Heston Blumenthal: In Search of Perfection: Reinventing Kitchen Classics

Heston Blumenthal: In Search of Perfection: Reinventing Kitchen Classics
Average customer rating:

IN SEARCH OF PERFECTION ladles out a wealth of fun, enlightening culinary detail.

In Search Of Perfection

intense

the real kitchen

A delight for the armchair cook

Heston Blumenthal: In Search of Perfection: Reinventing Kitchen Classics
Heston Blumenthal
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
English, Scottish & Welsh | European | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavor (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History)

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Kaiseki: The Exquisite Cuisine of Kyoto's Kikunoi Restaurant

El Bulli 2003-2004

ASIN: 1596912502
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Book Description

Fish and chips; roast chicken; spaghetti bolognese; steak and salad; pizza; sausages and mashed potatoes; black forest cake; and treacle tart and ice cream: all as good as they can possibly be. With this book, a tie-in to the BBC series of the same name, Michelin three-star winner Heston Blumenthal delivers the absolute last word in how to cook these timeless dishes. He looks at the origin of the dishes, how to find the best ingredients (in America as well as in the UK) and what to look for, and, of course, how to cook them to perfection. Along the way, readers are treated to priceless culinary lessons: everything from how to cut potatoes for flawless frying to where to find the choicest beef to the two secret ingredients in spaghetti Bolognese (nutmeg and cream!). Lavishly illustrated with gorgeous photos, and including “perfect” recipes for each dish, this unrivaled book deserves a place as a staple in every cook’s home.

Customer Reviews:

IN SEARCH OF PERFECTION ladles out a wealth of fun, enlightening culinary detail........2007-09-08

IN SEARCH OF PERFECTION: REINVENTING KITCHEN CLASSICS comes packed with color photos by Simon Wheeler and presents reflections by one of the world's most renowned chefs: as such, it will find its place not in the casual cook's collection, but in any library catering to neo-professionals fascinated by American regional culinary history in general and Blumenthal in particular. His scientific research into the origins and influences of dishes explores ways of cooking them to perfection and features a focus on what makes recipes stand out from the crowd. From sausage history to chicken packaging, IN SEARCH OF PERFECTION ladles out a wealth of fun, enlightening culinary detail.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

In Search Of Perfection.......2007-08-31

This was a great book. It reads like a book instead of a cookbook. The stories are excellent. It should serve as a guide to any Chef. The way that Heston goes about researching ingredients can be used by anyone. I am not saying that we need to travel the world trying different components of a recipe but trying the best of our local ingredients would suffice. Heston is at the cutting edge of the Culinary world and it was great to see his thinking process put down on paper.

intense.......2007-08-13

not quite a cook book.. more an exploration of certain kitchen classics and how to molecularly gastronimize them. or at least use a ton of steps and special equipment to make them. treacle tart with an ice cream made with dry ice? Just try to make the black forest choco cake he has in here.

the real kitchen.......2007-05-29

heston blumenthal, it is the best on kitchen.he love the flavors and aromas on kitchen.
the love for this is great and the best for the former chef

A delight for the armchair cook.......2007-05-11

A true joy for the armchair cook as well as for those of us who also love to venture into the kitchen. Now I understand why Heston Blumenthal is perhaps the best cook in the world today.

The Scottish-Irish Pub and Hearth Cookbook: Recipes and Lore from Celtic Kitchens

Average customer rating:

Excellent survey of true classic dishes and lore. Buy It.
Perfect!
Real comfort food

The Scottish-Irish Pub and Hearth Cookbook: Recipes and Lore from Celtic Kitchens
Kay Shaw Nelson
Manufacturer: Hippocrene Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Celtic Folklore Cooking
Irish Traditional Cooking: Over 300 Recipes from Ireland's Heritage
A Little Book of Scottish Baking
McGuire's Irish Pub Cookbook
The Irish Pub Cookbook

ASIN: 0781807417

Customer Reviews:

Excellent survey of true classic dishes and lore. Buy It........2006-02-27

`The Scottish-Irish Pub and Hearth Cookbook' by Scottish / American culinary writer, Kay Shaw Nelson is another cookbook offering by the relatively low-priced, low profile publisher, Hippocrene Books, Inc. which has a large selection of cookbooks about many of the lesser world cuisines in `The Hippocrene Cookbook Library' as well as several books on Scottish and Irish subjects.

I have reviewed a few of these Hippocrene Books and compared to those offerings, this volume is superior to most, although it may not be the very best source for traditional Irish or Scottish recipes. On the other hand, I especially like this book for the fact that it seems to have very good versions of many recipes that may be so common that many flashier cookbooks may not even deign to cover them. My favorite here is the recipe for Scotch eggs, which recently came to fame as a dish prepared on `Iron Chef America' by the `Too Hot Tamales' (Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger) in a battle against Bobby Flay. The recipe made such an impression that while I remember it, I don't remember the secret ingredient or who won the battle.

I also like the fact that there is a much greater similarity between the two Celtic culinary cultures of Scotland and Ireland than there is between, for example the modern cuisines of Spain and Portugal, which some have lumped together. The biggest difference between the two may be the time at which each was influenced by contact with the French. For the Scottish, during the era of Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots, when Scotland and France were active allies against Protestant England. For the Irish, it seems to be much later, beginning in the early 20th century, when Ireland first became independent, and preferred to trade with France than their former colonial masters, England.

While every culinary tradition on earth seems to make a case that they are more congenial entertainers and friends of travelers than anyone else, the Irish can document the fact that not only do they really enjoy a good gathering over beer or spirits, there were actually LAWS passed, the Brehon laws of the Gaelic Celts of the 5th century AD, enforcing hospitality toward strangers and travelers.

The chapters in this book are a great reflection of what is important to these Celtic cuisines:

Starters, including meatballs, lots of oysters and prawns, and the famous Scotch eggs. I'm surprised to find a perfect recipe of the shrimp cocktail, which may have come to these shores from Scotland or Ireland instead of the more easily suspected French.
Soups, especially featuring leeks, which seem to be a native and not a French import. The most famous, of course, is Scotch broth, which is heavy with lamb and barley.
Egg and Cheese Dishes, featuring many dishes from the famous Scottish and Irish breakfasts, including that mysteriously named cheese dish, Scotch Rabbit.
Barley, Oats, and Cornmeal with lots of porridges and cold cereals, such as Muesli.
Seafood, including lots of finny animals from freshwater lakes and streams such as salmon and trout. The most famous recipe here may be kedgeree, a rice, fish, and egg casserole. I just wonder exactly how old this recipe actually is, as two important flavorings are Worcestershire sauce and curry powder, two very British ingredients which may be not much more than 150 years in the British Isles.
Poultry and Game recipes look suspiciously like recipes from southwest France (See Paula Wolfert's great study of recipes from this region). This may either be primordial Celtic influence from Europe or later emigration from Protestant France to the British Isles.
Meats includes a lot of beef as in corned beef and cabbage, corned beef hash, and beef tartare, plus lots of lamb dishes and, oddly enough, several hamburger recipes. Makes me think our favorite meaty fast food came from Ireland rather than northern Germany, as its name suggests.
Vegetables is lots of mashed potatoes and what to do with mashed potatoes the day after. It also shows that the Gaelic cuisine is one of the very few outside Japan that features seaweed.
Bread, especially quickbread based scones and soda bread, which don't use yeast, plus boxty, that famous refuge of day-old mashed potatoes.
Cakes and Cookies, oddly, is separated from desserts, possibly because these are recipes for things served at tea and not after a late supper. The highlight is oatmeal cookies and Scottish shortbread.
Desserts features lots of apples, pears, and berries, especially the classic blackberry fool
Drinks, of course.

As a source of both culinary lore and classic recipes, this may be the best available book I have seen on Scotch / Irish comfort food. It may not be quite as good as `Irish Traditional Cooking' by leading Irish cooking school owner, Darina Allen, which the author recognizes as one of the leading authorities on Irish culinary practice, but for a nice little inexpensive package, this book is very, very good. For more information on the intertwining of culinary lore and ancient Celtic celebrations, see `Celtic Folklore Cooking' by culinary writer and folklorist, JoAnne Asala.

Perfect!.......2006-01-16

The recipes are great! I've done extensive research on Celtic dining and spoken to many a Scottish friends that grew up with the old Celtic Traditions and they agreed this cookbook is great! So far, the recipes i have tried have been outstanding! If you're looking for authentic recipes and enjoy great food... try this cookbook out!

Real comfort food.......2001-01-15

This book is easy, warm, and satisfying. Reminds me of home with family, freinds, good food and good conversations. If you like good "pub" feel, buy the book.

The New English Kitchen: Changing the Way You Shop, Cook and Eat

Average customer rating:

a thoroughly good cook book

The New English Kitchen: Changing the Way You Shop, Cook and Eat
Rose Prince
Manufacturer: Fourth Estate
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Happy Times
Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery
The Beautiful Fall: Lagerfeld, Saint Laurent, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris
Tartine
Chocolate and Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen

ASIN: 0007156596

Book Description

Acclaimed food writer Rose Prince's guidance on making the most of local availability and seasonality, keeping a well-stocked store cupboard, growing staples such as herbs, and peppering our diet with luxuries such as Parma ham, figs, and wonderful cheeses shows that The New English Kitchen is not so much a cookbook but a plan, one that will endure as a practical manual for future generations of cooks.

Customer Reviews:

a thoroughly good cook book.......2006-09-26

This is a great book, rose prince is so practical, easy to understand and i love the way she gives you recipes for left overs, the way old fashioned kitchens used to work. it is an excellent basic cook book with proper recipes.

Sue Lawrence's Scottish Kitchen: Over 100 Modern Recipes Using Traditional Ingredients

Average customer rating:

Little Gem of a cookbook

Sue Lawrence's Scottish Kitchen: Over 100 Modern Recipes Using Traditional Ingredients
Sue Lawrence
Manufacturer: Headline Book Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Scots Cooking: The Best Traditional and Contemporary Scottish Recipes
The Scottish Kitchen (National Trust for Scotland)

ASIN: 0755310519

Book Description

In her latest book, Sue Lawrence presents a marvelous collection of contemporary Scottish recipes that feature traditional, down-to-earth ingredients. For breakfast, enjoy Smoked Trout Hash or Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon, or for a light meal, Asparagus Tarte Tatin. For a picnic, there's Summer Pea Soup with Mint, Herbed Scotch Eggs, and Whisky-Laced Fruit Cake. And for a Burns Supper, try Barley Risotto with Chanterelles, Venison with Oat and Herb Crust, and Shortbread Ice Cream with Sticky Bananas. Illustrated with gorgeous color photos of the food and the Scottish countryside, this is a treasure trove of all that is good in Scottish cooking.

Customer Reviews:

Little Gem of a cookbook.......2006-02-17

Classics reborn for the modern age, scottish kitchen is filled with wonderful recipies from basic meat and potatos dishes to professional desserts certain to impress your guests.

Scottish kitchen is heavily influenced by English and Irish cooking but the differences (spices mostly) are more local, some of the ingredients i would imagine would be hard to obtain outside britain but those are few and far between. The recipes are clearly written with beautiful pictures to match.

P.S. The shortbread ice cream with bananas mentioned in the publisher's blurb is worth its weight in gold, absolutly delicious.

Average customer rating:

Any cookbook with a haggis recipe is a cookbook for me.

Scottish Kitchen
Christopher Trotter
Manufacturer: Aurum Press, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Sue Lawrence's Scottish Kitchen: Over 100 Modern Recipes Using Traditional Ingredients

ASIN: 1845131770

Book Description

A beautifully produced cookbook, featuring 150 regional Scottish recipes, both traditional and modern.

Customer Reviews:

Any cookbook with a haggis recipe is a cookbook for me........2006-06-07

Christopher Trotter, The Scottish Kitchen (Aurum, 2004)

When one picks up a book with a title as authoritative, as definitive, as The Scottish Kitchen, one rather expects the pages between the covers to be authoritative and definitive, but also traditional. Trotter does, generally, keep to the mandate, though some of these recipes do veer off to the side and into cuisines that arrived on the coattails of immigrants over the years. That aside, the book is lavishly, and wonderfully, illustrated, and Trotter's comments are pointed and lively (too much so, sometimes; one wishes for an editor who'd mentioned that toning down one's use of exclamation points is usually a good thing). And, of course, there is a haggis recipe.

Lovely to look at, and fun to cook with. *** ½

Dolly West's Kitchen: A Play (Faber Plays)

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Dolly West's Kitchen: A Play (Faber Plays)
Frank McGuinness
Manufacturer: Faber & Faber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0571203701

Book Description

Two volumes from the Irish playwright Frank McGuinness: a major play on love, family, and war as well as stunning translations of two classics

Set in Buncrana, County Donegal, Ireland, during World War II, Dolly West's Kitchen is centered on a family struggling to come to terms not only with the effects of war on their country and their family but also with their own inability to respond to one another as situations -- and they themselves -- change. As the characters talk of love, sex, war, the English, de Valera, and the Yanks, Dolly West's Kitchen becomes a deeply moving evocation of the fantasy and the reality that was Ireland in the 1940s, filled with the richness of character and sense of place that have always marked Frank McGuinness's writing.

A Year in a Scots Kitchen: Celebrating Summer's End to Worshipping Its Beginning

Average customer rating:

Scottish Cooking and Celtic History
Fun and Informative!

A Year in a Scots Kitchen: Celebrating Summer's End to Worshipping Its Beginning
Catherine Brown
Manufacturer: Neil Wilson Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

A Little Book of Scottish Baking
The Scottish-Irish Pub and Hearth Cookbook: Recipes and Lore from Celtic Kitchens
The Haggis: A Little History
Celtic Folklore Cooking

ASIN: 1897784791

Customer Reviews:

Scottish Cooking and Celtic History.......2006-03-10

This book is interesting to read even if you don't cook. The recipe for shortbread justifies buying the book. But there are other really great recipes as well. The recipes are presented in a format by season and not by type of dish, which normally I find annoying, but in this book it is a wonderful journey.

Fun and Informative!.......2001-07-17

I am very glad I purchased this cookbook. I have Scottish roots, and this book provides me with a way to enjoy Scottish foods easily, and with interesting background information. American users of this book will have to have a kitchen scale, or diet scale in order to use the recipes. It isn't hard to use the scale to measure dry ingredients, etc,. and the results are well worth the effort. I particularly enjoy the shortbread recipe, which gives you a choice of three textures. I usually use the second one, as it seems most authentic in my experience. When I feel I can afford the calories and fat, I make Aberdeen Rowies, and the recipe and story in this cookbook for Rowies is wonderful. (Rowies are Scottish butter rolls, kind of like croissants, but more substantial.) All in all, this is a very useful addition to my cookbook collection.

The Laird's Kitchen: Three Hundred Years of Food in Scotland

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The Laird's Kitchen: Three Hundred Years of Food in Scotland
Olive M. Geddes
Manufacturer: Stationery Office Books (TSO)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Essays | Gastronomy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

The Scots Kitchen: Its Traditions and Lore with Old-Time Recipes

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The Scots Kitchen: Its Traditions and Lore with Old-Time Recipes
F. Marian McNeill
Manufacturer: Mercat
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

History | Gastronomy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Scotland | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Wales | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

A Little Book of Scottish Baking
Scots Cooking: The Best Traditional and Contemporary Scottish Recipes
Scotland: A Concise History, Revised Edition
The Haggis: A Little History

ASIN: 1841830704

Book Description

A new edition of F. Marian McNeill's most popular book, first published in 1929. This bestselling classic gives a delightful account of eating and drinking in Scotland through the ages, with definitive recipes for all the old national dishes, like Cream Crowdie, Cullen Skink, Athole Brose, and Colcannon. As well as being the most important book on Scottish cookery yet to appear, it is a work to refer to and savor again and again. Its practical value and its charm increase as the years go by.

Average customer rating:

Dinosaur (Cambridge Reading)
Meredith Hooper
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Reading | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Readers | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Suitable for children in Year 1 (age 5), Dinosaur is one of nine books from the Cambridge Reading non-fiction strand. This strand has been designed to introduce young readers to information retrieval skills. Six books in this strand have been written by Meredith Hooper. Three of which - Dinosaur, Osprey and Seal, illustrated by Bert Kitchen - are concerned with living things. The remaining three - The Bridge, The Forest and The Harbour, illustrated by Peter Kent - investigate the effect of human intervention on the landscape. Each book uses two levels of text, with the second level being more challenging. Cambridge Reading at Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) includes fiction, non-fiction, poetry and plays to offer children a variety of text types, authors and illustrators and provide a firm base for wider reading.

Boyds Bears and Friends Collector's Value Guide for The Bearstone Collection, The Folkstone Collection, The Dollstone Collection, The ShoeBox Bears, and DeskAnimals, 1999 (Collector's Value Guide)
Average customer rating:

This is an outdated title...

Bears, Hares and Friends-Oh My!

not as good as the 1999

BOYDS BEARS & FRIENDS

Boyds Bears and Friends Collector's Value Guide for The Bearstone Collection, The Folkstone Collection, The Dollstone Collection, The ShoeBox Bears, and DeskAnimals, 1999 (Collector's Value Guide)
Collectors Publishing Co , and Checker Bee Publishing
Manufacturer: Collectors' Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Reference | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Boyds Plush Animals 2001 Collector's Value Guide (Collector's Value Guides)

Boyds Tracker Resin, Vol. 2: Value Guide, Second Edition

Boyds Tracker Plush: Value Guide, Second Edition, Vol. 1 of 2

ASIN: 1888914475

Book Description

The Bearstone Collection The Folkstone Collection The Dollstone Collection The Shoe Box Bears Collection and Desk Animals A Special Feature On The Head Bean Hisself- Gary Lownthal GIANT Pitcures Of Every Piece An In-Depth Section On Boyds Variations

Customer Reviews:

This is an outdated title..........2005-02-05

If you are looking for a current and up to date Boyds guide this isn't it! Check out the Boyds Tracker by Bangzzom for the latest and greatest guide.

Bears, Hares and Friends-Oh My!.......2001-07-07

As a new collector of Boyds bears, I was very curious about the mysterious "CVG" I kept coming across in various auctions. I went out and got myself a copy of CheckerBee's Collector's Value Guide. And I am glad I did! It is chock full of info about almost all the Boyds Bears, etc. that have been "put up for adoption." I just wish that the pictures were a little bigger and complete. There a few too many blank spots giving neither a picture nor any info. Someone should send in photos of the ones missing so the author could include them in future editions. I do not recall seeing an address for such.

I also wish there were a quick way to reference "pairs", "trios" since everything is listed alphabetically by first letter within an animal it is not always obvious to the novice that a character may have a friend or relative. But having written all that, it is a wonderful guide with a nice look, quality glossy paper, interesting tidbits and places to write down notes, etc.

It is a VALUE guide not a pure reference but it seems to be the best one out there and the one which is referred to the most. I may not buy it every year, the Boyds catalogues are great!, but maybe every two or three just to keep relatively current.

not as good as the 1999.......2000-04-17

I found this years book to be lacking some pictures. I buy the book to help me make choices of what I will purchase this year so that was a let down.

BOYDS BEARS & FRIENDS.......2000-04-08

I have been a collector of Boyds Bears and Figurines for the past 2 yrs, I found the book to be quite informative. Easy to follow, due to the layout and individual sections, Bottom of each page has it's own info area for you to fill out with each purchase. I see this book to be a companion for a long time to come. Would also recommend it to any person as a source of information about Boyds Bears. Looking forward to adding even more to my Boyds book collection.

Boyds Bears and Friends 2001: Collector's Value Guide

Average customer rating:

Boyds Bears and Friends 2001: Collector's Value Guide
Checkerbee Publishing Inc
Manufacturer: Checkerbee Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VRWN4I

Boyds Bears and Friends Collector's Value Guide the Bearstone Collection the Folkstone Collection the Dollstone Collection the Shoe Box Bears and Desk Animals

Average customer rating:

Boyds Bears and Friends Collector's Value Guide the Bearstone Collection the Folkstone Collection the Dollstone Collection the Shoe Box Bears and Desk Animals
n/a
Manufacturer: Checkerbee Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LF3QOQ

Modern Upholstering Methods
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Modern Upholstering Methods
William Francis Tierney
Manufacturer: Taplinger Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0873454820

Trimming motor vehicles;: A manual on modern methods of coach trimming, embodying the upholstering of cushions and squabs, hoods, side-screens, fabric ... methods, pneumatic upholstery, etc.,
Average customer rating:
Trimming motor vehicles;: A manual on modern methods of coach trimming, embodying the upholstering of cushions and squabs, hoods, side-screens, fabric ... methods, pneumatic upholstery, etc.,
Cyril B Brooks
Manufacturer: Spon & Chamberlain
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | Automotive | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B00086Y9IK

Book Description

Is ornament dead? This book offers a passionate argument for its vitality and meaning in modern architecture. The purpose of ornament--to articulate a realm of the imagination--is as important as it is misunderstood. An outstanding sculptor and ornamenter whose work adorns the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, the National Airport in Washington, D.C., and many other buildings, Kent Bloomer maintains that ornament is neither pure "art" in the contemporary sense of the word nor mere decoration, but rather a category unto itself, with its own unique language. Illustrated with the author's evocative line drawings and photographs of ornament from ancient Greece to the modern cityscape, the book is a hymn to the riches of architectural ornament.

The Nature of Ornament: Rhythm and Metamorphosis in Architecture

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The Nature of Ornament: Rhythm and Metamorphosis in Architecture
Kent C.; Bloomer, Kent Bloomer
Manufacturer: W W Norton & Co Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OLYS94

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