The Last Tycoons: The Secret History of Lazard Frères & Co.

Book Description

A grand and revelatory portrait of Wall Street’s most storied investment bank

Wall Street investment banks move trillions of dollars a year, make billions in fees, pay their executives in the tens of millions of dollars. But even among the most powerful firms, Lazard Frères & Co. stood apart. Discretion, secrecy, and subtle strategy were its weapons of choice. For more than a century, the mystique and reputation of the "Great Men" who worked there allowed the firm to garner unimaginable profits, social cachet, and outsized influence in the halls of power. But in the mid-1980s, their titanic egos started getting in the way, and the Great Men of Lazard jeopardized all they had built.

William D. Cohan, himself a former high-level Wall Street banker, takes the reader into the mysterious and secretive world of Lazard and presents a compelling portrait of Wall Street through the tumultuous history of this exalted and fascinating company. Cohan deconstructs the explosive feuds between Felix Rohatyn and Steve Rattner, superstar investment bankers and pillars of New York society, and between the man who controlled Lazard, the inscrutable French billionaire Michel David-Weill, and his chosen successor, Bruce Wasserstein.

Cohan follows Felix, the consummate adviser, as he reshapes corporate America in the 1970s and 1980s, saves New York City from bankruptcy, and positions himself in New York society and in Washington. Felix’s dreams are dashed after the arrival of Steve, a formidable and ambitious former newspaper reporter. By the mid-1990s, as Lazard neared its 150th anniversary, Steve and Felix were feuding openly.

The internal strife caused by their arguments could not be solved by the imperious Michel, whose manipulative tendencies served only to exacerbate the trouble within the firm. Increasingly desperate, Michel took the unprecedented step of relinquishing operational control of Lazard to one of the few Great Men still around, Bruce Wasserstein, then fresh from selling his own M&A boutique, for $1.4 billion. Bruce’s take: more than $600 million. But it turned out Great Man Bruce had snookered Great Man Michel when the Frenchman was at his most vulnerable.

The LastTycoons is a tale of vaulting ambitions, whispered advice, worldly mistresses, fabulous art collections, and enormous wealth—a story of high drama in the world of high finance.

Customer Reviews:

Oh, the memories.......2007-07-27

This book brought back so many memories of the time (late eighties/early nineties) and place. Looking back while reading this book, I realize how much I learned about people and industry while working in investment
banking (albeit a bit remotely) in NYC in those years. The level of detail
that Bill Cohan brings to the topic of Lazard is noteworthy. It's a fun
read for insiders and non-insiders alike. I hope things are better for
women now - my daughter wants to be an investment banker when she grows up!

A great book for "warped" people (like myself)!.......2007-06-11

660+ pages about the 150+ year history of Lazard Feres might put most people to sleep. Not me! As someone who actually likes this stuff, I found this book fascinating. The history of big money and finance is actually one of big personalties, and this book gives an inside look at several of the major players. Although tedious at times to read, I made it through the entire book in a couple of days. The most fascinating part of the entire story is simply that money at the levels discussed in this book doesn't seem real--most people could never fathom how corporate finance is conducted. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject of investment banking, especially those considering a career in that arena.

Long but worth it.......2007-05-30

extremely long, but it gives you a great description of how an organization rises and falls with the times and the great men who are at the wheel.

Destined to be a Classic.......2007-05-24

Cohan has brought to life a vivid and spellbinding tale of the legendary giants in the investment banking field (Meyer, Rohatyn, David-Weill, Rattner, and Wasserstein) at Lazard, offering a compelling and revealing portrait of the relentless personalities that invented, dominated and defined the last few decades of M&A banking. At the same time, The Last Tycoons is, at its core, a saga of ambition, egotism, greed, vanity and pride of Shakespearean proportions played out on the grand stage of corporate takeovers and national politics.

What emerges is not a noble picture of what these ostensibly "Great Men" purported themselves to be. Instead, it is apparent that at Lazard, the black arts of power and greed were the currency used to exhort and extort men of high ambition and intellect to achieve stature and enormous fees. The long shadow of Andre Meyer (unquestionably a Sith Lord) looms over the Lazard partnership and his protégés and successors, Felix Rohatyn and Michel David-Weill. Meyer was a brilliant financier with no peer with the exception of Bruce Wasserstein and it's fitting and deserving that the story of Lazard begins and ends with these two men. In between, Michel and Felix weave a complex and fascinating legacy of fear and loathing in the intervening decades.

For bankers and professionals in the field, Cohan's detail and emotional and psychological nuances will be tantalizing and relevant. For those aspiring to enter the field, it's a cautionary tale - it's very hard to play on the big stage on Wall St without darkening your soul. This story is destined to be a Classic amongst Barbarians and Den of Thieves

barbarians at the gates of central park .......2007-05-19

maybe the first casualty of wealth is self-knowledge. that is the takeaway from William Cohan's fine history of the fabled lazard freres banking house. in these pages we watch titans of finance gloat and preen while their castle crumbles from corruption and mismanagement.

Its a terrific story peopled with fascinating characters. who wouldn't, after reading this book, want to dine with the formidable felix rohatyn. He fled the Nazis as a boy, rescued New York from financial ruin and ditched Lazard at just the right moment to serve the nation as Bill Clinton's Ambassador to France. His intellect and achievement dominate the book, just as Felix dominated wall street for a generation. His departure from the firm caps the end of "the great man" era in investment banking. In Rohatyn's day only a select handful of wise men could be trusted to guide transactions. Nowadays all you need is armani and a spread sheet.

Even as he maps the tectonic movement in investment banking, Cohan keeps it light with plenty of well-researched dish on criminal investigations, love affairs, fabulous art collections, New Yorkana and the occasional drop to earth by some of Lazard's wax-winged partners. I closed the book -- a whopping 750 pp's -- edified and thoroughly entertained.

French Women for All Seasons: A Year of Secrets, Recipes, and Pleasure

Average customer rating:

Create a new lifestyle!
I love this book!
No comparison to her first book!
this one!
enjoyable!

French Women for All Seasons: A Year of Secrets, Recipes, and Pleasure
Mireille Guiliano
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0307265234
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Amazon.com

Mireille Guiliano, author of the immensely popular French Women Don't Get Fat returns with another book revealing secrets to living the good life. Branching off of her first book that dispelled the notion that you have to avoid everything wonderful in order to lose weight, with French Women for All Seasons, Guiliano suggests that the trick to living life to the fullest is to stay attuned to the "rhythms of the year" (that, and remembering that moderation is the key). Her new book offers new ideas for seasonal entertaining, shopping, cooking, and exercising. Want to know more? Watch our exclusive video message from Guiliano below. Want to know more about yourself? Take our "How French Are You?" quiz and discover your inner Frenchwoman. --Daphne Durham

Watch the video (high bandwith)

Watch the video (low bandwith)

The Mireille Guiliano Quiz: How French Are You?

In French Women Don't Get Fat, Mireille Guiliano laid out a general program for reaching the weight at which you can feel bien dans ta peau (comfortable in your own skin). Now, in French Women for All Seasons, she teaches you peu à peu (little by little), how to make over your whole life for maximum pleasure. Here you will find, not only more specific advice on preparing for the bikini season (with dozens of new slimming tricks and delicious recipes), but also Mireille's secrets to looking and feeling great throughout each season of the year. But before learning to become a French woman for all seasons, take this short quiz to find out how much of one you already are. Your inner French Woman--we all have one!--may already be more developed than you suspect! Find out now how close your daily habits are to bringing you optimum pleasure.

1. Your idea of the ultimate chocolate fix is?
a. A chocolate Entenmann's donut.
b. A Hershey bar.
c. Godiva truffles.
d. One or two pieces of high-quality dark chocolate.

2. How do you take your coffee?
a. I don't drink coffee.
b. Can't stand it without cream and three sugars.
c. I add Equal and skim milk for low-cal pleasure.
d. A small cup of freshly brewed coffee needs no lightening or sweetening.

3. What should the salespeople at the mall know about you?
a. I don't wear prêt à porter!
b. I'm a sucker for the latest trends for the season--I love being in fashion.
c. I'll buy an amazing pair of shoes before I pay my rent.
d. I find a few items to accompany the best pieces in my closet--I just want to refresh my wardrobe.

4. You're throwing a party in a couple of weeks. What's your plan of action?
a. I obsess about the menu, wonder how I'll ever find the time even to plan, and when the big day comes I spend the entire time in the kitchen while my guests (usually) drink too much.
b. I call a caterer, of course. What do I know about such things, and why should I care?
c. I set out a bag of chips and a bag of pretzels and ask everyone to bring a bottle.
d. I choose a few favorite food items to serve, some store-bought delicacies, some easy to prepare but impressive treats, add some personal serving touches, sit back and relax while the guests ooh and ahh.

5. Which of the following drinks will you serve at the party?
a. Whatever the guests bring.
b. Margaritas (Frozen--is there another kind?).
c. Wine, vodka, beer… hospitality is variety.
d. A thoughtfully chosen wine and mineral water—keep it simple and always give guests water with their alcohol.

6. You've just gone to the market and found wonderful fresh basil, but you got so excited about it that you bought too much. What do you do?
a. What would I be doing at the market? What's basil again?
b. I chop some in my pasta, but eventually have to throw the rest away.
c. I have a pesto pack-down that night!
d. I try to invent a new dish for using it while it's fresh (substituting it for another herb I might otherwise use); the rest I make into pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays (one cube is perfect for a single pasta serving).

7. Au restaurant, you're most likely to order:
a. A cheeseburger with fries.
b. A large salad with ranch dressing.
c. Vegetable lasagna.
d. Grilled hangar steak with wine sauce.

8. When the waiter comes to your table to take your drink order, you:
a. Order up Grey Goose.
b. Let someone else advise--wine lists are intimidating.
c. Remember the rule that white goes with fish and red goes with meat.
d. Choose Champagne--it goes with just about anything.

9. How much wine do you typically drink with dinner?
a. None--alcohol is fattening.
b. Keep 'em coming--I've read wine is heart smart!
c. A few glasses--I know my limits.
d. Usually one, but if I want more, I'll have another half glass.

10. You're traveling and a sumptuous breakfast buffet is included in the cost of your hotel room. What do you do?
a. I load up on eggs, bacon, muffins, and pancakes, but make sure to hit hotel gym later.
b. I load up on eggs, bacon, muffins, and pancakes to get me through the day--it's free, and I don't eat that way at home, so what's the harm?
c. I can't be trusted around any all-you-can-eat spread; I skip breakfast.
d. I choose one day to indulge at the buffet (compensating with lighter lunch and dinner), but order room service for the rest of my trip to avoid overdoing it.

11. What is your ideal workout?
a. Does channel surfing count?
b. An hour at the gym, wailing on the Cybex.
c. I eat healthfully so I can spend less time exercising.
d. I walk everywhere, and enjoy some Yoga a couple of times a week.

12. Mireille Guiliano says in French Women Don't Get Fat that her "secret weapon" is plain yogurt. If you want to sweeten it, what do you add?
a. Sweet 'n Low or Equal.
b. Sugar.
c. Spoonful of maple syrup or honey.
d. Fresh fruit.

13. You have an after-hours party to attend for work. Pick an outfit that will take you most elegantly from day to night.
a. A short suit skirt with a tank top and a jacket that you'll be able to take off later--if you've got it, flaunt it!
b. Designer jeans with a top you saw in Vogue.
c. Your trusty black dress, but you'll dress it up with trendy baubles for evening.
d. A trimly cut dress paired with simple jewelry or a scarf.

14. In the fall, you eat:
a. Strawberries.
b. Asparagus.
c. Peaches.
d. Apples.

15. Le dessert is served! You choose to have:
a. A big piece of cake--you only live once.
b. A small slice (or two) of apple tart--an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
c. A piece of pie or cake, but you'll share it with a friend.
d. Nothing overly sweet--instead you go for a piece of seasonal fruit or cheese.

Results:
Allow 1 point for "a" answers, 2 points for "b" answers, 3 points for "c" answers, and 4 points for "d" answers. Add up your total points and find out how French you are based on the scale below.

Not Very French At All (15-25 points)
You are a true American woman. You're busy and don't always have time to entertain or cook. Your treats are sweet or salty. But Mireille says in French Women for All Seasons, "When foods are bursting with natural taste--as opposed to being artificially flavored, laden with fat and salt, or just plain tasteless--the experience of eating them is more satisfying, and we can content ourselves with less." Start reading to find out how you can change your approach to eating, and how all of Mireille's secrets about fashion, entertaining, wine--and more--can change your life.

Potentially French (26-36 points)
You're already aware of your indulgences, and realize you have great potential for improvement. You just need a little coaching on how to maximize style, taste and pleasure without sacrificing your waistline or sanity. "The key," Mireille says in French Women for All Seasons "is to cultivate your own intuition of your offenders and pleasures and adjust each accordingly by degrees that suit you." Start reading to find out how you can change not only your relationship with food, but how Mireille's secrets about fashion, entertaining, wine--and more--can change your life.

You're Almost French! (37-47 points)
You value quality over quantity. But we've all been known to stress out about a party or get weak in the knees in front of a chocolate donut. In French Women for All Seasons, Mireille says, "French women don't get fat because they know the secret of pleasure. But the secret to pleasure is cultivation: a life of ongoing exploration, experimentation, practiced enjoyment, and--most important--self discovery." Check out French Women for All Seasons for tips about how to entertain and dress, new recipes, and most importantly, how to remain bien dans sa peau.

Une Vraie Française (48-60 points)
You may have already read French Women Don't Get Fat and taken it to heart or you simply have an inner French woman. Either way, you've unlocked the secret of pleasure--it's the most important part of life. But again as Mireille says in French Women for All Seasons, "the secret to pleasure is cultivation: a life of ongoing exploration, experimentation, practiced enjoyment, and--most important--self discovery." Read the book to find out how to keep this process going throughout the winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Book Description

By letter, e-mail, and in person, readers of Mireille Guiliano’s phenomenal best seller, French Women Don’t Get Fat, have inundated her with requests for more of her cunning but simple secrets to living the good life, the ways French women manage to enjoy wine, chocolate, and many other seductive pleasures without gaining weight. Mireille’s answer? This buoyant book brimming with fresh advice and seasonal stories—on food bien sûr (more than 100 delicious new recipes) but also on many other aspects of living that should bring us pleasure, such as picking a wine, dressing well, even arranging flowers.

French women not only stay slim while relishing life to the fullest, they also have the longest life expectancy in the Western world. And now Mireille shows us how they attune themselves to the rhythms of the year. Together with a bounty of new dining ideas and menus, she offers us a treasury of tips on style, grooming, and entertaining, all designed to focus the mind on sensory pleasure for maximum enjoyment. Here are four seasons’ worth of strategies for shopping, cooking, and exercising, as well as some pointers for looking effortlessly chic. Whether your aim is finding two scoopfuls of pleasure in one of crème brûlée or entertaining beautifully when time is short and expectations are high, the inspiration you need is here. Taking us from her childhood in Alsace-Lorraine to her summers in Provence and her busy life in New York and Paris, this book of scrumptious Gallic wisdom and wit shows how anyone anywhere can develop a healthy, holistic lifestyle.

In the voice that entranced more than a million honorary French women, Mireille demonstrates that there is indeed an art to joyful living, and that equilibrium—being bien dans sa peau and true to one’s individual nature—is the key to a long and healthy life. Full of sage, irresistible advice on everything from decanting to detoxing, from yogurt to yoga, French Women for All Seasons is an essential guide to savoring all life’s moments—in moderation, in season, and, above all, with pleasure.

Customer Reviews:

Create a new lifestyle!.......2007-09-14

I had noticed on numerous trips to Europe that the women (and men for that matter) were not prone to obesity, even though they ate cheese, chocolate, breads, and drank alcohol with lunch and dinner. I wondered why? Then, at a meeting in San Francisco last fall, I listened as a diverse group of European women enthusiastically discussed a new book. It was titled "French Women Don't Get Fat". They highly recommended it to me because it accurately discribed the European way of eating and enjoying life. I searched for 5 months before finding it in print in America. IT IS A GREAT READ AND FULL OF TRUTHS FOR A HEALTY EATING LIFESTYLE. I have dropped 30lbs. so far and eat anything I want (in moderation of course!). I even have a piece of dark chocolate twice a day. WOW!

I love this book!.......2007-08-21

The book is not a diet book. This is a feel good about yourself and live life kind of book. I retreat to bed earlier than I normally do at night so I can have some alone time to read this book. It really lifts my spirits and I cherish this small slice of time when I get to relax and enjoy Mireille's wisdom and candor. I enjoy hearing about her culinary and travel experiences since I am also a fellow traveler. Her recipes are wonderful and I can't wait to try some of them. Buy this book if you are looking for some hints on how to live a healthier life style and enjoy her recommendations. Don't be too hard on yourself if you do not follow all of them, it is, after all, not the destination but the journey so do you have some fun along the way and enjoy the food!

No comparison to her first book!.......2007-08-17

Started to read the book and just couldn't get into it like the first book. Not what I thought it would be!

this one!.......2007-06-17

The first one is a carry over to the second one. (this is the one with the cake in it) Her summer soup page 115 is very good. Someone with braces can eat it well. It has feta in it, but with a squeeze of a lemon and it is mostly favorful! This one I keep in my kitchen. I am just on summer right now. She gives an outline on what to eat for breakfast lunch and dinner and how much. Now people, you chew this very slowly and *trust me* you get full. THAT is where the weight drops. Along with drinking water and getting some kind of small workout. I adore this book.

enjoyable!.......2007-05-24

This sequel to "French Women don't get Fat" is a great insight to the bounty each season has in store for all.

Average customer rating:

A classic for girls
Classic
Seeds the child's imagination...
The Secret Garden
Spellbinding Book

The Secret Garden (HarperClassics)
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 006440188X

Amazon.com

Mistress Mary is quite contrary until she helps her garden grow. Along the way, she manages to cure her sickly cousin Colin, who is every bit as imperious as she. These two are sullen little peas in a pod, closed up in a gloomy old manor on the Yorkshire moors of England, until a locked-up garden captures their imaginations and puts the blush of a wild rose in their cheeks; "It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place any one could imagine. The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of roses which were so thick, that they matted together.... 'No wonder it is still,' Mary whispered. 'I am the first person who has spoken here for ten years.'" As new life sprouts from the earth, Mary and Colin's sour natures begin to sweeten. For anyone who has ever felt afraid to live and love, The Secret Garden's portrayal of reawakening spirits will thrill and rejuvenate. Frances Hodgson Burnett creates characters so strong and distinct, young readers continue to identify with them even 85 years after they were conceived. (Ages 9 to 12)

Book Description

When orphaned Mary Lennox, lonely and sad, comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire moors, she finds it full of secrets. At night, she hears the sound of crying down one of the long corridors. Outside, she meets Dickon, a magical boy who can charm and talk to animals. Then, one day, with the help of a friendly robin, Mary discovers the most mysterious wonder of all--a secret garden, walled and locked, which has been completely forgotten for years and years. Is everything in the graden dead, or can Mary bring it back to life?

Customer Reviews:

A classic for girls.......2007-09-22

The Secret Garden is a book about a spoiled girl who uncovers the mysteries of the house around her which include, but are not limited too, what is behind the wall, and why is it kept secret. It is a good classic, but girls will enjoy it much more than boys do.

Classic.......2007-08-06

Even if you are an adult you should reread this book. Helps you to see how fun it was to be a kid.

Seeds the child's imagination..........2007-07-29

This has always been one of my favorite books since childhood. When I read my first story in this book it gave me so much inspiration to use my imagination as a child should. A child's imagination is so real! This reality soon takes the form of abstract, which paves the road to anywhere he wants it to go - or not...

The Secret Garden.......2007-07-05

This edition is printed on really cheap, unappealing paper. I can't imagine anyone wanting to give this version of a children's classic as a gift, or even to read from it to a child yourself.

Spellbinding Book.......2007-07-03

This book is the best book I have ever read. It's a light, happy book that I will treasure for the rest of my life. Ilove the theme of hope in the book, that will convince readers about the Magic inside themselves...if they hope. If they believe something will happen, it will. That theme is so beautifully conveyed. I couldn't put it down, and it is most definitely my new favorite book. A MUST READ!!!!!!!!

I ALSO RECCOMEND THE FOLLOWING:
Arthur and the Invisibles, Artemis Fowl Series, The Book Without Words, The Kingdom Keepers, the Prophecy of the Stones, The Game of Sunken PLaces, Midnight Blue

French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For Pleasure

Average customer rating:

Made staying slim for life seem not so daunting after all (really 3.5)
MNReview
Everyone should read it
Love this book
A little condescending but very interesting and PRACTICLE

French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For Pleasure
Mireille Guiliano
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Accessories:

ASIN: 1400042127
Release Date: 2004-12-28

Amazon.com

The message of this book could be a blessing or a curse, depending on your perspective. There is no hard science, no clearly-defined plan, and no lists of food to have or have not; instead, you'll find simple tricks that boil down to eating carefully prepared seasonal food, exercising more and refusing to think of food as something that inspires guilt. It's both a practical message and far easier said than done in today's "no pain, no gain" culture.

Author Mireille Guiliano is CEO of Veuve Clicquot, and French Women Don't Get Fat offers a concept of sensible pleasures: If you have a chocolate croissant for breakfast, have a vegetable-based lunch--or take an extra walk and pass on the bread basket at dinner. Guiliano's insistence on simple measures slowly creating substantial improvements are reassuring, and her suggestion to ignore the scale and learn to live by the "zipper test" could work wonders for those who get wrapped up in tiny details of diet. She sympathizes that deprivation can lead straight to overindulgence when it comes to favorite foods, but then, in a most French manner, treats them as a pleasure that needs to be sated, rather than a battle to be fought.

A number of recipes are included, from a weight-loss enhancing leek soup to a lush chocolate mousse; they read more like what you'd find in a French cookbook rather than an American diet book. Most appealingly, these are guidelines and tricks that could be easily sustainable over a lifetime. If you agree that food is meant to be appreciated--but no more so than having a trim waist--these charmingly French recommendations could set you on the path to a future filled with both croissants and high fashion. --Jill Lightner

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Stuffed Cornish Hens
Serves 4

When I grew up, the holidays always meant lots of visitors and a series of requisite celebratory meals, mostly at lunchtime. This easy dish was always on one of the menus. Mamie was usually busy (what else during late December?) and would make the stuffing in advance so lunch could be ready in less than an hour. The recipe serves a family of four for lunch in style, but double the ingredient portions and obviously you are ready for a full table with guests.

Ingredients:
2 Cornish hens (or poussins)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons chicken stock
Stuffing:
2 cups water
2/3 cup brown rice
1/2 cup mixed nuts (pine nuts, walnut pieces, whole hazelnuts)
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon parsley, freshly minced
1 teaspoon dry herbs (chervil and savory or rosemary and thyme)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. For stuffing: Bring water to a boil. Add rice and cook for 15 minutes. Drain and mix well with remaining ingredients. Season to taste and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Rinse Cornish hens, dry the inside with paper towels, and season. Add stuffing loosely and truss hens. Reserve remaining stuffing in aluminum foil.
3. Put hens in baking dish and brush them with melted butter and other seasonings. Put in oven and baste 10 minutes later with chicken stock. Continue basting every 10 minutes. After the hens have cooked for 20 minutes reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and put the remaining stuffing in a small ovenproof dish. Roast the hens for another 20 minutes. Serve (half a hen per person) immediately with a tablespoon of stuffing on each side of the hen as garnish.
N.B. For a wonderful tête-à-tête romantic dinner, serve one hen each with a vegetable then dessert. I have prepared it successfully to my husband on Valentine's Day. While the hens are in the oven, you have time to concoct a little dessert, et voilà, you can pop a cork of bubbly, sit for candlelight dinner and have your husband serve dessert.

Hot Chocolate Soufflé
Serves 6

During the season of overindulgences—Christmas, New Year and all the festivities in between—there is in our home a succession of store-brought, traditional goodies: Bûche de Noël (yule log), marrons glacés (glazed chestnuts), the 13 desserts of Christmas in Provence. This is not to say that the holidays don't bring out the baker in all of us, but whether it is to give as gifts or to maintain tradition, people do load up with holiday sweets from pastry shops (as I can attest from seeing from the window of our Paris apartment the annual long lines of people outside the pastry shop across the street). When I grew up, however, come New Year's Day, and there was a home-cooked chocolate ritual. Our big festive meal was on New Year's Eve, which left New Year's Day as a quiet, family "recovery" day. (I appreciate some reverse the big meal day… or have one both days.) Anyway, for us, breakfast was well… late (especially for those of us who went partying after dinner), and limited to a piece of toast and a cup or two of coffee. Lunch was mid afternoon and usually made up of leftovers or an omelet, but the first dinner of the year was marked with a special dessert. The simple meal at the end of a week of overindulgences consisted of a light consommé, some greens, cheese, and the chocolate treat. There were no guests, plenty of time, and Mamie was ready for the flourless soufflé. She is a chocoholic and it would be unthinkable to start the year off without chocolate. So, what better way to end the first day of the New Year than with one of her favorite chocolate desserts as both a reward and I'm sure good-luck charm?

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
Pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 1-quart soufflé mold by lightly buttering it, dusting the insides with sugar and tapping out the excess. Place mold in refrigerator.
2. Pour the milk, cocoa powder and sugar into a heavy saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over moderate heat while stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and cook while stirring until the mixture thickens (about 10 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and cool slightly.
3. Separate the eggs and stir the egg yolks into the warm chocolate mixture. Stir in the butter.
4. Beat the egg whites until they reach soft peaks. Add the salt and beat until stiff. Whisk half of the egg whites mixture into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining whites gently with a spatula. Pour the mixture in the soufflé mold and smooth the top.
5. Bake in the lower-middle shelf of the oven until puff and brown for about 18 minutes which will give you a soft center. Serve at once with softly whipped cream.

Red Mullet with Spinach en Papillote
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 fillets of red mullet, about 2 ounces each
1 lb. spinach, washed and dried in a salad spinner
4 teaspoons shallots, peeled and sliced
8 slices of lime
4 tablespoons of crème fraîche
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Cut 4 pieces of parchment paper (or aluminum foil) into squares large enough to cover each fillet and leave a 2-inch border all around. Lightly brush the squares with olive oil. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Put the spinach in the center of each square and top it with a tablespoon of crème fraîche. Top with two fillets and add one teaspoon of shallots, two slices of lime. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Fold up the edges to form packets. Put the papillotes on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. Serve at once by setting each papillote on a plate.
N.B. You can use sole or snapper instead of red mullet

Pappardelle with Spring Veggies
Serves 4

Ingredients:
12 ounces pappardelle
1 lb. green asparagus
2 cups fresh peas, shelled
2 tablespoons of shallots, peeled and minced
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of pine nuts, toasted
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 cup roughly chopped parsley
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Cut off end of asparagus and blanch in salted water until just tender (about 5 minutes). Blanch peas separately for about 1 minute.
2. In a heavy saucepan, gently sauté the shallots in olive oil until they begin to turn gold. Add peas and asparagus and cook for a few minutes.
3. Cook the pappardelle in boiling water, drain and pour into saucepan. Add pine nuts, parmesan and parsley and season to taste. Serve immediately.

Croque aux Poires
Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 slices of brioche
2 ripe pears
2 tablespoons of sliced almonds
2 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon butter
1. Peel the pears and cut into small cubes. Melt butter in a saucepan and sauté the pear cubes for 2-3 minutes.
2. Arrange pear cubes on brioche slices. Cover with honey and almonds. Put under broiler for two minutes watching carefully. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche.
A yummy dessert also wonderful for a weekend breakfast or brunch.

Book Description

Stylish, convincing, wise, funny–and just in time: the ultimate non-diet book, which could radically change the way you think and live.

French women don’t get fat, but they do eat bread and pastry, drink wine, and regularly enjoy three-course meals. In her delightful tale, Mireille Guiliano unlocks the simple secrets of this “French paradox”–how to enjoy food and stay slim and healthy. Hers is a charming, sensible, and powerfully life-affirming view of health and eating for our times.

As a typically slender French girl, Mireille (Meer-ray) went to America as an exchange student and came back fat. That shock sent her into an adolescent tailspin, until her kindly family physician, “Dr. Miracle,” came to the rescue. Reintroducing her to classic principles of French gastronomy plus time-honored secrets of the local women, he helped her restore her shape and gave her a whole new understanding of food, drink, and life. The key? Not guilt or deprivation but learning to get the most from the things you most enjoy. Following her own version of this traditional wisdom, she has ever since relished a life of indulgence without bulge, satisfying yen without yo-yo on three meals a day.

Now in simple but potent strategies and dozens of recipes you’d swear were fattening, Mireille reveals the ingredients for a lifetime of weight control–from the emergency weekend remedy of Magical Leek Soup to everyday tricks like fooling yourself into contentment and painless new physical exertions to save you from the StairMaster. Emphasizing the virtues of freshness, variety, balance, and always pleasure, Mireille shows how virtually anyone can learn to eat, drink, and move like a French woman.

A natural raconteur, Mireille illustrates her philosophy through the experiences that have shaped her life–a six-year-old’s first taste of Champagne, treks in search of tiny blueberries (called myrtilles) in the woods near her grandmother’s house, a near-spiritual rendezvous with oysters at a seaside restaurant in Brittany, to name but a few. She also shows us other women discovering the wonders of “French in action,” drawing examples from dozens of friends and associates she has advised over the years to eat and drink smarter and more joyfully.

Here are a culture’s most cherished and time-honored secrets recast for the twenty-first century. For anyone who has slipped out of her zone, missed the flight to South Beach, or accidentally let a carb pass her lips, here is a buoyant, positive way to stay trim. A life of wine, bread–even chocolate–without girth or guilt? Pourquoi pas?

Download Description

“Part Proustian memoir, part guide to living well, part recipe for Miracle Leek Soup, this book announces its distance from the Zone, the Atkins and all the rest on the very first page . . . Even the most skeptical and envious woman will find it hard to hold out against the charms of a beautifully written book that features both chocolate and love as key ingredients in a balanced diet.”–Allison Pearson, The Daily Telegraph (London)
“Mireille Guiliano's book is slender, elegant, well-spoken, sensible, and unembarrassed by the frank embrace of stratagems–just like the French women whom she holds up to the reader to admire and, if we can, to emulate.” –Adam Gopnik, author of Paris to the Moon
“I recognized things from my own French background and discovered quite a bit more. An important and fascinating book for all those people out there who’ve ridden the vicious diet roller coaster to failure.” —Nicole Miller

“Not only delicious, but a true story from one of the greatest ladies in the world.” —Chef Emeril Lagasse

“French Women Don’t Get Fat is not only charming and witty, but useful. It made me want to run out and buy a pound of leeks and a bottle of Champagne!” —Sharon Boorstin, author of Cooking for Love and Let Us Eat Cake

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Made staying slim for life seem not so daunting after all (really 3.5).......2007-10-11

I started this book before I went to bed one night (I always have to read something before I go to sleep to unwind, though this one kept me up) and finished it upon waking the next morning. It is not worth the new price tag, but definitely worth the read. It's not much of a recipe book (though I found a few worth trying), but more of a pep talk, and a very good one, too, because I am inspired to cut my portions in half (though sans on the champagne--too expensive, not to mention totally unnecessary, but then I don't like the taste of alcohol anyway), eat more fruit, etc. Though recasting is just another word for fasting, it is something I will do the day before I begin my lifestyle change (to clean out my system so that I may start fresh), but my recasting menu will vary somewhat, maybe include several of those new Sunsweet Ones prunes, some fresh watermelon juice perhaps (oh, wait, it's out of season), etc. It's not that I don't like leeks, I've never had them, but I want to start with more familiar foods, foods I know I'll like, or else it'll feel like a diet.

I was expecting, from some of the reviews I read, that Mrs. Guiliano would come across as a snob, but I actually didn't get that from her. She's just right about the way most Americans are, and it's hard to say how lazy they are without sounding insulting. Hey, I work in a grocery store and some customers will take something out of the freezer, but instead of putting it back if they decide they don't want it, they'll just leave it out. How hard is it to open a door? I am American, and I am disgusted by the fatness, laziness and rudeness (not to mention stupidity, but then, that's just stems from laziness sometimes because they'll ask me where something is when all they have to do is look) of some of the American population; I am even more disgusted when I see an obese child drinking a can of soda in the store and when they pass the doughnuts, ask their parents if they can get some and they say yes. I mean, can't they see how fat their kid(s) is(are)? What kills me is that their parents will say it's hereditary because they're fat, too, but then, they shovel all that junk into their bodies as well. I am not saying genetics don't pre-disposition you to a certain extent, but I believe that much more often than not, it's an excuse, because some people are just lucky and others have to work at it.

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I felt like I was taking an imaginary trip to France. I found Mrs. Guiliano's opinion on gyms interesting. I, too, think gyms are a waste of time and money because you can exercise for free and many of those same people who pay for a gym membership are the very ones who drive around for ten minutes trying to squeeze into the closest parking space. I only park close when I'm on a time crunch or if it's late at night and I'm alone. I will admit I'll park close if a slot's available, but, after reading this book, I am going to make more of an effort. I have in the past, I just got lazy.

But, I was thinking about how I dreaded going to the gym because it was so mind-numbingly boring and you have to get dressed, drive there, etc., when I could just jump on the trampoline at home or skip rope or do the hula hoop (which is GREAT for the abs). The Skip-It toy is also fun and really works the calves. If I lived in a two-story house, I would be going up and down the stairs all day (I feel silly on a machine) and if I knew how to ride a bicycle without training wheels, I would ride around the neighborhood (again, it's just not the same in a smelly, stuffy gym as it is outdoors, with the sunshine on my face and the breeze blowing through my hair). I do have a pair of roller-skates though. There's dancing, tennis, water aerobics, etc., etc. There are just so many more fun things to do than work out on a bunch of machines. We do not need special food (i.e. Slimfast, etc.) or fancy, expensive machines to be fit and healthy, not to mention eliminating entire food groups. Eat to live, but live a little. One ounce of real chocolate can provide as much pleasure as a Snickers bar, if we savor it. Just like it's better to consume one tablespoon of real butter than three of the fake stuff. We've become such an artificial society. We're meant to eat fat and work it off, not eat any and be sedentary.

I think it was Mrs. Guiliano's enthusiasm for everything French and her great faith in her Parisian gospel she was sharing that really inspired me. I do, however, still think that for some peoples with slow metabolism, they need to do more than opt to take the stairs or walk across the parking lot whenever possible, even if they are eating French-style.

Though the majority of France is trim, that doesn't necessarily mean they are strong or healthy (I don't know how many of those slender people could run a mile without gasping for breath afterwards), so I take that consideration into account. I am reminded of those women in those Nutra-System (I think those are the ones) commercials who act like the only reason they wanted to lose weight was so they could wear a bikini . I want to be trim not just because I want to look good, but I want to feel good, too.

So...this book was well worth the six bucks (and hardback edition, too) to me, and worth keeping in my library, too, forsaking any trade-in credit I may get back for it. It was an experience.

MNReview.......2007-10-02

Super to have the author read the book (loved her accent). Sounded like a friend talking to you.

Everyone should read it.......2007-09-27

I loved reading this book. It's not just a diet book, or a weight loss book; it's a healthy lifestyle conversion book. Mireille Guiliano keeps you interested with her humor, personal experiences and tasty recipes. This book is not going to give you a quick fix to your weight issues, but will open your eyes to why you (and the American population) are overweight. It is a source of inspriation and helpful hints to make lifestyle changes. I highly recommend it as a fresh weight loss remedy and cultural read.

Love this book.......2007-09-11

Its refreshingly different perspective from Cosmo and other women's magazines! You will not drop 10 pounds in 10 hours, its about balance and enjoying your life.
Great recipes, well written, simply lovely.
I gave this book to a friend for her birthday, I don't think she knew what to make of it. Give it a shot, you will like it!

A little condescending but very interesting and PRACTICLE.......2007-09-10

"French Women..." have many common threads with Can We Live 150 Years? by another European author, Mr. Tombak. French Women reads more like a novel, and it is also very appealing visually. Sometimes, however, it feels a little condescending... On the contrary, I don't actually like the cover of Can We Live", but it is much more comprehensive and detailed in respect to giving you advice for a healthy life style. The common ideas in both books are:
1. eating only fresh ingredients, drinking a lot of water
2. enjoying the process of eating, chewing well (Tombak), celebrating each meal (Guiliano)
3. eating all kind of foods, not following any fad diets
4. eating a lot of vegetables and fruits
5. using your muscles, exercising
6. focusing on pleasure of foods and life in general
7. changing your diet according to the season
8. eating in small potions, not overindulging ...
The list goes on. Most importantly: LOVING YOUR MEALS WHILE USING COMMON SENSE AT THE SAME TIME. I like "French Women..." for the pleasure of reading but I prefer "Can We Live 150..." for the comprehensive, detailed approach to nutrition, longevity and healthy life style.

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Holy Blood, Holy Grail Illustrated Edition: The Secret History of Jesus, the Shocking Legacy of the Grail

Average customer rating:

Fun Read but...
This IS the original
Denial cannot change fact.....
It's interesting....These doubters.
Holy Moses

Holy Blood, Holy Grail Illustrated Edition: The Secret History of Jesus, the Shocking Legacy of the Grail
Michael Baigent , Richard Leigh , and Henry Lincoln
Manufacturer: Delacorte Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 038534001X
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Amazon.com

Michael Baigent, Henry Lincoln, and Richard Leigh, authors of The Messianic Legacy, spent over 10 years on their own kind of quest for the Holy Grail, into the secretive history of early France. What they found, researched with the tenacity and attention to detail that befits any great quest, is a tangled and intricate story of politics and faith that reads like a mystery novel. It is the story of the Knights Templar, and a behind-the-scenes society called the Prieure de Sion, and its involvement in reinstating descendants of the Merovingian bloodline into political power. Why? The authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail assert that their explorations into early history ultimately reveal that Jesus may not have died on the cross, but lived to marry and father children whose bloodline continues today. The authors' point here is not to compromise or to demean Jesus, but to offer another, more complete perspective of Jesus as God's incarnation in man. The power of this secret, which has been carefully guarded for hundreds of years, has sparked much controversy. For all the sensationalism and hoopla surrounding Holy Blood, Holy Grail and the alternate history that it outlines, the authors are careful to keep their perspective and sense of skepticism alive in its pages, explaining carefully and clearly how they came to draw such combustible conclusions. --Jodie Buller

Book Description

SPECIAL ILLUSTRATED EDITION WITH EXCLUSIVE NEW MATERIAL

“One of the more controversial books of the 20th century.” –UPI

“Enough to seriously challenge many traditional beliefs, if not alter them.” –Los Angeles Book Times Review

Explosive, thought-provoking, fiercely compelling, Holy Blood, Holy Grail breaks bold new ground with its shocking conclusions about the lineage of Christ and the legacy of the Holy Grail. Now this lavishly illustrated
collector’s edition features exclusive new material plus dozens of full-color photographs, drawings, symbols, architecture, and artwork, making it a dazzling feast for the eyes as well as the mind. Based on decades
of research, filled with eye-opening new
evidence and stunning scholarship, this authoritative work uncovers an alternate history as shocking as it is believable–as it dares to ask:

Is the traditional, accepted view of the life of Christ in some way incomplete?

Is it possible Christ did not die on the
cross?

Is it possible Jesus was married, a father,
and that his bloodline still exists?

Is it possible that parchments found in the
South of France a century ago reveal one
of the best-kept secrets in Christendom?

Is it possible that these parchments contain
the very heart of the mystery of the Holy
Grail?

According to the authors of this extraordinarily provocative, meticulously researched book, not only are these things possible–they are probably true. So revolutionary, so original, so convincing, the most faithful Christians will be moved; here is the book that has sparked worldwide controversy, now newly updated and beautifully illustrated for the collector’s shelf.

“Like Chariots of the Gods...The plot has all the elements of an international thriller.” –Newsweek

“Compelling.” –Philadelphia Inquirer

“An astonishing hypothesis.”
–Publishers Weekly

Customer Reviews:

Fun Read but..........2007-10-12

History is interesting and exciting. We never know what to believe. That is why faith destroys us. faith in the blind. Jesus was an inspiring philosopher. no more. Who cares if he was married or had kids??? He was a man!!! and dont be an idiot thinking god had anything to do with mary becoming pregnant. common sense. if you believe that..might as well think david copperfield is the son of god. dont take my review that seriously. just planting seeds...and yes..off the book a tad! hahaha

This IS the original.......2007-09-23

This is where it all started for me... 10 years and over 140 books later this book is still the best and the one i refer back to as the information contained is excellent.

What a story, whether true, false, fiction or non, it grips you from page 1 to the very end in a mystery that is so compelling and has such wide reaching implications you simply can not put it down.

I only wish the 3 authors had produced more work together.

Gary May

Denial cannot change fact............2007-09-03

.

....nor can frequent repetition create it.

There are some interesting facts presented here, and some even more interesting conclusions drawn from those facts.

And thus the fight begins.

Some of the most intriguing facts are those surrounding Rosslyn Chapel. Inside there are carvings of plants that were not "discovered" by Europeans until two-hundred years AFTER their carving.

This is great book on the Templars and one theory of their demise.

Or is it fact????

It's interesting....These doubters........2007-07-31

Alot of you are doing exactly what they said the critics have done, You can argue all you want about Prior and etc, But they will agree with me that the most important topic here is the gospels pertaining to Jesus, you must remember that they think the most interesting thing here is that there is a civilization of people who believe in Jesus because of what they have been told to believe by force or condition to believe since childhood(like me, being a preachers kid) But they have now questioned not what you believe but on what grounds do you believe. They didnt make up verses, They quoted what was in the bible the King James Version! Think about this! What is the mystery behind the "Two Mary's" is Mary of bethany and the Magdalen the same? well according to the bible THEY ARE! Is there contradictions concerning the resurrection in the gospels? Well according to the gospels THERE IS! Is there something odd about the way Jesus was tried & convicted by Rome's accord? If you read the gospels with a historic eye THERE IS! People pick up the bible and read it along with what they question and you will come out with the same conclusions.

Holy Moses.......2007-07-03

If you are a historian, this is the book for you.
If you do research, this is for you.
If you are doing leisurely reading, this is not for you.
This book requires concentration.

Average customer rating:

Secret History
No secrets
Unintentionally Hilarious: The Age of Sleazon
Disappointment
Overwritten and under-organized.

Paris: The Secret History
Andrew Hussey
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1596913231
Release Date: 2006-11-28

Book Description

If Adam Gopnik’s Paris to the Moon described daily life in contemporary Paris, this book describes daily life in Paris throughout its history: a history of the city from the point of view of the Parisians themselves. Paris captures everyone’s imaginations: It’s a backdrop for Proust’s fictional pederast, Robert Doisneau’s photographic kiss, and Edith Piaf’s serenaded soldier-lovers; a home as much to romance and love poems as to prostitution and opium dens. The many pieces of the city coexist, each one as real as the next. What’s more, the conflicted identity of the city is visible everywhere—between cobblestones, in bars, on the métro.

In this lively and lucid volume, Andrew Hussey brings to life the urchins and artists who’ve left their marks on the city, filling in the gaps of a history that affected the disenfranchised as much as the nobility. Paris: The Secret History ranges across centuries, movements, and cultural and political beliefs, from Napoleon’s overcrowded cemeteries to Balzac’s nocturnal flight from his debts. For Hussey, Paris is a city whose long and conflicted history continues to thrive and change. The book’s is a picaresque journey through royal palaces, brothels, and sidewalk cafés, uncovering the rich, exotic, and often lurid history of the world’s most beloved city.

Customer Reviews:

Secret History.......2007-10-16

I love this book, the detail is fascinating and the back and forth relationship to modern day Paris, is what keeps me reading. I also appreciate the lore of the catholic references to saints and locales, but he doesn't sugar coat the history. He's done a lot of fascinating reading and research and summarizes his findings in an easy and enjoyable format. Although it takes me a while to digest each section, I still think it is worthwhile reading. Having been to Paris and going back in the spring, I wanted a comprehensive look at the city with the not so pleasant facts thrown in. This has met my requiremnts.

No secrets.......2007-09-27

There are no secrets here. Everything is a rehash of well-known and frequently reiterated facts of Paris history. Even the facts are often handled in a cavalier fashion. To characterize the writer Ernst Juenger (p.428) as "ruthless" and a "mystic" is utter nonsense. He was neither. On the same page, the (General) Hans Speichel's real name is Speidel. On p.428, the writer Houellebecq is straight-facedly characterized - in the same sentence - as a "self-confessed admirer of Stalin" and a "stern moralist". In his brief chapters on the Second Empire (Napoleon III), the author says nothing about the social life, the courtesans and the role they played. In short, an utterly superfluous tome.

Unintentionally Hilarious: The Age of Sleazon.......2007-08-23

Having years ago been a visitor to Paris and remembering so keenly the dismissively cold attitude I felt some of the city's inhabitants directed toward me as a non French speaking tourist, I am probably the last person on Earth to claim any strict sense of neutrality. Nevertheless, judging by the harsh criticism my fellow Amazonians have lodged against Mr. Hussey's work, I suspected that it had likely been slapped together with the same literary sensitivity as a Danielle Steel novel. Is it true, as some of our less complimentary pundits contend that Mr. Hussey is garishly fixated on the subject of Parisian hussies and other sensationally sordid subjects? Or, is it a fresh and insightfully contrarian perspective, shedding light on a glorious city?

By the bookÂs midpoint, I grew less drawn to Mr. HusseyÂs broad history of Paris than I was to the role he ascribes pornography played in the cityÂs Renaissance. I continued to ask myself whether Mr. HusseyÂs take on pornography was pure rubbish or a sort of intellectual tsunami beyond my meager comprehension. And while the former is the sum of my opinion, for the sake of argument---and a little fun---let me serve as an advocate for Mr. Hussey's would be groundbreaking theory; even though it had been my pedantic understanding that the Renaissance in Europe arose owing to increasing numbers of thinkers who broke with a constraining church hierarchy and looked to a more methodical approach for evaluating the physical world around them. Nevertheless, I quote Mr. Hussey: "It was no accident that the age of mathematics was also the age of pornography. The relationship between the two forms of thought is closer than it may seem. For one thing, the pornographers of the eighteenth century, as good avatars of reason and science, were obsessed with numbers and geometrical precision to an unintentionally hilarious extent." (pg. 176) Perhaps this would serve to answer manÂs fixation with the set {36-24-36} Even more profound, Mr. Hussey further suggest that pornography may also have served to fuel the Renaissance in the realm of the liberal arts: "Pornography was the literary representation of this combat and was indissolubly associated with other struggles against political and philosophical irrationalism" (pg. 177). All of you can imagine how, if true, Mr. Hussey's new vision of the Renaissance shattered my images of a group of meek and sublimating scientist tucked away in some remote corner of a university library. Now I suppose we can all visualize those guys reclined on Ottomans being served with succulent grapes by a band of nubile nymphs with their eyes to the stars contemplating the cosmos. I canÂt also help but wondering what other kind of curvaceous bodies Copernicus was glancing at through his telescope.

The biggest conundrum, as I see it, is what are we to say to our downtrodden educators who are looking for every possible means to increase our abysmal national test scores? Surely pornography would spike reading test scores...but? Lastly, if future historians are looking for a new way to coin a phrase to encapsulate the bold new spirit which might be the Husseyan model let me humbly suggest one: "The Age of Sleazon."

Disappointment.......2007-08-04

I do not recommend this book.
Andrew Hussein is a well respected scholar yet his book on Paris and its history is at times disorganized. Skipping from one era to another frequently makes it confusing. The way he writes about the Jews (vermin), the homosexuals (laughable) and the prostitues (seemingly present in every chapter) tends to show a bias which does not add anything to the content of the book. The historic facts are well researched, but his unsubstantiated opinions about the French and the Parisians take away from the credibility of the book. It is hard to read and to finish, it is mostly pedantic and dry. Andrew may live in Paris, but seems to hold much contempt for the French and the Parisians.
Paris like all European capitals has a complex history. In spite of the innumerable troubles it went through over the centuries, Paris has managed to remain a great city that many love even if it is hard to comprehend and is ever-changing. A great disappointment awaits those who love Paris and eagerly want to know the City better.

Overwritten and under-organized........2007-06-25

I *tried* to finish this book. Many times. I thought it would provide me with, oh, I dunno, a "secret" history of Paris that couldn't be found in all the other histories of Paris out there. But no--not much here is surprising, secret, or even unknown to people who've read Alistair Horne's work (with all its flaws), or Pierre Goubert's, or even (seriously!) the Lonely Planet guides.

That said, I could have stood a repeat of interesting French history, had this author not skipped back and forth through history (several centuries to and fro w/in a couple of pages), paused to natter on about his own interaction with modern folk, managed to leave out notable women (e.g. Mme Pompadour?), and thought himself endlessly entertaining when he tittered about "sodomy" and "sodomites" and "sodatic culture." Hussey's casual description of Jews as "vermin," as noted by another reviewer, is matched by his casual "aren't-they-silly" homophobia.

Parisian history is complex and fascinating, like any city's history. So are the histories of sexuality, religion, race, gender, etc., etc., etc., especially as those histories intersect. There are better authors who have written better books on those intersections. Save your money.

All You Need to Be Impossibly French: A Witty Investigation into the Lives, Lusts, and Little Secrets of French Women

Average customer rating:

Interesting Stories
If this book doesn't "tweak" you, you are in bad shape
don't waste your time
Amusing bit of froth, but that's all
entertaining light read- very true!

All You Need to Be Impossibly French: A Witty Investigation into the Lives, Lusts, and Little Secrets of French Women
Helena Frith-Powell
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452287782

Book Description

The allure of the FrenchwomanÂ—sexy, sophisticated, flirtatious, and glamorousÂ—is legendary. More than an eye for fashion or a taste for elegance, the French je ne sais quoi embodies the essential ingredients for looking and feeling beautiful.

With wit, whimsy, and wonder, British expatriate Helena Frith Powell uncovers the secrets of chic living in All You Need to Be Impossibly French, a cheeky guide to releasing your inner Frenchwoman. Delving deep into a mysterious realm of face creams, silk lingerie, and shopping- as-exercise, Powell reveals how French women stay impossibly thin and irresistibly sexy by achieving the maximum effect from the minimum amount of effort. Forget diet and inspiration books and style guidesÂ—this is all you need to embrace the wisdom of French living, and learn how to turn every day into la petite aventure.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting Stories.......2007-08-28

Interesting stories, but of course not all of it is true. The author tells amusing tales of her "fish out of water" experiences with French women; it's a wonderfully interesting culture. That the French women never leave the house looking grungy seems to be the main focus of the book, however, as the author focuses mainly on the fact that Parisian women refuse to "let themselves go" once they're married or when they grow old.

I wasn't mystified and awed by the concept of women who wished to look put-together at all times, I was more interested in the bits about their love of art, intellectuals, celebrity, etc.

Still, this book was a great fun read and though it's a broad generalization, I'd still recommend it to anyone looking for a good afternoon book.

If this book doesn't "tweak" you, you are in bad shape.......2007-08-25

I am too old for all this but I enjoyed it no end. I bought three copies for my girls (they will truly love this book. I guarantee it) it makes one feel "alivea' again and it makes you want to go out immediately and purchase matching underwear.

don't waste your time.......2007-08-21

This book is not funny as many readers have said. It gets very boring in a number of chapters. It basically describes French women as self absorbed, jealous, shallow, and uppity. The author seems obsessed with her own looks and weight. She paints all other women in comparison with the French as ugly, frumpy, dispassionate, and totally out of touch with their sensual selves. If you are looking for a boost to your self esteem and you aren't French do yourself a favor and Don't waste you time with this one.

Amusing bit of froth, but that's all.......2007-06-13

This reads like a typical article in Cosmo (the Doxy's Digest) puffed up into book length. Frith Powell is witty, and occasionally sharp-eyed. She doesn't mince words about the Frenchwoman's self-absorption, competitiveness, and lack of interest in female friendships; these qualities come across as quite cold. But Frith Powell also blathers on obsessively about the Frenchwoman's thinness, disciplined cultivation of her appearance, "waxed legs," perfect haircuts, and all the other surface adornments whose fault is just that: they're surface. Frith Powell adds that Frenchwomen regard their intellects as further tools of seduction. Frith Powell's own intellect seems all over the place, as she adds a number of dubious (or sometimes just plain false)historical details about long-dead Frenchwomen to prove her theories. The writer Colette, for example, did not "dance drunk on tables" in her sixties. By that time she had severe arthritis and would have had quite a problem clambering up there. Nor did Colette "marry her son-in-law." She had an affair with her stepson, which is bad enough, but not quite the same. Frith Powell makes a number of other careless mistakes. If she was going to bring up these examples, she should have bothered to get them right.

entertaining light read- very true!.......2007-05-13

Helena Frith Powell's book is a lighthearted glimpse at how real French women live. It's fairly true to life. Having lived in France for 9 years, I felt like there were passages I had experienced myself first hand. I particularly like the part about getting fitted for fancy lingerie. The section on sex and adultery actually went way beyond what I had imagined it to be. Her vision really is very elite and she interviews some of the power players in French society, fashion and political life. I kept wondering how it might have been different if centered more on 'regular' French women.

The Secret Garden (The Illus Children's Library)

Average customer rating:

A very fine book to read
One of the best books ever written
Secret Garden

The Secret Garden (The Illus Children's Library)
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Manufacturer: Gramercy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0517221152
Release Date: 2002-09-03

Book Description

What secrets lie behind the doors at Misselthwaite manor? Recently arrived at her uncle's estate, orphaned mary Lennox is spoiled, sickly, and certain she won't enjoy living there. Then she discovers the arched doorway into an overgrown garden, shut up since the death of her aunt ten years earlier. Mary soon begins transforming it into a thing of beauty--unaware that she is changing too.

But Missalthwaite hides another secret, as Mary discovers one night. High in a dark room, away from the rest of the house, lies her young cousin Colin, who believes he is an incurable invalid, destined to die young. His tantrums are so frightful, no one can reason with him. If only, Mary hopes, she can get Colin to love the secret garden as much as she does, its magic wil work wonders on him.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

A very fine book to read.......2007-02-08

For anyone who is teaching their 8 or 9 year old how to write this is one fine book to read because it is so well written. I am a homeschooler who is using IEW to teach my children to write and this book is loaded with "dress-ups". All that aside, the story line is captivating, the characters are memorable, and there are lessons to be learned here that will last a lifetime.

One of the best books ever written.......2005-10-02

THIS REVIEW IS ONLY ABOUT THE ORIGINAL VERSION, NOT THE MODERN REWRITE!!!

When I first read this book (at around 9), I loved it because of the main character, Mary. She was described as "disagreeable," but I liked her -- and I was disappointed when she changed from her "contrary" self into a nice little girl. I also loved the other characters (especially Martha, the "sturdy" housemaid and the "robin who showed the way" and Ben Weatherstaff), and the descriptions.

For example, Mary explores Miselthwaite Manor on a rainy day; she's heard that the house has over a hundred rooms-- and the book is so vividly written that all these years later, I can still remember her playing with a set of ivory elephants, finding a mouse and her young family in a sofa....Other vivid small moments are the maid talking about the moors and opening the windows which made me long to go to Yorkshire and breathe in the moor air. THe story itself is quite suspenseful and I loved that, too.

Now that I'm grown up, I still love all those things, but I understand why Mary had to change (though I still wish she hadn't!). Now, parts of the book (like her reaction to the flowers starting to grow in the garden) make me cry -- they're touching and Mary is too. I appreciate the descriptions and characters and plotting even more than I did as a child and agree that this is probably the best children's book ever written -- and one of the best books ever written, too.

It inspired me as a writer. I am the author of BLOW OUT THE MOON, which is also about a contrary child (but an American) who transforms herself as a result of kind-hearted English people in the English countryside. I didn't copy THE SECRET GARDEN, but the English boarding school I went to as a child (which is the subject of Blow Out the Moon) did remind me of that book!

Secret Garden.......2004-12-01

This is a classic book about a girl, Mary, who is forced to go to her uncle's mysterious mansion to live. But when a boy is discovered in a secret passage, Mary gets suspicious, and a little scared.
All that suspicion is gone when the mean gardener tells her the story of a secret garden. Of course, her curiosity gets the better of her and she goes to find it, that is, with the help of her new birdie friend. The two of them embark on a journey that will change their lives.
Every night when I read this book, I could not put it down because it was so good! When you think the problems are over, another one joins in. I enjoyed reading this book, and I hope you do too!

-6th Grade Student-

The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.

Average customer rating:

Speechless
Excellent Read!
Incredible Story Written with Heart
Finely Drawn Portrait
Fabulous

The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.
Sandra Gulland
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0684856069

Amazon.com

Since completing high school history, few of us have managed to keep straight the details of the French Revolution. Beyond suggestions of eating cake and the effectiveness of the guillotine, this sordid time period has remained--for many--somewhat obscure. Now, through the novel The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B., not only do we learn of the many differences between Robespierre and Rousseau, but we gain insight into the marriage of one of history's greatest political couples: Napoleon and Josephine.

Standing beside the charismatic Napoleon, Josephine's own importance and fascinating history have often been overshadowed. In a fictionalized account of Josephine's diaries and her correspondence, author Sandra Gulland has shed light on Josephine's pre-Napoleon life. This, the first of three books about Josephine, covers her childhood in Martinique, her first marriage, the birth of her children, her life during the revolution, and her marriage to Napoleon.

A poor Creole outsider as well as a rising socialite, Josephine experienced both the horrors of imprisonment and the privilege of connections. Utilizing these different perspectives, Gulland takes special care to bring forth the reality of life in late 18th-century France. Though she can only theorize on Josephine's emotions and desires, Gulland's talented writing and the restrained use of footnotes keep the reader properly informed on pertinent details, whether they be obscure political events or voodoo beliefs. While professional historians may bristle at the artistic license Gulland employs, most readers will find her novel a satisfying and engaging introduction to this dramatic period. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien

Book Description

In this first of three books inspired by the life of Josephine Bonaparte, Sandra Gulland has created a novel of immense and magical proportions. We meet Josephine in the exotic and lush Martinico, where an old island woman predicts that one day she will be queen. The journey from the remote village of her birth to the height of European elegance is long, but Josephine's fortune proves to be true. By way of fictionalized diary entries, we traverse her early years as she marries her one true love, bears his children, and is left betrayed, widowed, and penniless. It is Josephine's extraordinary charm, cunning, and will to survive that catapults her to the heart of society, where she meets Napoleon, whose destiny will prove to be irrevocably intertwined with hers.

Customer Reviews:

Speechless.......2007-06-27

I just finished reading the trilogy (took four days and I have been working too) and I am amazed at how incredible these books were. The history is incredible and told in a way that makes you feel that you are there. I laughed, I cried and now I feel empty. I will miss Josephine.

Excellent Read!.......2007-01-08

I couldn't put this book down. It is filled with so much history during Jospehine Bounaparte's earlier years up to when she meets Napolean. I am not sure how this woman survived all that she lived thru in this book. It is some very good reading.

Incredible Story Written with Heart.......2006-12-21

Let me just say that I am not normally a fan of historical fiction based on a singular character. When I received this book as a gift, I was a bit nervous about reading it. However, Ms. Gulland's talent and gift for storytelling has changed my opinion. I started out expecting not to like it - I ended up loving it.

Josephine's story is a compelling tale of a young Creole girl who eventually becomes queen. But it's more than that - it's a story of a woman caught in a loveless marriage, in impossible situations and how she managed through her own strength of character to rise above her tribulations. Ms. Gulland made me forget that I was reading fiction. She also made me love the intimacy of this story. Thank you!

Finely Drawn Portrait.......2006-09-02

I'm not sure how Gulland does it, but her dialogue, journal entries, and letters let us get to know Josephine and keep the pages turning. An artful solution to the challenge of setting place, voice and character.

A great read for those who like historical novels and/or French culture...

Possibly addictive, I had to read the next 2 books in the series after finishing "Lives and Sorrows."

Fabulous.......2006-06-29

This is the way all historical fiction should be read. It was fun to read and great to see the life and times from a woman's perspective. Josephine is so real and you cry for her to find the joy she deserves. Fabulous read, I am on the third of the series now. BUY ALL THREE!!

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