes are too fragile to withstand the IVF process and die upon retrieval, or subsequently fail to implant. So, while it makes sense that the author was probably refused admittance to IVF programs, it seems to me that the author misconstrued this as meaning she could never have a child. If the author was literally told that women with high FSH NEVER conceive, then the doctors or their assistants were just morons. Which is also possible.
In any event, I have to agree with "Bookcrazed" that this book is a tad dangerous. Not all women with infertility are going to be able to take yoga, go vegan and organic, and reduce stress, and then suddenly become pregnant after serious diagnoses and problems. And I was also very unimpressed with the anecdotes from people visiting workshops who got pregnant. A lot of them were young compared to most infertility patients or had minor issues to overcome or no diagnosis of infertility or diminished ovarian reserve. If this program really worked, we could anticipate seeing women 40-50, conceive with very high FSH numbers, after years and years of Western infertility treatments failed. And that's not what most of the anecdotes are. So, I think this book has to be careful in terms of not trying to sell snake oil to women who are desperate to conceive. And the author apparently does workshops on her regimine, so there is a financial stake in all this. If you have ever looked at fertility seminars/retreats around the country, you will note that some of them cost thousands of dollars!
I also think that few people could really do this regime. The woman gives up all alcohol, caffeine, dairy, and meat. One of her big things is daily organic "juicing." This women did not have a full time job. So, it's a totally vegan and organic diet that would be incredibly expensive and time consuming. People with full time jobs or budget limitations would have a very tough time with this. And she wasn't stressed out like people who have no kids, because she already had a toddler.
She also had a much younger husband (7-8 years?) which is worth noting because many women with infertility issues may be using donors, or if they are over 40, have husbands even older than themselves, and this can affect outcomes.
Having said this, I think it's a worthwhile read if you read this in the frame of mind that: 1) it is good to question doctors; and 2) getting in touch with your body and radically improving your health overall in terms of stress, counseling, some physical activity, and big nutritional changes could possibly tip the balance for some women, and even assuming it doesn't--and you should not expect it too- you will be in great shape.
I think there are some more realistic books out there on this issue that are also worth reading. One I recently enjoyed is the one "Waiting for Daisy" by Peggy Orenstein. Well written. Funny, relatable, frank. Orenstein eventually conceives despite a lot of odds--one ovary, cancer, miscarriage issues, a husband 10 years old and she's almost 40, but unlike this author, Orenstein ultimately conceives when she isn't really trying, and Orenstein is frank about how acupuncture and alternative medicine did NOT work for her, and is equally critical of how Western doctors are frequently trying to sell the product more than oversee the care. I also like, Liz Tilberis' "No time to die" about her unsuccessful fertility treatments, as well as Ann Taylor Fleming's "Motherhood Deferred"--she was also ultimately unsuccessful. Makes you realize that if you aren't successful, you aren't alone.
moral of the story--never give up.......2007-01-11
This author really inspires with her tale of how she persisted through negative medical predictions to conceive her second daughter. Her story highlights the fact that averages and statistics are just that, and that we can participate in our own reproductive destinies.
Amazon.com
Marion Cunningham is probably best known for her work on the Fannie Farmer books, but in Cooking with Children she shares her culinary prowess with the next generation of cooks, teaching both children and parents the basic skills everyone should have in the kitchen. Intended for children age seven and older, Cunningham's book is designed partly to instruct and partly to provide an opportunity for parents and children to share in preparing and eating meals--an element of family life that is quickly vanishing in this age of busy schedules and microwave meals consumed on the run. Cunningham bases Cooking with Children on her experiences teaching youngsters both privately and in community center programs. What she learned about a child's capabilities, likes, and dislikes has been distilled into 15 basic lessons, all centered around a particular recipe.
The first chapter, for example, entitled "Vegetable Soup," teaches how to peel and chop vegetables, how to sauté, how to be organized in the kitchen, and the difference between boiling and simmering. Chapter 6, "Pancakes and Popovers," teaches how to mix a batter, test the heat of a skillet, grease baking cups, and more. The instructions for each recipe are clear, detailed, and easy to follow. Though Cunningham assumes parents will supervise in the kitchen, she's also made sure the recipes are easy enough for older children to follow on their own. Cooking with Children is a terrific introduction to the culinary arts for kids--and makes a pretty nice refresher course for adults as well.
Book Description
On the basis of her own experience teaching young children to cook, Marion Cunningham, the Fannie Farmer of today, shows boys and girls how to master essential techniques and to produce, all on their own, 35 favorite recipes, from vegetable soup to a birthday cake. in color.
Customer Reviews:
trucooking.......2006-02-07
I first bought this book 10 years ago and still we are using it's recipes. I've read a lot of Children's cookbooks and this one is the best. All recipes are small enough that you could have 4 children in your kitchen all making the same complete recipe. Each recipe is simple and easy to make and they taste great, making it a great confidence booster. It' a wonderful teaching curriculum for those of you that want to teach a class or your own children. I even recommend this book to adults that need a little confidence boosting in their cooking skills(many of which were never taught properly). I've bought many copies for gifts for different age groups. I have taught cooking classes to children and adults alike, catered, and am now a food and beverage consultant to 4 restaurants, bakery and catering service.
Cooking with Kids.......2001-04-27
My son has always loved to cook and make his own concoctions (pickles, yoghurt and raw red peppers for a snack!). This is a great book to use with kids. Other suggestions are CLUELESS IN THE KITCHEN, great for teens. And for a fun look at Fannnie Farmer, who was so influential in American cooking, try FANNIE IN THE KITCHEN, a charming picture book about a young girl who learns to cook with Fannie Farmer. Delicious illustrations!
Excellent teaching tool, Helping Parents getting started!.......1999-07-10
As I looked through many children's cookbooks, this is the only one that gives you a curriculum on where to start. Giving you basic recipes Children will need for their entire life. Having 4 Children of ages between 8-10, we found the recipes very clear, simple to make, and to the taste buds of young people. After one week of classes, the children had developed good habits and had a good understanding of basic cookery.
Books:
- In the Moon of Red Ponies: A Billy Bob Holland Novel
- Jane and the Prisoner of Wool House (Jane Austen Mystery)
- Just Left of the Setting Sun
- La Mia Cucina Toscana: A Tuscan Cooks in America
- Last Seen in Massilia: A Novel of Ancient Rome
- Last Waltz of the Tyrants: The Prophecy
- Live Bait
- Mardi Gras Madness: Tales of Terror and Mayhem in New Orleans
- McNally's Puzzle (Archy McNally Novels)
- Memory Book: A Benny Cooperman Detective Novel (Benny Cooperman Mysteries)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The World Is Flat
- The Higher Power of Lucky
- Nonlinear Computer Modeling of Chemical and Biochemical Data
- Queer Space: Architecture and Same-Sex Desire
- Still Sheisty, Part 2
- The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge into Action
- The Little New Orleans Cookbook: Fifty-Seven Classic Creole Recipes That Will Enable Everyone to Enj
- High Fit Home: Designing Your Home for Health and Fitness
- Sanctuaries: The Last Works of John Hejduk
- Diagnosis Murder: The Shooting Script
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
A Wayward Angel: The Full-Story of the Hell's Angels by the Former Vice-President of the Oakland Chapter
The Brotherhoods: Inside the Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs
I Was a Killer for the Hells Angels: The Story of Serge Quesnal
Hell's Angels: Into the Abyss
Under and Alone: The True Story of the Undercover Agent Who Infiltrated America's Most Violent Outlaw Motorcycle Gang
