Skels: A Novel

Book Description

Lyrical, violent, and surprisingly passionate, Skels is an inventive yet realistic portrait of the urban underworld from a paramedic's point of view. The story is based on an unusual idea: What would happen if the ambulance world was permeated with the works of past authors, and the homeless patients (the "skels") carried the consciousness of the writers? What would a paramedic do if she met a great poet, dirty and covered with lice, and was granted the chance to save him — not from dying but from his own life? A funny, gritty urban thriller, Skels pits corrupt cops, bumbling firemen, drunken softball tournaments, and careening transvestites against this surreal literary environment, realistically portraying a New York City of 1979 rich with an ancient truth that is all but invisible from the outside. The characters within it must face brutality and illness, vengeance and despair, and find help in tenderness and the threads that connect them to the past.

Customer Reviews:

Grit and magic!.......2006-08-04

Dubris' tale of Orlie Breton, a New York paramedic, is an amazing work, full of street grittiness pulled off in such poetic language that it tempers it enough to make even the squarest reader see the beauty in the horror of urban decay and oppression. The author writes with the transcendant wonder of someone who is in love with the world, the city and humanity. This is reflected in the character, Orlie, as she moves through a world of suffering and madness.
Also, in this story are some of the most lively and vivid characters that I have seen committed to paper in a long time. For instance, Weenie, b*tchy drag queen who stuff's his bra full of jell-o. Or Neal, a guy she dates who takes acid and flips out and disappears, only to show up later in the book camping out in a yellow sumarine he constructed on top of a building in Hell's Kitchen. Even the most minor of characters, like Cat, a sketchy drug dealer who lives in a tent city and only makes a couple appearances, is so menacing that he'll stay with you long after you read it.
Things get progressively more bizarre as the story continues. Orlie's zeal for life gets her into many weird and twisted situations, both on and off the job. Things however, come to a crux after she saves the life of a cop who is out to kill a homeless street poet that she has befriended. Whom she take upon herself to hide and then help flee from the city.
If you're looking for a self-indulgent book on work, read Bukowski's "Post Office". If you want something that is raw, yet empowering, read this. Dubris is truly a tremendous human being who has put herself through the darkest of nights as paramedic and found shimmering beauty in it all. I am humbled by her ability to take us there too.

Beautiful and surreal.......2005-08-04

Although I sometimes feel like I have fallen down the rabbit hole at my job in a big city library, I have nothing on writer Maggie Dubris, an EMS/ambulance driver in 1970's New York's Hell's Kitchen, Times Square and Harlem. Although Skels is fiction and has an eerie low grade current of magic realism running throughout it, I believe in the veracity of every single word of it. As I have often commented on my own work tales: you just can't make this up.

The title comes from a word that she hears on the first day of her job in Harlem, and it is a term used to by the police and city workers to describe the panhandlers and homeless who live in the subway or abandoned buildings. She is unfamiliar with the word so when she goes home that evening she looks up the word in a dictionary.

There wasn't any actual entry for "skel." I studied the closest thing I could find.

SKELDER v. {a cant term of obscure origin}
To beg; to live by begging, esp. by passing oneself off as a wounded or disbanded soldier

Skelder. Skel. It seemed like the word had meant the same thing in medieval times. Until it fell from use and vanished like a coin in the river, lost in the muck for three hundred years, to suddenly pop up in the precincts and ambulance garages of Harlem.

Although the subject matter is lurid, Dubris' writing is haunting, beautiful and pensive. This excerpt is after she retrieves a body of a drowned blind guitar player, a homeless regular who is originally from Georgia.

Now I could see garbage floating in the sun's light; cans and soggy paper, and the black of the river was just sludge, suspended in the cold, poison water. Bodies floated under the current; gangsters who had crossed the wrong men, whores too old or too sassy, and drunks like Blind Samuels, who wandered too far from home and fell in one hot summer night. His guitar was in there somewhere, I knew it. Smashed to bits by the water. All the years of sweat and flaking skin washed away...
I thought of Blind Samuels, rolling in the deep, and all of the other men down there, the toadies and the rats and the welshers, bricks tied to their feet, the current washing the tears from their sightless eyes.

stunning surreal....... a must read.......2004-06-16

writing at its best. a great read for anyone, not just the EMS community.
Maggie Dubris is truely gifted in her writing. a true hard look at NYC and Paramedics in the early 80's from the eyes of a poetic soul.

Fishbein's Illustrated Medical and Health Encyclopedia ( unified edition ) Vol. 15 Resu- skel

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Fishbein's Illustrated Medical and Health Encyclopedia ( unified edition ) Vol. 15 Resu- skel
Morris Fishbein
Manufacturer: H S Stuttman Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VD7UZY

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Frazers Anatomy of the Human Skel 5ed
A S Breathnach
Manufacturer: J & A CHURCHILL LTD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000Q5T6KO

Remaking Liberalism: The Intellectual Legacy of Adam Shortt, O.D. Skel

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Remaking Liberalism: The Intellectual Legacy of Adam Shortt, O.D. Skel
BARRY FERGUSON
Manufacturer: See notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RQ7YH4

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Interact Skel Labpack #1 (Spanish)
Primal Pic
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Interact Skel Labpack #2 (Spanish)
Primal Pic
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Interact Skel Labpack #3 (Spanish)
Primal Pic
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Interact Skel Labpack #4 (Spanish)
Primal Pic
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Mat med historia fran medeltid till nutid: "not for sej skel"

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Mat med historia fran medeltid till nutid: "not for sej skel"
Barbro Ostlund
Manufacturer: Tre Bocker
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Swedish | More Languages | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 9170294518

Book Description

Young warrior Kral's search for the Teeth of the Ice Bear--and his assaults on those who have stolen it--have caught the attention of King Conan himself. And now, Kral and his companions must follow the trail of the Teeth through the back alley shadows of Tarantia, to the halls of King Conan, and across the seas where their greatest challenge awaits them.

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Faction Paradox: Warring States (Faction Paradox)
Mags L. Halliday
Manufacturer: Mad Norwegian Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Faction Paradox: Warlords of Utopia

Faction Paradox: Erasing Sherlock (Faction Paradox) (Faction Paradox)

Faction Paradox: Of the City of the Saved

Faction Paradox: This Town Will Never Let Us Go (Faction Paradox)

Faction Paradox: The Book of the War (Faction Paradox)

ASIN: 0972595988

Product Description

The Year of the Metal Rat has brought with it greed and self-preservation. The Everlasting Empire is dying, eaten up from within, and the young upstarts Britain and Russia are circling like carrion-birds, for crows of every nation are equally black. The peasant-sect of the Righteous Harmonious Fists attacks all foreign devils. In the capital, the ancient heart of the Empire, the Europeans are besieged by the Dragon Empress army and the blood of a thousand Christian converts runs in the gutters. When there is War in Heaven, there is War in the Land. A dagger can be concealed in a smile and this House of Paradox smiles often. Its servant here carries grief like dead petals in her hands and wakes the ancient spirits. Their anger makes the sky weep blood, and we shall all pay dearly for her trespass. This is the fourth original Faction Paradox novel.

Average customer rating:

Awesome!

I love this cookbook

light but serious

Another Great Book by Cook's Illustrated

Lackluster compared to the rest of the series

The Best Light Recipe (The Best Recipe)

Manufacturer: America's Test Kitchen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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The New Best Recipe: All-New Edition with 1,000 Recipes

The Best 30-minute Recipe: A Best Recipe Classic (Best Recipe Series)

Cover & Bake (A Best Recipe Classics)

The Best Make-Ahead Recipe (The Best Recipe)

Baking Illustrated: A Best Recipe Classic (The Best Recipe Series)

ASIN: 0936184973

Book Description

Let's face it. In America's Test Kitchen our goal has always been clear: develop the best recipe possible. Only rarely have we stopped to consider the fat or calorie content of the food we make …until now.

The Best Light Recipe is different. In response to the increasing interest from our readers to shed the same obsessive attention the right ingredients and techniques for the guaranteed foolproof recipe for lighter foods, we are pleased to offer more than 300 guaranteed foolproof full-flavored, lower fat and reduced-calorie recipes, 95% of which are completely new! Each recipe lists calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, protein, fiber and sodium per serving to help you cook smart.

From chunky guacamole to brownies, from macaroni and cheese, lasagna, and spaghetti and meatballs to blueberry muffins and even chocolate cake and cheesecake, we tested and retested our favorite recipes until we arrived at the best recipes that cut calories and fat without sacrificing flavor. We also recognized that we couldn't do the impossible- so if we weren't satisfied with the results in our kitchen, the recipe didn't make it into the book. Nor did we include recipes that relied on smoke and mirrors to reduce fat and calories, like beef stew with only a forkful of beef or cookies the size of quarters.

The Best Light Recipe, packed with more than 100 illustrations and 16 pages of full-color photos, also includes naturally healthy recipes tweaked to be even lighter and healthier, like gazpacho, poached salmon, stir-fry chicken, grilled tuna burgers, and pan-roasted asparagus. And the healthy techniques you'll learn, including using milk and cornstarch instead of cream and butter to make a simple pan sauce (trust us, it really works), or reserving the good olive oil to lightly drizzle on your pasta before serving (when you use less and get the most flavor), will last over a lifetime of healthy cooking.

The Best Light Recipe also features objective equipment ratings and ingredient tastings, from the best muffin tin and Dutch oven to the best soy sauce and chicken broth, as well as illustrated tips and techniques, from slicing flank steak for stir fries, to creating the best deep-fried crust without actually frying. In short, it is your essential guide to lighter, great-tasting recipes that deliver every time.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome!.......2007-09-21

Great book on how to cook common normally high fat high calorie dishes that are trimmed to more healthy. The mac and cheese was awesome. You'd never know it wasn't the full fat version. You will not be disappointed if you buy this book.

I love this cookbook.......2007-09-09

Everything I've made out of this cookbook tastes great. The brownies are wonderful, along with the chocolate sheet cake (to die for!), and the hummus too.

light but serious.......2007-09-01

This is an excellent recipe book for the serious cook. The instructions and explanations are thorough. I particularly appreciate the detailed review of processes and ingredients that did NOT work to convert regular high-fat recipes to low-fat versions! The only problem I have with the recipes is that at times they do require very careful attention to process. For example, the cheesecake on the cover may be delicious (I haven't made it), but the making of both the crust and the filling requires a level of finesse which looks to be beyond me. And the result is still a slice with 400 calories! The other recipes I have tried have turned out very well, however, and I am enjoying the book.

Another Great Book by Cook's Illustrated.......2007-07-22

I have made several of the recipes in this cookbook. They have been great. Recipe sections I enjoy are homemade salad dressings, soups, pan sauces for chicken and, of course, desserts! Cook's Illustrated does not compromise taste or quality in any of these recipes.

Lackluster compared to the rest of the series.......2007-06-30

I have been looking for ways to lighten up my diet, and since I love Cook's Illustrated I figured I would give their book The Best Light Recipe a try. What I found was a whole lot of inconsistency. I have tried five of the recipes so far: Chinese Chicken Salad, Meat & Cheese Lasagna, Macaroni & Cheese, Brown Sticky Rice, and New York Cheesecake. Of the five, only two were worth making again, not a very promising start. I was tempted to try the chocolate chip cookie recipe, but when they manage to cut a paltry 10 calories from each cookie, I might as well stick to the regular recipe I have.

The Chinese Chicken Salad is one of the worst I've ever had. Shredding the chicken made for a weird texture, and the dressing doesn't have nearly enough oomph to it; if I made it again, I'd do sliced grilled chicken (possibly basted with hoisin at the end of cooking) instead of their combination saute and poaching, and to the dressing I would add extra hoisin and a small splash of sesame oil (which they completely left out) to boost the flavor. Both of these will bump up the calorie count a little bit, but it's better than making a big bowl and throwing half away because you just couldn't enjoy it. Mac and cheese tasted hollow and dull, and the brown sticky rice was overcooked and dry. The lasagna was good, but to get it there I had to add more herbs, and the cheesecake recipe is one of the best cheesecakes I have had, delicious and creamy enough that if I just took a bite without knowing, I never would have guessed it had a fourth the fat of a traditional cheesecake.

I was at odds with some of the portion sizing on "makeover" recipes. Most notable was the lasagna. In The Best Recipe, the classic lasagna recipe has 1 pound of dried lasagna noodles and serves eight; in The Best Light Recipe, there are 8 ounces of dried lasagna noodles and the same size dish serves 10. Likewise, the CI classic mac & cheese recipe serves four, while a similar size light recipe serves 5. The rice portion was half the size of the same recipe in The Quick Recipe. The one recipe that escaped this fate was the cheesecake, with similar recipes both serving 12.

I wish that I could recommend this book to people, but it really doesn't shine. But the cheesecake recipe is good enough to warrant further testing of recipes. I think I would rather skip buying this book (unless I found a used copy at half price) and copy down the cheesecake recipe from the library.

Cooking Light Five Star Recipes: The Best of 10 Years

Average customer rating:

Delicious!
Good, but "The Complete Cooking Light" is even better.
Quick, tasty, and low calorie
My new favorite cookbook
I love this book!

Cooking Light Five Star Recipes: The Best of 10 Years
Leisure Arts
Manufacturer: Oxmoor House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Low Fat | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Low Salt | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0848715403

Customer Reviews:

Delicious!.......2005-06-19

This is my first Cooking Light cookbook and the recipes are wonderful. The fettucini alfredo is my favorite. Recipes are not quick, but worth the time.

Good, but "The Complete Cooking Light" is even better........2003-12-09

I love the Cooking Light cookbooks and magazine. For those of you unfamiliar with them, their cookbooks are well-organized, contain appealing photographs of many of the recipes, and include a wide variety of food types, including meatless dishes for vegetarians. In addition, most of the recipes are not overly complicated. I like too cook, but I am by no means an expert. If you're in the same boat, have no fear. You can handle most of the recipes in this book. In addition, they include helpful tips and photographs in sections where the recipes are a little bit more complicated. And for those of us who are health-conscious, they also include a thorough nutritional analysis in fine print after every recipe (e.g. calories, fat, fiber, etc.). Most importantly, the recipes are INTERESTING and DELICIOUS. It sounds like a cliche, but no one will know that the food is from a "light" cookbook unless you tell them.

This book is no exception. It contains the editors' picks of their tried & true best recipes over 10 years. While it is a very good cookbook, however, I do like "The Complete Cooking Light" better. It contains many more recipes and, thus, greater variety. If you can only buy one, buy "The Complete Cooking Light." If possible, though, buy both!

Quick, tasty, and low calorie.......2003-10-16

This is the cookbook for you if you like it easy, but good for your waistline. No one ever believes these dishes are from a "diet" cookbook.

My new favorite cookbook.......2003-04-27

I just got this cookbook a few weeks ago and just love it. It is my new everyday cookbook. I have made the individual filet mignons, red eye chicken, chicken & ham tetrazzini, huckleberry cake, parmesan and green peppercorn salad dressing, chicken parmesan. While it is true that there are some "diet" cookbooks out there that provide recipes with lower calorie counts I think this cookbook is more practical. Watching what you eat needs to be a lifelong process and this book makes it doable. Diet books which severely restrict calories are difficult to stick with for a long period. Using recipes from this book you can easily stick with between 300 to 500 calories for a dinner meal which is pretty reasonable and you won't feel deprived. Definitely gourmet. I would definitely recommend this cookbook.

I love this book!.......2002-03-19

I got this book for Christmas and have used it many times already. Everything I have tried has been tasty but my favorites are fettucine alfredo and the ceasar salad. This is not a book for anyone looking to cut all fat from their diet but for someone who wants to reduce fat without sacrificing any flavor. I highly recommend it!

Best Ever Secrets From The Cooking Light Test Kitchens

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Best Ever Secrets From The Cooking Light Test Kitchens

Manufacturer: Oxmoor House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Low Fat | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0848727908

Average customer rating:

Favorite Brand Name Best-Loved Light Recipes

Manufacturer: Publications International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Low Fat | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0785318968

Cooking Light Five Star Recipes: The Best of 10 Years (Cooking Light)

Average customer rating:

Truly the best of the best!
Changed my life

Cooking Light Five Star Recipes: The Best of 10 Years (Cooking Light)

Manufacturer: Oxmoor House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Healthy | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Low Fat | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Gourmet | Special Occasions | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

jp-unknown2 | Specialty Stores | Books
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ASIN: 084872710X

Customer Reviews:

Truly the best of the best!.......2004-10-26

I've been a big fan of Cooking Light magazine for sometime and usually have good luck with the recipes in the magazines. I bought this book about a month ago and have made 8-10 dinners using recipes from this book and ALL have been great! I'm going to get it for my sisters for Christmas!

Changed my life.......2003-10-17

I never cooked until I bought this book! It is amazing. The recipes are great especially their 5 most popular. Everyone loves the Italian cream cake I have made many times. Many recipes are listed as easy and fast. There are many helpful hints. I highly recommend this book!

The Best of Cooking Light 5, Special Edition 124 of the Year's Greatest Recipes for All Cooks, for All Occasions (SPECIAL EDITION)

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The Best of Cooking Light 5, Special Edition 124 of the Year's Greatest Recipes for All Cooks, for All Occasions (SPECIAL EDITION)
COOKING LIGHT MAGAZINE
Manufacturer: SOUTHRN LIVING INC.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0848728971

Average customer rating:

Favorite Brand Name Best Loved Light Recipes

Manufacturer: Publications International, Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0785326448

Product Description

It's true - you can prepare delicious meals that are actually good for you! Enjoy favorites like nachos, cinnamon rolls, lasagna, chicken pot pie and even decadent chocolate fudge cake, most with less than 300 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving.

Healthy Hometown Favorites: America's Best-Loved Recipes from Cummunity Cookbooks-Made Light by the Food Editors of Prevention Magazine

Average customer rating:

Nutrition Information Missing!
Must read for food lovers

Healthy Hometown Favorites: America's Best-Loved Recipes from Cummunity Cookbooks-Made Light by the Food Editors of Prevention Magazine

Manufacturer: Rodale Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Healthy | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Prevention Magazine Books | Nutrition | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0875962513

Customer Reviews:

Nutrition Information Missing!.......2003-08-14

The recipes contained here lack important nutritional information: carbohydrates, sugars, protein, diet exchanges. This is ironic, since the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation's cause is outlined in the opening pages. The editors missed the boat by focusing only on fats, cholesterol & sodium.

It is obvious a great deal of effort went into the making of this book, and I would like to see an updated edition published in the near future.

Must read for food lovers.......2001-09-20

This book is a lovely collection of american recipes easy to cook and great to eat. In this fast changing Mcworld of fast foods this book is a pleeasant delight and great for the eyes and stomach . Most of the dishes given her are eay to cook and taste absolutely heavenly.

A NUST READ FOR ALL FOOD LOVERS SPECIFICALLY AND OTHERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN AMERICAN OLD RECIPIES

Average customer rating:
Light, Lean, & Low-fat: Recipes From the Rice Council (best recipes magazine, Vol.1, July 14, no.17)

Manufacturer: USA rice council
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000E7JDPC

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