On the face of it, this book sounded appealing--unattractive woman becomes transformed into a great beauty consumed by the desire to revenge her murdered child. What's not to like?

However, this book simply missed the mark. It felt like a blend of "Lives of the Rich and Famous" mixed with a James Bond movie. Everyone lives in rich splendor, is very attractive, and yet there is no real conflict or emotional depth to this book. Lots of action, yet it all seems so superficial and contrived. The main character, Nell, seems to wring her hands a lot and go through a lot of emotional trauma, and yet I just don't seem to care... Her character starts out so meek and submissive that even when she gets rolling, she still isn't very appealing.

I was frustrated because I could see glimmerings of a great book in there somewhere, but ultimately it just failed to satisfy.

This book would be great to take on an airplane or to read on the beach if you want an exciting, but not too deep, read.

A really clever plot keeps you wondering right from the beginning. Two alternating tales of bubonic plague in the 14th century and disease outbreaks in the 21st century future keep you guessing what the connection between the two tales might be.

Both tales are equally fascinating: One is the story of a wandering Jewish physician from Spain who is unwillingly caught up in the political intrigues between Pope Clement and King Edward of England while trying desperately to hide the secret of his past. His experiences of plague in medieval Europe are frightening and grotesque. The other tale is of a woman physician, Janie Crowe, of the near future who has suffered heartbreaking loss due to outbreaks of unspecified diseases that have swept America and threaten Europe. Hysterical fear of these diseases have changed the face of modern civilization--air travelers are forced to wear sterile suits and masks and powerful Bio Cops are authorized to shoot and kill if it is suspected that a citizen harbors disease. Janie is engaged in research in London, and unearths something that has a connection to the 14th century physician.

As the book progresses, these separate stories begin to entertwine, bringing us to an interesting conclusion.

Benson does a wonderful job of making both stories compelling and equally interesting, and she gives you tantalizing clues concerning how the earlier story will come to bear on the future one. However, a slightly supernatural thread just doesn't fit with the technological bent of the book, weakening it.

Inevitably, comparisons will be drawn between this book and "Doomsday Book" by Connie Willis, a Nebula and Hugo award winner which contains the story of Kirin, a student in future London who is mistakenly sent back to a 14th century English village just when plague is breaking out. Like "Plague Tales," the Willis book alternates between the 14th century and England of the future. While superficially similar, "Plague Tales" is much more of a bio-thriller that is a fun book to read once and then pass along to a friend, while "Doomsday Book" is a deeper, more polished book with a stronger emotional impact that you will want to read again and again. Interesting how two different authors can come up with such different takes on a similar subject.

This is my favorite cooking reference book! The authors explore many different standard recipes, and provide a fascinating discussion of the best way to make those recipes.

For example, if you find that your peanut butter cookies just don't come out like Grandma's did, turn to the "Cookies, Brownies, and Bars" chapter, and find a detailed discussion of what works and what doesn't when making peanut butter cookies--what kind of shortening, what kind of peanut butter, etc. And then, you are presented with the optimum recipe based on their experimentation.

By going through this book, you absorb not just specific recipes, but an understanding of basic cooking principles. I curl up with it on the couch at night and just start reading! It's that interesting!

I'm thinking that beginning cooks wouldn't find this book nearly as interesting as people who have been cooking for a while, because most of the fun of the book is you saying to yourself, "Yes! Exactly! I've seen that too! Is THAT why it came out that way?! NOW I know!"

Even if you aren't that interested in the wheres and whyfors, however, this book contains hundreds (maybe thousands! It's HUGE) of great recipes from Apricot Muffins to Sauteed Zucchini.
When I wanted to know the best recipe for Buttermilk Waffles so I could get the best results out of my new waffle maker, this is the book I turned to.

Every serious cook should have this book on her/his shelf.

I work long hours and have a long commute. I usually don't get home until 8 or 9PM, and that's just too late to go to the grocery and cook a meal from scratch! For years I've been making double recipes for weekend meals and then having the leftovers throughout the week, but in a kind of hit or miss fashion. Several nights a week, my husband and I would look at each other and say "What's for dinner?" When I discovered this book, I slapped myself on the forehead and said "Doh!"

It makes perfect sense to devote a little extra time on the weekend to building up a store of meals in the freezer. Why didn't I think of this before?

I liked the authors' approach to laying out the planning and preparation for the big cooking day. There is a lot of great information here on freezing and batch cooking. Great worksheets and checklists to help you get organized.

However, I must say that the recipes are not to my family's taste. Maybe it's a regional thing (we live in Southern California), but these recipes seem kind of 1960s and bland to us. (Cream of chicken soup is featured in several of them. Well, my Mom used that in her casseroles, but I don't!) Maybe it's because the recipes are aimed at kids. (We have none.)

We prefer recipes with more spices and variety (I cook a lot of Thai, Indian, Chinese, and Japanese dishes). However, I do not regret buying this book. All the info other than the recipes is very helpful and make this book worthwhile. I've simply adapted my own recipes to this plan.

One last note--most people won't care about this, I know, but I've been in the documentation business for 30 years, so I do. The format of the book is slightly amateurish. Although easy to read, the charts look hand-drawn, and the fonts and page layout look like someone put it together in Microsoft Word. I would expect something a little more polished for my money.

I've been using the Dreamweaver Bible series of books for years, all the way back to Dreamweaver 2.0. They are perfect for my needs. I dip into them whenever I want more information about a particular feature.

Although the books say they can be used by someone who is new to Web site design, I think you need a little background before using these books. (I mean, what do the descriptions of XML or JavaScript mean if you don't already know what they are?)

The best features of these books are:

1) Tour of the Dreamweaver user interface. This is handy whether you are moving to a new version of Dreamweaver or have never used it before. You get a good introduction to all the basic features.

2) In-depth discussions of Dreamweaver features. Not only do you get the information on how to use Dreamweaver features, but also very complete discussions of why and when to use them. This is the kind of knowledgeable information you just don't get in a user manual from the manufacturer.

3) Tips and guidelines. Very useful hints on overcoming common problems. For example, a sidebar on overcoming line spacing difficulties gives four different workarounds for adjusting line spacing.

By the way, the author, Joe Lowery, has a reputation for being a great Dreamweaver resource, willing to help with technical problems and a very nice guy. His Web site has lots of links to Dreamweaver sites: http://www.idest.com/dreamweaver/. However, it looks like the site has not been updated in a while, so I hope he is not out of the business.

Dunning, where have you been all my life? From the very first words of this book, you know that you are in the hands of a master. This is the most beautifully written mystery I've ever read!

The pace is leisurely, but that's all to the good. By taking its time, the book gives you the chance to really get to know the main character, Jack/Jordan, and he is one of the most compelling characters in fiction. 1940s America and life in a small-town radio station are beautifully evoked. What impressed me most is that, unlike many historical novels which seem to be a frozen slice in time with no antecedents, this book has enough references to culture and events in the 1930s that the wartime in which the book is set makes sense and has context. Jack himself, who has bummed around race tracks doing menial jobs like horse walking, seems very much a man of the 1930s Depression, rootless and scraping by, but looking for something to cling to.

The mystery itself is satisfyingly complex. In fact, through most of the book, you're not even sure what the mystery is! Who is after Jack and why?

I was sad to reach the end of the book, because I wanted to spend more time in this world.

I've been using Weight Watchers cookbooks for at least 20 years. While the older cookbooks were kind of hit or miss, I must say that in the last few years the cookbooks have improved to the point that everything I've tried has been a hit.

This one is really a winner! The Sweet and Sour Pork, while not a traditional sweet and sour recipe (it's sweet but doesn't contain any "sour," such a vinegar or lemon juice), is very flavorful and a real favorite in our house.

Everything I've tried so far has turned out great and, as billed, is quick and easy to make. It's so great to have a repertoire of recipes that you can make at the last minute on your busiest days.

My husband doesn't even realize he's eating Weight Watchers recipes! They are that good.

I love baseball and I love baseball movies. So I was ready to love this movie, yet it somehow failed to please. Great actors, great period setting, yet we are not let inside the minds of the characters. Aside from John Cusak's Buck Weaver, none of the characters are even that appealing, so we don't really care what happens to them. We know nothing about their background, why they play baseball, or what drives them. In summary, the movie just wasn't that engaging. Since most of us know the rough outline of the story already, there are no surprises. The characters were so 2-dimensional, that I almost expected them to disappear when they turned sideways! Also, the DVD has no special features at all except for a movie trailer which is just a summary of the movie.

If you want a baseball movie with heart, get Field of Dreams.

This book is fun to read and very well written. However, it seemed to try too hard to suit all audiences. The danger in that, of course, is that it doesn't do a great job for any one type of reader. I got this book for the basic baseball knowledge it contains--I recently got "hooked" on baseball, and wanted to know more about the rules, how to keep score, how statistics are computed and what they mean. And there is some of that in this book. However, a great deal more of the book is aimed at little leaguers--how to pick out equipment, how to practice, and so on. Then there are the sections on great players. I think the readers who pick up this book are going to want more in-depth information on the particular area they are interested in. So, this book may be your first book on baseball, but it won't be your last! Just whets the appetite, so to speak.

The book tries to do too much, and would have better served the reader by concentrating on one area. Nonetheless, Joe Morgan comes across as very knowledgeable and a great guy!

I've read most of Robinson's science fiction novels, and have enjoyed most of them. However, this book is a whole different kettle of fish!

A series of stories about the misadventures of two jaded American climbers in the Himalayas, this book is wacky and laugh-out-loud funny. Interweaving such elements as Buddhism, yetis (abominable snowmen), exploitation of third-world countries by the West, and very believable descriptions of climbing expeditions in the Himalayas and the crazy people who undertake them, this book has a warm and gentle heart. I enjoyed it so much the first time I read it that I re-read it every couple of years to enjoy it again.

The yeti in a Dodger's baseball cap encountering a surprised ex-president Jimmy Carter in a Kathmandu hotel stairway still makes me laugh.