Book Description
By the early l940s, when Ukrainian-born Irène Némirovsky began working on what would become Suite Française—the first two parts of a planned five-part novel—she was already a highly successful writer living in Paris. But she was also a Jew, and in 1942 she was arrested and deported to Auschwitz: a month later she was dead at the age of thirty-nine. Two years earlier, living in a small village in central France—where she, her husband, and their two small daughters had fled in a vain attempt to elude the Nazis
—she’d begun her novel, a luminous portrayal of a human drama in which she herself would become a victim. When she was arrested, she had completed two parts of the epic, the handwritten manuscripts of which were hidden in a suitcase that her daughters would take with them into hiding and eventually into freedom. Sixty-four years later, at long last, we can read Némirovsky’s literary masterpiece
The first part, “A Storm in June,” opens in the chaos of the massive 1940 exodus from Paris on the eve of the Nazi invasion during which several families and individuals are thrown together under circumstances beyond their control. They share nothing but the harsh demands of survival—some trying to maintain lives of privilege, others struggling simply to preserve their lives—but soon, all together, they will be forced to face the awful exigencies of physical and emotional displacement, and the annihilation of the world they know. In the second part, “Dolce,” we enter the increasingly complex life of a German-occupied provincial village. Coexisting uneasily with the soldiers billeted among them, the villagers—from aristocrats to shopkeepers to peasants—cope as best they can. Some choose resistance, others collaboration, and as their community is transformed by these acts, the lives of these these men and women reveal nothing less than the very essence of humanity.
Suite Française is a singularly piercing evocation—at once subtle and severe, deeply compassionate and fiercely ironic—of life and death in occupied France, and a brilliant, profoundly moving work of art.
Download Description
Irène Némirovsky was born in Kiev in 1903 into a wealthy banking family and emigrated to France during the Russian Revolution. After attending the Sorbonne, she began to write and swiftly achieved success with her first novel, David Golder, which was followed by The Ball, The Flies of Autumn, Dogs and Wolves and The Courilof Affair. She died in 1942.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Amazing! I wish there were more.......2007-10-19
Suite Francaise is an epic book along the lines of War and Peace, yet set in WWII as the Germans invade and occupy France. The descriptions are vivid of the human condition: the individual vs. the community; class vs. humanity; rich & poor; what the rich do when they are suddenly poor. An amazing book.
The author intended to write the book as three (or possibly 5) books/sections, but only finished two. She was cut short by a final train ride to Auswitz. Remarkably, she doesn't mention Jewish persecution in her novel. That fact in itself contrasts with the picture she paints of ordinary, and not so ordinary, people struggling to survive that tragic period.
A VIEW OF FRANCE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 2ND WORLD WAR.......2007-10-18
THIS WAS A WONDERFULLY WRITTEN BOOK DEALING WITH DIFFERENT CLASSES AND HOW THEY DEALT WITH THE GERMAN OCCUPATION OF THEIR COUNTRY DURING WW11. INTERESTING THAT THERE IS NOT A MENTION OF THE JEWS EVEN THOUGH THE AUTHOR WAS JEWISH BEFORE SHE CONVERTED TO CATHOLICISM.
Suite Francaise.......2007-10-17
This is one of the most well written compelling books I have read. The author captures the people of France (and the German soldiers) at their most vulnerable, describing them so vividly that you believe them to be real; capturing their faults, their courage and their desire for peace. Her descriptive language brings the country side to life...you can almost smell the flowers. Most importantly, as I read the book I was haunted by the fact that this author, who had so much to live for, was killed shortly after this story was written. I found it amazing that she could convey with such tenderness the raw detail & complexity of the people of France during the early war years knowing that her life was so obviously at risk.
Deeply Moving and Evocative.......2007-10-16
This posthumously published pair of Novellas deserves all of the praise being heaped upon it by all of the reviewers below. It is a remarkable portrait of real people in extraordinary circumstances.
In the First section the reader follows a mixed group of Parisians who are desperately fleeing the oncoming german army. The characterizations of people reacting differently to the stressful situation they find themselves in and the degradations they suffer is poignant and stunning.
In the second section Dolce the Germans are now an occupying force and the tension between conquerers and conquered is palpable. The way the Frrench villagers and citizens adapt to their challenging circumstances is as strong a testament to those who lived through these times as any written record.
Suite Francais is destined to become one of the classics of WWII literature. The writing is incredibly beautiful even in translation.
"Based on true history...".......2007-10-14
The history behind the author of the book is what appealed to me, but the story lines kept me entertained to the end. Some parts dragged, but for the most part, the characters were very relateable and it is interesting to see how their lives intertwined in fictional WWII France. The fictional occupation and end to the war in France portrayed by the author in some ways leaves you hanging but also conveys what the uncertainties and tragedy of war can be like.
Book Description
Comprehensive German II includes 30 additional lessons (16 hrs.), plus Readings, which build upon the language skills acquired in Level I. Increased spoken and reading language ability.
Level II will double your vocabulary and grammatical structures while increasing your spoken proficiency exponentially. Upon completion of a Level II, you will be able to:
* engage in fuller conversations involving yourself, your family, daily activities, interests and personal preferences,
* combine known elements into increasingly longer sentences and strings of sentences,
* create with language and function in informal situations,
* deal with concrete topics in the past, present, and future,
* meet social demands and limited job requirements,
* begin reading for meaning.
Note: In order for the Pimsleur Method to work correctly, you must first complete the Level I language program before proceeding to the Level II language program.
Customer Reviews:
Too much money!!!! .......2007-09-25
Get the Baron's course, Super boring conversations repeated over and over.
Too much english is spoken. Get a Peter Maffay cd
Every bit as good as Pimsleur German I.......2005-10-20
Pimsleur Language Programs products are among the best-selling audio language courses available. `Organic learning' seeks to approximate the conditions in which ordinary language-learning takes place. The process is almost entirely aural, supplemented only minimally-or at the student's discretion, not at all-by reference to reading lessons after each half-hour lesson.
Clearly, Dr. Pimsleur and his disciples-I use the word advisedly, as a glance at promotional and instructional materials will demonstrate-have done their pedagogical homework. Utilizing the spectacular power of the brain for on-the-hoof language analysis and replication, the Pimsleur Language Programs lure their listeners into meaning-rich dialogues, providing only the information required for one to respond. The closest thing to a grammatical concept that a student hears is a brief warning that `this is the form used with feminine words'. Yet with a little effort, the student intuits her way to the correct and timely use of all that grammar describes.
This is an extremely productive approach at the level of basic conversational skills that is the bread and butter of Pimsleur's products. The course writers have found just the level at which to challenge the student without counterproductive frustration. One is encouraged to achieve 80% control of a unit before moving on. Many students will accomplish this in most units on the first try. Yet the approach in these three volumes is never simplistic, reducing the urge to be somewhere else or engaged in a more advanced section to the vanishing point.
Pimsleur Language Programs has populated websites with two highly sellable language-learning concepts: the `principle of anticipation' and `graduated interval recall'. The former refers to the interval during which the student is challenged to retrieve information to which he has been exposed, occasionally take some small step in the processing of it, and then utilize that information in a response. PLP has refined just the right intervals to facilitate prompt but unhurried responses.
`Graduated interval recall' refers to the time lag between the initial learning of a language component and its subsequent reintroduction in a new conversation. Here, too, the Pimsleur method shows its debt to years of practice and research. By my lights, they do this perfectly.
Regionally and socially, PLP's German course(s) aim at an `educated' dialect that will prepare the student to be conversant throughout Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
German I, II, and III are available in cassette tape and CD versions, packaged attractively and with sufficient ruggedness to survive both winter and summer Midwestern temperatures in my car.
Sehr Gut.......2005-10-06
I took two years of German in high school, which was some decades ago, and after a ski trip to Austria I decided to brush up on my German. I've bought numerous books, dvds, tapes, etc. and for learning conversational German this has been far and away the best. It's pricey, no doubt, but it's very, very well done and very user friendly. I had a professor in college who said we learn the most in an area of "just manageable difficulty". In other words, stretched and challenged but not made to despair. This is the arena the Pimsleur cd/tapes work in.
I liked this one (German II) so well, I also bought 3 and 4. Two is the most well done, the guy on three sounds a bit like he's being held against his will, but the folks on this one are engaging and pleasant. They combine techniques of having you repeat German phrases with having you answer questions in German (can be a bit challenging) and a couple of other techniques. There is a bit of the unavoidable "canned" feel to the conversations, but nowhere near as much as in other tapes I've tried. I felt like I learned a lot and on a trip to Switzerland this year I was able to understand a lot and be conversational.
As I said III and IV, especially IV are not quite so well done, but II is excellent, and a lot cheaper than the average German course at a college would be. The only thing it lacks is much help with syntax, you probably need to plow through a German grammar book on your own for that.
The best of the Pimsleur German series........2004-11-18
If you thought Pimsleur German I helped you to learn German, you really must move onto Pimsleur German II. It is, without a doubt, one of the best tools you could possibly use to progress from barely being able to get your message across to being able to express not only what you want, but what you think about things.
Both Pimsleur German I and II were updated in 2002, so they represent the best of decades of trying to perfect the language learning experience. What you will find in Pimsleur German II can't easily be found anywhere else, because it teaches you to speak the way Germans speak, complete with the little inflections that you would use without even thinking in your native language. I've never seen such things in any other program.
If you have the means, move onto Pimsleur German II as soon as possible after finishing Pimsleur German I. It will put you light years ahead in only a few short weeks.
Great.......2004-04-01
The Pimsleur Program is great. I took German in high school and in college for about 3 years, but I learned more from this CD course in just one month. I would recommend this to anyone wishing to learn the basics of a new language. I'm halfway through the Level III edition now.
Book Description
All students are not equal when it comes to the intermediate course-they all come to class with different levels of language preparation. It was because of this challenge that BRAVO! was created-and over the years it has evolved into a proven solution for student success. BRAVO! brings parity to the intermediate course, enabling students of diverse backgrounds to review first-year structures independently before delving into new material. A CHANCE TO LEVEL THE LEARNING FIELD Grammaire à réviser-a BRAVO! hallmark and a built-in course equalizer-allows students to self-assess and evaluate their readiness for each chapter's lessons. Grammaire à réviser acts as a diagnostic and/or assessment tool for both the instructor and the learner, checking for mastery of the forms and structures at hand. Those who need the review prior to class have it-and if they need more help on specific grammar points they can to the Workbook/Lab Manual (also available online on the QUIA™ platform). If they need even more help, they can access vMentor™, a FREE live online tutoring resource. Students are empowered to come to class on a more level learning field with those students who are better prepared. As a result, more time will be spent in class using the structures functionally as well as practicing new material. No other intermediate French program offers more in-text and study tools to help instructors teach and students learn-effectively bridging the gap between introductory and intermediate course.
Customer Reviews:
Horrible Book!.......2005-10-18
This textbook is difficult to use and doesn't adequately explain grammatical points, and it is not put together well. The tests with this book use idiomatic expressions and other grammatical points that aren't fully explained or expressed in the text. It doesn't offer any type of practice test program like its predecessor Rendez-vous. Personally, I don't like Rendez-vous or Bravo; the two books just don't present the material in a clear and concise manner. I would suggest to any instructor considering this book for his or her class to make another choice! Students would be better off buying a learn-it-yourself program at their local bookstore rather than taking a course with this book! If you're looking for a good intermediate French textbook consider Interaction - Révision de grammaire française 6th edition by Susan St. Onge, Ronald St. Onge, and Katherine Kulick. For advanced grammatical studies I recommend La Grammaire à l'oeuvre 5th edition by John Barson. Both of these wonderful books are published by Thomson-Heinle.
Muyskens, harlow,vialet,Briere, Bravo 3th,Ed. Boston: Heine&.......2002-01-24
It's a french book I need to buy.
Book Description
Of the 20-plus cookbooks Jacques Pépin has written, Chez Jacques is his most personal and engaging. Now starring in his tenth PBS series, Pépin ranks among AmericaÂ's most beloved cooking teachers, and this book shows us why.
The bookÂ's 100 recipes—for soups and appetizers, main courses, side dishes, and desserts—are PépinÂ's own favorites among the thousands he has created over a lifetime of cooking. Using readily available ingredients and relying upon familiar techniques, these are the dishes he makes when preparing food at his Connecticut home. But Chez Jacques is more than a collection of well-liked recipes; itÂ's also a captivating sentimental journey. Each dish is introduced by a recollection—of picking dandelion greens for a spring salad, of buying fresh eggs from the local farmer—that invites readers to share in the traditions and rituals of PépinÂ's most intimate circle.
This treasury of great food, lore, and memory is exquisitely illustrated with a sampling of PépinÂ's paintings, as well as hundreds of color photographs of the finished dishes and of Pépin in all his “natural habitats”—pitching boules with a group of friends, savoring a glass of chilled rosé in the afternoon sun, painting landscapes, designing menus, and, of course, working in his kitchen.
Customer Reviews:
Chez Jacques.......2007-09-14
Wonderful, uncomplicated recipes beautiful photographs of dishes. Gorgeous photos of his artwork and graphics. Overall a lovely volume that you will find yourself using again and again.
Haute Cuisine made simple.......2007-08-23
A beautiful illustrated cookbook for a very decent price. Jacques Pepin effectively merges French cooking with American cuisine. His recipes are easy to follow and their success is grounded in the simplicity Pepin uses in his cooking.
"Chez Jacques" is one of our favorite cookbooks. If you like Gordon Ramsey and Emeril, this is a book you should have a peek at.
Try the tortilla pizza! Heavenly!
A. Fontaine, PA
excellent value.......2007-07-28
Great book at a REAL savings. The price at a local bookstore was $15 higher for the identical book.
A lovely coffee table book, but..........2007-06-20
Lots of pretty photos and some pleasant chit chat from Pepin, but not a great cookbook. The recipes are pretty basic and I'm guessing you've seen them elsewhere. This book is really geared towards fans.
Pepin is great and he deserves all the praise he gets but I regret buying this particular book.
Like a conversation with Monsieur Pepin.......2007-05-25
Leafing through this book is like sitting down and having a long conversation with Monsieur Pepin. His knowledge and charm are in every delightful story about how and why he loves a particular dish, from fried chicken to escargot, and the photography by Tom Hopkins is superb. Together they have created a coffee table book that you will want to have on your lap more than on your table... preferably with a glass of rose on the side. I highly, highly recommend this book.
Book Description
-Repetition of excerpts of complete conversations
-French language rules explained in a simple way
-CDs with booklet containing actual transcripts of French natives with the translations
-Color-coding shows what is and what is not pronounced in spoken French
Learning a foreign language is typically a very frustrating experience. After spending countless hours in a classroom environment, most find that they are still unable to comprehend "real world" French as it is naturally spoken between native French people.
To learn a language one has to develop speaking as well as understanding skills. What to do first is a matter of choice. To learn a few sentences to get by is good but to understand what's coming back to you is also important. Besides developing your speaking abilities, SmartFrench will develop your listening skills, which will raise your confidence to speak naturally (Just learning basic sentences will make you sound too "proper"). For better progress, this process of speaking and understanding should be done simultaneously and the sooner the better, right at the beginner level. If you go to France soon, SmartFrench will help you tremendously. You will feel "connected".
Some people think that developing understanding skills should be a part of the beginner level training. With these CDs you will learn how to understand and speak. A beginner is naturally not expected to be able to understand dialogs at real speed right away, but with a little patience, you will soon feel more and more confident about your ability to "talk" French just by learning how to recognize the "rhythm" of the language and its predictable patterns.
Customer Reviews:
smart french.......2007-10-16
This was a bit more than I was prepared for, the first conversation turned me off as it was a dialog on smoking, one I felt I would not encounter on my travels. I chose to return it and chose a more generalized course that appeared to be better at teaching me vocabulary with dialogs. Much harder than described for a beginner.
For me, the best course to learn french.......2007-10-15
I found what I was looking for!! Finally, here is a course that told me how to speak French! What a difference it makes! I am finally learning French! It might be a little difficult for the true beginner but I wish I had bought it sooner. It's better to get it right away, practice with it once and eventually keep it preciously for later. You will not find such a nice product on the market very often.
Wonderful and innovative with great results.......2007-10-03
Great course! The progress I have made just after two weeks of studying is incredible. Last time I studied French was 10 years ago in college. I retained some grammar and a small vocabulary. Three months ago, I renewed my interest in improving my French. I have learned a lot of new words and phrases on my own. However, comprehension was the elusive part which to me was the MOST important. After researching all available learning courses (took me two weeks of reading and going to various stores), I had finally found "Smart French." After exploring the website and listening to the demo, I was convinced this was a great product.
I have been studying the CDs for the past 2 weeks and I cannot believe the change in my listening and comprehension! My biggest frustration has always been the inability to separate the words and phrases in spoken French. Now, I can listen and discern TF1 news reports and interviews (I can actually understand what Thierry Henry is saying!). On top of that, my speech has changed - my French has acquired a melody and tone to it that surprised even my French speaking friends. I spend 2 hrs a day listening and repeating; to the point that I can feel the muscles in my face being `trained' to move in a different way. No other French class had such results for me. The phonetics I was taught in college sound primitive and crude in comparison to the way I am learning to speak now.
If you want to learn 10-20 "plastic" phrases so you can find a bathroom in Paris - buy a $5 phrasebook and don't waste your time and money. If you don't want to spend time, work hard and dedicate yourself to learning - hire an interpreter.
Learning a foreign language is 10% talent and 90% work. You still have to learn words, phrases and grammar but you don't need expensive CDs for that. Purchase some books and a dictionary, and study, study, study. Any idiot can do that.
"Smart French" has what you cannot get from books - live language - spoken by French people (from France). Not a 100 pre-packaged phrases in Canadian, North African or American accents which many other products use.
There was a comment regarding the sound quality which is completely without merit. There's nothing wrong with the microphone. The teaching part is recorded with crisp studio sound and the actual conversation reflects the natural sound. What you are hearing is exactly what you hear when you are speaking to people in real life - it is very important to learn to understand people in a natural environment.
Those who leave bad reviews are looking for some sort of magic - maybe watched `Matrix' too many times. Foreign languages are learned through studying; not downloaded into the brain while you sleep.
I recommend "Smart French" to everyone, advanced as well as beginners. A very basic knowledge of French would help the beginner student to better appreciate this course but it's never too early to study with "Smart French."
It Isn't 'Smart' to Have to Guess........2007-09-17
As a French instructor, I can say that it isn't 'smart' not to understand what the native speakers are babbling on the CDs. In order to truly learn to speak French (or any language for that matter) you must first 'understand'. Also, the amount vocabulary presented in this course is low.
A much clearer and better alternative to 'Unsmart French' is Behind the Wheel French 8 CDs which offers a clear English translation for every native speaker's word. Behind the Wheel French (8 CD Course) (Behind the Wheel)
Furthermore, this same 8CD course is available with a great book (also in French with English translations, explanations, etc ...) Behind the Wheel French 1 Revised/Complete Illustrated Text & CD Script/Answer Keys/8 One Hour Audio CDs
Best in French learning to you.
SmartSpanish CDs.......2007-09-16
I started studying Spanish 20 years ago when I was a union organizer for the Roofers. I took some college correspondence courses. A few years later I left that job to work as a pipefitter.
When I quit organizing, I decided to continue to study Spanish on my own. I bought all the typical educational tapes, the ones where you repeat a
sentence after the voice on the tape. I started reading Spanish nearly every night, to increase my vocabulary. I read one or two Spanish novels a month, depending on how much time I have.
I recently started to work on big, overtime constructions jobs. The past
year I have been on big jobs in Texas, where at least half the workers on
the job speak Spanish. Some speak both English and Spanish, but a lot of the workers speak only Spanish.
I quickly discovered a few things:
One, I had a great Spanish vocabulary. I am like a walking Spanish
dictionary. I'd say I've a bigger vocabulary than 80% of the Spanish
speaking guys on the job. Spanish speaking guys often ask me for the most
correct Spanish word for certain things.
Secondly, I discovered I couldn't understand anything spoken in spanish. There is a lot of slang, but that wasn't the problem. When somebody said something, or when I listened to someone talking on a spanish TV program, a spoken sentence or paragraph sounded like one long, hundred sylable word. It all ran together, I pick up a work here or there, it sounded like it always did before I learned any spanish.
And thirdly, when I spoke spanish to anyone, it was as if I were looking words up in the spanish dictionary and talking, slowly, haltingly.
These cds were like the missing piece of my spanish education. I'm not even done with the first set yet, since I am working 7 days a week, 10 or 12 hours a day. But shortly after starting listening to the cds, playing them over a few times, my listening comprehension increase dramatically. This is really a major turning point for me. The more I can understand by listening,the more spanish idioms and slang I learn. Now, turning on the TV and watching a spanish movie is a learning experience for me. Listening to guys talking at work is a learning experience, since I can understand them. I am now conversing much more on the job, with much more confidence.
Again, I believe these cds were the key. What a great product. I wish I had them years ago. Though I have the Spanish CDs I am posting this review here because I believe listening comprehension is an important key to learning any language.-Greg
Book Description
In her own words, here is the captivating story of Julia Child’s years in France, where she fell in love with French food and found ‘her true calling.’
From the moment the ship docked in Le Havre in the fall of 1948 and Julia watched the well-muscled stevedores unloading the cargo to the first perfectly soigné meal that she and her husband, Paul, savored in Rouen en route to Paris, where he was to work for the USIS, Julia had an awakening that changed her life. Soon this tall, outspoken gal from Pasadena, California, who didn’t speak a word of French and knew nothing about the country, was steeped in the language, chatting with purveyors in the local markets, and enrolled in the Cordon Bleu.
After managing to get her degree despite the machinations of the disagreeable directrice of the school, Julia started teaching cooking classes herself, then teamed up with two fellow gourmettes, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, to help them with a book they were trying to write on French cooking for Americans. Throwing herself heart and soul into making it a unique and thorough teaching book, only to suffer several rounds of painful rejection, is part of the behind-the-scenes drama that Julia reveals with her inimitable gusto and disarming honesty.
Filled with the beautiful black-and-white photographs that Paul loved to take when he was not battling bureaucrats, as well as family snapshots, this memoir is laced with wonderful stories about the French character, particularly in the world of food, and the way of life that Julia embraced so wholeheartedly. Above all, she reveals the kind of spirit and determination, the sheer love of cooking, and the drive to share that with her fellow Americans that made her the extraordinary success she became.
Le voici. Et bon appétit!
Download Description
Julia Child was born in Pasadena, California. She was graduated from Smith College and worked for the OSS during World War II in Ceylon and China, where she met Paul Child. After they married they lived in Paris, where she studied at the Cordon Bleu and taught cooking with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, with whom she wrote the first volume of Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961). In 1963, Boston’s WGBH launched The French Chef television series, which made her a national celebrity, earning her the Peabody Award in 1965 and an Emmy in 1966. Several public television shows and numerous cookbooks followed. She died in 2004.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Missing Julia.......2007-08-05
I just finished this book, and I am unashamed to say I have shed tears for the loss of this great woman. I am discovering the art of cooking later in life, as Julia did, and she has helped give me the courage I am needing to change careers and attend culinary arts training this spring. What a marvelous book, I felt that I was there with her in her "la belle France" and wish that I could have had the opportunity to spend time in the kitchen with her. You will not be disappointed in this fantastic read.
Great Read.......2007-07-27
This book was so enjoyable to read! I was fascinated by this look into post-war France, and into Julia's world there. It made me wish I would have know her and understand why it seems that everyone who knew her, loved her.
One thing I thought was fun was her encyclopedic recall of various meals they enjoyed, including the wine vintage.
You'll also love hearing how she came to write her first cookbook and become a host of her own show on PBS. For those of us who are over 40, it's also great to note that the most interesting parts of her life didn't even begin until then.
French Food as Accessible Art Form Thanks to Julia.......2007-07-20
My Life in France gives the reader a glimpse into the extraordinary and elegant life of Julia Child. The memoir adds another dimension to Julia the TV persona and looks beyond the lighthearted image. Indeed, beyond Julia's fun spirit was an unbelievable level of meticulous research and above all, fearlessness and stamina. My Life in France is a delight to read for anyone who wishes to understand the origin of Julia's passion for French cooking and her ability to transform one's vision of and taste for fine food. My Life in France
A must-read for any foodie.......2007-07-15
This has risen to the top of my favorite books list. It's so well written, with plenty of imagery and descriptive language that I felt I was in Julia's kitchen with her. I learned quite a bit about her relationship with her husband and both their careers. The best was reading about how the recipes and the books were written.
If you are planning to write a cook book or are very interested in cooking and chefs, you should definitely buy this book.
It's a Wonderful Life in France!.......2007-07-04
'My Life in France' is a superb book that effuses with that wonderful endearing quality we have all come to know and love in Julia Child. The book focuses mainly on the early years of developing her first cookbooks and television show.
The book begins when she and her husband, Paul, make their first trip to France because of his new job assignment. You feel her giddy excitement upon landing on the shores of a place she had for so long desired to go. We hear in minute detail the look, smell and taste of her first French meal, and from there we are introduced to "La Belle France". Before I began the book, I wondered for how long I could sustain reading each night about a person's breakfast, lunch or dinner meal that had been eaten 50 years prior, but Julia has such an adorable way of speaking, and her sometimes child-like observations of life and people around her are so heartwarming, you just wish you had been there. As the book progresses, she speaks about her collaboration with two women for her first book, and sometimes the claws come out. You're thinking, "Julia!" But, as with all friendships, there are things that agree with us and things that don't. Without some of these tidbits, the book may have been too trite, or frankly boring. Subsequently, it was interesting to hear of the minor squabbles that occurred between the women and the simple controversies concerning her husband and his role as a "diplomat". Paul and Julia Child made many friends overseas, whom they adored and loved. The majority of these people stayed in her inner circle until the end of their lives. For me, night after night, I couldn't wait to sit down and read about so many dinner parties with simmering meats and side dishes, lovely conversations, and eccentric friends. The only thing I didn't like about the book is that it ended too quickly, and I found myself missing the evenings with Julia.
Book Description
Comprehensive French I includes 30 lessons of essential grammar and vocabulary -- 16 hours of real-life spoken practice sessions -- plus an introduction to reading.
Customer Reviews:
GREAT INTRO FOR THE FIRST-TIMER!!.......2007-04-23
I have an extremely limited ability with the French language. While written foreign language comes a lot simpler to me, this set of lessons has given me an insight into the speaking side of the language. This course is a wonderful introduction to pronounciation. It also gives basic sentences and/or phrases to get any one started on speaking the language.
While no course is perfect for all who wish to learn, this is a good, basic set of lessons for those who plan to spend a significant amount of time in France on business, travel, or for someone who plans to move to France. Most certainly dedication is the key. With practice, once you get to your destination, you will have enough knowledge and comfort with French to continue speaking to others on your own.
Comparative review of three recorded French Courses .......2007-03-25
This review is a comparison of three very different recorded French courses - Pimsleur, Behind the Wheel French 2 and French with Michel Thomas Intermediate/Advanced.
I have tried and failed several times at learning a foreign language but, when I started working for a French company, I decided to try one more time. I was attracted to Pimsleur because of its promise to focus on the basics, and I was not disappointed.
The approach taken by Pimsleur is to introduce you to a word or phrase in English and then have it repeated several times by an expert speaker of French, punctuated with long pauses so you can listen and repeat. In this way, the course takes you through typical basic situations - going to a restaurant, finding a doctor, working in an office, making travel arrangements, buying items with Euros, etc. New words and concepts are gradually introduced along the way and each session loops back to remind you of things you learned on earlier CDs. I especially liked the great effort that is put into making sure you clearly hear each word, even to the point of painstakingly breaking down words and phrases into separate syllables. This is especially important for English-speakers who may have trouble with French pronunciation. I also liked the fact that the course never dumped a lot of things on you to learn at once - for example, numbers are introduced a few at a time in natural situations such as telling time or counting change. The same is true of days of the week and months of the year. This is a very intelligent way to help people learn large categories of words.
Each learning unit (French I, French II and French III) consists of about 30 CDs, each of which is about ½ hour in duration. There is also reading material so that the student can see in writing the words and phrases that are being said out loud on the CDs. The expectation built into the Pimsleur course is that you will listen to one CD a day and then move on to the next. For me, I found that I often had to listen to the same CD three, four or more times before I felt comfortable moving on to the next. For that reason, it took me over a year to get through French I, II and III instead of 90 days. But by the time I was through, I had a basic grasp of the language and had even gone to Paris and managed my way through a couple of simple conversations in French.
As another reviewer said, however, you can't expect miracles with this course. You can take all three units and go to a French movie or watch French TV, and still understand very little. It prepares you for basic survival in a French speaking country - not much more. The Pimsleur course includes very little technical explanation of what you are learning or the rules of grammar. A small irritant is the fact that the 30-minute CDs are not broken into separate tracks. But overall I was very pleased with how well the Pimsleur technique helped me remember words and basic sentence structure, mostly in the present tense.
For me, the biggest negative is that there is no Pimsleur French IV! So once I got through the first three courses and decided I wanted to keep learning via the Pimsleur method, there was nowhere to go! That's why I was forced to switch to a different instruction method, so I purchased the Intermediate versions of both Behind the Wheel French and French with Michel Thomas to help me get to the next level.
I found that Behind the Wheel French is a very different course from Pimsleur. It's basic philosophy is that you should learn by listening - as you did when you were a child learning your native tongue - and not be instructed on lots of grammatical details. So, a lot of the material consists of what I'm tempted to call an "audio phrase book," with an English speaker saying something followed by a French speaker saying the same thing - there's not a lot of repetition or "looping back" as with Pimsleur. You may hear a word or phrase and then never hear it again, so you don't get the reinforcing effect. Also, I could not always understand the native speaker's words and there is often not enough time allowed in the recording for the listener to repeat. But there are some real special nuggets in Behind the Wheel French. In particular, I liked the story-telling segments where they first slowly go through a simple story told in English, with each sentence repeated in French. Then, the native speaker retells the entire story in French at a normal pace - this is great for educating your ear to understand French as it is heard in normal usage. There is a similar very nice feature where the speaker will go through the same narrative in the present tense, the past tense and then the future tense - very useful to hear exactly how words change depending on the tense. Behind the Wheel French also includes some practical information about social situations in France, some slang and colloquialisms, and LOTS of vocabulary.
French with Michel Thomas is yet again a very different course - it is serious instruction for serious students. That said, Michel Thomas does everything he can to make it easy, including his opening admonition against workbooks and homework. The format consists of Michel Thomas (a very charming and witty guy) working with two students who are probably no better at French than you are. Thomas is very relaxed and is a superstar at coming up with clever tricks, tips and concepts to help you remember how to navigate this language that has 18 tenses. Lots of things that I could not figure out from the other courses are thoroughly and clearly explained by Michel Thomas.
So which course would I recommend? My experience with Pimsleur convinced me that it is the best foundational course. It will give you the basics in a very thorough disciplined manner that you can easily follow - expensive but worth every penny. Michel Thomas is a must for anyone who is seriously interested in becoming proficient at this language, because he is extraordinarily skillful at getting technical grammar concepts across without actually calling it grammar. Michel Thomas is the next best thing to having a private tutor and his course complements Pimsleur very effectively by providing lots of explanation. The Behind the Wheel French is great for improving your ear and building vocabulary, but it is hard to imagine that anyone could become conversational in French with this program.
The funnest way to learn a language.......2007-01-30
I have to say that Pimsleur has to be the most enjoyable french learning course out there. Each 30 minute lesson is set up in a way that it moves fast and adds dialog at an easy to grasp and progressive pace. I find that it sinks in quickly and stays pretty well. This course doesn't feel robotic at all, it has a comforting warmth to it. Don't think I'm strange, but the speakers on the lessons have become this sort of odd French family of mine. Every evening I settle down for a pleasant half hour conversation with my little French family, they say some things and I respond. I say some things and they respond back. Sometimes we don't always understand each other, but they're always happy to repeat it for me and I find as the lessons progress we understand each other more and more. I highly recommend this course for a pleasant and enjoyable language learning experience. There is also a five minutes a day lesson on how to read and pronounce French words. Pimsleur French is the original Pimsleur course that was released and it makes me happy.
Quickly learn to speak & understand simple French.......2006-12-05
During each 20-30 min lesson, you interact with a speaker - asking/answering about 120 questions. The information is repeated at just the right time so you easily remember it later. There is a booklet with reading exercises (and audio) for lessons 10-30.
The CDs provide a natural way to learn the language thru interaction. You don't memorize verb congregations or vocabulary out of a book, but instead learn them thru use in many practice conversations. I have enjoyed this approach because each day I can see a difference and it almost seems effortless (not like studying).
I have already purchased and stared French II and will to continue with French III.
The learning curve compared to my classroom language class (I took Spanish in High School and College) is dramatic! I cannot speak any Spanish based on those three years, but after a month with these CDs I can confidently speak and understand simple French and had a great time traveling in France this year.
I also purchased an iPod Nano so I could practice while walking the dog and traveling. Mostly I listen in the car to/from work.
If you are unsure, I recommend taking the path I took and purchase the $20 set of lessons 1-10 first.
Only 8 New CDs, not 16 as promised!!!.......2006-11-21
Do not buy this language CD. I was really disappointed with this product. It promised 16 new CDs for French I, but the first 8 CDs were exact repeats of the Pimsleur Instant Conversation CD's that I already had (which cost $50.00). So After paying $271.00 for French I, I expected new lessons not repeated lessons from Instant Conversation.
I had to return the product to Amazon and am still waiting for my refund (minus the shipping costs which Amazon does not refund.) I will not be buying another Pimsleur language tape, this is such a rip.
Book Description
The beloved actor and screenwriter’s first novel, set during World War I, delicately and elegantly explores a most unusual romance. It’s almost the end of the war and Paul Peachy, a young railway employee and amateur actor in Milwaukee, realizes his marriage is one-sided. He enlists, and ships off to France. Peachy instantly realizes how out of his depth he is—and never more so than when he is captured. Risking everything, Peachy—who as a child of immigrants speaks German—makes the reckless decision to impersonate one of the enemy’s most famous spies.
As the urbane and accomplished spy Harry Stroller, Peachy has access to a world he could never have known existed—a world of sumptuous living, world-weary men, and available women. But when one of those women—Annie, a young, beautiful and wary courtesan—turns out to be more than she seems, Peachy’s life is transformed forever.
Customer Reviews:
A Very Sensual Nuance!!!.......2007-09-26
Though the novel (length-wise) lacks a certain depth, the sensual interchange between Peachy and Annie is very provocative even in something as simple as a haircut. All of Wilder's works since the Richard Pryor days, seem to have this since of sensitivity that empathizes with the human condition. The creativity and adventure of this story is definitely worth a 5!!!
All's Fair in Love and War........2007-09-22
Gene Wilder has written a beautiful book with a simplicity of language that is rare. This is a book you can read quickly but don't let the size fool you. It deals with big issues like love and loyality and integrity and honour. I gave it only 3 stars because it was so small and easy-to-read and yet the price is hefty.
The ending is poignant and restrained.
A Treasure.......2007-08-18
This book is so simple and straightforward in its writing. Somehow, with a few broad strokes, Wilder creates rich, believable characters who embody the complexity of the human experience. The main character, Peachy, was fascinating -- disarmingly human and familiar. There is such honesty in how Peachy reports his experiences in his notebook. There is no pretension of being able to understand how and why he responds to events as he does.
Wilder proves himself to be a great storyteller -- I found it hard to put the book down. The story is full of surprises, intrigue and humor.
This is a wonderful love story, not just about the love between a man and a woman, but about love itself.
A Real Quickie.......2007-06-19
A real quickie...a short story/play for those who know life can change in an instant...a delightful read.
Little gem........2007-06-12
Don't let the small size fool you. Inside there is a big book about life and about a coward with a big courage to live.
As mentioned before, an awesome breather for some reading groups.
Quick, enjoyable, one sitting read. I love it, including the title.
Yeah,It's a little pricey gem, so I'm cutting off one star for that.
Get in the sharing spirit! It also makes a nice gift.
Book Description
From two acclaimed, award-winning restaurants came two of the most acclaimed, award-winning cookbooks ever published—now packaged together in a luxurious slipcased boxed set, the ideal gift for any food lover.
First there was French Laundry in Napa Valley, setting a new standard for American fine dining. Then there was The French Laundry Cookbook, setting a new standard for American cookbooks. In 1998, Chef Keller opened Bouchon, “so that I’d have a place to eat after cooking all night at the French Laundry,” and that restaurant, too, gave birth to a groundbreaking cookbook. Now, fifteen years after Thomas Keller first set foot in what would become a landmark restaurant, these two extraordinary books are offered in a striking new slipcased edition. With this year’s opening of the Bouchon Bakery in New York City, and last year’s momentous Michelin guide that awarded Keller’s Per Se the top honors, Keller is increasingly in the limelight—and his inventive, delicious food is increasingly in the consciousness of a national audience. The Complete Keller is the perfect gift for anyone who loves fine food.
Customer Reviews:
This can only be described as "food porn".......2007-03-24
These books are outstanding - the level of description, the quality of the books themselves, the full color pictures of what the dishes look like... I gave it as a Valentine's Day gift to my girlfriend who loves them - and keeps calling the books "Food Porn".
Great Delivery.......2007-01-18
Service was great. I recieved the package 2 days after i ordered it. Everything turned out great and I apprechiate it.
Excellent Books...not for Beginners.......2007-01-14
Having been to both Bouchon and The French Laundry makes these two volumes even more special. We have made a few of the recipes, but recommend perfecting them yourself before entertaining...they can be quite challenging! Great pictures too...a must have for the serious cook that wants to try and imitate Keller, and a great memory if you have been to the restaurants!
Possibly The Best Contemporary Cookbook.......2007-01-10
Although probably not for the casual home cook these books are perfect for those interested in preparing fresh food correctly and with patience. I myself am a young cook in the food industry and have gleened much knowledge from both The French Laundry and Bouchon. Bouchon, being the more accessible of the pair, probably offers more for the home cook. Yet being able to cross-reference the two is exciting and insightful, and gives one a look at how Keller came to be one of the greatest chef's in the world.
Food Porn.......2006-12-06
That is probably the best way to describe these cookbooks. They are a beautiful, sumptious feast for the eye and palate. The techniques that are taught are so valuable you will find yourself using them when not using either of these cookbooks. The pages are beautiful and glossy.The recipes, are beautifully laid out step by step. There has been criticism that Keller's cookbooks are almost too nice to use. I beg to differ. As with everything Thomas Keller does, these too are first class.
Book Description
A classic in the field of sustainable gardening, HOW TO GROW MORE VEGETABLES shows how to produce a beautiful organic garden with minimal watering and care, whether it's just a few tomatoes in a tiny backyard or enough food to feed a family of four on less than half an acre. Updated with the latest biointensive tips and techniques, this is an essential reference for gardeners of all skill levels seeking to grow some or all of their own food.
Customer Reviews:
A good book with surplus pages.......2007-08-16
This is a definitive guide to the Bio- Intensive method of growing vegetables. It is well written, and you can see that a lot of time and effort are behind the concepts presented here.
Two things bother me; There`s an almost 100- page bibliography included in the book!? Couldn`t it have been put up on a website or something, instead of just making the book (look) bigger and thicker? The second issue is that I find it always a bit irritating when a lot of equipment or systems get mentioned in a book, but to get their specifics or plans you must buy another book. Maybe the plans for the U- bar or for the mini- greenhouse could have fitted on those bibliography pages?
Anyways, the four stars is for the part where the actual system gets described.
It's not easy, but it's brilliant and could save the world.......2007-05-22
I am impressed at how many people misunderstand the purpose of this book. It's not just a gardening book. It lays out a comprehensive guide to growing the most food you can on the least amount of land in the most sustainable way -- meaning the way that is, on an ongoing basis into perpetuity, most healthy both for your family, your land, and the wider world. All those things are connected, and maintaining the connection is part of what the book and authors are all about.
The title means what it says, and they tell you exactly how to do it, basing their recommendations on the work of the organization that publishes the book, Ecology Action. They have been growing experimental gardens and conducting detailed research over the past 35 years. In succeeding editions of "How to Grow More Vegetables" they summarize their continuing research for those interested in personally benefiting from their methods and discoveries.
Some may object to the excruciatingly detailed charts and plans. Some of us find them a godsend. Regardless of what we think of them, they are the outgrowth of years of research and are intended to help, not just backyard gardeners in the US, but people in Kenya, India, Russia, Mexico, and other places around the world, whose lives and livelihoods, not to mention the health of their environment, may depend on maximizing their yields while minimizing their purchased inputs and water usage.
The central fact underlying this method is this: the only way to achieve the highest sustainable yields is to build and feed your soil, and the only way to build your soil without taking away fertility from someone else's soil (through purchased inputs such as compost, fertilizer, etc.) is to make and use your own compost. This book explains why, and shows you how. It works.
Though we are still shielded from it in the US, the world is facing a potentially devastating loss of agricultural fertility due to a combination of squandered topsoil (lost through both development and abuse by chemicals and poor tillage practices), water shortages, and soaring prices and reduced availability of fossil fuels (which power the farm equipment, get it to market, and form the basis of most chemical fertilizers). Years ago, Ecology Action set out to discover in a rational and scientific way, just how much land and labor it would take to grow the amount of food, properly balanced for calories and nutrition, required by one person for one year. Could a family of four truly feed itself from a 1200 square foot garden if it had to, or wanted to? How much work and water would it take? How much fertilizer would they have to buy? Could they grow their own fertilizer? What tools would they need? What about fiber for clothing? Building materials? Animal feed?
The "How to Grow More Vegetables" books answer those questions, and much, much more. As the years go by, (and with each succeeding food contamination scandal) more of us, even in the US, are realizing just how important those questions are. You may not need or want all the information in this book. But it is all there, and nowhere else that I am aware of, for those who do want it.
This book could save the world, if only the world would pay attention. But it will also show you how to grow fabulous, tasty vegetables with less water, less work, less weeding, less money.
Are you into numbers?.......2007-05-12
I like John Jeavons and his book is very useful. However, I'm not into calculating and figuring every square inch in the garden with tables/charts. I enjoy growing for the freedom of spirit it provides. This book although very useful, feels very constrictive. Not to mention EVERY page has at least 5 mentions of "Grow Biointensive". I felt like a was reading a long drawn out advertisement. Enough John, say it in the intro and then leave us alone to enjoy the book. If we weren't interested in your method we wouldn't be reading your book.
This is a great book.......2007-05-04
I had an earlier edition of this book that I used as an introduction to high intensity gardening. I love the book because gives technical information on such things as soil pH, soil preparation, plant spacing, and crop yields. It probably is not a book for people that do not enjoy the technical aspects of gardening; those wanting only a quick fix approach. I have ordered the 7th edition.
California Vegetarians .......2007-03-05
I have gardened organically for over 30 years, and always love to read good gardening books hoping to learn more. Unfortunately this book is so very focused on being totally vegetarian that they do not even recommend animal manures to be used in compost. I feel that they have totally ignored the natural cycles of birth - death - decomposition - and rebirth. A quote that says it all is, "Everything that eats is in turn eaten". That includes plants that feed on the remains of other plants, insects, or algae and bacteria. The author overlooks the fact that there are no total vegetarians in nature. Even grazers, gorillas, and great whales ingest insects or micro-fauna along with their grass, leaves, and plankton.
Books:
- Teach Yourself Hindi Complete Course Package (Book + 2CDs) (Teach Yourself Language Complete Courses)
- Teach Yourself Indonesian Complete Course Audiopack
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America's Leading Design Firm
- The Concise Oxford English-Arabic Dictionary of Current Usage (Dictionary) (Dictionary)
- The Earliest English: An Introduction to Old English Language (Learning About Language)
- The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book)
- The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book)
- The Kanji Dictionary
- The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner: Worksheets, Checklists, Etiquette, Calendars, and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Certification Exam Review: The Pharmacy Technician Series
- Wordsworth: A Life
- Statements of Financial Accounting Concepts: Accounting Standards 1994-95
- The Lost Weekend
- Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don't Learn
- World of Warcraft: Monster Guide
- White Bicycles: Making Music in the 1960s
- Depreciation and Wasting Assets and Their Treatment in Assessing Annual Profit and Loss
- The Misunderstood Economy: What Counts and How to Count it
- The Zigzag Way: A Novel
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Water for Elephants: A Novel
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)
![German II, 3rd Ed. (Comp.) [CD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21M8P4Y3XEL.jpg)
