" Here are elite soldiers, kibbutz-born, battle-bred. Their stories reveal their minds and souls, and what has tempered and annealed their hearts. They are citizen soldiers all - officers or N.C.O.'s - who refused career military appointments and returned to civilian life, as much as one can be a civilian in Israel. Descendants of Isaac who, like modern-day Ishmaels, seek peace while pursuing the Leviathan of war. Or are pursued by it. They also search for inner peace.
These men and this author were transformed by the Second Intifada over a four- year period. I began this book in an era of hope following Oslo. In the political shambles after President Clinton's desperate and failed Taba diplomacy, it grew in complexity. I write today at the re-dawn of hope following Saddam Hussein's downfall, Kaddafi's "conversion," Arafat's death, Lebanon's Hariri murder. Much has changed since then.
A psychoanalyst by profession, five years ago I completed a book about American youth, their journeys, successes and failures, from birth through thirty. All but one of the 76 interviewees had navigated the inner turmoil of adolescence and young adulthood via the relatively pacific waters of college. During a brief visit to Israel in 1999, I met an Israeli graduate student at a Hanukah party who asked me what I had learned about Americans. He listened closely, then quietly remarked how different it was to become a young man in the Israeli army. To understand Israel, he continued, one must understand its army. And so, a year later, in the fall of 2000, I decided at least to try.
Before I left, I returned to a book -- Children of the Dream -- written by Bruno Bettelheim, one of my teachers. More often cited than read, it is frequently misunderstood. Bettelheim recounts the extraordinary job the kibbutzim do raising children in a communal setting. It demonstrates how different child-rearing methods result in different personalities. Bettelheim found that kibbutz children are well-balanced with strong peer relations and a vibrant inner character. He predicted that kibbutz mothers would not tolerate many more years of having their children raised in the communal children's houses. He was right on target. In addition to severe economic factors, the movement by mothers to bring their offspring into the family home coincided with the beginning of the near collapse of the kibbutz as a social movement, perhaps one of the more successful experiments in socialism in the twentieth century. Once I realized that this historical phenomenon, this culture, was about to disappear, I knew the only way I could capture the experiences of the last group born and raised in the soil of communal settlements -- who were also army-matured -- would be to hurry to harvest their knowledge. Like grapes for fine wine, these boys absorb the flavor, the fragrance, the taste of the soil around them.
Moreover, the then prime minister, Ehud Barak, planned to shorten army service because peace was at hand. Since the Israeli Army has been so central to Israeli growth, development and identity, I had to act quickly if I wanted to study its soldiers before peace transformed their swords into plowshares.
It turned out, no rush. Peace was not as forthcoming as hoped.
***************
There are moments I fear. Palestinians morph into live bombs in malls, on streets, at bus stops. Suicide bombers collapse the borders between soldier and civilian, between adult and child, between man and woman. Being frisked for weapons at malls, being asked whether I carry a gun as I enter restaurants is a constant reminder of the terror. It is annoying to be frisked; it is daunting to face roadblocks and bomb plantings; I miss some meetings. Often, cab drivers are intimidated when I tell them my destination.
Or intimidating. On Achad Ha'am stree
Average customer rating:
- My child has had 2 heart transplants
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The Reluctant Warrior : A Journey Through My Baby's Heart Transplant
Mary Chan
Manufacturer: Erica House
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ASIN: 1893162184 |
Book Description
As a parent you cannot prepare yourself; when something goes wrong during the birth of a child, the results are immediate, and the consequences ongoing. Mary Chan and her husband, Paul, were expecting their first child with delight and anxiety, and, when Sabrina was born, their dreams came true. Months later, Sabrina would be diagnosed as having a severe deformity in her heart, and their world would turn upside down.
Facing decisions that no parent is prepared to face, Mary began writing a journal, to chronicle her babys valiant fight and the questions that plagued her own heart. The journal turned into a book, the book into a powerful story about walking the fine line between human frailty and human strength.
Customer Reviews:
My child has had 2 heart transplants.......2003-07-15
I have read the book and being a parent of a child who was borm with a SEVERE conginetal heart defect who had surgery at one day
old andlater at 18 months had a heart transplant then a year and a half ago at age 11hadANOTHER transplant.I am TRULY APPALLED and HORRIFIED by this book.I was given this book by the transplant team at the hospital we use to review as they
were considered giving the book to new patients waiting HOWEVER I would not recommend this book to ANYONE who's child is preparing for a transplant as it paints a very warped view of the whole process.
Having a child with a heart transplant is quiet chalenging at times and yes there are MANY clinic apointments and heart caths.
and ups and downs BUT things are not by any means the way they are portrayed in this book.I am sure ANY parent who's child is waiting for a transplant will do MUCH better by actually talking to other parents who's child has gone through the process than by reading this..In my opinion the author just had a "pity"party for them selves through out the whole book...
Average customer rating:
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Wyrd : The Reluctant Warrior
Jim Starlin
Manufacturer: SLG Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Starlin, Jim
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ASIN: 0943151279 |
Book Description
This book collects all six issues of comics legend Jim Starlin's latest epic, Wyrd, the Reluctant Warrior. This fun and pointed satire of magic versus big business in a sci-fi world not far removed from our own did well with Jim's formidable fan base. For the many people who complained to us that they couldn't find copies of it, this is a chance for them to get the whole series so don't be caught short-handed! Wyrd should join the list of Starlin-created fan favorites and perennial sellers.
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Reluctant Warrior
George Chute
Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1588986691
Release Date: 2002-04-05 |
Product Description
Reluctant Warrior is a first-person narrative of a young man’s transition from a hesitant draftee to an unwilling, but effective, combat soldier. The story occurs late in the Vietnam War when many in the military could already anticipate the eventual disappointing end of that long struggle, and could not understand the continued futile devastation of lives for a largely abandoned cause.
Central themes include the principal character’s realization that the war had no noble purpose, and his ambivalence about the rage and hatred toward the enemy that poorly substituted for purpose as a force to motivate soldiers into battle. He is often torn between sympathy and scorn for the Vietnamese. First overwhelmed by his own feelings of inadequacy, he later is resigned to being part of an army of unprepared soldiers conducting an inept war effort. It is the character’s assertion that there were no heroes, because it is not heroism to be courageous when your circumstances offer no other choice.
The span of this story is a little over two years in Steve Jennings life, from the time he is drafted until shortly after he returns from Vietnam, a changed young man. The reader first gains an understanding of the military experience as Steve recounts his training assignments, and then accompanies him to the triple canopy jungles and pointless “search and destroy” missions of Vietnam. We see through his eyes the contradictory beauty and harshness of a strange land, and watch the painful hardening of a typical middle class college boy into a disillusioned and reluctant warrior whose sole objective is survival.
Customer Reviews:
Following in their footsteps . . ........2001-04-07
This is the second set of books from 'The House of Winslow' series by Gilbert Morris. As with most of his books that center around a war, these are a little dry--especially to those with no interest in wars. However, these books do continue in the tradition of the Winslow line.
These are set in the years between 1800-1867.
'The Holy Warrior' picks up with the tale of Christmas Winslow, firstborn son of Nathan & Julie. Cousin Paul bails him out of a territory jail, but he refuses to go back to his parents' home. Paul sets him up with the Greenes in a desperate attempt to help him rebuild his relationships, but he takes off for Suoix country. After hard times living alone in the mountains as a trapper, he becomes a white warrior and takes the most inferior squaw as his wife. Tragedy strikes when raiders attack, and hatred runs high when Chris is told his family has been killed. He reluctantly goes back to the Greenes, but there is more than one surprise in store for him as he runs from God.
'The Reluctant Bridegroom' tells of the greatest love story in the Winslow line. Sky Winslow, son of Christmas, is living in the harsh Western territory with his son. Betrayed by a philandering wife, he has vowed to never love again. He is pursuaded to go to the East and bring a wagonload of mail-order brides back to the womanless territory. Two women on the train captivate his attention--Rita Duvall, a clever dance hall girl, and Rebekah Jackson, a young woman with a baby and one on the way. Can he get past his own hurt and see the love harbored for him?
'The Last Confederate' begins the series of 3 Civil War books. Sky Winslow is living in Virginia on a prosperous cotton plantation. Though vehemently against slavery, he does own his share. Thad Novak, a wandering boy from the North, almost dies in the snow before Toby, one of Sky's slaves, saves him. Thad stays with the Winslows as a hired boy, but gets his fair share of hate as a Yankee. He is forced to join up with the Confederacy as a substitute and through a wild turn of events, is charged with treason! Things look grim for young Novak as he's shuffled from one prison to another. Can the love of young Patience Winslow save him in his darkest hour?
'The Dixie Widow' tells the story of Belle Winslow, the eldest daughter of Sky. Her husband was killed in the war, and she vows not to remarry until the North is defeated. She agrees to go on a dangerous mission for the Cause: she will become a spy, burrowing into the folds of her own family. The Northern Winslows, descended from Paul, have no idea of her intention. Whitfield Winslow is delighted to have this "Southern cousin", as are his grandsons, Lowell and Davis. When Lowell is killed in Georgia and Belle is defaced as a spy, Davis harbors nothing but hatred for this Southern relative, and vows to avenge his brother's death. It's Winslow against Winslow now--who will survive?
'The Wounded Yankee' takes place simultaneously with the last book. Zack Winslow, grandson of Christmas's brother George, has served his time in the Northern army. He saw enough action to sour his taste for philosophy--and when he returns to his home, he is distraught with the news of his fiancée and his business partner. Determined to get away from life and civilization, he aspires to be a hermit in Alder Gulch, Montana. Soon enough, however, he finds himself saddled with another man's child and a hateful half-breed Indian woman. He formulates a plan to get rid of them, but God obviously has something else in mind.
Morris Offers Cardboard Characters and No Imagination.......1998-11-29
If you've read one of these books, you've read them all. The characters in these books are flat, boring, and stereotypical. Morris seems to be suffering from senility, as he has a habit of changing his characters' eye color or hair color from book to book. This annoying problem is obviously partly a lack of good editing, but also leaves you with the feeling that Morris does not know his own characters- a serious flaw! The romances in these books are passionless and so predictable they made me laugh. The only redeeming quality these books possess is their interesting historical settings. Even the history, however, is made somewhat boring and colorless by Morris's comic book style. These books can be described in one word- predictable.
Average customer rating:
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Honest John: Adventures of a Reluctant Cold-Warrior
Barry O Jones
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0595385613 |
Book Description
The author, a recent college graduate, finally out making money in the world, finds himself drafted into the Army after the construction of the Berlin Wall. He has just been married and finds himself engaged in two major adventures, his young marriage and coping with the U.S. Army. He tries to avoid being drafted but loses that battle. Any former soldier of the Cold War era will recognize the inanities and absurdities that confront the author during basic training and radio-operator training in the American South, where he witnesses racial discrimination against fellow soldiers. The author narrowly misses being sent to Vietnam and ships out to Germany, where he is assigned to an undermanned Honest John missile battalion. At the same time, he and his wife move into the home of a German family and find some respite there from the inanity of the Army. They socialize with the Germans and fraternize illegally with officers. He experiences maneuvers in the cold of southern Germany, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and President Kennedy's visit to Germany, and he and his wife find their marriage tested. Meantime the craziness of Army life continues unabated. The author hates the Army but finds years later that it has strangely affected his life.
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The Honorable Imposter, the Captive Bride, the Indentured Heart, the Gentle Rebel, the Saintly Buccaneer, the Holy Warrior, the Reluctant Bridegroom, the Last Confederate, the Dixie Widow (The House of Winslow Series, Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Gilbert Morris
Manufacturer: Bethany House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WY22Q4 |
Product Description
The first 9 novels of Gilbert Morris' House of Winslow Series. They start in England before the sailing of the Mayflower, and they continue through the American Revolution, to the Oregon Trail wagon train, and in the Last Confederate and the Dixie Widow it goes through the start of the Civil War. These inspirational books are good reading for anyone who likes history and wants to read about what this country was founded on.
Average customer rating:
- Sometimes being #2 is preferable
- Winner of the WordWeaving Award for Excellence
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The Reluctant Commander (The Neophyte Warrior, Book 2)
Richard Patton
Manufacturer: Zumaya Publications, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1894869575
Release Date: 2002-06-12 |
Product Description
Twenty two year old George Washington was pleased by his promotion to the rank of lieutenant colonel and quite content to be the second-in-command of Governor Robert Dinwiddie's expedition to remove the French from the Ohio Valley. But now, Joshua Fry, the mission's elderly commanding officer, was dead in a fall from his horse and Washington has suddenly become the Reluctant Commander of the Virginia Regiment at a remote field in the Allegheny Mountains called Great Meadows. Book Two of the Neophyte Warrior series* continues the story of a young man beleaguered by the onerous duties of his office and by the tribulations of a land about to erupt in conflict. The battle at Great Meadows will be the opening salvo of the French and Indian War and the military debut of the young man who is about to have his first, but certainly not his last, baptism of fire.
The Neophyte Warrior series chronicles the adventures, romances, and growing pains of a Virginia militiaman George Washington during the French and Indian War.
Customer Reviews:
Sometimes being #2 is preferable.......2006-07-29
"The Christmas Village" gets off to a good start; however the reader has to wait until the second chapter or longer and may still have to guess what the plot is. The story starts with Egypt, the main female character's present predicament. And while preparing for a trip that accidentally changes her life, she hides her past feelings from her mother.
The story then jumps to Cade, the main male character and his predicament of dodging and hiding from eager females wanting to marry him. Even knowing it is his fate, he continues to avoid them all. His feelings of denial are put to the test, even after his soul mate unknowingly puts herself right in his path. Not knowing about the creation of his legend in the village and the part she plays in it, Egypt doesn't wish to marry him, either. Cade doesn't believe her and presumes to let her know she isn't the one for him.
The author takes the reader back and forth through the predicaments of Egypt and Cade and weaves in bursts of humor that are quite refreshing and entertaining. Cade's other family members and the members of the village only add to their plight. With Egypt trying to work through the difficulties of finding herself stranded in a strange town filled with strange residents, she is none too happy with her plight.
While there are plenty of other bursts of humorous predicaments with the main characters, some of the situations in the story brought out anger and frustration with both of the main characters. You are almost wishing you could tell both of them to wake up and discover what is going on. Though the author leads the reader quite successfully through the imaginative episodes of their lives you are intrigued, and can't help but wonder what will happen next, and anxiously waiting to see how it all ends.
"The Christmas Village" caters to the 30-50 age group who loves good humor and a good romance story. Many can relate to the main characters' antics, and the story's believable tale about the legend and fantasy "The Christmas Village" creates. The story is not only great for the Christmas holiday, but can be enjoyed at any time of the year. The author writes with great imagination, heart, humor and romantic teasing. It is a very enjoyable read.
Winner of the WordWeaving Award for Excellence.......2002-09-30
With urgent messages arriving that warn of extraordinary numbers of French troops, General Washington cannot properly equip or feed his untrained troops. British colonies will not survive if the French and Indian allies are successful in seizing an Appalachian frontier stretching from Georgia in the southwest to New Hampshire in the northeast. Worse, those British men in charge of decision-making underestimate the challenges faced by troops attempting to move across the American wilderness. Consequently, it falls to Washington to find his own answers to dealing with the French. The pressure on young George Washington is enormous.
Meanwhile, British deserter Pariah West, now called Stump Neck and regarded as a shaman, prepares his own ambushes for the British. The psychopath takes pleasure in bloodbath and mayhem, refusing to yield even to the caution of his mentor. Other young, headstrong, ruthless Indians follow is lead into barbarism, believing that the elimination of the British will leave them in control of Indian trade. They also believe that by killing their enemies in ritualistic ceremonies they will inherit the spiritual powers of their victims.
Author Richard Patton creates a powerful historical drama in THE RELUCTANT COMMANDER, bringing little know historical detail to the narrative that makes the story incredibly vibrant. Patton skillfully captures the essence of Washington's struggles, showing that defeating the enemy may create more problems than it can solve. His temporary promotion to full colonel leaves him ill prepared to cope with the logistical and political challenges presented by the American wilderness. The plot comes dynamically alive as soldiers struggle with storms and wet gunpowder, hunger and three wheeled wagons. Readers will sympathize with the impossible situation in which Washington finds himself, even as they cheer his determination to the right thing. On the other hand, Pariah West's deterioration into madness provided a chilling subplot. A powerful drama that will leave readers eager for the next installment of the series, THE RELUCTANT COMMANDER earns the WordWeaving Award for Excellence.
Average customer rating:
- A "must read" for all who want to face death with courage
- A "must read" for all who want to face death with courage
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The Singing Bird Will Come: An AIDS Journal
John Richard Noonan ,
Mary Rose Noonan , and
Daniel Berrigan
Manufacturer: Canticle Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Medical
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ASIN: 0964172542 |
Customer Reviews:
A "must read" for all who want to face death with courage.......1999-10-24
The Singing Bird Will Come is a remarkable book by a man who is truly in touch with himself as he struggles with the reality of death. His strong desire to continue to celebrate life as he prepares to die makes a lasting impression on the reader. How the author comes to grips with communicating his journey is the focus of the book. He seems to follow Kubler-Ross's stages of death--denial, anger, bargaining with God, depression and finally, acceptance. He feels it is especially ironic that he has to come to accept his dying so soon after he had come to accept himself as a gay man. This story captures the well-balanced tension John Noonan experiences between continuing daily living and thinking of eternity. I recommend it highly for caregivers, service providers, and all of us who will prepare to die someday.
A "must read" for all who want to face death with courage.......1999-10-24
The Singing Bird Will Come is a remarkable book by a man who is truly in touch with himself as he struggles with the reality of death. His strong desire to continue to celebrate life as he prepares to die makes a lasting impression on the reader. How the author comes to grips with communicating his journey is the focus of the book. He seems to follow Kubler-Ross's stages of death--denial, anger, bargaining with God, depression and finally, acceptance. He feels it is especially ironic that he has to come to accept his dying so soon after he had come to accept himself as a gay man. This story captures the well-balanced tension John Noonan experiences between continuing daily living and thinking of eternity. I recommend it highly for caregivers, service providers, and all of us who will prepare to die someday.
Customer Reviews:
Montessori from the Start.......2007-05-10
Has great insight into the infant psyche, and a wonderful tool for the new moms!
I wish I would have read this when I was pregnant!.......2007-02-09
My son is 13 months and I would have done things differently if I would have had this sooner. It is definately worth it!
Montessori.......2007-01-04
At first, I was a bit skeptical at how one could use Montessori for babies, but then as I read the book I realized that it was only logical and using common since. I have tried a lot on our baby and let me tell you he is not an easy baby!
I was amazed at how well the methods worked. It also proves that babies are very very intelligent, I mean I always new that, but when you put practice into work and see the results, it is really very fascinating! It also proves that all the work you put in now and the more patient you are, the better result you get.
Vienna, Austria
I was quite disappointed in this book.......2006-05-31
I have been reading several good guides to the Montessori method, including one volume from the library I was able to get written by Montessori herself. I was hopeful that this book by Lillard would give good sound advice for practical current infant Montessori techniques based on a sound knowledge of Montessori. Unfortunately this was not the case.
My biggest complaint regarding this book was the disregard shown to infant well being. Leaving an infant alone for extended periods of time is not advisable and can be dangerous. I had a very large objection to her advice that infants should be weaned at 9 months whether the infant seemed "ready" or not. That certainly does not seem to be respecting an infant's innate intelligence. Then there was the potty training at 12 months advice. Well that may be great if your child is showing signs of readiness, it would not be advisable for the many many infants who are simply not developmentally ready at that stage. Those ideas of the author are in direct conflict with Montessori principles of giving children materials for their developmental readiness. Not all children will be ready then and forcing them as the author seems to suggest will not likely lead to positive results.
There are much better guides out there and this one I simply cannot recommend as it is harsh and gives an impression of Montessori principles that is not truly accurate in many instances.
It's very informative..........2006-02-28
I had to give this book five stars simply for it's content. I do think that it is a little dry to read through, but the information you glean is wonderful. I found the book to be quite convicting, as well as educational. I am very thrilled that there are fun and educational ways to experience life with my children! I love the fact that Montessori views children as people and infants have so much to learn. Stop the crazy use of useless toys simply for entertainment! We have little Einsteins at this age if we allow them to flourish.
Book Description
Since its original publication in 1938, Larousse Gastronomique has withstood the test of time and trend to remain the world’s most authoritative culinary reference book.
Generations of serious cooks have turned to it for guidance that encompasses every fashion and taste, making its comprehensive collection of 2,500 classic recipes an indispensable resource. Recently updated, every one of these recipes has now been organized into four compact volumes to create a convenient and essential addition to every cook’s library.
The Larousse Gastronomique Recipe Collection includes:
•Classic meat, poultry, and game recipes, from Boeuf Bourguignon and Osso Bucco à la Milanaise to Glazed Spare Ribs and Chicken Jambalaya
•Quintessential fish and seafood dishes, including Lobster Thermidor, Salmon Koulibiac, Pike Quenelles Mousseline, and Grilled Shad with Sorrel
•Landmark vegetable and salad recipes, such as Asparagus Mousse, Gratin Dauphinois, Mushroom Duxelles, and Corn Fritters
•Timeless desserts, cakes, and pastries, from Charlotte à la Chantilly and Black Forest Gâteau to Passion Fruit Sorbet and Danish Cherry Flan
Each volume of the Larousse Gastronomique Recipe Collection also includes recipes for basic pastries, condiments, garnishes, sauces, and more, turning this collection into a complete course in kitchen classics.
Customer Reviews:
Great for both profesionals and home cooks.......2007-03-22
This IS the reference "Bible, Koran, etc" for chefs worldwide and is a must for those whom either like to cook or love collecting cookbooks.
For those who cant seem to master or understand the following, "There are no cross references to where the recipe for a flan case appears (which it doesn't as far as I could find) and the instructions to saute in "hot butter" are useless." I have but 2 answers for you;
1. Have you ever heard of a pate brisee?
2. If you do not understand what hot butter is, then please do us all a favor and stay out of the kitchen.
Incredible Breadth and Depth, Great Recipes.......2006-04-29
I have many times over many years gone to the Larousse Gastronomique as my first step in menu planning before a grand meal. Its encycopedic breadth, its to-the-point informative essays, its side-by-side alternative recipes, and its marvelous way of linking recipes, ingredients, geographical biases and lore into nearly endless chains of ideas is a great inspiration. So often, different sources say very different things about a food, and the Larousse becomes the arbiter of these disagreements. It is authoritative and comprehensive.
But it can be a pain in the tenderloin to use as a cookbook. Its recipes, even in the most recent editions, can be too dense, too full of recondite practices, and just too damned French in their prejudices and presuppositions. So I've always used it as a first source, but rarely for practical guidance with individual dishes. For years I have returned to the same unfulfilled wish: to have the recipes excerpted, reorganized, edited, and cleaned up for kitchen use. Sometimes you just need to know how much onion goes in the soup without all the chauvanistic opinions about onions in their many forms. I am very pleased to say that the editors at Larousse have produced exactly this book.
The book is in fact four: meats, fish and seafoods, vegetables, and deserts are separately bound into four handy volumes. The books are compact, beautifully designed following the old French format of one recipe in paragraph-form per page, with saddle-stitched bindings and stain-resistant covers. The volumes come in a strong paperboard box. With some gentle stretching the books will lie open on the counter. Each volume is intelligently arranged by major ingredient or thematic relevance. Everything is easy to find [assuming you know some French], and easy to use. Leave your full Larousse in the library, and keep this recipe collection near the stove. Or, since it is so incredibly inexpensive at Amazon, buy two and let one get encrusted in Cassoulet sauce.
One caveat: The French-format recipes may take some getting used to. You'll have to be careful to line up your ingredients, since they are not listed except as needed within the paragraph. This format works very well if you are a reasonably experienced cook who is comfortable reading a recipe through and then improvising the dish as you go. If you need precise instructions, other cookbooks might be more accessible. But if you know a mirepoix is a highly-variable mixture of vegetables, you can relax and let the recipes suggest a direction, and adjust as needed. Where exact instructions are more important, with delicate pastries and souffles, for example, you may want to supplement these recipes with a step-by-step cookbook, but for Coq au Vin, just dive in and let go your fears of imperfection.
I highly recommend this monumental compendium for every cook who loves French food. It is fast becoming one of the vertebra of my cookbook library.
The Great Cuisine Bible, a Must for Every Serious Foodie's Library.......2006-04-13
Larousse Gastronomique is the ultimate culinary reference for the serious foodie and cook, whether a good home cook or a professional. It was never intended for the person who does not already know something as basic as what a flan case is (or how to boil water) nor for the person who lacks the intelligence to observe that the book is arranged alphabetically, so no cross reference to "flan case" is required. It is only necessary to turn to f-l-a-n, alphabetically. Nor is "a list of ingredients" the truly traditional way to write recipes. Even Gourmet magazine wrote recipes in the paragraph style until the 1980s.
Larousse Gastronomique answers just about every culinary question you have and describes everything you need to know to cook at a world class level using real (not mass-produced processed) ingredients in the traditional way. Not for the person who thinks a great recipe contains canned cream of X soup!
If you have already mastered the basics of real cookery and are ready to step up to great cooking, this is the book for you.
Description of Book is Very Deceptive.......2006-04-06
First and foremost this book is listed as a "hardcover" edition. This collection, in point of fact, consists of 4 paperbound books with a cardboard slipcover.
Secondly, there are no traditional recipes with a list of ingredients followed or accompanied by instructions for preparing the dish. "Recipes" are one paragraph descriptions that list the amount, the ingredient itself, and directions all in the same sentence. Regarding the structure of the individual volumes (Meat, Poultry & Game, Fish & Seafood, Vegetables & Salads, and Desserts) they are divided into chapters covering a major subgroup. For example, in the Meat Volume there is a chapter on Chicken. Within each chapter recipes are listed alphabetically. The authors, in my opinion, have haphazardly mixed recipe titles to include usage of english and foreign names. For example, there is a recipe titled "Chicken Liver Flan Chavette" indiscriminately mixing english, spanish and french terms.
The recipes themselves leave a lot to be desired. As an example the above cited "Chicken Liver Flan Chavette" recipe starts out: "Bake a flan case (pie shell) blind. Thickly slice 500 g (18 oz) trimmed chicken livers. Season and saute in hot butter." There are no cross references to where the recipe for a flan case appears (which it doesn't as far as I could find) and the instructions to saute in "hot butter" are useless. It would be more instructive if the authors had considered a statement such as "saute over medium heat until golden brown". Very little thought and testing was used to list these recipes.
I would give this book a "0 star" rating if it were available!
Book Description
Since its first publication in 1938,
Larousse Gastronomique has been an unparalleled resource. In one volume, it presents the history of foods, eating, and restaurants; cooking terms; techniques from elementary to advanced; a review of basic ingredients with advice on recognizing, buying, storing, and using them; biographies of important culinary figures; and recommendations for cooking nearly everything.
The new edition, the first since 1988, expands the book’s scope from classic continental cuisine to include the contemporary global table, appealing to a whole new audience of internationally conscious cooks. Larousse Gastronomique is still the last word on béchamel and béarnaise, Brillat-Savarin and Bordeaux, but now it is also the go-to source on biryani and bok choy, bruschetta and Bhutan rice.
Larousse Gastronomique is rich with classic and classic-to-be recipes, new ingredients, new terms and techniques, as well as explanations of current food legislation, labeling, and technology. User-friendly design elements create a whole new Larousse for a new generation of food lovers.
Customer Reviews:
excellent cooking resource.......2007-05-16
I find a lot of information about lots of different cuisines and numerous recipes. Its serves me very well.
Indispensable.......2007-04-15
Larousee gastronomique is indispensable for anyone who cares about food: it is an encyclopedia of recipes, techniques and facts without which your cooking and eating will be poorer.
fantastic.......2007-04-05
A must for anyone who considers him/herself a chef, or even just a "cook." The recipes are excellent and the entries are thorough. Since no one book can cover all possible dishes that exist, there are obvious lacunae, especially when it comes to certain ethnic cuisines. Overall, ethnic dishes that are well-known in France are certainly listed, which do not always match the ethnic dishes that are popular in America. But as far as the basics go--the characteristics of basuic ingredients, and essential techniques--it's a great book. Much better than the Penguin (aka Oxford) Companion to Food.
GREAT GIFT FOR A GOURMET COOK.......2007-01-11
I purchased this book for my daughter at her request. As I am always amazed at her cooking talents, I did not hesitate, as it was a Christmas present. I thought I could purchase it at my local Border's store when they held a grand opening for less than Amazon, boy, was I mistaken! She absolutely loves this book and every time I visit she has learned a new fact, receipe or some very odd ingredient that she is determined to try. She would recommend this book for anyone, great gourmet chef or just a beginner. It really helps when you are looking at receipes from any of the magazines and have never heard of several of the ingredients.
The most complete and authentick cookbook.......2007-01-11
The title says it all. This particular revision is a perfect upgrade to what is already French cooking's finest expository.
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