Customer Reviews:

all-time favorite!!.......2007-05-31

I came across this book as a child and enjoyed it a great deal. Even though as a kid I couldn't comprehend many of the stories in the book, I found the variety and diversity contained in it awesome. Now being able to fathom it in its' entirety, I STILL go back to it and re-live my favorite stories. The "Psychos" section is my favorite. I highly recommend it.

A gallery of styles.......2002-09-25

This collection of horror short stories is exceptional because of the wide range of styles and stories it contains. The reader will not be lost in a jungle of imaginations because the book is organized in five chapters that are each dedicated to one type of atmosphere and plot. Hence when you start one chapter you know what continent of horror you are entering and you will get variety within that landscape. Some stories are absolutely stunning and fascinating. I found « Say hello, Mister Quigley » by J. Michael Straczynski too gentle on the incestuous father. Of course the victim has to forgive, but most of the time this forgiving is impossible because of the damage caused by the incestuous parent. I loved « Bob the Dinosaur » by Joe Lansdale because it shows how kids live on the illusion of a dream that is shattered by reality when it becomes true, when it gets satisfied. It is better to live on dreams even if they are disturbing, particularly for the parents' everyday life. Finally « Dark Embrace » by James Van Hise is a refreshing vision of vampires associated to a sickening vision of child molesting. Vampires become, in a way, gentle and lovable, even if they are monsters, when you compare them to child molesters who kill to cover up their tracks when their pleasure is satisfied. Vampires are also very human and long for company and love. Which a child molester never long for. He longs for brutal contact (rape) and absolute solitude that makes him kill his victim because he is entirely enslaved by his desire, his perverted passion for kids.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Perpignan at Mende.

Very good stories. Well categorized, and a great preface.......1999-10-02

I'm a big fan of Horror anthologies, and this is one of the best I've ever read. From the terrific introduction by the editor, to the last page, it was very satisfying. The stories range in intensity from the sheer grit of "Bad Guy Hats" to the quirky "Bob the Dinosaur Goes to Disneyland." There is something in here for everyone. Everybody gets a chance to be scared by something in here; all bases get covered. If you like horror anthologies, this is a must-read.

Mama.......1997-10-17

My mama told me...you better shop around. THESE VOICES ARE KILLING ME!!!

Average customer rating:

Misnamed or Misedited...be warned!
Interesting, but not "The Best"
A Very Mixed Bag
amusing, but very patchy writing skills
Terrific collection

The Best American Science Writing 2000

Manufacturer: Ecco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Science for Kids | Education | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Essays & Commentary | Science | Subjects | Books

Short Stories | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0060957360
Release Date: 2000-09-05

Amazon.com

Avid science readers know the value of good judgment. There's just too much out there to go through it all in one lifetime, so we learn to appreciate the recommendations of those we trust. Editors James Gleick and Jesse Cohen took it upon themselves to select 19 eclectic pieces for The Best American Science Writing 2000, resulting in a delicious, engrossing volume with something for nearly every reader. Whether relying on well-known authors like Stephen Jay Gould and Oliver Sacks or surprising us with a selection from humor publication The Onion ("Revolutionary New Insoles Combine Five Forms of Pseudoscience"), they choose works that combine the best of exposition and aesthetic delight. The scope of topics is broad: physician Atul Gawande reports on medical mistakes, Douglas R. Hofstadter ruminates on natural and artificial intelligence, and Deborah Gordon gives an inside look at southwestern American ant life. Though the editors cheerfully admit that they can't define science writing with any precision, they still please the reader with this important and enjoyable volume. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

The first volume in this annual series of the best writing by Americans, meticulously selected by bestselling author James Gleick, one of the foremost chronicles of scientific social history, debuts with a stellar collection of writers and thinkers. Many of these cutting-edge essays offer glimpses of new realms of discovery and thought, exploring territory that is unfamiliar to most of us, or finding the unexpected in the midst of the familiar. Nobel Laureate physicist Steven Weinberg challenges the idea of whether the universe has a designer; Pulitzer Prize winner Natalie Angier reassesses caveman (and-woman) couture; bestselling author and Darwinian theorist Stephen Jay Gould makes a claim for the man whose ideas Darwin discredited; Timothy Ferris proposes a realistic alternative to wrap-speed interseller travel; neurologist and bestselling author Oliver Sacks reminisces about his first loves-chemistry and math. This diverse, stimulating and accessible collection is required reading for anyone who wants to travel to the frontier of knowledge.

Customer Reviews:

Misnamed or Misedited...be warned!.......2002-07-22

I liked many of the pieces in this collection and detested just a few. But overall I was very disappointed since I expected essays about SCIENCE, not essays about science history, about preferring music to science, about doctors making mistakes. I'm not saying those types of essays are not interesting reading, but I am saying they're definitely not about real science. Very few of the essays would actually enhance a university science course, for instance.

Furthermore, there would seem to be a weird bias present in the selection of the essays. A lot of them are from the New Yorker or the New York Times, hardly the places to go for good science (even though I do acknowledge that when it comes to newspapers the New York Times does better than most...which are terrible in general). There are some from the Sciences, Nature, but not many from places where real science essays are published. I suspect the net was not cast far in a search. How about Science News, Discover, Analog, Scientific American? I am also sure there were more overlooked great science essays in books that were not read (a few such are included and tend to be among the best in the collection). There is even a farcical "essay" from The Onion here!

Gleick explains/justifies this in his introduction claiming to take a "big tent" approach. After reading the volume I think he failed. The tent wasn't big enough to retain enough science to validate the title.

The essays I like in particular included Lord of the Flies by Jonathan Weiner, Antarctic Dreams by Francis Halzen, Interstellar Spaceflight by Timothy Ferris, Einstein's Clocks by Peter Galison, and A Desinger Universe by Steven Weinberg.

Two stood out in my mind as particular poor examples of science writing mainly because they embrace "anti-science" in order to be "witty." Natalie Angier's New York Times article "Furs for Evening, but Cloth Was the Stone Age Standby" examines the recent realization that 20-30k year old fertility figures are shown wearing complex textiles. She may just be reporting the shoddy methodology of some current archeological practices, but she proudly announces that the old assumption that men created these statuettes is wrong based on the detailed textile carving that requires detailed knowledge of such and the cross-cultural studies of the present population of earth that indicates women create cloth, not men. I think the announcement is quite premature and just as big of an assumption. It feels like one of those essays that projects present-day sensibilities on past times, a form of political correctness that has no place in science.

Worse is "Must Dog Eat Dog" by Susan McCarthy from salon.com. McCarthy attacks sociobiological thought but displays an astounding level of ignorance about the details of the theories involved. She attacks a straw man of her own invention in which men must be homeless, starving, lecherous slobs in order to validate sociobiology. She simply cannot have read some of the thinkers she attacks and have written the piece she did. She argues from a political motivation, not from a scientific one, and I was quite shocked to see this essay included. "Witty" it may be, but science it ain't!

This is an interesting collection, but be aware of what is actually included here. Good science is going on in the world today, and people are writing about it, just usually not in the New Yorker.

Interesting, but not "The Best".......2001-02-06

Although I enjoyed most of the articles, this was not exactly what I was expecting. It appears as though many of the articles came out of popular non-scientific publications (many from the N.Y. Times) and were written for a mainstream audience. Too many of them were articles of the "I'm a scientist and here's my story . . ." genre. One story was about an author's "nervous breakdown" and his decision to pursue a career in music rather than chemistry. A few were about the practice of medicine or medical research. They were interesting articles but didn't contain as much scientific information as I expected - I didn't really learn that much. I don't want to sound overly negative. I did enjoy many of the selections. However, calling this "The Best" science writing of the year is a real stretch.

A Very Mixed Bag.......2000-11-26

The best essays were actually on the history of science. There were memoirs of very little scientific interest, some pop-observations of the field of science, some decent philosophy, some medical adventure stories. Not bad, but certainly not a general survey of good science writing spread over all the sciences, so not what I was hoping for at all. I would have to browse the 2001 edition before buying; certainly not an automatic purchase based on this edition.

amusing, but very patchy writing skills.......2000-11-22

There were well written articles by generalists, and good pices by the people who do the research they write about. It's also hard not to enjoy Douglas Hofstadter, even if this was a somewhat weak piece of his.

Mixed in are pieces like Susan McCarthy (from Salon) that use poor argumentative style (numerous ad hominem attacks, the use of Capital Letter sarcasm), poorly researched and develop no thesis of her own. Just scattershot bon mots and drive-by name dropping.

some good with the bad. worth an afternoon, the articles are light on actual content. pop-science.

Terrific collection.......2000-11-01

In general, the BEST collections are the best of the best. First, the essays or books have been chosen for publication and then a few are picked for the collection. These are well written and interesting, covering several areas of science. I especially liked Stephen S. Hall's "Journey to the Center of My Mind" where he describes his experience of an M.R.I. of his brain while being assigned specific mental tasks. Fascinating stuff. And I loved "Lord of the Flies," excerpted from Jonathan Weiner's terrific book, TIME, LOVE, MEMORY, on Seymour Benzer's mapping the genes of the fruit fly.

Each essay in this collection takes you into the world of a specific science and the scientists who are patient enough to stay with their explorations and articulate enough to describe them to others. Some of my favorite authors are in this collection: Stephen J. Gould, Susan McCarthy, and Oliver Sachs. A treat for the mind.

Book Description

By early 1787, as this latest volume of the award-winning series Adams Family Correspondence opens, John and Abigail Adams were eagerly planning their return home to Massachusetts from Great Britain, frustrated by John's lack of progress in his diplomatic mission and anxious for a reunion with family and friends. Arriving in Massachusetts in mid-1788, they anticipated a quiet retirement from government service as they returned to running their farm. But they barely had time to settle in before they were pulled back into the public sphere by John's election as the first vice president under the new Constitution. Moving to New York City in 1789 with their daughter Nabby, and her family, John and Abigail found themselves once again center stage in American political life.

The Adamses serve as prescient and thoughtful observers of the world around them, from the manners and mores of English court life to the political intrigues of the new federal government in New York. Beyond that wider world, however, these letters observe the more intimate domestic concerns of a New England family. With more of the forthright candor that marks the Adamses' correspondence, this volume offers a unique perspective on a crucial period in American history.

Promethean Ethics: Living With Death, Competition, and Triage (The Jessie and John Danz lectures)

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Promethean Ethics: Living With Death, Competition, and Triage (The Jessie and John Danz lectures)
Garrett James Hardin
Manufacturer: Univ of Washington Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Ethics & Morality | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0295957174

Hearts Turned to the Fathers: A History of the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1894-1994 (Byu Studies)

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Hearts Turned to the Fathers

Hearts Turned to the Fathers: A History of the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1894-1994 (Byu Studies)
James B. Allen , Jessie L. Embry , and Kahlile B. Mehr
Manufacturer: Brigham Young University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Hearts Turned to the Fathers.......2007-07-18

This book tells an amazing story about millions of people. Since 1894 the Geneological Society of Utah (now known as the Family History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) has souhgt to collect genealogical information about people from every nation. Latter-day Saints see this work as a fulfillment of Malachi's prophecy that the hearts of the children would be turned to their fathers to unify all members of the human family and to prepare the world to meet God.

In Novenber 1994, the Church celebrated the Genealogical Society's centennial. At one level, the Society's story is the history of an organization. At another level, it is the intersection of numerous individual stories, such as the dedication of Susa Young Gates, the tireless determination of Joseph Fielding Smith, the enthusiasm of Archibald F. Bennett, and the daring of Paul Langheinrich. LDS genealogical research is known all over the world. Parts of the story are familiar to many people, but only a fraction of the whole history is widely known.

This book tells that story. It is a history of astounding and sustained efforts that have changed the hearts of millions.
--- from book's dustjacket

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A Must for an Immigration Unit

Cuando Jessie Cruzo El Oceano
Amy Hest , and Teresa Mlawer
Manufacturer: Lectorum Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

A Must for an Immigration Unit.......2000-10-11

My third grade students love studying this book as part of a social studies unit on immigration. It opens their eyes to another culture of immigrants, and the joy beyond the hardship in the new land. The illustrations are grippingly beautiful,making the ocean voyage come to life. I loved this book in English and am thrilled to have it available for my bilingual students in Spanish.

James and Jessie (This Is Not A Mushy Romantic Novel)

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James and Jessie: This Is Not a Mushy Romantic Novel
Great book!

James and Jessie (This Is Not A Mushy Romantic Novel)
Tom Whatley
Manufacturer: Lulu Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Horror | Teens | Subjects | Books

Mysteries | Teens | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

Horror | Teens | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

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All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1411662474

Book Description

A young boy James, and his sister Jessie, travel with their parents quite often. While on a vacation trip to North Carolina, they find out their resort is on a battle field from the Civil War. The ghost of the deceased soldiers try and warn James about the danger that is in the house. A young Hitler - like man who goes by the alias of Latmy Homewth, trys to find James & Jessie to kill them. He instead tricks them, and traps James, and Jessie in the Bermuda Triangle, which leads to the lost paradise island of Atlantis.

Customer Reviews:

James and Jessie: This Is Not a Mushy Romantic Novel.......2006-03-20

This is an incredible book! I love the plot and the characters! I can't wait for the second one to come out!

Great book!.......2006-01-10

All I can say is...WOW! This book deserves 100 stars! All my kids love it! A excellent choice for anyone who loves a good scare and mystery! A+!

Carrie Nation's Hatchet or How Jessie James Met His Demise

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Carrie Nation's Hatchet or How Jessie James Met His Demise
Ron Horton
Manufacturer: Happenstance Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0978636619

Book Description

Jesse James and Carrie Nation probably never met, but their chance encounter in Beaver, Arkansas in 1909 would take young Mark Halladay, some 80 years later, into a world of intrigue with the discovery of cryptic directions to Jesse¿s treasure and an apparent murder confession. Fifteen year old Mark thinks life will be pretty boring in Beaver, Arkansas until he meets J.R. and Penelope. As their friendship develops, they explore the town on the banks of the White River and walk in the footsteps of Jesse James. Carrie Nation and Jesse James would both be dead within two days of their chance encounter in Beaver. With more than twenty historic photographs of the period, readers of all ages will delight in this look back at what might have been.

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Citizenship In Philadelphia
James Lynn Barnard , and Jessie C. Evans
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

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Help for a Celiac Newbie

The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy: Wheat-free and Gluten-Free with Less Fuss and Less Fat

Simple yet excellent recipes that all family members like!

Neither fast nor healthy, but darn good recipes

I carry it with me on long trips...

The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy: Wheat-Free and Gluten-Free with Less Fuss and Less Fat
Bette Hagman
Manufacturer: Holt Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Healthy | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Natural Foods | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Low Fat | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Gluten-Free | Special Conditions | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Wheat-Free | Special Conditions | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Comfort Foods: Creating Old Favorites with the New Flours

The Gluten-free Gourmet, Second Edition: Living Well Without Wheat (Owl Books)

The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread: More Than 200 Wheat-Free Recipes

The Gluten-free Gourmet Makes Dessert: More Than 200 Wheat-free Recipes for Cakes, Cookies, Pies and Other Sweets

The Gluten-Free Bible: The Thoroughly Indispensable Guide to Negotiating Life without Wheat

Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0805065253

Book Description

This is the perfect book for those who must put together a gluten-free meal at the of the long working day. From the author of The Gluten-free Gourmet, 2nd edition, here are more than 275 recipes for gluten-free pasta, baking, and soup mixes that are as easy to use as anything from the grocery store. With new bean flours to add to the other gluten- free flours, there are also fantastic recipes for breads, cakes, cookies, pies, and pastries.

Customer Reviews:

Help for a Celiac Newbie.......2007-09-17

I had never heard of Celiac Disease until I got a call from my Dr saying I had tested positive. After five minutes on the Internet I began to cry!! What CAN I eat?? This is the first cook book I bought when at a nutritional store for the first time (Talk about overwhelmed!!). As I read through this book I received my first ray of hope that I CAN do this. I have tried some of the recipes all with good results. The bread I made is simply delicious. I actually can have sandwiches!!! I am going to give away all my other cookbooks ( I have quite a collection from the past forty years or so) and just keep Bette's. I will say that some of the ingredients are not the most healthy (Butter flavored Crisco), but let me be honest, I didn't always cook or eat totally healthy (croissants, pie, cake, cinnamon buns) before my diagnoses! It is a wonderful encouragement to me to know, that while I cannot make a steady diet of these treats, I can make them for myself fairly easily. I highly recommend this cookbook for those who are willing to put some initial time into advance preparation. Frankly, I am thrilled to know I can enjoy pumpkin pie and my family's traditional corn bread stuffing this Thanksgiving!

The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy: Wheat-free and Gluten-Free with Less Fuss and Less Fat.......2007-03-09

Great Book, great, fast recipes. Lots of good helpful ideas. Just no nutrition information on each recipe.

Simple yet excellent recipes that all family members like!.......2007-01-17

When I found out I had Celiac disease,I immediately ordered several recipe books. The Gluten Free Gourmet is filled with recipes that are simple, tasty and helps me make meals my whole family can enjoy. This has not been the case with other books. The author also gives knowledgable insight to the challeges of having Celiac disease but quickly moves on to a positive outlook on living the best life you can despite the many lifestyle changes by outlining some resources & providing hope and encouragement.

Neither fast nor healthy, but darn good recipes.......2006-07-10

I have celiac disease, which is essentially an allergy to wheat protein, and I've been GF for 5 years now. (Why does that sound like I'm at an AA meeting?) Bette Hagman's books are the first couple of books that I got, and they're pretty good. *GFG-Fast & Healthy* is one of my favorites because it has some great recipes in it. However, I have no idea why she called it what she did. Maybe she lightened up some of the recipes compared to her 1950's style of cooking in the original GFG book, but after doing Ornish (*Eat More, Weigh Less*, Dean Ornish) for a couple years before I was diagnosed (familial high cholesterol), I can't imagine how anyone thinks that using this much butter, cheese, margarine, or butter-flavored Crisco (!!!) could be in any way labeled "healthy." Including recipes for salmon, curried shrimp, or mulligatawny soup was just silly. You can get those recipes in GF form anywhere. Maybe the title was wishful thinking.

However, some of my favorite recipes are in this book:

Pizza crust - p242 - 5 ingredients. Only 5! Tastes great, too. Husband prefers it to regular.

Spicy corn muffins - p103 - fantastic!

Banana bread - p98 - My first successful GF baked product.

Veggie muffins - p101 - tasty and good.

Salem crumpets as pizza crust - p95 - tasty for a change, but I like p242 better.

TK Kenyon

I carry it with me on long trips..........2006-06-22

A wide range of recipes, a clear method of instruction, the fact that I'm gluten-intolerant and allergic to wheat and the sheer amount of recipes make this one of my favorite cookbooks. May not be so useful for those without a true need for it, but if you're GF, you've GOT to have this one.

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