Melanie Gibson is trying to get a bank loan to expand her gourmet catering business. She is having a terrible day and to top it all off, her delivery driver has called in sick. This forces her to make her final delivery herself. According to her own slogan if it's not there on time it's free. With 5 minutes to spare she double parks to make her "quick" delivery. That is how the fun begins. Melanie's bad day intrudes upon Chris Bishop's (owner of the blocked in car)day and he'll never quite recover from it.

This story is strung together with one liners which makes the story move swiftly. We have a quirky heroine, all she wants is a delivery van. We also have a handsome hero who happens to be a paradox, he's an accountant with a harley. Neither has the time nor the inclination to date, let alone fall in love. But as they soon find out it just takes a moment to fall in love. This book will make you laugh and when you're not laughing you'll have a silly grin plastered on your face! If you're looking for a light read that will make you laugh, look no further!

Christopher Bishop was an accountant who just made partner. He was looking forward to a few wild bachelor years. The last thing he wanted was a serious and long time romance! That was, until he met Melanie Gibson (aka Mel Gibson). He soon figured out that wild years did not mean he had to to be single.

Mel did not need, was not looking, and did not want a romance with anyone! That went double for men as sexy looking as Chris! Men that looked that good should be illegal! She tried to turn him down...honest! But Chris was determined to change Mel's mind about dating him. He intended to show her that when love came around you had no choice but to MAKE time!

*** Men like this are down right sinful! Jacquie D'Alessandro has written a funny and romantic story that readers will fall in love with from the first page! Fair warning here...DO NOT open the front cover of this one until you have time to read the whole thing. You will not be wanting to put it down. Excellent and highly recommended! ***

Christopher Bishop was an accountant who just made partner. He was looking forward to a few wild bachelor years. The last thing he wanted was a serious and long time romance! That was, until he met Melanie Gibson (aka Mel Gibson). He soon figured out that wild years did not mean he had to to be single.

Mel did not need, was not looking, and did not want a romance with anyone! That went double for men as [good] looking as Chris! Men that looked that good should be illegal! She tried to turn him down...honest! But Chris was determined to change Mel's mind about dating him. He intended to show her that when love came around you had no choice but to MAKE time!

Men like this are down right sinful! Jacquie D'Alessandro has written a funny and romantic story that readers will fall in love with from the first page! Fair warning here...DO NOT open the front cover of this one until you have time to read the whole thing. You will not be wanting to put it down. Excellent and highly recommended!

I am really enjoying reading this book. The informative passages preceeding each recipe give some insight into the origin of the recipe and alternative ways to prepare and serve. I usually put post-it notes on each page that holds a recipe I want to prepare, but this book is just packed with goodies so I won't bother with the post-its. I particularly liked the traditional French recipes. Also, I feel that the methods used are relatively simple and easy for the average cook to execute, which is a tribute not only to the quality of Boulud's ability as a chef but also as an author. A lot of chefs' cookbooks get knocked (and mostly justifiably so) for being too complicated or esoteric for the layperson to relate to and use, but this chef's cookbook is the delicious exception to the rule. I thoroughly recommend this book.

Daniel Boulud, one of America's best chefs, has teamed up with one of America's best cookbook authors, Dorie Greenspan, and the results are delicious. Café Boulud Cookbook is wonderful for picking up and reading--transporting one to Boulud's hometown of St.-Pierre de Chandieu, a small village near Lyon, France, inspiring dreams about Chicken Grand-Mère Francine, and back again to Café Boulud in New York City. But beyond that, the book is filled with dishes that not only make me hungry, but actually inspire me to run out and buy the ingredients and make them. And best of all, the recipes actually work! Nor are they too difficult. Boulud's voice comes through loud and clear in the wonderful headnotes, and Greenspan's gentle hand-holding is evident in the careful and thorough instructions. Bravo!

This is by far the best cookbook of the year (French Laundry 2nd IMHO). Not only are the recipes within the grasp of the average home cook, but they taste great as well. I've eaten at Daniel and Cafe Boulud and and more than a few of the dishes I've enjoyed at the restaurants are in this book. I've cooked over a dozen dishes and haven't had a disappointment yet. Most, if not all ingredients are easily accessible and no exotic kitchen tools or highly advanced cooking techniques are neccessary for 90% of the recipes. If you love to cook and eat, this book is a must have.

I found out about this book on the Web .............., and I'm really glad I bought it! This is a gripping tale, one that you'll find hard to put down once you begin. The author succeeds admirably in making his readers feel that they're living through the shipwreck, the cold winter camp, and then the horrible trip in a little boat to seek rescue. It's hard to believe that these men actually managed to survive their ordeal, but this book, Farallon : Shipwreck and Survival on the Alaska Shore, really portrays the kind of courage and stamina that it takes to come through alive. I was glad that I had a nice warm home in which to sit and read this one!

I read every shipwreck story I can get my hands on, and this one ranks right up at the top of my list! The author has captured the excitement and heartbreak perfectly; I felt like I was living the adventure right there with the men on the Farallon. This book makes an excellent addition to my collection. Also, there is a Web site with more information about this book and Steve Lloyd's next shipwreck adventure, which I'm eager to get my hands on! ( ).

There have been a number of recent books published about disaster and survival in cold places, and Farallon: Shipwreck and Survival on the Alaska Shore is among the best. The Farallon was a wooden steamship that sunk in Alaska in 1910, and this book is the story of the men who were aboard as passengers and crew, and how they survived being cast away in the barren wilderness in midwinter.

The author provides plenty of background on the various mariners and ships that played a part in the events that unfolded while pacing the narrative in a very compelling manner. Lloyd's research (which was clearly extensive) is well-documented, unlike other "true adventure" books I've read where the reader is never sure what actually happened, and what parts represent the author's artistic license.

I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in history or shipwrecks, and especially to those readers who enjoy a well-told story of man's strength and resolve in times of incredible adversity!

In this book, Wade tells you what causes a Bear Market; higher interest rates and lower earnings. By following the advice in this book, my portfolio acted like a Bull during a Bear Market.Wade writes in a easy, enjoyable style and packs a lot of information in a small book. I also recommend Safety First Investing [Wall Street MM #4] and of course Wall Street MM #1 and #2-Stock Market Miracles.Great books. Packed with information.

I bought this book after reading Wall Street Money Machine#1 and #2-Stock Market Miracles.In this book, Wall Street Money Machine #3-Bear Market Baloney Wade shows to take advantage of downturns in the market and still make money.To wit, I earned 20% on average writing naked calls and playing stock splits. As WADE advises in this book, I got a list of low beta stocks that perform well while growth stocks fall.Thank you WADE for a really great book.

I bought this book at the at the start of the NASDAQ descent and after Greenspans last interest rate hike. The information in this book saved my portfolio from collapsing a so many others had.

I bought puts on Compaq, Lucent and AMD. Reduced my tech holdings by 3/4 and moved into cyclical stocks and Gold stocks.

I like the leverage on Gold Stocks as compared to buying Gold itself.

Wade said that Gold and energy stocks do well during bear markets. Mr. Cook also is adamant about "Don't get greedy" and "Know your exit"

As I saw Greenspan raising interest rates, I knew it was time to exit and take my profits BUT move into other equities as opposed to cash.

I highly recommend WSMM#3-Bear Market Baloney, WSMM revised and Two Down Years and up we go.

I have read the rest, Wade is the best.

Saveur Cooks Authentic French is a great book on french cooking. The book has many photos and info behind the recipes. Often French cooking may seem a bit more exotic than our normal every day recipes, but this book writes on a level that is easy to understand. The French Onion soup in this book is heavenly. Its so good, I will eat only my own. Recipes range from rather simple to a bit more complex. Recipes are well written, easy to follow, and turn out well.

Saveur is the best cooking magazine, and it has a primary focus on French cooking. This book reflects that, and an introduction that favors French over "silly fusion cooking" definitely has my vote. Most of the recipes are quite involved; some common, some quite unusual, all a treat to eyes nose and tongue. I have a lot of French cookbooks and this is compliments rather than duplicates.

I love this book on many levels. The pictures are gorgeous to look at; the recipes make me weak with hunger; the pages are printed on thick paper that feels sumptuous for the relatively low price of the book; and the overall effect of the book is to transport me to a fantasy French life I'm living in my imagination. I appreciated the emphasis on traditional French recipes, as well as the abundant information about the origin of these recipes and the customs of traditional French life. Saveur, as a magazine, is always encyclopedic in its scope, and I was glad to see that this method was applied to the cookbook. Also, I was happy to find that not everything in the cookbook was just a rehash from the magazine -- there was some genuinely new information in the book. I got a really thorough understanding of the way certain regions of France approach the preparation of food, and was able to compare and contrast them based on their use of different ingredients and cooking methods. I hope this book gets the praise that Saveur Cooks Authentic American received.

I own many cookbooks -- and I cook. This is one of the cookbooks I turn to again and again when we need something new and different. I've tried many recipes: with some I improvise to fit what I have or what my family will eat and with others I use the recipe as a "concept" and add a little something. But, the dishes with VEGETABLES that my husband asks for most often come from this book (I never knew he liked roasted sweet potatoes). Even our son-in-law in Sweden asks for these recipes. (His current favorite is the spaghetti with grilled chicken and asparagus - changed to zucchini). I knew this was a great cookbook - but their endorsement seals it!

I bought both The New Cook and Entertaining during the same month due to the interesting food pairings and fusion of different ethinic cooking styles. I have not been dissapointed. Most of the recipes are extremely simple to make yet real crowd pleasers! (I feel confident enought with this cookbook to make a recipe without taste-testing it first - not many cookbooks inspire me to do this!) I am an avid cook (mostly vegetarian, some seafood.) The variety and richness of the flavors in this book continually inpsire my desire to create in the kitchen, and i really enjoy just browsing through it to learn about interesting food pairings and unusual combinations. If you'd like a little food adventure, this one's for you!

a friend recommended i get this book. she's made many of the recipes in the book and absolutely loved them. when i first started looking through it i was a little hesitant to try the recipes because the ingredient and flavor combinations are so different from what one normally sees. but it turns out that they work! and really well. everything i've made from this cookbook has been delicious. as i've made more of the recipes, i've gotten better at substituting ingredients here and there based upon what i have. many of the recipes in the book are good for that, which i really appreciate (it means that i'll actually use the recipes rather than the cookbook gathering dust on the shelf, because i don't happen to have some random spice that the author insists is crucial for the dish). also, the vegetable recipes are REALLY good, and very far from your normal boring vegetable recipes! they are tasty and actually use vegetables that have some amount of nutritional value.

a couple of recipes from the book that we've made already: the buttermilk pancakes are great, the salmon with chervil and roasted carrots and parsnips was astounding, the sweet potato (or was it yam?) pie with thyme, pumpkin gnocchi was excellent. i agree with the person who mentioned rieslings -- rieslings seem to go really well with a lot of food in this book.

Although I am not currently a practitioner of TaeKwonDo I found this book of very good interest. For once, a TaeKwonDo book with something useful to offer! Doug Cook did his homework when researching every detail of TKD tradition and history. Although the book had a chapter of the history of TKD, I wish he had a little bit more in depth feel for it. Also, the way he describes TKD, he makes the reader believe it is the most perfect art in the world (which may be his point). I did not like this, but then again it is a book in TKD and I don't know why I expected him to mention it's links to Shotokan, Japanese/Okinawan Karate, and it's overall link to Shaolin Kung Fu. He fails to mention these things, making TKD seem like it came RIGHT out of Korea. But the book is good and I recommend every martial artist read it, especially if they had the over loathing for TKD as I DID before reading this book. I now respect it quite a bit more than I did before I started. I with he would write another!

I came to this book with little knowledge of the martial arts in general or Tae Kwon Do in particular. By the time I finished the last chapter I had begun to share the author's knowledge and to understand his passion for the discipline.

Taekwondo, Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Warrior, covers a lot of ground. One chapters offers practical advice on how to choose a dojang (school). Another deals with Tae kwon do's ethical values and basis. A third talks about Ki energy and meditation. Throughout the book, the historical roots of Tae Kwon Do are explored and related to the art as it is currently practiced.

Perhaps the most striking feature of the book is the explanation of how the discipline, ethics, focus and determination required by Tae Kwon Do, can be used as a pattern for living in the modern world. Certainly Doug Cook has taken advantage of these tools to create a clear and focused work, which I read with pleasure and enthusiasm.

If you are a taekwondoist that realizes there is more to the martial arts than kicking and punching, then this is the book for you. The author covers everything from training hall decorum to the elusive internal energy known as Ki. This book will remind older practitioners why they continue to train in spite of the aches and pains. It will also teach younger students more about taekwondo than most teachers are able to transmit. It has clearly revitalized the way my students and I train. Only those exclusively seeking huge trophies and points in the ring will find little value here. However, this is a treasure trove for everyone else wishing to gain a full understanding of the Korean martial art and sport of taekwondo. Doug Cook, master instructor and columnist from Taekwondo Times magazine, has done a phenominal job.

This book is sure to please all students of American history. It's a well-written account of the plight of the Civil War refugees in Georgia...but reads like a novel. I got caught up in the lives of the people and kept turning pages...and I'm not a Civil War buff! Ruth Cook is a master at keeping the reader interested in this fascinating story. You will find yourself in awe of the people who lived these lives. You will follow their trails and cry their tears. Their important story was left largely untold until Cook unearthed the tale and gave it sparkle. Cook's research and details are also very thorough and impecable. This story is another rich tale in the tapestry of southern history.

I recommend this book for everyone. I really enjoyed reading this book and would like to thank Ruth Beaumont Cook for writing this book and a beautiful job well done. I am glad Edwin M. Stanton the U.S. Secretary of War did not give "Cump" Sherman the permission he ask for: "But one thing is certain, there is a class of people, men, women, and children, who must be killed or banished before we can hope for peace and order even as far south as Tennessee." If he would have killed these people I would not be able to write this review. The book tells the story of some of my family; this is true history and my history. I truly do not know how many of members of my family were moved out of Georgia to the north but it would be interesting to know if anyone has more information about them. I have searched for my family tree information for over twenty-five years and I keep coming up against a brick wall at the Roswell Mill. My Great-Great Grandfather George W. Hopkins family worked at the Roswell Mill before and after the War Between the States. He worked in the Roswell Mill over 50 years. He had two sons in the "Roswell Guards", George T. Hopkins and Daniel D. Hopkins. He and his youngest son William "Bill" Charles Marion Hopkins fought with the Co. A. Roswell Battalion, Georgia Cavalry, which merged with the 24th Alabama Cavalry Battalion Co. B, Co. A Georgia and later merged with the 53rd Alabama Cavalry Regiment, Partisan Rangers all three cavalry units served in General Joseph Wheeler's Cavalry Corps. . I hope Ruth Beaumont Cook receives so much more information that she will have to write another book on this subject. I salute her on a job well done and I enjoyed every word.

I am glad to see this story come to the light of day. I dont remember the first time that I heard the story of the Roswell Women. It has been a part of our family history for as long as I can remember. My grear great grandmother Elizabeth Wood, her mother Margarett Sumner Wood and her mother
Mary Ann Smith Sumner were all taken North to be "desposed of". Thank you Ms. Cook for a story well told. Very good book.

I liked Chris from Utah's review. Yes, it was unrealistic, but I really liked Lisa. I liked all the characters. Too bad there isn't a book about Rye's sister and brother. I would definitely purchase. A keeper.

I am a huge Elizabeth Lowell fan and Fever did not disappoint me. You almost have the feeling of a fairy tale as you read this book. Lisa is a beautiful wood sprite and Rye is the lost wanderer.

The love scenes are steamy, even the innocent ones! You are captivated by his pain and her healing from the first paragraph.

This will go on your keeper shelf.

I would love to see McCall's Meadow. Lisa is an interesting and different sort of heroine. Talk about self-sufficent! She can make a knife using an antler and a bit of glass. A very sharp knife!

I liked Rye also and understand his need to be loved for himself rather than his riches. Although he's a bit hard on Lisa when he first meets her, he is drawn to her like the proverbial moth to the flame. Their love is very sweet.

There is a sequel to this book. It's about Cynthia McCall, Rye's sister. It's called "Dark Fire". I don't think it's as good as this book but did enjoy it. Especially the descriptions of the cloud forests.

Get them and read them.

I remember watching Martin Yan on television when I got to stay home from school. He was and still is totally amazing. I bought this cookbook, paid full price and would do it again in a heart beat. The recipes WORK, the photographs are beautiful and Mr. Yan's personallity shines through in the descriptions and informatin pacted into this wonderful book. People into cooking now, talk about how Emerile made cooking popular. To these people I exclaim, you must have never seen Marin Yan cook. With this book, anyone can successfully cook chinese food and do it well. Mr. Yan is truly an excellent teacher, sharing the chinese culture with us through his wonderful food and personallity. For those of you who don't really like to cook but like to buy cookbooks (a few of whom I know) this is a great book just to read. I can only name a few cookbooks that I have actually sat down and read. Usually I use a cookbook for the recipes and ideas. This book I will pick up to read like one would a novel. Of course as I am reading I am getting hungry and trying to decide what night to cook chinese, but it is a small price to pay for such enjoyment.

Martin Yan's cookbook is truly what you want in a book of recipes.

Each recipe is very thorough and goes step by step (even telling you how many teaspoons of oil and garlic you should use). My roommate had a Martin Yan cookbook in college 10 years ago when I was just learning how to cook. I remember I was able to follow the recipes without diverging from them and end up with great food.

Now, I've grown more experienced in the kitchen and bought this book last year. I learned that the recipes here work just as well if you don't follow them strictly but introduce your own variations, change sauces, change from deep fried to stir fried or vice versa, and so forth. So I recommend Yan's books for either a beginner of an expert.

Finally, as long as you don't mind spending a bit of time chopping lots of ingredients, the recipes are fast and don't take much work or skill. I have never been to China, but I do know that I am now making Chinese dishes that are as good as many of the dishes at my local Chinese restaurant or the Chinatown restaurants using Yan's recipes.

Here's why I always recommend Martin Yan's books; for some reason, his recipes will result in that authentic taste that is often missing from other Chinese or Oriental cookbooks. He gives techniques that really work, like marinating chicken or meats in a cornstarch-soy sauce mix that give the meat that succulent coating when stir fried. Yet most of the recipes can be made with ingredients found in a majority of American grocery stores that stock a foreign food shelf and some exotic vegetables like sprouts and chinese cabbage.

I learned to cook Chinese food as a kid from my Dad (he bought an enormous wok right from a restaurant in San Francisco in the 60's. It was so big we had to store it in the garage. But that was the only kind there was, no one sold them in the kitchen department until much later.) We used to make fried rice and Chinese egg omelets (egg fu yung) that tasted like the Chinese restaurants we loved. But it wasn't until I found Martin Yan's cookbooks that I found any book that could duplicate that flavor.