Book Description
USA Today called Jo-Ann Mapson's national bestseller, Bad Girl Creek, "a valentine to oceans of good women who survive bad beginnings and worse men." Now the author, hailed as "one of the most gifted writers of the contemporary urban West" (Los Angeles Times), brings back the hard-luck women of her acclaimed previous novel -- and introduces another indelible character into their midst.
"Me, I need a map to tell which town I'm in. I feel like ten miles of bad road, wondering how I got to where I am...." After finally wising up to her drunken rodeo-crooner lover ("Imagine Kevin Costner with an overbite"), Mary Madigan saddles up her twin Border collies and takes her act on the road, leaving miles of heartache and highway behind. Maddy's journey takes her across the South -- singing in and winning one karaoke contest after another -- and inexorably closer to a dreaded showdown with her past.
In Oklahoma City, she meets Rick, a journalist haunted by his own ghosts. After he loses his job, he travels to his childhood home to set up camp. When he first runs into Maddy, she gives him the cold shoulder. But he's charming, and persistent, and before Maddy knows it she's got a travel companion and a new lover (with an all-too-familiar set of tricks). Their travels will ultimately bring them to Bad Girl Creek, where the ladies know him as "Rotten Rick" -- because he broke Nance's heart -- and where the waters have already been troubled.
Phoebe's pregnancy is life-threatening, Nance's breakup diet has turned dangerously successful, Beryl is still struggling to adjust to life after prison, and HIV-positive Ness is distancing herself from the "healthy" world -- if you can call it that.
But these are the Bad Girl Creek ladies: they are resilient. They have character. And, above all, they love each other. The ways they all pull together, cheer each other on through good times and bad, and cope with every curveball life throws at them make up the heart and soul of this powerful new novel, a bighearted book certain to win this exceptional author a new legion of devoted readers.
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"USA Today called Jo-Ann Mapson's national bestseller, Bad Girl Creek, ""a valentine to oceans of good women who survive bad beginnings and worse men."" Now the author, hailed as ""one of the most gifted writers of the contemporary urban West"" (Los Angeles Times), brings back the hard-luck women of her acclaimed previous novel -- and introduces another indelible character into their midst. ""Me, I need a map to tell which town I'm in. I feel like ten miles of bad road, wondering how I got to where I am...."" After finally wising up to her drunken rodeo-crooner lover (""Imagine Kevin Costner with an overbite""), Mary Madigan saddles up her twin Border collies and takes her act on the road, leaving miles of heartache and highway behind. Maddy's journey takes her across the South -- singing in and winning one karaoke contest after another -- and inexorably closer to a dreaded showdown with her past. In Oklahoma City, she meets Rick, a journalist haunted by his own ghosts. After he loses his job, he travels to his childhood home to set up camp. When he first runs into Maddy, she gives him the cold shoulder. But he's charming, and persistent, and before Maddy knows it she's got a travel companion and a new lover (with an all-too-familiar set of tricks). Their travels will ultimately bring them to Bad Girl Creek, where the ladies know him as ""Rotten Rick"" -- because he broke Nance's heart -- and where the waters have already been troubled. Phoebe's pregnancy is life-threatening, Nance's breakup diet has turned dangerously successful, Beryl is still struggling to adjust to life after prison, and HIV-positive Ness is distancing herself from the ""healthy"" world -- if you can call it that.
Customer Reviews:
Another good one from Joann Mapson.......2006-11-02
I just wrote a review for another of Joann's books called A Bad Girl Creek Novel, this Book and Good-bye Earl are a set of 3 books that go hand in hand with one another. You won't go wrong with purchasing these books, this set is one that should definately be made into a movie.
Love the Bad Girls.......2006-02-14
While I did not enjoy this as much as Bad Girl Creek, I still found it a good read. (I absolutely hated the way this began. What a shocker.) The characters are still as wonderfully flawed and we have added a new main character, Mary. And we have gotten some new insight on Rotten Rick. The Bad Girl books are about true friendships. Don't you wish we all had a Phoebe or a Ness in our lives?
One of the best...........2005-08-21
This book was one of the best I've read so far. While "Bad Girl Creek" wasnt one of my favorites, this little gem sure was. I couldn't put it down, I was so intrigued by it...especially Phoebe and Sally. Can't wait to read "Goodbye Earl."
Can't Wait for Earl...........2005-01-28
Having read wilder Sisters, Bad Girl Creek and Now Along Came Mary I'm waiting not so patiently for Good Bye Earl! My favorite so far as been Bad Girl simply becuase I feel like I "Know" the characters...to me they are so typical of they way good friends see eachother, need eachother...and just know eachother. Mary was great with the added characters and dogs! Maybe someone will give me Earl for my birthday!!!
Another great one!.......2004-11-30
She has done it again! Another great book in the Bad Girl series. It is true, although we don't get but glimpses here and there of our fav girls, we do get enough to feed the question of what is going on with each of them. This book only took me a couple of hours. I can't put them down! You won't be able to either! Enjoy!
Book Description
In the early 1950s, a rising star flickered across millions of black-and-white TV sets. Nick-named 'The Grey Ghost,' Native Dancer was a blue-blood thoroughbred with a taste for drama, courtesy of his come-from-behind running style, and impressive credits: He finished first in 21 of his 22 career starts, his only loss by a nose in the 1953 Kentucky Derby; was named Horse of the Year-twice; and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame. His popularity was so great, Time magazine put him on its cover, and TV Guide named him one of America's top three TV stars, along with Ed Sullivan and Arthur Godfrey. Legend says his ghost haunts Churchill Downs. Set against the nostalgic events of an America long past, NATIVE DANCER is the definitive account of one of the greatest champions of horse racing's golden age.
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In the early 1950s a star was born. Native Dancer captured the imagination of millions of Americans as his grey image flickered across their black and white television sets. He was aptly nicknamed the Grey Ghost, a name that would quickly gain a permanent place in the nation's vocabulary. A thoroughbred champion with blue-blood roots and a knack for drama courtesy of his come-from-behind running style, Native Dancer would finish first in 21 of 22 races in his career-his only loss coming by a nose in the Kentucky Derby. This book is the definitive look at the life and times of Native Dancer set against a nostalgic journey back to the golden age of horse racing, and our nation's history.
Customer Reviews:
One of the greatest...........2007-06-29
Native Dancer was a monstrous animal with a light grey, almost white coat. He had a mind of this own and some thought that it was almost human. In his heyday, only losing one race, was at the birth of American TV so everyone knew the Dancer. Thousands loved him. He had the popularity of the Beatles but in the early 50's. This book is a must read for anyone mildly interested in horses or horse racing. I am so inspired that I am going to make a trip to see his burial sight this summer just north of Baltimore. Man. What a horse!!!!!
Good facts but not much story.......2006-10-14
Forgive me if I forget details, as it's been a year since I read this book. Eisenberg presents pretty straight facts and so forth, as far as I know (unlike "Seabiscuit" which has a bit of embellishment in some places), but it is not very exciting reading. Thankfully, it is not as big a book as "Seabiscuit". It's so-so story-telling and seems to drag on in some ways. I got some info out of it, but that's about it. Nothing against "the Dancer" (that was one annoying thing - Eisenberg always referring to the horse as "the Dancer" as if it was cute, but it was monotonous and pretentious after 10x on 1 page, with no pronouns or actual name used), but the writing just doesn't quite thrill me.
Good, but no Seabiscuit.......2006-01-15
Eisenberg does a very good job of the research on this project and accurately puts the reader on the scene for some of the Grey Ghost's memorable moments. Through no fault of his own, however, the people around him aren't overly interesting. It's nice to have the backgrounds and bio's of the team, but there is something that falls short of making them memorable. There are several horse bio's that I have read recently, and the Ruffian, Secretariat, and Seabiscuit stories just seem to keep you turning pages.
Hero Of The 50's.......2005-10-01
Eisnberg takes you back, all the way back to Native Dancer himself's stall and tells you this story as if you were there, watching it all happen. I don't know about anyone else, but this book was very real to me. Maybe some need to re-read it to get the vivid picture that is immediately put into your mind, from start to finish with this book. This horse was a great horse. A once-defeated and ran more than Man o' War did. You only need to win by enough to win, and don't over-exert or you lose some horse. Native Dancer comes to me as a horse ahead of his time. The colt is strikingly intelligent and is humbled with a #7 ranking of all time. I clearly enjoy this book. Highly reccomended for horse racing historians.
The Grey Ghost came within a nose of immortality.......2005-03-09
Wow. This horse was an amzing grey. Native Dancer was a superb racehorse that did the things that went beyond people's expectations at the time. I was fully intrigued while reading this book. Just as many people would later argue that Riva Ridge should have been the ninth triple crown winner, that arguement should have sparked up that Native Dancer almost got the title. Losing the derby by a nose his only defeat. An amazing book on this speedy grey thoroughbred.
Book Description
Set against the colorful and magical backdrop of Ireland, The Grey Horse chronicles a time when the Irish people suffered under harsh English overlords who sought to destroy their culture and way of life. Into the Irish town of Carraroe, a magnificent, completely grey stallion appears. The horse brings with him the promise of better times and magical happenings, for he is actually the shape-shifted form of Ruairi MacEibhir, journeyed to such a time of danger in order to win the hand of the woman he loves.
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The small Irish town is puzzled by the arrival of a gentle grey horse and bizarre young man with hypnotic eyes. Quickly one rebellious woman discovers the pair desires just one thing: her.
Customer Reviews:
Charming fantasy with "horse sense".......2004-10-02
I first read R.A. MacAvoy's "Tea with the Black Dragon" many years ago, and it remain one of my favorite books. So I was so glad to see some of her other books being reissued.
The Grey Horse is a lovely, charming fantasy that works on so many levels. Set in an 1881 village in Ireland, it is the story of a fairy horse, Rauri, who falls in love with a village girl and wants to marry her. And yet it is so much more than that!
What could have been a trite, two-dimensional story by another writer comes alive in the hands of R.A. MacAvoy for her characters are alive and vivid. Rauri is not an elegant, ethereal fairy, but an earthy, sometimes confused man who shares much of the stubborness and behavior of the sturdy Connemara pony he often turns into. Not innately clever, he has "horse sense" and a good nature that is very appealing. His heart's desire, Maire, is likewise not the usual fairy tale heroine. She is a big girl, stubborn, and full of fire, not as pretty as her petite sister, but of infinitely more worth.
Underneath the romance between Rauiri and Maire lies the struggle of the Irish people to assert their independence against the English overlords. The struggle of the Irish peasants to keep their connection to their land while dealing with a foreign culture (English) and the struggle of the fairy to fit into a foreign culture (Human) while retaining his deeper and more ancient connection to the land gives the book an interesting dynamic tension.
This book is one of the more interesting fantasies, and will retain a place on my bookshelf for future reading!
From a Connemara Pony enthusiast.......2003-12-14
Not only an engrossing tale, the author's style of writing and word play captivate you from page one and makes you wish for more at story's end. In the middle of my second reading, I find it even more enjoyable the second time around.
Highly recommended.
Wonderful Story for All Ages ... 9 to 90 will enjoy.......2003-08-16
this ultimate 'horse' story. Didn't want the story to end...the sign of a good tale. thank you Ruth!
Kiss me, I'm Irish.......2002-08-10
R.A. MacAvoy, whose debut novel was "Tea with a Black Dragon," has written another charming, but lesser known fantasy called "The Grey Horse." Its story takes place in 1881, in County Connemara, Ireland, during the time when the Irish National Land League was trying to oust foreign (English) landlords and teach the local farmers to stand up for their rights to fair rents and fixed tenure on the land. Irish revolutionaries are an integral part of MacAvoy's landscape, but they enhance the fantasy rather than intrude upon it.
As the novel begins, the old horse trainer, Anrai Õ Reachtaire discovers a púca (fairy horse) on his way to the village of Carraroe. He mistakes it for a strayed Connemara pony stallion, standing alone on a hill, without hobble or halter. The púca kneels, inciting Anrai to mount (what horseman could resist such a fair invitation?), and off they gallop on one of Fantasy's best and funniest wild rides.
Anrai finally manages to throw a rope halter over the pony's head:
"Anrai felt a jolt as through the horse had shied in place. Its sides went as stiff as wood. It hopped and trembled and before Anrai's eyes began to steam. Startled himself by this reaction, Anrai very warily tied the lead rope to both sides of the mouthpiece, making a sort of bridle out of the halter. 'Don't tell me you're a stranger to the old rope halter, my lad,' he whispered gently, close to the horse's ear. He saw a round eye ringed with white, and the long, unkempt yellow tail switched left to right. Anrai had a sinking feeling there would be a fight between himself and this horse on the stones of Knockduff Peak.
"But he had to go home. At this season, there were no more than two more hours of light and likely no visible moon after that. He gave the horse an experimental squeeze of the legs. In perfect obedience it moved down the mountainside."
Once haltered, the púca has to obey Anrai. They canter home, and the old man spends several weeks trying to find the pony's unknown owner. Meanwhile, although he grows fond of the grey, he obeys a hunch to leave its halter on. It isn't until Anrai decides the stallion is really his to keep that he attempts to perform a minor operation on him---he already has two stud horses in his barn and doesn't need a third. He and his stablehand strap the grey into a chute, and Anrai asks for his knife:
"The grey horse gave a convulsion that shook the oak posts, so deeply sunk into stone. The front straps broke, and it rose up screaming, not as the furious chestnut had screamed, but very like a man.
"It stood, and seemed to dwindle, and then toppled over in confusion. It shouted, 'By heaven, man! Look what you are about!' And then there was no horse."
Anrai, in the sudden throes of heart failure, manages to remove his halter from the púca, and the horse-turned-man promptly saves his life.
We learn why the púca, whose name is Ruairi MacEibhir has decided, after many centuries, to return to the haunts of man. He has fallen in love with one of the village women and wants to court her in the guise of Anrai's stablehand.
The courting of Máire NiStandún takes the rest of the book, as she is not sure she wants to marry a sometime-man sometime-horse. The land revolt swirls on around the quarreling couple. Old Anrai challenges a half-English landowner to a match race: the landlord's chestnut Thoroughbred against his grey Connemara stallion. Anrai's no-good son deserts from the British army and slinks home to cause all sorts of trouble. The local priest attempts to baptize Anrai's new stablehand---the púca survives his baptism, although the priest almost doesn't.
Basically, MacAvoy has written a story of life in a small, nineteenth-century Connemara village, with a horse-fairy thrown in to really get the Irish up. Even if you've read every other Celtic fantasy to hit the shelves (there seem to be a million of them), you'll not have found one as entrancing, or as madly Gaelic as "The Grey Horse."
Fairy Tale with a Twist.......2001-12-10
The Grey Horse is one of the standouts in the recent crop of modern fairy tales. MacAvoy explores the same Irish angst that more mainstream writers like Brendan O'Carroll and the McCourt brothers have tackled. However, she avoids bludgeoning the reader with the misery of being Irish. If you don't care for the Big Themes, you can just read it as a love story with a lot of horses.
Around the end of the 19th century, an Irish horse fairy falls in love with a mortal woman and tries to win her affection by assimilating into the communtity. MacAvoy, in exploring the puca's attempts to fit in, reveals how the Irish themselves are estranged in some way from their country and their communtity. Parents don't understand their children, men don't understand women, the gentry fit in with neither the English nor their lower class neighbors, the rural population distrusts outsiders, and so forth.
I liked that the love interest is the strong smart woman instead of the fatuous blond. The story is written for adults, but I wouldn't hesitate to give it to an adolescent. Prissyness info: I can't remember any bad language. A few people get damaged or killed in morally appropriate circumstances. It is mentioned that horses are not monogamous, and women should consider the consequences of certain actions involving men.
Book Description
A detailed examination of the skeleton, structure, muscles, and surfaces of the horse, at rest and in motion, explaining how the horse moves.
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WILD HORSE MESA
ZANE GREY
Manufacturer: GROSSET & DUNLAP
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000CDUF8C |
Product Description
Hardback edition, with faded gold lettering on spine. Novel of the old west of the United States of America. A cowboy tale about the Morman country of what now would be Utah, Nevada and Arizona.
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The Road to the Grey Pamir (Equestrian Travel Classics)
Anna Louise Strong
Manufacturer: Long Riders' Guild Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General | Horses | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Travel | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books
Essays & Travelogues | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1590480554 |
Product Description
Story of the champion racehorse.
Customer Reviews:
"Racing's original pop star, the equine Elvis Presley.".......2005-09-20
In 1953, Native Dancer, a grey, 3-year-old racehorse bred and owned by Alfred Vanderbilt, captured the hearts and imagination of America and was declared "one of the three most popular figures in the country," along with TV personalities Arthur Godfrey and Ed Sullivan. Winning an incredible twenty-one of his twenty-two races, he was only a few inches away from having a perfect record, losing that one race "by a nose." Horse of the Year in 1954, Native Dancer was an unprecedented choice to grace the cover of Time magazine in May, 1954, just before he retired from racing as a four-year-old.
Author John Eisenberg reports here on the horse, the stable, and all the individuals who were part of his illustrious career, explaining the circumstances which made Native Dancer the darling of the country. Seen by more race fans than any other racehorse in history, thanks to America's recent discovery of the joys of television, he stood out visually from the pack and became "America's first matinee idol." When he began racing in 1952, World War II had been over for only a few years, and the fifties were a decade in which "institutions were to be admired, not challenged." Americans "saw their country as wealthy and invincible," and Native Dancer became a symbol of this power. He was, in fact, so big and so powerful that when he ran, "you could draw a horizontal straight line from his airborne back feet to the tips of his forelegs," his stride measuring an incredible twenty-nine feet.
Having thoroughly researched every conceivable aspect of his story, Eisenberg writes with the journalistic brio of a true lover of horse-racing, and makes the horse, his stupendous bursts of speed out of the pack in the final seconds of his races, and the people surrounding him live again. Through newspaper accounts, photographs, step-by-step reconstructions of the races, interviews with the participants and their heirs, and personal stories by people who remember the horse and his quirks, he turns back the clock to a simpler era and recreates the spirit of the fifties when all the world looked bright. Though Native Dancer was never as lovable as Seabiscuit (and, in fact, once bit off the finger of someone he did not trust), he was a huge and positive presence, an immensely powerful racer who had a tremendous desire to win and the intelligence to know how hard he had to work to accomplish that win. Mary Whipple
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The Captain of the Grey Horse Troop
hamlin garland
Manufacturer: harper and brothers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Action & Adventure | Anthologies | Fairy Tales | Family Saga | Gay & Lesbian | Historical | Horror | Medical | Men's Adventure | Metaphysical | Movie Tie-Ins | Political | Religious & Inspirational | Sea Adventures | Sports | War | Westerns
ASIN: B000LT0U00 |
Product Description
green, embossed, no other color than green
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Charcoal Grey
Dave Sargent , and
Pat Sargent
Manufacturer: Ozark Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1567636063 |
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Chestnut Grey: A Folk Tale from Russia
Helen Cooper
Manufacturer: Frances Lincoln
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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General | Children's Books | Mythology | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0711215529 |
Amazon.com
As much as 10% of the American economy, and perhaps more, is comprised of illegal "underground" enterprises, according to author and Atlantic Monthly correspondent Eric Schlosser. And while this segment is never discussed in the newspaper business pages, Schlosser tackles it with the same in-depth analysis and compulsive readability that made his Fast Food Nation a best seller. Reefer Madness spotlights marijuana, migrant labor, and pornography, three of the most thriving black market industries, and analyzes the often-tenuous place each holds in society as a whole. While each of the three could be the subject of its own book, Schlosser keeps his scope narrow by concentrating on the lives of the participants in the underground economy, especially Mark Young, an Indiana man given a life sentence for participating in a marijuana sale, and Ohio porn magnate Reuben Sturman. At just 21 pages, the treatment of migrant laborers in the California strawberry fields is dealt with more briefly but is just as compelling thanks to the first-person narrative of Schlosser's investigation. In telling these stories, which are both personal and universal, Schlosser deftly explores the manner in which his subjects are treated (and punished) compared to others in more above-ground ventures. Along the way, he asks hard questions as to what that treatment says about America. Schlosser writing is passionately opinionated, but this is no mere opinion piece: his perspective is amply supported by extensive research and clearly reasoned interpretation of data. His direct and forceful writing style makes the impact greater still. After reading Reefer Madness, readers are likely to be shocked, appalled, and flat-out bewildered by what's happening in the cracks and crevices of American business. --John Moe
Book Description
In Reefer Madness, the best-selling author of Fast Food Nation investigates America's black market and its far-reaching influence on our society through three of its mainstays -- pot, porn, and illegal immigrants.
The underground economy is vast; it comprises perhaps 10 percent -- or more -- of America's overall economy, and it's on the rise. Eric Schlosser charts this growth, and finds its roots in the nexus of ingenuity, greed, idealism, and hypocrisy that is American culture. He reveals the fascinating workings of the shadow economy by focusing on marijuana, one of the nation's largest cash crops; pornography, whose greatest beneficiaries include Fortune 100 companies; and illegal migrant workers, whose lot often resembles that of medieval serfs.
All three industries show how the black market has burgeoned over the past three decades, as America's reckless faith in the free market has combined with a deep-seated puritanism to create situations both preposterous and tragic. Schlosser traces compelling parallels between underground and overground: how tycoons and gangsters rise and fall, how new technology shapes a market, how government intervention can reinvigorate black markets as well as mainstream ones, how big business learns -- and profits -- from the underground.
With intrepid reportage, rich history, and incisive argument, Schlosser illuminates the shadow economy and the culture that casts that shadow.
Customer Reviews:
Reefer Madness - A Must Read.......2007-04-23
Reefer Madness is divided into three chapters. The first is about marijuana, the second is about cheap labor with illegal immigrants and the third is on [....]. The author writes this book based on the United States "black market". He gives somewhat of a biography on these 3 topics, which I feel is helpful for those, like myself, who are not aware of their history.
The first chapter is focused on marijuana. Schlosser provides interviews with many people who have had encounters with marijuana. Living in California, I have found it amazing to hear the penalties for marijuana use in other states. In chapter one for example, a man was arrested for possesion of 1.6 grams of marijuana, enough for a large joint. Living in Michigan, he received 14 months in jail. The second section is focused on cheap labor, or illegal immigrants in Guadalupe, California. Schlosser focuses on harvesting strawberries:the difficulty of it and hard labor that is being underpaid. The third and final section was the longest of the three. It focused on an underground [...] king Reuben Sturman.
I very muched enjoyed reading this book. If you liked Fast Food Nation, than Reefer Madness is a must read.
Don't Judge the Book By The Title!.......2007-04-16
"Reefer Madness", by Eric Schlosser is written in three main sections. There is a section on the underground marijuana trade, the migrant labor trade and the porn industry.
Unlike many reviewers, I think the author made a wonderful point. All three activities are illegal, yet they thrive and produce copious amounts of profits for the people involved. Often that profit is taken at the expense of the workers, and they do not share in this bounty. His theme is that if these activities were legalized, or regulated, they would produce income for the country at little harm to society.
I do think the author made a mistake in incorporating the three subjects together in the same book. While well written, the thread that holds the three together in tenuous, at best, and he would have made a better choice by examining each of the subjects, in more detail, in separate books. That is the reason I gave the book only three stars.
The writing is clear, and the research is unmistakably that of Eric Schlosser. I would recommend the book if you want to learn more abut each of these underground activates or if you are a fan of the author. It is also a good boo to be used to stir up discussion on any of the three subjects, or all three at once.
What an eye opener.......2007-01-10
This book makes some really great points about the underground economy and how much it affects this country.
Fascinating.......2006-11-30
Don't be fooled by the title. This is not some hippie counter culture drug book. It is a beautifully written scholarly examination of the underbelly of the American Society.
The main theme of the book is centered around the underground economy. The author argues, by examining the underground economy of any society, one can see a more accurate and telling picture of the society as a whole. Just as individuals have public and private personas that are often in conflict, so can a society. The book focuses on the American culture and legal system.
It is broken up into three essays: first an examination of the history of marijuana use and the war on drugs; second, an examination of the treatment of migrant workers; finally, an examination of pornography and obscenity laws.
The threads tying these seemingly disparate subjects are sometimes blatant, sometimes subtle, but always telling. By examining how the American society deals with these issues, one can draw clear corollaries to better understand how we deal with other controversial issues facing our nation including abortion, abuse of government powers, privacy, the war, etc.. It is the examination of the rationality (or lack there of) of our policies regarding these three topics, and the ethics with which those policies are implemented, that we are left with a scathing commentary on the seemingly schizophrenic nature of the American culture and value system.
Putting a magnifying glass up to American society........2006-06-11
What are three of the perpetual hot button issues of 21st century American politics? Commercialized sex, illegal drugs and cheap labor would probably common choices of many citizens. Eric Schlosser examines the magnitude, origins, visibility, commonality and manifestations of these three mainstays of the American scene.
The book is divided into three chapters, each dedicated to one of these hot-button topics. The chapter on commercialized sex examines the history of prostitution, pornography, and the recent spread of nudie bars and topless bars in the USA over the last 100 years plus. Schlosser examines the origins of peep shows, the first girlie magazines pre-Cold War, goes over the founding of Playboy and Penthouse, and the current spread of pornography over the Internet. The chapter on drugs examines the history of marijuana primarily, with some side notes on the meth plague, cocaine, and other drugs to have swept thru the American street scene. The chapter on cheap labor examines migrant and illegal labor including child labor and sweathouse labor. Both industrial and agricultural labor are included. This chapter is a natural extension of Schlosser's first book: Fast Food Nation, in that it covers the practices of slaughterhouses and farms, and extends into factories not related to food.
Overall, a good book and worthy reading. Anyone in high school or above should find this book accessible, and enjoyable.
Book Description
This savvy book of tips and wisdom will help show you the best ways to shop, whether you're in your hometown or traveling the world. As a buyer for the Smithsonian, author Kathy Borrus roamed the planet looking for treasures and striking great bargains. Here, she shares her shopping secrets. Learn how to haggle in an open-air market in a language you don't even speak. Learn how to spot scams and avoid rip-offs. Learn when to buy and when to walk away. Borrus believes that "great shopping is not about acquiring things. It's about exploring culture and preserving the sights, sounds, and touch of a place. And whether you buy anything or not, shopping is about the enjoying the experience.
Customer Reviews:
The Fearless Shopper : How to Get the Best Deals on the Plan.......2000-02-15
This book is terrific! It provides practical and helpful information based on the author's personal experience as well as tales and hints she has collected from numerous other travelers. It's well written, entertaining and a must read for unsophisticated shoppers like me who may be planning a trip and wanting to bring something back without being taken to the cleaners. Ms. Borrus tells you what to buy and where as well as how to get the best price. I already devoured my copy of her book and I was just logging on to order more copies to give to family and friends as going away presents.
Never dull and always captivating.......1999-12-18
Books on travel and shopping are typically tomes containing many boring and only somewhat useful facts. "The Fearless Shopper" is not your typical travel guide. The book is filled with engaging stories and important information. Moreover, Borrus' prose is gripping and exciting. Ultimately, "The Fearless Shopper" is never dull and always captivating.
Product Description
Includes the Galactic Gourmet, Final Diagnosis, and Mind Changer.
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The Mandarin's Tale
Roy Denman
Manufacturer: Methuen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Irish
| Ethnic & National
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ASIN: 1842750283 |
Average customer rating:
- Great book for the price
- An Ok book
- Healthy eating, yes, if you want a total lifestyle overhaul...
- Wonderful All-Purpose Book.
- the best recipe book for health and taste
|
Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook: 250 flourless, Dairyless, Low Temperature, Low Fat, Low Salt, Living Food Vegetarian Recipes
Steve Meyerowitz ,
Michael Parman , and
Beth Robbins
Manufacturer: Sproutman Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Recipes for Longer Life
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Green for Life
Accessories:
-
Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor
ASIN: 1878736868 |
Book Description
Turn nuts, vegetable seeds, grains, and beans into gourmet food. Includes recipes for sprout breads, cookies, crackers, soups, pizza, bagels, dressings, dips, speads, nondairy milks, and ice-creams. Charts, photos, and illustrations included.
Customer Reviews:
Great book for the price.......2007-06-16
I got this book because I wanted to make sprout bread. The book is very informative. But 95% of the sprout recipes are for wheat. That is great if you want to sprout wheat, but I don't. It does repeat the same info in many parts of the book. But I would say over all I still say it is a great book. I am on a special diet so a lot of what he has in his recipes I can't use. But I did learn a few things.
An Ok book.......2007-05-12
It is a good book just not what I wanted. Not the kind of recipes I was looking for.
Healthy eating, yes, if you want a total lifestyle overhaul..........2006-04-16
I guess I'm not the typical reviewer here - I am interested in healthy eating, but without the context of a major life change for myself and my family of five... I'd like to find new ways to eat well, without undermining our entire familiar (mostly vegetarian, mostly well-balanced) diet.
Let's start with what this book IS: an excellent guide to using all types of sprouts, and to which types are good for which occasions - baking, stir-frying, salads, etc. It's also a rather overt advertisement for "Sproutman's" own website and sprouting tools (sprout bag, greenhouse, seeds, etc); fair enough.
The book is full of interesting, simple recipes and ideas for using sprouts either raw or with low temp cooking to get the most nutrition out of every green, crunchy bite. He's also thrown in a bunch of related nutrition stuff - non-sprout items like vegan ice creams and helpful alternatives to salt and other seasonings.
Still, I found that most of the recipes were impractical for family cooking. If two cups of sprouted wheat make a single small loaf or several crackers or cookies, it doesn't take long to realize I'm going to need wheat berries bursting out of every corner of my tiny kitchen in order to create one meal for the five of us.
And that's just bread! To create enough sprouts for us to eat a single salad, a single stir-fry, a single helping of sprouted nuts... well, we're probably going to need to renovate other areas of the house to accomodate all the grow-bags or baskets.
Also, many of the recipes are just variants on previous recipes. Like, he'll take a page to describe how to make a cracker, and then ANOTHER page - this is just an example from memory - on how to make seasoned crackers, and it's obvious the ingredients and steps are identical, just with seasonings added.
Finally, having tasted sprouts and fermented products, I have some idea of what kinds of flavours to expect. Suggesting that his fermented "rejuvalac" beverage will taste similar to lemonade sounds way overblown. He actually hints that it may taste more "like sauerkraut" - to me, that's a BIG difference. Sorry, but I don't curl up on a summer's day with a tall, cool glass of sauerkraut.
Similarly, I realize our dependence on added sugars is overblown, but if I call something a "cookie", my kids (10 & 11) are going to know I'm lying if it's only sweetened with natural sprout maltose and a few raisins. Yes, sprouts give a nice malty sweetness to bread - but only the most idealistic parents would believe kids would accept it as a special-occasion treat.
I guess I was looking for a book that would help me incorporate sprouts into every aspect of our regular household dishes - stir fries, yes, but also to add flavour/nutrition to standard yeast breads, cakes, cookies, veg patties, etc.
Being almost totally vegan (he practically apologizes in the one section where he asks you to put a bit of butter into your rice cereal), there is too little range of dishes for our family's tastes and the dishes offered seem too monotonous for long-term enjoyment.
This book may be ideal for a single person or a couple who want to try an "extreme" veg or raw-foods or minimal-cooking lifestyle. For our family lifestyle, the overhaul required is too enormous to even begin imagining - and trust me, I have plenty of imagination!
Wonderful All-Purpose Book........2004-12-04
"Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook" is a great all-purpose book for anyone new to sprouts and sprouting and for the sprout vetran who is looking for more recipes and ideas. The tone is chatty and humourous. The book is a great read cover to cover, but it can also be read a section at a time, in any order.
I received this book as a gift and almost immediately I had trays and bags of sprouts in my kitchen. We've stopped putting lettuce on sandwiches and use various sprouts. Sprouts on salad, in stir-fry, in soup... I've tried several of the recipes with success. The sprout bread is really popular and so are the crunchy sprouts.
One word of caution: sprout bread has neither the flavour nor the texture of bakery bread. It is better. It is sweeter and more satisfying. It is also packed with nutrition. If you are expecting something close to regular bread, you will be disappointed. If you remember that what you are eating is something else entirely, you will love it.
the best recipe book for health and taste.......2003-11-14
I'm into raw foodism and have found various recipe books for a raw foodist. This book is the best recipe book I know. It's very detailed, practical, and rich in contents. I also like the philosophy of the author: While it is good to increase the intake of raw foods, it's not necessary that every mouthful of food contains enzyme. Sometimes it's necessary to cook the food at a relatively low temperature. I've learned to make sprouted wheat bread from this book. It's very easy and the bread is wonderfully nutritious and delicious.
I recommend this book highly to every one, raw foodist or not.
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