Film Genre Reader III

Book Description

From reviews of the second edition:

"The fascinating, well-chosen essays in this volume represent almost all of the recent (and often competing) trends in film scholarship and present significant revisions of earlier genre theories and analysis. Grant shows that the generic core, however constituted and established, is but one atom in a complex structure of film experience, response, and meaning."

— Choice

"A terrific collection of essays on film theory and genre criticism.... With its numerous stills and an excellent bibliography, this work is ideal as an academic text or as an informative read for film buffs."

— Bloomsbury Review

From reviews of the first edition:

"The most pedagogically useful text on genre analysis because of the comprehensive nature of its scope."

— Film Quarterly

"Ought to be considered by anyone teaching a course on theory and criticism of the American cinema."

— Communication Booknotes

Since 1986, Film Genre Reader has been the standard reference and classroom text for the study of genre in film, with nearly 20,000 copies in print. Barry Keith Grant has again revised and updated the book to reflect the most recent developments in genre study. This third edition adds new essays on teen films, the question of genre hybridity, and neo-noir and genre in the era of globalization, along with an updated bibliography. The volume includes over thirty essays by some of film's most distinguished critics and scholars of popular film, including John G. Cawelti, David Desser, Thomas Elsaesser, Steve Neale, Thomas Schatz, Paul Schrader, Steve Neale, Vivian Sobchack, Janet Staiger, Linda Williams, and Robin Wood.

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Film Genre Reader III
Barry Keith Grant
Manufacturer: University of Texas Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OREAFU

101 Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Fill-In Licks (Book and CD) (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series)
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101 Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Fill-In Licks (Book and CD) (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series)
Larry McCabe
Manufacturer: Red Dog Music Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
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25 Razor-Sharp Blues and Boogie Guitar Solos (Book and CD) (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series)

101 Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Turnarounds book and CD (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series)

GUITAR CLUES BK/CD OPERATION PENTATONIC GUITAR CLUES BK/CD OPERATION PENTATONIC

Clapton: The Autobiography

Blues by the Bar: Cool Riffs That Sound Great over Each Portion of the Blues Progression

ASIN: B000QRYCTW

Product Description

Legendary guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield, Hubert Sumlin, T-Bone Walker, Johnnie Winter, Albert King, Freddie King, and Chuck Berry are known to all blues fans for their remarkable soloing abilities. But the complete blues guitarist must do more than shine in the solo spotlight. And that is why every great soloist is also a great fill-in player. Tasteful fill-in licks support and inspire the singer while adding fire and drive to the performance. For example, Blind Lemon Jeffersons string-snapping fill-ins provided the perfect complement for his rough-hewn blues songs. Both Louis Armstrong and Lester Young seemed to talk to the singer with their finely-crafted, jazzy fill-ins. And Henry Sunflower Vestines stinging, buzzsaw fill-ins never failed to drive his Canned Heat bandmates into a psychedelic frenzy. This book is accompanied by a user-friendly split-track CD allows you to sit in with a professional blues band while you learn to play blues fills behind a great singer, Charles Adkins. The Heat-Seeking Missile Blues Band is heard on the left channel; the fill-in licks are isolated on the right channel. This is not just another book of abstract how do I use these licks in real life? licks, but a collection of solid musical ideas that can be applied to thousands of real songs. Another fine contribution from Red Dog Music Books, designed for the early intermediate-to intermediate guitarist. Some of the licks are accessible to highly motivated near-beginners, and the book is an excellent resource for teachers.

25 Razor-Sharp Blues and Boogie Guitar Solos (Book and CD) (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series)

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25 Razor-Sharp Blues and Boogie Guitar Solos (Book and CD) (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series)
Larry McCabe
Manufacturer: Red Dog Music Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
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101 Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Fill-In Licks (Book and CD) (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series)
101 Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Turnarounds book and CD (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series)
Blues by the Bar: Cool Riffs That Sound Great over Each Portion of the Blues Progression
101 Razor-Sharp Slide Guitar Blues Licks in Open E Tuning (book and CD) (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series)
GUITAR CLUES BK/CD OPERATION PENTATONIC

ASIN: B000QRYIN2

Product Description

Blues guitar teachers, serious students, and blues band guitarists will all enjoy his large collection of 100% pure blues and boogie solos for guitar. Twenty-five exciting solos are presented here, each played over its own rhythm progression. Every solo is transcribed in both standard notation and tablature, and played note for-note with a full band on the professionally recorded companion CD. This book is for the intermediate, or better, guitarist whose interests include authentic, non-commercial blues musicthe good stuff that is seldom heard via mass-market channels such as radio and television. Guitar teachers might use the book to introduce new hand positions, fingerings, chords, and theoretical concepts. Each solo is made up of many interesting phrases (licks) that can be adapted and incorporated into your own style. The solos are relatively challenging, and can be used in blues jams and on stage. Another SUPER COOL and USEFUL music book by Larry McCabe.

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RAGTIMEFUN

Ragtime Blues Guitar of Rev. Gary Davis
Stefan Grossman
Manufacturer: Grossman's Guitar Workshop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Mel Bay Complete Country Blues Guitar Book/ CD set
Shake That Thing The Guitar of Mississippi John Hurt, Volume 1
The Music of Mississippi John Hurt
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The Blues Bag (Guitar Books)

ASIN: 0786659211

Product Description

Rev. Gary Davis was a musical giant. His ideas spanned a wide range of techniques and styles. His repertoire featured blues, rags, show instrumentals and gospel songs. He played with his thumb and index finger to pick out complex melodies, rhythmic licks and lightning fast single-string runs. In this book, seven of Rev. Davis's blues are presented. These arrangements have been performed and recorded by a host of great artists including Bob Dylan, Taj Mahal, Hot Tuna, David Bromberg, John Renbourn, Bert Jansch and many others. These lessons are for the intermediate to advanced fingerstyle guitarist. The accompanying three CD lessons teach these arrangements phrase by phrase as well as presenting the original recordings. LESSON ONE: Our first lesson highlights two of Rev. Davis's most popular blues arrangements. Hesitation Blues is played in the key of C. Baby, Let Me Follow You Down is played in the key of G. LESSON TWO: The key of C was a favorite for Rev. Davis. In this lesson we explore the party tune Sally Where'd You Get Your Liquor From (made popular by Hot Tuna). Rev. Davis used to joke that he could play Candyman so many different ways that he would be able to play it nonstop for at least 8 hours without repeating himself! We look at two versions of this very popular folk blues with the regular Candyman followed by the Two-Step Candyman. LESSON THREE: "Raggin' the blues" was a great part of Rev. Davis's repertoire. His Walkin' Dog Blues is a tour de force in a blues in C. All fourteen verses are transcribed here, and we study how this arrangement develops. Buck Rag is a fascinating rag played in the key of C. Single-string runs, counterpoint lines, rhythmic variations and syncopated bass patterns are featured.

Customer Reviews:

RAGTIMEFUN.......2003-07-25

This book is real fun. I find the style of Rev. Gary Davis very intriguing. It takes a lot of time to master it, but this book has very accurate instructions. The CDs teach you step by step the songs that are listed, and the tablatures are very easy to read. The CDs also contain other songs of Gary Davis that are not in the list and are not teached, which are real rarities. A strange, 3/4 version, of "Candyman" and other songs you wont find on any commercial CD.

Rev. Gary Davis (Stefan Grossmans Early Masters of American Blues Guitar)

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Rev. Gary Davis (Stefan Grossmans Early Masters of American Blues Guitar)
Stefan Grossman
Manufacturer: Alfred Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Product Description

Arranged for Guitar Tablature & Standard Notation With Chords And Lyrics. Reverend Gary Davis, also known as Blind Gary Davis, was a master musician who felt comfortable playing in a wide variety of styles and techniques. He could freely improvise on ragtime, religious and blues themes, and was an exciting and vibrant performer. An ordained minister, Rev. Davis often expressed a preference for gospel music, sometimes refusing to play the blues. In addition to transcribing all the songs in this collection, Stefan Grossman was also a student of Rev. Davis. Includes a CD containing the original recordings of Rev. Gary Davis so you can hear the music as he performed it. Contents: Goin' To Sit Down On The Banks Of The River, Great Change Since I've Been Born, A Little More Faith, Buk rag, I Am The Light Of This World, You Better Mind, Walkin' Dog Blues, Let Us Get Together, The Angel's Message To Me, Make Believe Stunt, Cocaine Blues, God's Gonna Separate. Also includes a 2 page biography by Bruce Bastin plus photos.

101 Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Turnarounds book and CD (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series)

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101 Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Turnarounds book and CD (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series)
Larry McCabe
Manufacturer: Red Dog Music Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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25 Razor-Sharp Blues and Boogie Guitar Solos (Book and CD) (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series)
Blues by the Bar: Cool Riffs That Sound Great over Each Portion of the Blues Progression
101 Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Fill-In Licks (Book and CD) (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series)
101 Razor-Sharp Slide Guitar Blues Licks in Open E Tuning (book and CD) (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series)
Big Road Blues: Tradition and Creativity in the Folk Blues (Da Capo Paperback)

ASIN: B000PHU7J2

Product Description

A turnaround lick is one that is played in the last two bars of of chord progression; for example measures 11-12 in a twelve-bar blues. The 101 authentic blues turnarounds in this book are in the Chicago, or urban, blues style popularized by Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, and carried on by Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan; the licks can be applied to thousands of real songs. Each lick is written in notation and tablature, and recorded on the companion CD. The material is suitable for an ambitious beginner, intermediate player, blues band guitarist, or pro reference. It is an indispensible book filled with useful information. The book is supplemented with lessons/discussions on the following: Typical blues progression; Turnaround licks and progressions (defined); Typical blues turnaround chord progressions; The 12/8 blues shuffle; Creative projects for the music student; Additional blues progressions. Best of all, this innovative Red Dog Music book from veteran author Larry McCabe costs less than one private music lesson!

101 Razor-Sharp Slide Guitar Blues Licks in Open E Tuning (book and CD) (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series)

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101 Razor-Sharp Slide Guitar Blues Licks in Open E Tuning (book and CD) (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series)
Larry McCabe
Manufacturer: Red Dog Music Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
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101 Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Turnarounds book and CD (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series)
Blues by the Bar: Cool Riffs That Sound Great over Each Portion of the Blues Progression
25 Razor-Sharp Blues and Boogie Guitar Solos (Book and CD) (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series)

ASIN: B000PHT7Q6

Product Description

This superb Red Dog Music Book and CD allows you to learn/play slide guitar fill-ins while sitting in with a crisply recorded blues band and singer. The licks are clearly written in standard notation and tablature, and the companion CD contains all 101 licks, which are applicable to countless blues songs. A guide to symbols and several helpful fretboard diagrams are included. The licks are recorded on electric guitar but can also be played on acoustic. Overall, a very fine book that will provide unlimited learning and enjoyment. Many slide guitar books are confusing because they try to cover too many tunings. Everything here is in open E. Songs include standards such as Joe Turner Blues, St. Louis Blues, Sportin Life Blues, House of the Rising Sun, Midnight Special, along with several new songs written to standard blues changes. Like Hound Dog Taylor, J.B. Hutton, and Elmore James? Then you will like this book.

Masters of Country Blues Guitar: Rev. Gary Davis

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Masters of Country Blues Guitar: Rev. Gary Davis

Manufacturer: Alfred Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Rev. Gary Davis is a giant in the history of fingerstyle blues guitar. The intricacies of his fingerstyle accompaniments have influenced generations of acoustic guitarists. This folio contains 13 of his best-known pieces transcribed in standard notation and tab. Plus, a CD of Davis performing each piece is included.

Rev. Gary Davis/Blues Guitar (Country Blues Series)

Average customer rating:

Difficult to read
Good solid book, WHAT CD?
Awesome book and CD!

Rev. Gary Davis/Blues Guitar (Country Blues Series)
Stefan Grossman
Manufacturer: Oak Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Business | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

The Blues Bag (Guitar Books)
Ragtime Blues Guitar of Rev. Gary Davis
The Music of Mississippi John Hurt

ASIN: 0825601525
Release Date: 1998-12-31

Book Description

The first instruction guide exclusively about this major innovator and stylist. It reveals Gary Davis's style of playing and hints about playing in Davis's own words. More than 20 tunes including Cocaine Blues, Candyman, and Lost Boy in the Wilderness.

Customer Reviews:

Difficult to read.......2007-01-26

Unlike standard tab books, this book has the tab on one page and the standard notation on the next page, and it's in 12/8 time! It's nearly impossible to determine if the tab notes are triplets or eigth notes or what the actual note duration is. I also saw no mention of a companion CD as another reviewer referred to. The best place to start is the Rev. Gary Davis CD Blues & Ragtime which comes with 5 standard tab notation songs transcribed in the liner notes by Stephan Grossman (several are identical to the songs in this book) but they are much easier to read and understand.

Good solid book, WHAT CD?.......2001-07-12

There's enough songs to keep a good guitarist busy and happy for a while. If you're a beginner you'll be frustrated for a while. Other reviewers mentioned a CD. I was expecting a CD based on a user review. If you're expecting a CD don't unless it's explicitely mentioned. The book makes no reference to a CD, neither does ... (except in their user reviews). I don't know where they got the CD from, I didn't. --mike

Awesome book and CD!.......1999-08-21

Fans of fingerstyle guitar will love this CD and the book of transcriptions. Rev. Gary Davis has a distinctive style of playing and singing and is a very (VERY) good guitarist. Be warned that the transcriptions are quite challenging--there are some lengthy ragtime instrumental pieces. A better book for beginners might be Stefan Grossman's collection of Mississippi John Hurt tunes. Still, an excellent publication--the CD that comes with the book would be worth the purchase price by itself.

The New York Times Sunday Crossword Omnibus Volume 8: 200 World-Famous Sunday Puzzles from the Pages of The New York Times (New York Times Sunday Crosswords Omnibus)
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The World's Best Large-Sized Crosswords

The New York Times Sunday Crossword Omnibus Volume 8: 200 World-Famous Sunday Puzzles from the Pages of The New York Times (New York Times Sunday Crosswords Omnibus)
New York Times
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crosswords | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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The New York Times Sunday Crossword Omnibus Volume 7: 200 World-Famous Sunday Puzzles from the Pages of The New York Times

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New York Times Sunday Crossword Omnibus, Volume 5 (NY Times)

The New York Times Sunday Crossword Puzzles Volume 29 : 50 Sunday puzzles from the pages of The New York Times (New York Times Sunday Crossword Puzzles)

The New York Times Supersized Book of Sunday Crosswords: 500 Puzzles (New York Times Crossword Puzzles)

ASIN: 0312324405

Book Description

The biggest and most popular crossword book of the year! 200 of the most famous giant Sunday puzzles from The New York Times New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz's gigantic Sunday puz-zles -now in an omnibus-size volume that will provide many hours of head-scratching and triumph. Featuring: -Convenience and value with 200 puzzles in a single volume -The Times's famous Sunday puzzles are the 'gold standard' of crosswords -Author bylines allow fans to know their favorite contributors.

Customer Reviews:

The World's Best Large-Sized Crosswords.......2005-01-14

Puzzlers know that the Sunday Times crosswords are not necessarily the hardest ones--those are the puzzles that appear on Fridays and Saturdays in the Times--but they are much bigger, about half again as large as the daily puzzles. And they also have a title--which helps the solver to figure out what the puzzle's theme might be--and they supply name the constructor of the puzzles, something that doesn't occur with the daily puzzles.

Doing the Sunday Times crossword puzzle is a habit with many of the Times's readers, but for those of us who don't live in New York or buy the Sunday Times, this is the next best thing. I know I wouldn't be able to feel like a Sunday was complete until I had done the Sunday puzzle.

My method, in case anyone is interested, is to tear each puzzle page out and put it on a clipboard. That way one doesn't have to deal with any awkwardness from trying to do the puzzles while holding a largeish book, although I've done that, too. Also, this allows for your pencil marks to remain crisp whereas if you leave the puzzle in the book the softness of the underlying pages makes your pencil marks a little blurry.

Make no mistake, these are wonderful puzzles and the price is very reasonable.

Scott Morrison

Adventures of an Italian Food Lover: With Recipes from 254 of My Very Best Friends
Average customer rating:

A delight for the eye and the traveller. Weak for the average cook.

Adventures of an Italian Food Lover: With Recipes from 254 of My Very Best Friends
Faith Heller Willinger
Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Essays | Gastronomy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Living in a Foreign Language: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Love in Italy

ASIN: 0307346390
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Book Description

Faith Willinger has spent three decades exploring Italy, traveling from the Alps to Sicily to visit its artistic and architectural wonders and track down the best restaurants, regional cooks, winemakers, and food markets. Along the way, she’s made many friends, eaten lots of tasty meals, and collected a wealth of authentic Italian recipes. Now, in Adventures of an Italian Food Lover, she pays tribute to her friends and to the food and wine she’s enjoyed in their company. If you plan to visit Italy, you can use this book as a guide to finding some of Willinger’s favorite places, from tiny shops stocked with foods available nowhere else in the world, to outdoor markets overflowing with an incredible variety of fish, cheese, fruit, and vegetables, to great restaurants in big cities and small villages. If you can’t travel to Italy as soon as you’d like to, Willinger’s recipes from real Italian kitchens, her warm, engaging profiles of the cooks who perfected them, and her sister’s charming watercolors of Italian friends and scenery beautifully evoke the essence of this enchanting country.

The recipes all start with great ingredients—extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, heirloom wheat pasta, salt-packed capers, and other Italian pantry favorites—and use the freshest meat, fish, and seasonal produce. Willinger’s friend and neighbor in Florence shares her recipe for the delicious home-style Turnips and Their Greens with Garlic and Chili Pepper; the chef-owner of a bustling Neapolitan trattoria combines the freshest ingredients from the sea and the field in his Pasta with Mussels and Zucchini Flowers; and a Milanese marketing consultant who inherited his family’s vineyard in Le Marche and started an enological revolution in the region provides the recipe for the rustic Polenta with Tomato Sauce and Sausage Ragù he often serves to guests in the elegant formal dining room of his art deco villa.

Part cookbook, part travelogue, Adventures of an Italian Food Lover is an insider’s guide that will bring the best of Italy into your home and into your heart.

Customer Reviews:

A delight for the eye and the traveller. Weak for the average cook........2007-08-14

`Adventures of an Italian Food Lover' is by Faith Heller Willinger, a member in very good standing of that informal woman's society of writers on Italian cuisine, having done two previous excellent books on the subject. With this book, she joins fellow society members, Lydia Bastianich and Biba Gaginau in writing a very personal recipe cum travelogue cum memoir volume focusing on her personal experiences with food in Italy. All three of these ladies are superb writers on their subject, so one may expect comparable quality from all three, but that is not the case. At the very least, Ms. Willinger's volume will have a somewhat smaller audience for two reasons.
First, her memoir and travelogue content is much higher than with Madame Biba and Madame Lydia. This has a lot to offer for those who wish to do a culinary tour of Italy. I've personally experienced some culinary disasters even in Miss Faith's very own adopted home town of Florence, where I had a meal at a family run Trattoria which was simply horrible. Not every door to a culinary establishment in Italy will lead to pleasantly memorable food. Willinger spends much ink on describing her culinary friends from whom she acquired these recipes.
Second, unlike Biba and Lydia, Willinger's choice of recipes is highly idiosyncratic. The two other ladies both limit themselves to selected cities and regions in Italy, but within those regions, they tend to select a set of recipes which are highly representative of the regions. In the case of Bastianich, this is especially interesting since most of her regions are on the borders of Italy, where the cuisine is heavily influenced by Austria, France, and North Africa.
These two considerations are no reflection on this book's quality, but only on the people to whom it will most appeal, which is simply not everyone in the market for a good Italian cookbook. There are two other aspects of the book which seriously tell against the book's quality in general.
First, there are outright mistakes. The very first recipe in the book for `gnocco fritto' cites active dry yeast as an ingredient and gives instructions for blooming the yeast, but then, the yeast is never added to the flour, and the dough is made sans leavening!
Second, the recipe descriptions have a high degree of variability in the level of detail. Many things about which most cookbook writers are compulsively exact, Ms. Willinger leaves to our judgment, such as the size of eggs to use. For relatively experienced cooks, this is no bother. Anyone who has enjoyed the epigrammatic recipes in Elizabeth David's `A Book of Mediterranean Food' will have no problem with these, but people who like every detail specified may find some bits of information left to the judgment of the reader.
It is very important to say that this book is still very valuable to dedicated foodies of the Italian flavor. By being very personal, it gives a wealth of recipes which one will not find in the standard manuals. And, one of my biggest disappointments is the slip on the `gnocco fritto' recipe cited above, as I've never seen this recipe in any other book, even in the encyclopedic `The Silver Spoon', at least not under that name. Most especially, if you plan to travel in Italy, especially in Tuscany, I recommend the book as a great guide to reliable eateries.
I must also say that this book has a charm about it not found in many books, due to the great warmth of the author's writing and the lovely original water color illustrations by Suzanne Heller. These alone make the book a worthwhile armchair recreation.

Average customer rating:

Very Best (almost) Friends
Paul B. Janeczko
Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Short Story Collections | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems
A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms (Ala Notable Children's Books. Middle Readers)
Fold Me a Poem
Please Bury Me in the Library
Voices in the Park

ASIN: 0763604755
Release Date: 1999-01-06

Amazon.com

"Toby's teasing can be tasteless-- / Taunting, tweaking tiny Tina. / Tadpoles in her tapioca! / Thumbtacks in her semolina!" begins Jeanne Steig's "Toby Twits Tina," in renowned anthologist Paul B. Janeczko's Very Best (Almost) Friends, a compact book of 24 diverse "poems of friendship" by well-loved contemporary authors. If Toby's antics don't sound too friendly, well, this unsentimental selection isn't exactly Hallmark material. Colin McNaughton's "Another Poem to Send to Your Worst Enemy," for example, begins, "Dweeb, drip, softy, jerk, / Dope, sap, noodle, berk! / Fathead, bumpkin, duffer, mutt, / Loopy, potty, monkey nut!" and hurls goofy invectives through the last line. Other poems explore the complex nature of friendship. In Elizabeth Jennings's "Friends," she confesses, "I fear it's very wrong of me / And yet I must admit, / When someone offers friendship / I want the whole of it." The collection closes with Karla Kuskin's heartwarming poem "To You": "I think I could walk / through the simmering sand / if I held your hand. / I think I could swim / the skin shivering sea / if you would accompany me. / And run on ragged, windy heights, / climb rugged rocks / and walk on air. / I think I could do anything at all, / if you were there." Janeczko writes, "Friends are an important part of our lives, and I wanted to share with kids some of the delicious poems that celebrate this (almost) always wonderful experience." Showcasing poets from Nikki Grimes to Walter Dean Myers to Charlotte Zolotow, this well-designed collection--illustrated with the spirited, artful brushstrokes of Christine Davenier--is a winning introduction to various poetic styles, as well as an interesting perspective on the friendships that shape our lives. (Ages 8 and older) --Karin Snelson

Average customer rating:

It touched me personally
Touching and Funny!
A feel good story!

The Very Best of Friends
Margaret Wild
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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The Royal Bee

ASIN: 0152006257

Customer Reviews:

It touched me personally.......2007-10-01

After my husband died, I was alone except for his little Papillon dog and my own dogs and cats. I ignored his dog. She was so sweet to me but I never appreciated her. Until I read this book. It was just a book I was going to sell but I loved the cover. I read it and broke into tears before I could finish. I struggled through the story. . .I looked down through my tears and saw a sweet little face begging for attention. I picked her up and she licked my tears away. That was 8 years ago. We are the Best of Friends.

Touching and Funny!.......2002-05-09

"The Very Best of Friends" is illustrated by Julie Vivas. Her watercolor paintings of round, warm people and friendly animals grace such books as "Wilfred Gordon MacDonald Partridge", "I Went Walking", and "I Went Visiting". "The Very Best of Friends" is about a quirky older farm couple (Jessie and James) and James's cat, William. Jessie tolerates William, who is James's best animal friend, until James dies. James's death takes a hard toll on both Jessie and William, until Jessie sees what she must do in order to finally go on with her life. "The Very Best of Friends" is filled with a humor that even adults will laugh at and quality illustrations everyone will enjoy.

A feel good story!.......2000-01-26

This is one of my favourite children's titles. Margaret Wild's story and Julie Vivas' illustrations will really touch you. The farmer's death is very subtle, there are many areas were further discussion could lead. This is a story to read to all children. If you are a farmer, if you are a cat lover, if you are a wife, if you are a husband... you will love this book too.

Average customer rating:

Very Best Friends (Pooh)
Ann Braybrooks
Manufacturer: Golden Books Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Picture Books | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Fiction | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Activities & Toys | Sports & Activities | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General & Reference | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0307131424

Book Description

It's Valentine's Day in the Hundred-Acre Wood and Pooh and friends come upon Christopher Robin, busily writing a card to someone whose name begins with W - I - N . . . Everyone assumes that the card is for Pooh, until the boy reads out the name Winifred. Christopher Robin has a new friend, a girl name Winifred. Pooh and the others now sadly assume that because the boy has a new friend he no longer needs them. Owl explains that it's just a case of lovesickness, that the boy has been bitten by a love bug. So the gang hatches a plan to capture a love bug that will unbite CR. After some humorous escapades and a nighttime adventure in the forest all is set to rights in the end when Christopher Robin assures Pooh that even if he cares a bit for someone else, it doesn't mean he cares any less for his beloved Pooh. This is classic Pooh with its delicious humor and its theme of love and enduring friendship.

Average customer rating:

Jesus Is My Very Best Friend
Barbara A. Young
Manufacturer: Concordia Pub House (J)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0570040973

Jesus--my very best friend: A book about friendship (Little butterfly shape book)

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Jesus--my very best friend: A book about friendship (Little butterfly shape book)
K. R Hamilton
Manufacturer: D.C. Cook Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1555133061

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My very best Friend
Paul B Ricchiuti
Manufacturer: Pacific Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

My Very, Very Best Friend (Child's Steps to Jesus)

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My Very, Very Best Friend (Child's Steps to Jesus)
Linda Porter Carlyle , and Linda Porter Carlyle
Manufacturer: Shelter Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Bible & Other Sacred Texts | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0816311846

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One of My Very Best Friends
Shirley Lord
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0425097021

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One of My Very Best Friends
Shirley Lord
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O2N85I

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