The Tracks of God:The Story of Henry Oehmsen -- Waffen SS Soldier of World War II and Prisoner of the Soviets

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Somewhat interesting, but.....

The Tracks of God:The Story of Henry Oehmsen -- Waffen SS Soldier of World War II and Prisoner of the Soviets
Robert L. Grupp
Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Russia | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1591091950
Release Date: 2001-12-10

Book Description

This is a personal story of faith and survival against the backdrop of the horrors of World War II and its aftermath.

Customer Reviews:

Somewhat interesting, but............2001-11-01

I have to admit I didn't realize it was a paperback when I ordered it. The price led me to believe otherwise. I did, however, realize it was not a very long book at only 172 pages. The story of the author surviving the war after a stint in the Waffen SS and 32 months of Soviet captivity made the book sound very interesting. It wasn't.

This book can be read in one evening. I happened to read it in two. The title indicated it would be a story focusing on his WWII experiences and captivity. It touched on these briefly, and at only 172 pages, it went by real fast. The book spent only 60 pages on his basic training, experience on the Eastern Front and his 32 months of captivity. While some of the incidents the author recounts are interesting, there is really nothing memorable said. The writing is frank and straightforward, and moves along with the candor of a story found in Readers Digest. It was a quick and simple read, and could of possibly received another star from this reviewer if it were not for the unreasonably high price. Poor writing, short book, high price. Look elsewhere, there are plenty of good ones available.

Book Description

"[This book] ranges from the most general reflections (on the relationship between "culture" and Nazism) to the intellectual-historical (on the myth of "Judaization" in Germany, on Nazism and Nietzsche, and on the Weimar-era Jewish revolt against rationalism) to historiographical critique (on recent Holocaust literature with special attention to racial thought). Throughout the book, Aschheim is interested to provide his reader with a summary of the various ways that Nazism and the Holocaust have been treated in philosophical and historical literature, in national polemic an public commemoration."
—Tikkun

Our understandings of culture and of the catastrophe unleashed by National Socialism have always been regarded as interrelated. For all its brutality, Nazism always spoke in the name of the great German tradition, often using such high culture to justify atrocities committed. Were not such actions necessary for the defense of classical cultural values and ideal images against the polluted, degenerate groups who sought to sully and defile them?

Ironically, some of National Socialism's victims confronted and interpreted their experiences precisely through this prism of culture and catastrophe. Many of these victims had traditionally regarded Germany as a major civilizing force. In fact, from the late eighteenth century on, German Jews had constructed themselves in German culture's image. Many of the German-speaking Jewish intellectuals who became victims of National Socialism had been raised and completely absorbed in the German humanistic tradition.

Steven E. Aschheim here engages the multiple aspects of German and German-Jewish cultural history which touch upon the intricate interplay between culture and catastrophe, providing insights into the relationship between German culture and the origins, dispositions, and aftermath of National Socialism. He analyzes the designation of Nazism as part of the West's cultural code representing an absolute standard of evil, and sheds light on the problematics of current German, Jewish, and Israeli inscriptions of Nazism and its atrocities.

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Nietzsche and Jewish Culture
Jacob Golomb
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Modern | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0415095123

Book Description

Friedrich Nietzsche occupies a contradictory position in the history of ideas. He devised the concept of a master race, yet Martin Buber, the eminent Jewish scholar, translated his Also sprach Zarathustra into Polish and remained in a lifelong intellectual dialog with him. Freud admired Nietzsche's intellectual courage and recognized that he had anticipated many of his own basic ideas.

Now Nietzsche and Jewish Culture makes an important contribution to Nietzsche studies and the history of ideas. It is organized into two parts: the first examines Nietzsche's attitudes towards Jews and Judaism; the second, Nietzsche's influence on Jewish intellectuals as notable and diverse as Kafka, Buber, Franz Rosenzweig, Freud, and Mahler.
The essays in this volume recognize the complexity of any discussion regarding Nietzsche's relationship to Jewish culture (a number of them offer competing interpretations). Yet all further our understanding of one of the seminal philosophers of the modern era.

Download Description

This unique colection of essays examines the reciprocal relationship between Nietzsche and Jewish culture. Frederick Nietzsche occupies a contradictory position in the history of ideas and each of the essays explores one of his thoughts.

Nietzsche and Jewish Culture.(Review): An article from: The Modern Language Review

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Nietzsche and Jewish Culture.(Review): An article from: The Modern Language Review
Paul Bishop
Manufacturer: Modern Humanities Research Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Modern Language Review, published by Modern Humanities Research Association on July 1, 1999. The length of the article is 878 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: Nietzsche and Jewish Culture.(Review)
Author: Paul Bishop
Publication: The Modern Language Review (Refereed)
Date: July 1, 1999
Publisher: Modern Humanities Research Association
Volume: 94 Issue: 3 Page: 879(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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A Frustrating Book About a Frustrating "Illness".

Reading the Definitive Authority on Manic Depression

Excellent book highly recommended.

Surviving is the best we can do?

Everything you always wanted to know about bipolar disorder

Surviving Manic Depression: A Manual on Bipolar Disorder for Patients, Families, and Providers
E. Fuller Torrey , and Michael B. Knable
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Depression | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Manic Depression | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Mood Disorders | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Compulsive Behavior | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What You and Your Family Need to Know

An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness

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ASIN: 0465086640
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Amazon.com

If knowing one's enemy is key to surviving a prolonged encounter, then Surviving Manic Depression should prove essential reading to those who suffer from this brain disease's horrific highs and lows. Having immersed themselves in the topic, E. Fuller Torrey, M.D., and Michael B. Knable, D.O., offer a comprehensive resource for those afflicted with--or responsible for treating--manic depression. Unfortunately, a surprisingly small amount of data exists regarding its prevalence, and existing studies show conflicting results.

Torrey and Knable's emphasis on dissecting all that is known about the disease clearly indicates that "survival" entails neither escape nor eradication; rather, it requires a lifelong pledge to undertake an effective course of treatment. The first step: learning every suspected cause, symptom, risk factor, and treatment strategy. Sprinkled among statistic-laden paragraphs, touches of empathy arrive via articulate quotations from sufferers including Patty Duke and Kay Jamison. But the crux of Torrey and Knable's work is its compilation of all the informative bits and pieces readers need to build an effective action plan. Most helpful are the chapters that address special problems (including alcohol and drug abuse, violent behavior, medication noncompliance, and the seduction of mania); and their no-holds-barred reviews of books, selected Web sites, and videotapes. --Liane Thomas

Book Description

Surviving Manic Depression is the most comprehensive, up-to-date book on the disorder that affects more than two million people in the United States alone. Based on the latest research, it provides detailed coverage of every aspect of the disorder.

All aspects of the disease are addressed: symptoms, with many direct descriptions from patients themselves, risk factors, onset and cause, medications (including drugs still in the testing stage), causes, psychotherapy, and rehabilitation and how the disease affects children and adolescents. Here too are discussions of special problems related to manic-depressive disorder, including alcohol and drug abuse, violent behavior, medication noncompliance, suicide, sex, AIDS, and confidentiality. Surviving Manic Depression also includes special features such as a listing of selected websites, videotapes, and other resources.

Customer Reviews:

A Frustrating Book About a Frustrating "Illness"........2006-09-05

To begin with, this book is mistitled. If you are looking for a book of practical advice for how to get through day to day struggles while in the throes of this illness, this book offers very little. If you are looking for practical advice for how to deal with someone (a loved one perhaps) who may have this illness, this book does not really offer much of this either. And, if you are looking to validate your experience by reading about accounts of individuals who have had similar experiences, this book does not include much of this either. This book is really more for psychiatrists and medical professionals who try to define the illness. Thus, it includes discussions of what exactly constitutes the illness, various studies, and the endless wrangling among experts over where to draw the lines and which theories of the illness are correct. After reading this book, I have concluded that not only do psychiatrists know very little about the human brain and the human mind, but they may know nothing at all. Much of the definition of the illness seems entirely arbitrary, as even the author points out, and most of the research into the physiological causes of the illness remain poorly understood and open to multiple interpretations. Furthermore, for any given individual who exhibits symptoms of either mania or depression, there is really no predicting the illness. Some may go on to cycle rapidly between the two for the rest of their lives. Others may never experience an episode again. The author claims that certain medications (e.g. lithium) work to either prevent or dampen the effects of mania and depression, but they don't work in all cases, the reason why they work is poorly understood, they may or may not have harmful side effects, and furthermore there is no proof that improvement is necessarily due to the medication at all. Then, there is the issue of diagnosis. Despite the fact that the diagnostic criteria appear to be exact, closer inspection reveals them to be almost completely arbitrary with no clear limits as to what qualifies as illness and with the limits that are written into the criteria themselves being arbitrarily set. In addition, it would appear that while certain individuals exhibit classical symptoms of the illness (oscillating between the two extremes in various amounts), the majority do not. Which leads me to believe that in many cases the illness is being overdiagnosed and used as a catch-all to explain any bad, eccentric, or otherwise unexplainable behavior. My personal experience with psychologists and psychiatrists also leads me to believe this. I have found that psychologists and psychiatrists tend to be normal people with a fancy degree. This means that they are just as prone to misunderstand behavior that falls outside the norm as anyone else. In addition, I have found that psychologists and psychiatrists tend to see what they look for in people. If a psychologist or psychiatrist has a preconceived notion of an individual's experience, they will tend to perceive their behavior so as to confirm their own theories about that person. I have no further evidence to support my belief that psychologists and psychiatrists do not possess any extraordinary insight, but my hunch tells me that they really do not. How could they?

To sum up, here is my understanding of manic depression. We all have ups and downs throughout the day, week, and year. It's part of being human. However, psychiatrists seem to be obsessed with these ups and downs. And they want you to be obsessed with them too. Some people have really high ups and really deep downs. Obviously the people who have the highest ups and the lowest downs need some sort of treatment. The only question is what sort of treatment should that be. Psychiatrists like Torrey would argue that the only really effective treatment is a drug like lithium (perhaps with various other drugs including anti-depressants and anti-psychotics or even other more drastic treatments such as ECT in extreme cases). Many psychologists would argue that they need psychotherapy (the talking cure) of one form or another. Torrey contends that in the case of manic depression psychotherapy really is optional and may or may not do any good (at best it can help a person become more aware of their illness and offer practical advice). Furthermore, Torrey contends that some forms of psychotherapy may even be harmful, particularly Freudian therapy. On this point I tend to agree wholeheartedly with Torrey on both points. I agree that Freudian therapy is definitely not beneficial in the least and is possibly harmful. (Freud has really offered humanity very little despite his eminence. See Torrey's much better book, _The Freudian Fraud_ for more on this.) And at least in my personal experience I have found psychotherapy to be largely a waste of time, money, and energy. At best a psychotherapist can serve as a friend in a time of crisis or offer some very simple commonsense practical advice, but beyond this I really doubt they can be very useful. In addition, I have often found that talking to a psychotherapist is like talking to a Martian, they really don't get what you have to say and they interpret everything you say within a certain framework that makes it very difficult for you to have any sort of real conversation with them. I have also found some psychotherapists to be downright hostile to things you might say and to be remarkably arrogant.

Another frustrating thing about manic depression for me at least, is that I really can't relate to the descriptions others give of their illness very well. For me, the illness has never been about spending sprees or sex, etc. It has always been for me about increased energy, extreme nervousness, sleeping problems, heightened senses, and intense religious/mystical experience. When I hear other people describe their experiences with the illness I really can't relate because they seem so little like mine. This has only added to my doubt about the usefulness of diagnosing this illness to begin with. I also find it frustrating that some have attempted to link this disorder with creativity or high achievement. Particularly noxious I find are romanticizers like Kay Jamison, who not only try to link this illness with creativity, but also would seem to give the impression that it is a social status thing (an illness high achieving or upper crust individuals are prone to), and in doing so give the impression that it is also a lot of fun. There is nothing fun about the psychic pain of depression, and I have found little fun about "mania" either to be honest. Furthermore, it is definitely not fun to see the kind of destruction that follows in the path of this illness for some people. Torrey seems to give some credence to Jamison's theories, though to his credit he is much more conservative than her.

Finally, there is one other point. The author says that you should tell people that you have this illness. I disagree. Nearly everyone I have told that I have been diagnosed with manic depression, I have lived to regret later. If you tell someone, you may meet a sympathetic person who can understand that you have been through a hard time. (Most people can relate to "depression" of some sort, but they really do not understand the true agony of the thing.) On the other hand, you may go from being treated with respect to being treated little better than a common criminal. You haven't changed but they have. Mania in particular is so far outside of most peoples' understanding that they will find it difficult to comprehend what you really mean. Furthermore, I have found that people tend to be very cruel and prone to all sorts of prejudices and superstitions when this topic is brought up. My own experience with other people and this illness has been so negative, in fact, that I have been left with a permanent fear of people and a nagging feeling that I am being subtly criticized by nearly everyone I meet.

A final point, I think that there is a tendency by many to become totally obsessed with this illness and every detail surrounding it. This book is a good example of that kind of obsession, by both psychiatrists and ill people alike. I don't think this obsession is beneficial at all, and endless wrangling over details seems utterly pointless. I must conclude after reading this book that psychiatrists still know very little (definitely far less than they pretend to know or that they'll tell you) and that much of what they do know is entirely arbitrary. It remains a mystery.

Reading the Definitive Authority on Manic Depression.......2005-08-05

Very well written and presented. I would recommend this book to anyone I know with Manic Depression. It was very helpful to me.

Excellent book highly recommended........2005-03-19

This is an excellent book about all aspects of Bipolar Depression. It is a terrible disease and the depression is quite dangerous. There is a new FDA approved procedure for depression called vagus nerve stimulation. I would recommend another excellent book; "Out of the Black Hole: The Patient's Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression". It's ISBN number is # 0974848417. I found both books very helpful for the treatment plan with my psychiatrist. As far as I am considered, the more information you have, the better.

Surviving is the best we can do?.......2005-03-16

An easy to read, well written, thoroughly researched book on manic-depressive illness. Hmm... Wonder what Koch would say about that? He's the guy who postulated Koch's postulates, a set of criteria to prove that the disease (in this case anthrax) was caused by a particular bacterium. Bipolar disorder is too complex for a simplistic application of Koch's postulates. But then, what about an infection like Lyme disease that was regretfully omitted in the book? Perhaps that disease should be included in "secondary" mania. The authors did admit that mania from syphilis was once manic-depressive illness before it became secondary mania. Some of us believe it is all secondary, secondary to different biological anomalies that just haven't yet been identified. I would have liked to have seen more humility about the limitations of our models and our medications, not to mention the restorative role of nutrition, also left out, but for a small section on omega-3 fatty acids. I also would have liked to have read something on the links between Lyme disease, MS, ALS, and "manic-depressive illness." What if MS, ALS and mania had similar etiologies that met the requirements of Koch's postulates? I recommend the book, particularly for the discussion on infections. However, while a reader may, with some effort, imagine the implications for the future, the authors have still kept us stuck in an obsolete typology that ensures a revolving door into the hospital for all too many patients who believe they have a disease called "manic-depressive illness." For them, surviving is about all that can be asked of them.
David Moyer, Author, Too Good to be True? Nutrients Quiet the Unquiet Brain

Everything you always wanted to know about bipolar disorder.......2004-10-02

Surviving Manic Depression

Torrey, E.F. and M.B. Knable. 2002. Surviving Manic Depression. Basic Books, NY

The authors have crafted an excellent, complete book describing the many aspects of Manic Depression (now called bipolar disorder). Symptoms, risk factors for relapse, possible causes, and treatments are all covered in detail. However, the book goes much further by giving interesting facts dug out of history and little-known research studies. If readers think they know everything about bipolar disorder, they are in for a delightful surprise when they study this fascinating text. The authors also provide short descriptions of many books and websites that would be of interest. Many of the books listed deal with how others have wrestled with the disease. Some of the people who wrote books about themselves are very educated and, in fact, are psychologists. Other books describe some famous people who have had manic depression: Rosemary Clooney, Virginia Woolf, Patty Duke, Abbie Hoffman, and major-league baseball player Jim Piersall.

Although the medical field has many medications for treating the highs and lows of this disease, the authors frankly admit that we are still at the try-it-and-see-if-it-works stage for knowing what to do.

The authors write, "After listening to individuals describe their experiences with mania, one is not surprised that they would wish to experience it again. Who would not like to have boundless energy, to need only two or three hours of sleep, to be capable of performing sexually for hours at a time, to experience music and sights more intensely than others, to be An Important Person?" Abbie Hoffman, the radical who founded the Yippies of the 60's, commented on the mania of the bipolar with, "There's no drug in the world that could take you to that level." Many people, including writer and psychologist Kay Jamison, would choose to have had manic depression if they were given a choice. People who have experienced the mania often do not and will not take their medication. Like a drug addict they will do anything to get that high again. Medication will control the disease in most people, but the patient will not take it.

Studies have shown manic depression to be associated with creativity--Creativity in bipolars and in their relatives. Most scientists believe multiple genes are involved in passing the condition along. Perhaps, one who receives less than all the responsible genes is blessed with unusual creativity; thus explaining why the relatives of the manic depressive are particularly creative.

Reducing stress may help reduce relapses. Regular exercise and regularly scheduled meals are two methods mentioned. Large studies have shown repeatedly the importance of getting a good night's sleep to prevent a recurrence of manic phase.

Some cultures have more-or-less established customs in which people seem to go crazy at times. The people have "sudden outbursts of motor action and screaming, along with violent attacks on people, animals and inanimate objects..." These celebrations have different names: amok throughout Southeast Asia, negrinegri in Papua New Guinea, and piblokto among the Arctic Eskimos.

Everyone with a connection to Manic Depression should read this book to get a more total view of the disorder.

What Goes Up: Surviving the Manic Episode of a Loved One

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Must Reading For All Who Deal With Bipolar
What a nightmare!
Must Come Down ...
Bipolar Disorder - A Caregiver's Story
INSPIRING!

What Goes Up: Surviving the Manic Episode of a Loved One
Judy Eron
Manufacturer: Barricade Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Depression | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Manic Depression | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Family Health | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1569802858

Book Description

For those with loved ones who suffer from manic-depression.

Customer Reviews:

Must Reading For All Who Deal With Bipolar.......2007-06-27

Very beneficial for those who deal with bipolar. Lets us know that what we deal with is "normal" for those dealing with the disorder.

What a nightmare!.......2007-02-22

God bless Judy Eron for sharing what she experienced and learned during her bipolar husband's manic episode. I bought this book for some friends, a long-time married couple who have dealt with bipolar disorder for many years. After giving it a favorable review, they loaned it back to me. I was eager to read it, hoping it would help me understand what they've been going through.

Well, what a nightmare. For me, the most terrifying thing about this story is that the author and her husband were both mental health professionals! If _they_ didn't know what to do, how in the world would the rest of us be able to recognize or deal with someone going through this?!

There's no happy ending or quick fixes here, but Eron helps us understand a manic person's distorted way of thinking, how it's important not to get drawn into that person's (paranoid) delusions, and what strategies may or may not be helpful. For example, I was surprised that an "intervention," which would have seemed an obvious choice to me, in fact only fed her husband's anger and paranoia and pushed him farther away from accepting help.

I used to think that manic meant really happy. Now, sadly, I know better.

Must Come Down ..........2007-02-06

This open and sharing book "What Goes up ... Surviving the Manic Episode of a Loved One", is a brave offering that should be read by anyone who cares for any of these poor souls; we all need any help we can get; they need even more.

This is a very well written story of one couple's struggle with bipolar illness that is compared and contrasted with other examples as the author tries to make sense of the madness or at least find out how to best deal with it.

I can (personally) only add that every case and every episode (up or down) is unique and nothing is certain until it's too late but as long as there is life there is hope.

Even after thirty years with a bipolar relative, I still learned many things from this book. I highly recommend it for every person who has loved one who suffers from this illness. But, do not stop there, because there are risks of overmedication and differences with the change of life that women go through that can bring out other aspects of the illness.

I have not listed many details from this book because if you need to read it, then you need to read it all; and more.

Thank you Judy Eron, for bravely sharing.

Bipolar Disorder - A Caregiver's Story.......2007-01-01

The author tells the story of her husband's year-long manic episode and finally his depression and suicide. She tells us of the agony of their separation, her thoughts and feelings at the time, the decisions she made and why she made them. With the benefit of hindsight she points out errors and how she might have handled things better. She tells a moving story in a well written and very readable way, illustrated with notes from her journal. Those caring for a loved one with bipolar disorder will find comfort in this book, assurance that they are not alone, and practical suggestions for how to maintain their own sanity while helping their loved one.

INSPIRING!.......2006-10-30

A powerful and honest account of life in a manic episode from the point of view of a loving spouse. I found "What Goes Up" to be a great inspiration for me, as a spouse of someone plagued with bipolar disorder. I have felt resposible at times and victimized other times, it is a tortourous place and a very lonely place. This book galvanized my fight and inner strength! Thanks Judy for having the strength to write this book! I recommend this book to anyone who has a loved one struggling with this illness.

Surviving the Crisis of Depression & Bipolar (Manic-Depression) Illness: Layperson's Guide to Coping With Mental Illness Beyond the Time of Crisis & Outside the Hospital

Average customer rating:

disappointing
Not trustworthy

Surviving the Crisis of Depression & Bipolar (Manic-Depression) Illness: Layperson's Guide to Coping With Mental Illness Beyond the Time of Crisis & Outside the Hospital
Mark A. Halebsky
Manufacturer: Personal & Professional Growth Orgn.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Depression | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Manic Depression | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Mood Disorders | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Book Description

The book is useful for family members, friends, and significant others, and persons concerned with the mentally ill. It provides practical approaches and specific techniques, which can be used in the everyday management of depression and bipolar (manic-depressive) illness. The key topics addressed include common medications used in treating depression and bipolar illness, crisis management, illness symptoms, journal strategies, relaxation techniques, helpful approaches to daily life structure, list of support agencies, and useful information for those concerned about the mentally illness. A sense of hope in the care and treatment of the mentally ill is provided throughout the book.

Customer Reviews:

disappointing.......2000-02-13

This book is not only badly written but in some cases, grossly incorrect. It is by no means comprehensive, nor does it even sufficiently cover what it purports to cover. I was very disappointed by it, and I hope those who are serious about learning about Bipolar Disorder look elsewhere. It is almost scary to know that this book is available. There are a number of much better books out there that are more accurate and useful.

Not trustworthy.......1999-12-13

This book is so full of errors that I absolutely do not trust it. Mistakes include grammatical errors, index not matching text, and inaccurate substantive context. Nor does it add anything new. Most of the information could be more accurately obtained from more trustworthy sources. Much better books on the topic are available.

Amazon.com

Forget about the food you eat in what pass for Mexican restaurants in America; cleanse your palate, then come to this book. For Marilyn Tausend reveals the truth, the whole truth: within these pages are the foods eaten in Mexican American households throughout the United States. After years of traveling all over Mexico (she coauthored Mexico the Beautiful Cookbook), meeting the best Mexican cooks and cooking teachers, and years of leading cooking tours to Mexico to share all that she had discovered, Marilyn Tausend came home, back to the U.S.--back to her roots, which include a childhood spent shoulder-to-shoulder with Mexican fieldworkers on farmlands throughout the West, sharing their food.

Of the 13 million Americans who think of themselves as Mexican Americans, what, Tausend wondered, are they cooking at home today? And what she discovered as she crisscrossed the U.S. was that their roots run deep; these families stick together and trace their heritage back to the regions of Mexico from which they sprang, and the food tells the story. Mind you, a little Coca-Cola might get mixed in with a dish today, and canola oil might well be used instead of lard; after all, times change, and people change with them. But some elements, Tausend discovered, stay basically the same: a strong sense of family and a delight in bringing a big family together to eat. Crack open this book, use the recipes, and fill your house full of the love that comes from serving--and eating--real food. Let Marilyn Tausend show you how; you couldn't be in better hands.

Book Description

A collection of more than two hundred treasured family recipes and the stories behind them, Cocina de la Familia is a celebration of Mexican-American home cooking, culture, and family values.

For three years, Marilyn Tausend traveled across the United States and Mexico, talking to hundreds of Mexican and Mexican-American cooks. With the help of chef Miguel Ravago, Tausend tells the tale of these cooks, all of whom have adapted the family dishes and traditions they remember to accommodate a life considerably different from the lives of their parents and grandparents.

In these pages you will find the real food eaten every day by Mexican-American families, whether they live in cities such as Los Angeles, the border towns of Texas, the farming communities of the Pacific Northwest, or the isolated villages of New Mexico. An Oregonian from Morelos, Mexico, balances sweet, earthy chiles with tart tomatillos for a tangy green salsa that is a perfect topping for Chipotle Crab Enchiladas or Huevos Rancheros. A Chicago woman from Guanajuato pairs light, spicy Chicken and Garbanzo Soup with quesadillas for a simple supper. A Los Angeles cook serves a dish of Chicken with Spicy Prune Sauce, the fire of the chiles tamed by Coca-Cola, and in Illinois a woman adds chocolate to the classic Mexican rice pudding.

Now you can re-create the vibrant flavors and rustic textures of this remarkable cuisine in your own kitchen. Most of the recipes are quite simple, and the more complex dishes, like moles and tamales, can be made in stages. So take a savory expedition across borders and generations, and celebrate the spirit and flavor of the Mexican-American table with your own family.

Customer Reviews:

Comments re Cookbook "Cocina de la Familia".......2007-03-22

I'm sure the recipes are great - looking forward to trying them. However, I was disappointed this book was without photos. I love to see the finished product. Nevermind.

pretty good.......2006-08-26

i'm a pretty traditional cook, i dont like to used canned products and such, but this book is actually pretty good as far as mexican american food goes.

Mine was in Spanish!.......2003-12-12

I had no idea the cookbook was going to be in Spanish and that was rather a surprise! Maybe it said somewhere on the page, but I'll be darned if I could find it.

So, I haven't made any recipes yet, but it did cause me to decide to brush up on my long forgotten Spanish. Good way to learn, I guess!

Cocina de la Familia is a favorite of this Familia!.......2003-05-10

Marilyn Tausend tells the real story of what Mexicans eat at home and what a delicious story it is! There is none of that goopy cheese-laden pseudo-food that passes for "Mexican" in inferior emporiums. What you have here is the real enchilada. As a Southern Californian "of a certain age", who is only Mexican by taste buds, I can attest to the authenticity of these recipes. As a retired teaching chef, I can promise great-tasting dishes from Cocina de la Familia. Because recipes are only a guide, most - if not all - of these dishes take kindly to alterations, substitutions and tinkering. Caldillo de Papas is wonderful made as directed. It is equally good made with large chunks of beef, additions of tomatillos, carrots and zucchini, topped with cilantro and a swirl of salsa fresca. Chilaquiles are usually made with leftover corn tortillas, but when I substituted some sliced tamales, sauced it with the Salsa Verde (pg. 215)our breakfast guests broke into cheers! This is a book to own yourself and a book to give to those you love -- especially if you want to eat well when visiting them. Bravo Marilyn. Please write Volume Two soon.

Best Mexican Cookbook on the market!.......2003-05-08

I've tried them all, being that my significant other is from Mexico, I'm always looking for true, traditional Mexican recipes and this book is it! Truly the best I've seen!!! Excellent explainations of each dish, its origens, and how to serve it. I highly reccommend it!

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