The Eagle in Splendour: Napoleon the First and His Court

Book Description

1894. With portrait. An account of Marie Louise, empress of the French as consort of Napoleon I and duchess of Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla, daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Francis II (later Emperor of Austria as Francis I) She married Napoleon I and was the mother of Napoleon II. When Napoleon I was defeated she fled to Vienna. Contents: The Return of Marie Louise to Austria; Napoleon's Arrival at the Island of Elba; Queen Marie Caroline; Marie Louise at Aix in Savoy; Marie Louise in Switzerland; Marie Louise During the Congress of Vienna; The Return from Elba; Marie Louise During the Hundred Days; The Field of May; Waterloo; Napoleon II; Malmaison; Rochefort; The Bellerophon; and The Northumberland. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

Memoirs of Constant (VOLUME 4 ONLY), first valet de chambre of the Emperor on the private life of Napoleon, his family, and his court, volume 4

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Memoirs of Constant (VOLUME 4 ONLY), first valet de chambre of the Emperor on the private life of Napoleon, his family, and his court, volume 4
Elizabeth Gilbert (translator) Constant; Martin
Manufacturer: Charles Scribner's Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IZE70G

Memoirs of Constant, first valet de chambre of the emperor,: On the private life of Napoleon, his family and his court

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Memoirs of Constant, first valet de chambre of the emperor,: On the private life of Napoleon, his family and his court
Louis Constant Wairy
Manufacturer: Century Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00085BPXS

Memoirs of Constant-Private Life of Napoleon, His Family and His Court, 4 Vols.

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Memoirs of Constant-Private Life of Napoleon, His Family and His Court, 4 Vols.
Constant
Manufacturer: Century, New York
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IY1OB2

Memoirs of Constant: First Valet De Chambre of the Emperor of the Private Life of Napoleon His Family and His Court

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Memoirs of Constant: First Valet De Chambre of the Emperor of the Private Life of Napoleon His Family and His Court
Elizabeth Gilbert Martin (trans.)
Manufacturer: The Century Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000V1WYIY

Memoirs of Constant: First Valet De Chamre of the Emperor on the Private Life of Napoleon His Family and His Court

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Memoirs of Constant: First Valet De Chamre of the Emperor on the Private Life of Napoleon His Family and His Court
Elizabeth Gilbert Martin
Manufacturer: The Century Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JWKLPI

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Memoirs of Napoleon His Court 2 Volumes
Madame Junot
Manufacturer: D APPLETON & CO
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000TRY0RI

Book Description

Isaac Asimov's boundless, inexhaustible intellectual curiosity and his extraordinary talent for explaining complex subjects in clear, concise prose is logendary to readers throughout the world. In addition to treating his devoted fans to nearly five hundred illuminating science-fiction and nonfiction books, he also found time to write a three-column autobiography. Now these volumes have been condensed into one by Asimov's wife, Janet, who also shares excerpts from letters he wrote to her and shocking revelations about the illness that led to his death. More than being just an absorbing history of Isaac Asimov's life, IT'S BEEN A GOOD LIFE is like having an intimate conversation with the master himself.

Customer Reviews:

Truly Amazing. Awesome........2007-08-01

Asimov was like Mozart, only more so: whereas Mozart's genius was more or less confined to music, Asimov ranged all over, rampaging over every aspect of knowledge -- so it seemed to me. When Mozart was asked how he composed, he was reputed to have said: I just sit down and begin writing as the music came pouring out. Similarly, when Asimov was asked how he prepared to write, he said: I just sit down, put my hands on the keyboard of a typewriter or word processor and begin typing, often at 100 words a minute, hardly ever making corrections, as the story just came pouring out. How many authors could have said or can say: On my book shelves are almost half a thousand books every one of which I wrote? Janet Jepson's notes and organization rendered the book even more enjoyable.

Great condensed memoir.......2005-12-06

Even though Asimov wrote a few autobiographies, this one really stands more as a condensed version of the others. I don't think it's really meant to be as serious and in-depth as the other ones. It does exactly what it sets out to do--inform the reader about Asimov's life in a more general and succinct way, with plentiful anecdotes along the way. We get to find out about his boyhood, education, early writing days, when he was an established writer and long past his days of writing for magazines, quite a few of the books and stories he wrote, his interactions with other people in his life, his twilight years, and his beliefs on quite a number of subjects. Even though I don't share his atheism and humanism, it was interesting to read about those beliefs of his, how he came to have them, and how he lived them. I've never really been into sci-fi, except maybe for some soft sci-fi, but Asimov is just about the only hard sci-fi writer I voluntarily read things by. This engaging writing style is a big reason why, as well as the influences behind his writing. And as he describes in some of the chapters, he didn't just write sci-fi; he also wrote some books on the Bible (he didn't let his atheism get in the way of writing a pretty neutral unbiased account of Biblical history as it was understood at that time), Shakespeare, limericks, and history, and points out that his famous 'Foundation' trilogy was inspired by his love of history. He wanted to combine his love of history with his love of sci-fi, and that series came about as a result, being so successful in fact that years after the original trilogy came out, he was called upon to write a few more books in the series. It was also a big shock to read that Asimov had actually died from AIDS, having gotten a blood transfusion in the days before blood was routinely screened. After the main text of the book are also one of the essays he wrote, along with his story 'The Last Question,' which he considered to be his favorite of all of the stories he'd ever written, and one which was also the favorite story of many of his fans as well. This was a fascinating multifaceted human being, and this book would be a good general introduction to a new fan.

Excellent!.......2003-03-20

It's been a good life is a good way to describe Asimov's life as he describes it in his own words. An autobiographical account of his life, with inserts by his wife, this book details Asimov's life in a funny and interesting volume.
He starts with his birth and childhood, which is an interesting feat. Not many people can remember their young lives. From there, he describes how he became interested in reading, then writing and finally how he first became published. From there, he describes his academic and writing lives in a clear, paced fasion. Everything blends in perfectly, from birth to death.
I was paticularly fasinated by his writing life, as a fan of his. For most of the book, he describes how he became a novelist, then how he stopped in favor of scientific resources and then how he returned to fiction. Because he wrote this in the first person view, it is entirly too easy to fall right into his head, and see things the way he did. This is expecially true towards the end of the book and his life. I really got the sense that he had too much to do, that he wanted to do and didn't have nearly enough time to accomplish it all.
I have read many of his science fiction novels, and from this book, learned a lot about what drove him to writing the stories I enjoy, but also about his life in general. There was much that I had no idea about. For example, he was in the Army, died of AIDs, due to a blood transfusion, and went through writing cycles.
Paticularly helpful was the editing that his wife did. On almost every section, she inserted references to his life that explained what he was talking about a little better. This book would have been very difficult and/or confusing if they had not been put in.
In addition, this book is an extremely fast read. I finished it in nearly five to six hours and enjoyed every minute of it.
The only complaint that I have with it is that it's too short, almost abridged in sections, that could have had more to it. Other than that, it's a wonderful and entertaining read.

Abbreviated autobiography yields mixed results.......2003-01-23

This compression of Isaac Asimov's earlier autobiographical works will principally be remembered as the book that announced to the world that Asimov died of AIDS. But as a one-volume summary of his life, it enjoys only mixed success.

This book both benefits and suffers from its source material: the best chapters are those on Asimov's early life and career, and were extracted from his first volume of autobiography, In Memory Yet Green, which was strongly narrative and, as a result, stronger; the second volume, In Joy Still Felt, was more anecdotal and quotidian, as Asimov settled into the routine of a workaholic full-time writer, and as a result yielded less insightful material to excerpt.

Like Asimov's third autobiography, I. Asimov: A Memoir, and his collection of letters, Yours, Isaac Asimov, the chapters are topical. While some chapters are solid, others are quite thin: the chapters that simply collect funny anecdotes could have been dispensed with. For example, Chapter 26, "The Bible", includes a couple of not-very-illuminating anecdotes related to Asimov's Guide to the Bible, and could have been folded, along with the chapter on humanism, into a longer chapter on religion and unbelief. I would have preferred fewer, longer chapters that went into more depth. Substantial introductory and connective material to piece Asimov's own work together would have strengthened the book; instead, we're given passages that sometimes look like they were excerpted, word by word, with a razor blade.

On a more mundane level, the proofreading is sometimes surprisingly bad, with several misspelled authors' names and even one book title ("I, Robert"?!?) -- just the sort of thing that Isaac would have found bothersome.

A warm and revealing literary biography.......2002-06-06

Isaac Asimov can justifably lay claim to having been one of the most prolific writers of modern times, producing science fiction, fantasy, essays and other works. His wife Janet Asimov here edits her husband's personal thoughts about his life and works, including excerpts from his letters and insights into his life experiences throughout the process. Fans of Asimov will find It's Been A Good Life to be a warm and revealing literary biography.

Life as I have known it has been finger lickin' good

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like a face to face conversation more than a book
Excellent

Life as I have known it has been finger lickin' good
Harland Sanders
Manufacturer: Creation House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0884190536

Customer Reviews:

like a face to face conversation more than a book.......2006-05-19

I finished this book in two days of commuting on metrorail and bus. It's hard to put down, a most fascinating story (they say that truth is stranger than fiction). Now I will no longer just see the familiar face at KFC outlets; I actually know Col. Sanders (not by personal acquaintance, to be sure, but very close to it).

Excellent.......1999-10-18

An extrodinary book that inspired my 81 year old father when he read it. This is hard to do and this is why I am desperatly trying to find the book. I lent mine out and it never was returned.

Any Day with Hair Is a Good Hair Day: How to Get Through CANCER and Get On with Your Life (Trust Me, I've Been There)

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A Road Map for Cancer Patients
Perfect book for those recently diagnosed with cancer

Any Day with Hair Is a Good Hair Day: How to Get Through CANCER and Get On with Your Life (Trust Me, I've Been There)
Michelle Rapkin
Manufacturer: Center Street
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Healing | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Health Care Delivery | Administration & Policy | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Cancer survivor Michelle Rapkin shares her hard-earned wisdom and encouragement to those battling the disease, and vital information that your doctor doesn't know to tell you.

Customer Reviews:

A Road Map for Cancer Patients.......2007-10-16

I wish I had had this book when I was first diagnosed with cancer. If every physician would give their patients this book at the time they send them for "tests just to be safe", it would be a great help to the patient, regardless of the test outcome. It is so helpful on multiple levels.

This book is written with honesty, reality and a touch of humor. It is easy to read and provides ways to be empowered at a time we feel powerless. It is a help for our friends who don't know what to do or what to say. From the first tests to the end of our cancer treatments, Michelle Rapkin gives us help and directions to get through the days of tests and treatment. There are lots of helpful reference lists at the end of the book.

A must have for anyone going in for tests for cancer and those already on the cancer journey.

Perfect book for those recently diagnosed with cancer.......2007-10-08

Any Day With Hair is a Good Hair Day by Michelle Rapkin is a primer on what to do immediately after the diagnosis of cancer. Rapkin speaks conversationally and pulls no punches; from sex to runny noses and mastectomies, she offers information on everything. I don't have cancer, but I learned a great deal about how the illness affects people and what I can do to help. I also took some advice that I can use as a rheumatoid arthritis patient: if your doctor doesn't treat you like you think he would treat his spouse/child, he's not the right doctor for you. Much of Rapkin's advice is about small things that can make a big difference to someone with cancer. Bring tissues with you everywhere; as the hair leaves your head, it will also leave your nose, so your nose will run constantly. Rapkin is upbeat with a flair for compelling writing. She doesn't spend pages going over her own case history; she's far more interested in helping you make the best of yours. There are pages that can be photocopied for friends and family with suggestions on how best to help the patient, plus a crossword puzzle, online resources, and even prayers for all major religions specifically focusing on cancer. This is definitely a must read for those recently diagnosed and those who love them.

THE GREATEST PLAGUE OF LIFE: or the Adventures of a Lady in Search of a Good Servant. By One Who Has Been "Almost Worried to Death."

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THE GREATEST PLAGUE OF LIFE: or the Adventures of a Lady in Search of a Good Servant. By One Who Has Been "Almost Worried to Death."

Manufacturer: David Bogue
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I718I8

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Isaac Asimov It's Been a Good Life

Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GWOLB6

Its Been a Good Year: The Anniversary Book

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Its Been a Good Year: The Anniversary Book
William B. Coleman
Manufacturer: Bethany House Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Devotionals | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0871238799

Life's Been Good: The Children of the Great Depression

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Life's Been Good: The Children of the Great Depression
Glen McLaren
Manufacturer: Fremantle Arts Centre Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Australia | Australia & Oceania | History | Subjects | Books

Children's Studies | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1863682651

Memoirs of the life of Mrs. Charlotte Deans: From her earliest infancy, comprising the periods when she was Miss CHarlotte Lowes, Mrs. Johnston, and Mrs. ... been her good and bad fortune to associate

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Memoirs of the life of Mrs. Charlotte Deans: From her earliest infancy, comprising the periods when she was Miss CHarlotte Lowes, Mrs. Johnston, and Mrs. ... been her good and bad fortune to associate
Charlotte Deans
Manufacturer: [s.n.]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00088A856

Practical Vastushastra and Fengshui ; Good Luck Guide for Success, Money, and Happiness, and Remedies for Problems in Everyday Life have been Made Easy with Artistic Designs, Illustration, Sketches an

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Practical Vastushastra and Fengshui ; Good Luck Guide for Success, Money, and Happiness, and Remedies for Problems in Everyday Life have been Made Easy with Artistic Designs, Illustration, Sketches an
Ashwanie Kumar Bansal
Manufacturer: Fengshui Point Pub. House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 8190125745

A cheerful heart doeth good like a medicine: but Christians have always been afraid of laughter and humour.: An article from: Presbyterian Record

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A cheerful heart doeth good like a medicine: but Christians have always been afraid of laughter and humour.: An article from: Presbyterian Record
Barry Baldwin
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Doctors & Medicine | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Presbyterian Record, published by Thomson Gale on June 1, 2005. The length of the article is 890 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: A cheerful heart doeth good like a medicine: but Christians have always been afraid of laughter and humour.
Author: Barry Baldwin
Publication: Presbyterian Record (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 129 Issue: 6 Page: 25(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Finally! A book that teens with AD/HD will want to read. Designed as a web site that teens can surf, Help4ADD@High School is an AD/HD-friendly, on-target book that provides straight talk on high school, drugs, sex, friends, driving, parents, college and much, much more from an AD/HD perspective. Colorful, appealing, and illustrated by a 16-year-old cartoonist, teens will read it, even if their moms bought it for them!

Customer Reviews:

Not that much Information.......2006-03-09

I was looking for a book how to deal with teachers that are uneducated about ADD, my son has it and they just want to classify him as mentally retarted. I need more info.
This book is more for the child than a parent

Teachers! Take note!.......2003-12-14

For its format alone, this is a must-buy for teachers and the administrators who work with them! As a middle school AP, I've visited far too many classrooms where teachers try to keep students' attention nailed to dreary handwritten overheads in black marker no less. Yawn. Every page of this book demonstrates what good overheads should look like (minus the color I'd like to see)while the text explains WHY this is imperative for ADHD students. GET IT! I love it. I ordered two more for my school.

I liked how the number was in the title.......2001-07-21

When I saw this book, I liked that there was a number in the title and the @ thing too. But when I was reading it, most of the words weren't numbers. Some of the pages were pictures and I liked those ones the best. I think that if you wanted this book, you should get it. As someone who had a hard time in high school, making friends etc., I found this was a good way to think back on it all. I'm not sad anymore because of them.

very helpful for me as a high schooler with ADD.......1999-05-04

I recently read Help for ADD at High School by Kathleen Nadeau. There were many pieces of advice that were new to me and other things that my parents and tutors had taught me before. The advice that I had heard before, I have used during my years in high school. These simple tips are how I survived and passed every single one of my classes. I could tell that when Dr. Nadeau wrote this book, she understood the people who would be reading it. Usually when I read information books, I get bored and distracted easily. This probably has alot to do with my ADD. Dr. Nadeau remembered that the reader of this book, like myself, probably has ADD. In writing the book, she made a special effort to make sure I didn't loose interest. The content of the book helps students to understand their obstacles and teaches them how to overcome them. I would recomend this book to any high schooler who has ADD, it will truly help you through your difficulties.

Very informative and insightful for teens with ADD.......1999-05-03

This book was very helpful to both me and my teen. The information is presented in a very clear, teen-friendly and organized manner that's easy to read. It made me aware of what issues I should be discussing with my teen with ADD and gave me suggestions I can make that are helpful. This book also gave my teen insight into typical struggles and solutions that he's dealing with as a result of living with ADD. From basic information about how to know if you have ADD to social and school issues, this book covers all areas of concern in a user-friendly, straightforward and practical manner.

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A must for berry lovers!

Almost two hundred recipes for cultivated and wild berries

Key To Using This Good-For-You Food

Tremendously Useful Book on Very Important Food

A Berry Beautiful Book!

The Berry Bible: With 175 Recipes Using Cultivated and Wild, Fresh and Frozen Berries
Janie Hibler
Manufacturer: William Morrow Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Fruits | Cooking by Ingredient | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Special Occasions | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Very Blueberry

The Joy of Blueberries Cookbook

Pomegranates

Apple Cookbook

Fig Heaven: 70 Recipes for the World's Most Luscious Fruit

ASIN: 0060085487
Release Date: 2004-04-13

Amazon.com

Delicious, good for us, but underrepresented on our tables, berries are one of nature's greatest gifts. Amending our lack of berry-smarts, Janie Hibler's The Berry Bible presents a definitive guide, with over 200 recipes using cultivated, wild, fresh, and frozen berries--from well-known types such as blueberries and raspberries (and their related varieties), to lesser known kinds, like the cloudberry and manzanita, and apple-like fruit enjoyed traditionally by Native Americans. The recipes cover a wide range of easily produced dishes, such as Morning Glory Muffins with Blackberries and Pork Tenderloin Salad with Warm Strawberry Dressing, and also include formulas for smoothies, cocktails, condiments like chutney, and homemade berry liqueurs such as Madame Rose Blan''s Crème de Cassis. What makes the book a particularly valuable kitchen resource, however, is Hibler's A to Z berry encyclopedia, a section that, in addition to providing nomenclature, history, habitat, and classification information, also offers picking, buying, storing, and cooking advice. Accompanying the descriptions are pages of color photos that further aid in berry identification, a gift to those who like to gather their own. --Arthur Boehm

Book Description

Sweet, juicy, and delicious, berries -- everyone's favorite fruit -- can be found wild, grown in your own backyard, or purchased fresh or frozen year-round. But there's more to berries than glorious summer desserts. Packed with vitamins and antioxidants, berries are exceptionally good for you, too.

In The Berry Bible, author Janie Hibler gets to the heart of these summer fruits, from their health benefits to their genus to how they are best put to use in the kitchen. An award-winning cookbook author and authority on the foods of the Pacific Northwest, Hibler offers 175 recipes, along with 68 full-color identification photographs and an A-to-Z encyclopedia that details well-known varieties such as blueberries and blackberries and lesser-known cultivars such as manzanitas and Juneberries.

Hibler traveled the globe in her quest for berry lore, facts, and recipes, visiting the Canadian prairie to search out Saskatoon berries; Alaska, to pick wild blueberries with the Indians; and Europe, to peruse the markets for the best strawberries.

Her delightful history of 41 berries, and personal annotations on how to use and store them, inspire you to try her Brioche French Toast with Sautéed Berries or tender Marionberry Biscuits, while cooling yourself on a hot summer day with her Strawberry Mojito and refreshing berry lemonades. Hibler offers everything berry, from first course to last. Start your meal with Chilled Blackberry—Lime Soup, move on to Sautéed Chicken Breast with Blueberry Port, and end on a lovely Boysenberry-Loganberry Cobbler or Peak-of-the-Season Blueberry Pie.

In between, there's a chapter on how to wash berries, freeze them, measure them accurately, substitute them in recipes, and remove their stains, plus a primer on the magnificent creams -- whipped, crème fraîche, clotted, and Double Devon. There is also a chapter on berry preserves, jams, pickles, syrups, and toppings. The time is ripe to pick up The Berry Bible.

Customer Reviews:

A must for berry lovers!.......2006-08-13

Purchased this book this summer as a "thank you" gift, and found myself not wanting to hand it over (to the gift recipient). There are many tidbits of info sprinkled throughout the recipes, with an interesting nod toward how berries spread throughout S. America. Most recipes are manageable even for busy people (with little time to prepare, etc.), and each one that we've tried has been quite nice!

Almost two hundred recipes for cultivated and wild berries.......2004-11-10

Plenty of cookbooks cover recipes for the well-known blackberry, raspberry, and blueberry - but how many discuss and provide recipes for the Jostaberry, Salmonberry, or Buffaloberry? Janie Hibler's The Berry Bible does, covering all these and more with almost two hundred recipes for using both cultivated and wild berries, fresh or frozen. The Berry Bible comes from a contributing writer to Gourmet, Food & Wine and other well-known professional food magazines, and includes a centerfold of color photos and an all-important bibliography of web sites as well as the usual index. Berry fans who until now have relied on domestic varietal coverages will appreciate having more in-depth coverage in The Berry Bible.

Key To Using This Good-For-You Food.......2004-07-07

I have always been a devotee of berries out of hand, but because I love them so much they rarely survive long enough to make it into my cooking. The Berry Bible may change that. If you want erudition on the berry world, look no further. The health benefits of berries take center stage, and then, straight on, "The A-To-Z Berry Encyclopedia" covers this planet's offerings, from scientific nomenclature to where each berry variety is grown commercially, to picking and storage notes. The color insert of photos of berry varieties is meticulous. The recipe sections--the bulk of the book--are well organized and clearly written. There's an excellent section on "Putting Berries By" for those of you with extra berries you don't want to gobble up just yet; preserves and jellies are covered as you'd expect, but you can also try your hand at "Raspberry Pastilles" if candy-making inspires you. The book has something for everyone, but above all, it treats berries with reverence. It is as complete as any book that claims to be a "Bible" should be.

Food writer Elliot Essman's other reviews and food articles are available at www.stylegourmet.com

Tremendously Useful Book on Very Important Food.......2004-06-27

Thirty-five years ago `The Berry Bible' by Janie Hibler may have attracted a place in a relatively small market of hippies, vegetarians, and Pacific Northwest berry boosters. Today, I suspect the book will and should attract a lot more attention with the discovery and publicizing of the health benefits of all berries, specifically cranberries and blueberries.

Even though I easily qualify as a `cookbook collector', I have never given much thought to what constitutes a good book for a cookbook collection, as my primary objective in acquiring cookbooks is to review them. But, this book easily qualifies as a paradigm for an excellent member of a cookbook collection. The two most interesting types of volumes in cookbook collections, I think, would be books on specific regions such as Provence, Tuscany, Mexico, and The Philippines and books on specific ingredients such as potatoes, duck, salmon, and eggs.

So, once we start collecting books on ingredients, what should they include? The most obvious answer is recipes. For these, a book on berries has much more to offer than a book on eggs or potatoes since, aside from the relatively small variations between starchy and waxy potatoes, there is not much to tell about how to make the best use of different varieties. There is also not much room to capitalize on recipes that can serve many purposes by being a stage for a wide variety of color, species, and cultivar of product. A good berry recipe can give you recipes for muffin, scone, tart, coulis, or smoothie for blackberries, raspberries, and mulberries in one fell swoop. To this end, the book contains recipes for:

Coolers, Cocktails, Smoothies, and other Drinks
Breads
Soups and Salads
Main Courses
Sauces
Putting Berries By (jams, jellies, and preserves)
Ice Creams, Sorbets, and Other Frozen Treats
Pies, Tarts, Cobblers, and Such
Cakes
Pastries, Puddings, and Other Sweet Treats

If the book did no more than this, it would be worth its reasonable $30 list price, but it does do much more.

The intellectually most attractive feature of the book is `The A-to-Z Berry Encyclopedia'. It is a revelation to see how widely dispersed in the plant kingdom the main types of berries are, and yet, how closely related other berries with distinct names actually are. I was really surprised to discover that the boysenberry is not only related to the blackberry, it IS a blackberry, simply a specially named humanly developed cultivar of naturally occurring blackberries. Another interesting aspect is distinction between two or three different species with the same common name. Both blueberries and cranberries have lowbush and highbush varieties with markedly different geographic ranges and different commercial importance. The blueberry in your local megamart will almost invariably be the highbush species, unless you happen to live in northern New England, where you may have access to Maine lowbush blueberries. Those little blue beauties you see being gathered in Maine on the Food Network are not the same as what you see in your `Super Fresh' produce department.

All this babble about species and cultivars has an important message for you, the consumer. If you want your local market to carry good stuff, the author recommends you find out from what cultivar a good batch of berries was picked, and ask for those berries in preference to inferior berries laid out on other occasions.

The berry encyclopedia has much other useful and interesting information. The common name is useful if you happen to be reading foreign cookbooks, even those written in English, and run across an unusual name. The scientific classification shows who is related to whom. It turns out that many berries, especially the blackberry and raspberry clans are closely related to roses. Figure they had to get those thorns from someone in their family. The habitat and distribution section will give you a really good idea of which species and cultivars you may find in a true `local sources' farmers market. The history is interesting, if for nothing else than to show that berry fruits, barks, and leaves have been used as medicines since the time the Greeks started writing about their tummy aches. `Where They Are Grown Commercially' will give you a good idea of how fresh your megamart produce may be, if it is in season locally. `How to Pick' is essential if you are playing hunter-gatherer. The most common advice is to pick berries in the early morning, before the sun has warmed them up. `How To Buy' is for the us urbanites who do our gathering at SuperFresh. The more important types of berries such as blackberries and raspberries have a sidebar describing the various commercially available varieties.

The book ends with a list of web sites I truly believe you would not find by yourself. Most are of commercial booster groups and academic or state organizations dedicated to studying berry culture.

The very last section is an excellent little bibliography. You have to love a book that cites both Elizabeth David and the Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada, with a stop at `Leaves in Myth, Magic, and Medicine' along the way.

This is my kind of book. Even if you never want to but blackberries in your barbecue sauce or abandon your Bernard Clayton book on breadmaking, this book will reward you. If it does not, you should find a way to make berries a more important part of your life. They are that important nutroceutically. There, the book will even expand your vocabulary.

Highly recommended for understanding, buying, and using berries for enjoyment and health.

A Berry Beautiful Book!.......2004-06-11

This beautiful book has everything going for it and tells you everything you ever wanted or needed to know about berries. Ms. Hibler discusses in great detail 35 or 40 berries-- many of which I was not familiar with-- along with color photographs of twice that many. About each berry she discusses their common names, scientific classification, habitat, history, where they are grown commercially, how to pick them, how to buy them, how to store them, along with notes for the cook. On cranberries she tells the cook: "Think of them as the lemons of the berry world. Their tartness acts as a flavor enhancer when they are mixed with other fruits or berries, bringing out the best in both." On blueberries: "They are good mixed with other fruits and nuts, especially almonds."

In the author's introduction she discusses the current problems consumers face in the market. Although berries are now available the year round, we have sacrificed quality for quantity. (Do you ever wonder how growers get those tasteless strawberries bigger than a baby's fist?) She points out that many berries are picked while green and will never taste right when they do ripen. She further states that if we are willing to pay more for good berries for a shorter length of time in the market, that the sellers will do what is necessary to sell berries. But it is left up to the consumer to alleviate the problem.

Ms. Hibler covers utensils, cream, dried berries, washing berries, etc., in a chapter she calls "Berry Basics." Then the recipes follow. The author says she has been collecting berry recipes for years; there are 175 here, according to the book cover: drinks, breads, soups and salads, main courses, sauces, preserving berries, ice cream and other frozen treats, pies, tarts, cobblers, cakes, pastries and puddings. What is so amazing about these recipes is that with the exception of strawberry shortcake, we don't see the ones often repeated in previously published cookbooks: blueberry muffins, berry cheesecakes, cranberry bread, etc. (The strawberry shortcake is from the 1963 MCCALL'S COOKBOOK. Ms. Hibler says it is the best ever and recommends adding blueberries for a patriotic recipe for July 4.) While I'm a basic blueberry, blackberry, raspberry and strawberry person, if your tastes go to the exotic, both in berry and recipe, you won't be disappointed. Try Mahaw Jelly or Marionberry Streusel Tart, for example. Some of the recipes that jumped out at me that I want to try are Madame Rose Blanc's Creme de Cassis, (so we can make wonderful kirs) Fozen Srawberry Yourt, Fresh Raspberry Tart, and Lemon Curd Cake.

Two final notes: Ms. Hibler reminds us that eating berries is good for our health and gives us a great quote about cookbooks from Joseph Conrad: "Its object [a cookbook] can conceivably be no other than to increase the happiness of mankind." Certainly that can be said of THE BERRY BIBLE, destined to become the book on berries by which others will be judged.

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