I've been watching this year's exciting playoffs and then saw Mr. Swirsky on TV so I went out to buy this book. After devouring it (try putting it done once you've opened it!), I then went out to buy his first one--"Baseball Letters". I notice that every time I am watching a game now, and a player comes to bat that Mr. Swirsky has gotten a letter from, I feel like I know the guy who's playing so much better.The actual letters bring you closer to the players.The histories the author adds (with some very neat photographs) are fascinating as well as informative. Sportscasters like Bob Costas or Joe Morgan should read these books --it would add tremendous depth to their analysis. This is a book you keep on your coffee table.

Billy Crystal, the actor and baseball fan wrote a 'blurb' on the cover of Seth Swirsky's new book. It says (Every pitcher Tells Story is) 'A rare treasure of a book'. He couldn't be more right. I learned so much about the people who play or have played baseball from this unique book.the book itself is filled with handwritten letters, just as mr. swirsky received them. it's fascinating. carl mays' letter wa unbelievable-- he was the only man to kill a man with a pitch-- here he offers his explanation of that unfortunate occurence. I loved David Cone's letter analyzing why the Yankees of '98 were so potent. my favorite rogr clemens reveals who he looked up to growing up--his grandmother and mother. It really was amazing to read the over 100 letters in this book-- it's like discovering, in an attic, someone's correspondence with these interesting people. The pictures were also fantastic. Again, like Mr. Crystal said, a true treasure trove of a book.

Was up this saturday and saw this book on the Today show--the anchor seemed like he loved it so I got it. I'm a big baseball fan--my dad and my four brothers all grew up playing and talking stats at the breakfast and dinner table. The letters in this book get right to heart of the game. My personal favorite was Harry Danning's letter--he was a catcher for the NY Giants in the 30s. He was asked by the author to depict pitcher Carl Hubbell's great control. He wrote a story about how Hubbell dunked a girl sitting on a plank at a carnival that the Giants players went to. He dunked her so many times with his accurate throws, that the girl quit the carnival! I also loved the 'Mad Hungarian's" letter, Al Hraboky. He wrote liked he pitched--right in your face! I really do highly recommend this book. I tried to buy the author's first book but they were out of them.

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We have prepared many great recipes that were absolutely delicious!

The recipes / preparations are easy to read, with clearly detailed preparation steps.

Highly recommend this book if you like hot Cajun dishes; (our favorite - Cajun Meatloaf with extra spices. Best enjoyed when re-heated after sitting in the refrigerator for 24 hours - I have no idea why!)

Favorite Recipes:
1.....Shrimp Etouffe'e (page 75) - of course!

2.....Cajun Meatloaf (page 112)

3.....Cajun Seafood Gumbo with Andoulle Smoked Sausage (page 208)

Negatives:
1.....I only give it 4 stars because it does lack some of the enticing glossy pictures we have grown to expect for visual pleasure. (I have the 1990, or so, edition, so this may no longer be accurate)

2.....Many recipes have multiple steps to make the sauce, or base, then prepare the recipe. If you are strapped for time, or not a dedicated chef, this can be disappointing.

3.....Not everyone likes Cajun heat; so, while not all recipes are hot, this issue will limit the recipes to choose from.

4.....Diet with Prudhomme? Forget it!

Years ago watching Phil Dohahue, my husband and I viewed Paul Prudhomme promoting his book the Louisianna Kitchen. we were intrigued and had to have his book. Thus began our journey. We loved the illustrations and poured over them trying to decide which recipes we would do. We tried many and they have since become standards in our household.

I remember our first attempt at Crawfish enchiladas con Queso. we went over to a bait shop on the sacramento river to get the real thing. After the ordeal of immersing them in boiling water and the tedium of peeling them. we decided bay shrimp may make a good substitute and have used them ever since. It is a wonderful meal that starts me drooling just thinking about it.

Other tasty treats are Chicken big mamou (watch out for the scovil units), Cajun shepherd's pie, paneed veal and fettucini, cajun meatloaf and shrimp creole.

Over the years we have learned to cut down on the butter, without hurting the recipe and adjust heat to our taste. These recipes are not for the timid or diet conscious - but they are Deeeelicious!!

If you have ever wanted to cook the same fine foods you ate when you visited South Louisiana (or even if you never have visited the bayou) then this is the cookbook for you. I grew up in Louisiana and now live many cotton fields, rivers, praries and mountains away. Not once have I ever had an unsatisfied craving for cajun food simply because Louisana Kitchen is a bookshelf away. If you ever have the privilege to taste a bowl of Gumbo better than the recipe in this book, I promise I would give you your money back if that was legally possible. The only drawback to this book is now every time I order cajun food anywhere in the world it's a letdown because I can make it so much better thanks to Chef Paul! I will say you must enjoy cooking if you purchase this book. If you don't have a love for chopping vegetables, making roux or boiling shrimp shells I would suggest a lower maintenance cookbook because Paul don't cut no corners and there's a reason for that!

I first read this book 12 years ago, by the suggestion of a co-worker. I honestly have never cried so much from reading ANY book in my entire life. I am now 31 years old and crying as I think about Ursula "Sunshine" Assaid(USA). I have been looking for this book for years and I'm hopeful that Amazon.com will be able to ship it to me. Anyone who even knows, seen, heard or laid eyes on just 1 child MUST read this book. You won't be or see children the same!(P,S,) Keep tissues handy!

I first read this book in the sixth grade and haven't been able to find it in any library since. However, it has made me more aware of child abuse in America and how horrible it really is. I cannot believe that some judges will overlook this sort of thing while I as a young child was able to see how gruesome it is. Even now I am only 14 and outraged that this is being overlooked in our country. I think every teenager should read this book. It makes us,who especially at this age are self-centered appreciate what we have.

I first read this book when I was in 9th grade. I have been trying to find this book for the past 2yrs now. Wheni read this book all I could do was cry. It was so sad to read that a mother could watch this happen to her child. I being a parent myself am more aware of how I talk and act toward my kids. Never in a million years would I ever think of trating my kids this why. Thier lives are way to fragile and precious to loose over any one, be man or woman or money & power for that matter. I'm just glad I found the book again.

One River was one of the best books I have read in quite some time. As a Ph.D student in Botany, I was inspired by the accounts of Shultes, Plowman and Davis' journeys to the Amazon seeking tropical plants and learning from the people who have been using them for generations.. Davis has a rare ability to mix technical science writing with a deep knowledge of history, culture, and politics and make it flow into a coherent narrative. Any student of ecology, evolution, (especially of plants) will love this book as will people with an interest in the cultures and history of the Amazon basin.

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Take one vast, timeless rain forest. Season with sacred plants. Add thousands of Indians and one intrepid explorer. Cook at tropical temperature for 12 years. The astonishing and tasty result is Wade Davis' ONE RIVER.

In the late 1930's, Harvard ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes was responsible for major scientific breakthroughs regarding plant hallucinogens in Mexico. His next field assignment, to identify botanical sources of the deadly arrow poison, curare, immersed Schultes in the savage beauty of the Colombian rain forest and its indigenous Indian cultures. Totally captivated, Schultes remained there for the next 12 years.

This true story of Schultes' explorations is compelling, and he's a guide we gladly follow. Quietly heroic, Schultes thinks nothing of paddling thousands of miles down uncharted rivers, navigating white-water rapids that bend his boat in half, stepping on poisonous snakes, and contracting near-fatal tropical diseases. All the Indians he encounters accept him with alacrity, and within a few hours he is often half-naked, painted and feathered, ingesting sacred plants, singing and dancing with his new friends until the dawn. Not exactly what one expects from a politically ultra-conservative Harvard academician.

Like lianas in the jungle, ONE RIVER's many stories intertwine: the travels of Schultes' predecessor, Richard Spruce, whose spirit infused his own; the rise and fall of the ancient Inca Empire; Schultes' crucial impact on the development of wild rubber during the rubber crisis of World War II; adventurous field research on coca, the "divine leaf of immortality," by Schultes' students, author Wade Davis and Timothy Plowman; and the historic role Schultes played in launching the psychedelic revolution of the 60's.

As we wade deeper and deeper into the Amazon, magical efflorescences delight us: a legendary Blue Orchid; "river dolphins"; an ancient Inca city shaped like a puma; the Kogi tribe, who believe the sun weaves existence, like a cloth, on the loom of the earth. And in the shadows we confront the atrocities committed against the Indians on the rubber plantations of El Encanto ("the Enchantment").

Rich and vibrant, meticulously researched, ONE RIVER is a brilliant amalgam of natural science, history, anthropology, and one hell of an adventure story.

In the same way the Indians trace their lineage from the original Anaconda, or from the Son of the Sun, Wade Davis traces the ethnobotanical lineage of the teacher he reveres and the irreplaceable friend he has lost -- from Richard Spruce to Richard Evans Schultes to Timothy Plowman. Although, modestly, he fails to acknowledge his own position in the sacred lineage, we know better. Thousands of years ago an Inca ruler created a city embodying a puma. And Wade Davis wrote a book that's an Amazonian rain forest.

This is one of the best natural history and history of science an culture books I have ever read. I started this after reading another scintillating science book by David Quammen "Song of the Dodo" which I have since read again with great pleasure but "One River" forms a link between science and culture that was untouched in Quammen's tale of A.R. Wallace. The curious link is that Wallace started his journey's as a collector in the Amazon and covered some of the ground that Davis retraced.

Davis does a marvelous job of melding his and Schultes adventures in interlocking chapters. The tale of the mission to secure a supply of rubber during the war and the subsequent loss of the incredible genetic library that Schultes founded and was subsequently destroyed by bureaucratic bumbling is classic and tragic.

A wonderful read, highly recommended.

This guy knows how to live, and tell about it. Bravo, Mr. Lowe, you've so beautifully captured the show biz life of the 1950s. And to hear a homosexually gifted author tell the tale, well that's icing on the CAKE!

Travel the world with this funny, crazy character and you won't need a suitcase. Just relax and let Skippy be your guide. I so highly recommend this book.

I picked up Skip E. Lowe's book on the recommendation of a friend, but had no idea that I was in for such an amazing read. In addition to having some unforgettable stories to tell, he is able to share them with complete emotional honesty, which provides surprisingly human insight into this larger-than-life world in which he has lived. I recommend this as a "must read" to all who are interested in learning about the Golden Days of Hollywood, the truly fascinating character once known as Sammy Labella, and the ups and downs of an unconventional life. By relating his madcap adventures and the lessons he has learned, Skippy does the best job I've ever seen at creating a road map for the road less travelled.

Having been a child actor myself, I could well relate to the tale masterfully told my Mr. Skip E. Lowe. What a story!~

What I loved most about Skip's life story was that he did it all himself! Travelling the world on no money except what you make at the clubs takes guts baby!

Those who follow their hearts desire and explore the road less travelled always win my heart. Skip is a wonderful man, a sort of little wizard. Skip e Potter. HA! I laughed so hard at certain points of the book that I peed my bloomers. Sometimes, it was so sad I cried a river of tears.

But it was always haute entertainment. I sincerely recommend the Boy with the Betty Grable Legs for all lovers of life, travel, bohemia, and the great show people and the great, great legends, (our teachers) like Skip E!

I just finished reading Michael Pearson's "Dreaming of Columbus." It is such a delightful reading experience that I was sad to see it end. His poignant remembrances of his childhood are written with such skill and pathos that I was deeply moved. Also, his comedic mastery is a wonderful tool that he uses so subtly that I laughed out loud at some of the recollections. All in all, this was the best book I've read all year.....he's a fabulous writer! Mary Ann Wilson

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I, also being Catholic, could relate to the mysteries surrounding "A Nun's Habit" and the almighty ruler. It was enlightening reading about "tricks" boys played and looking back into the 60's & 70's when all was innocent and pranks were silly. The rememberence of the corner drug store and the friends in the neighborhood who felt like a part of your family. The tightly knit friends who went with you through all the ups and downs and growing through the changes in childhood to adolescence; the finally figuring out "what I want to be" and the many roads in life you took to get there. The book was well-written and the expressions that surfaced will stay with me for a long, long time. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Kudos to Pearson!

Norfolk's Port Folio Weekly reviewed this book and said: "For Pearson, the world was dominated by the Bronx. And in this beautifully crafted memoir, he has brought that world to life.

His recollections of his literary experiences -- set against his memories of everday life on the street -- create a tension that is sustained throughout the book. One gets the impression that he was forever torn between the small world in which he lived and the wide world of his book-fueled imagination.

Dreaming of Columbus gives us a brilliantly detailed picture of one boy's life in the Bronx. But to a great extent, it also transcends the particulars of time and place. Regardless of where you grew up, this is a book that will help you see your own past in new ways."

To even flip through this book is to become deeply enmeshed in the time that was (and for author Hal Lifson, still is) 1966!

If you grew up in the 60's like I did, you will gasp in delighted recognition with each turn of the page as you peruse this wildly colorful book.

This is not a highly inclusive record of everything from 1966; this is the author's own personal recollections of his youth and culture growing up in Encino, CA and all those things that comprised his environment during that time. Luckily for the rest of us, whether you grew up in that time or not, you will enjoy and very much relate to the stories Hal Lifson tells. For those of us who had a similar childhood, or those who want to get an idea of what it was like to be a kid in the 60's, this book provides enough detailed and factual captions to make it an educational must-read for anyone interested in 60's pop culture.

The pictures of the toys and products alone (remember using a real potato for Mr. Potato Head? Hey! I had that Mary Poppins lunchbox!) make this book worth getting, but Hal Lifson's observations and comments truly make you feel as though you were reminiscing with an old childhood friend about all the things that were important to you back then.
Extremely fun and highly recommended!

I happily offer my two cents worth about this book. I expected to leaf through it over time but rather found myself reading it cover to cover and reminiscing over every photograph before putting it down. This is a fun and easy read for everyone! It's full of photographs and not much text. Just enough to bring back wonderful memories of childhood in the year 1966.

You won't find references to politics or drugs as this book was written from the eyes of a six year old child during the 60's. "Hal Lifson's 1966" highlights the fads, fashions, entertainment, foods, toys, etc., all the "fun stuff" a kid remembers from that era. I smiled with warm memories as I turned each page.

If you were around during this time, I think you will find, as I did, this to be a loving tribute to an amazing year. If you weren't around in the 60's, you should definately read this book to see what you missed....you would have LOVED living it.

I wish, and expect, great success for this book and I thank its author, Hal Lifson, for sharing his childhood memories with the rest of us to enjoy.

Hal Lifson's 1966! is essential reading (and viewing) for anyone interested in 1960s U.S. Pop culture. The book is well written and the illustrations comprise a great and thoughtful selection of pop "icons" from 1966: From images of tv's Batman to advertisements for toys, comics, music albums, films and other mass-marketed products, the book provides an excellent travelogue through a sometimes overlooked facet of a unique and explosive period in U.S. cultural history. The book is great fun (and that's enough) - but it also provides some keen insights into the visual context that gave rise to the work of Andy Warhol and many of the pop visual and media styles that still resonate today. The introductory writings by Adam West and Nancy Sinatra are great "bonus material" that add to the book's thoughtful approach to it's subjects.

The excellent photography made this book hard to put down. I paged through the entire book looking at pictures before going back and reading it. A must read for every Nascar fan.

I am a huge Jeff Gordon fan and I will be the first to tell you that this is a wonderful book! I have been a fan for a little over 4 years and this book goes into detail about everything that you would ever want to know! Very well written...if you are a Jeff Gordon fan this is the book for you!

Jeff you are the best driver that I have ever seen.I have been following you through your whole racing career. I hope you do well for the remaining of your career. You and Brooke are so great. Have a great race sunday. Your biggest fan, Brad Kelderman.

Was Tyrus Cobb as good as you imagined? Better.

Did Tyrus Cobb innovate the game? Absolutely.

Did a worse human being play the game? Maybe not.

Al Stump focused on the first and especially the third question above. Being a sports writer, Stump knows that a healthy legend and juicy scandel sells books. In this book Stump gives excellent descriptions of some of the most famous incidents in baseball- mostly from the mouth of Cobb with whom Stump spent parts of a year interviewing. Perhaps that time tainted Stump. For example, Stump repeatedly mentions the 'extreme cruelty' Charlotte Cobb used as grounds for divorce. He fails to mention that Mrs. Cobb stressed that it was mental and never physical abuse. Why? Perhaps Stump intended to paint Cobb as completly vile. Perhaps Cobb deserved it. But this important information for a book of nearly 500 pages to fail to mention. Stump keeps a highly negative focus on Cobb the man while building up Cobb the player.

I finished this book disliking Cobb the man, convinced Cobb the player would have dominated ANY era, and wanting to know more- so I read Alexander's book. Charles Alexander's "Ty Cobb" provides a more complete, less biased view of Cobb in about half the pages. The Stump book is more colorful however.

This book documents the life and times of one of the most complex, violent, angry, and racist men to ever play the game of baseball. It takes the reader from his growing up in rural Georgia to going to Detroit to play for the Tigers and finally to his later years in California and his death of prostate cancer in 1959. But along with these personality defects, Cobb had incredible talent to go with his competitiveness----and he was competitive both on and off the field. Anyone interested in baseball's history would undoubtedly enjoy reading this biography of one of the game's most colorful characters.

This book is a quick read for baseball fans, and an interesting look at the psychosis of an American icon for non-baseball fans. Al Stump went through a living hell while writing Ty Cobb's ghost-written autobiography and thirty years later he tells Cobb's true story. The story of Cobb's obnoxious, cruel behavior is told in detail, with Stump's vicious pen tearing at the soul of the legend. It is rare in biographies to see a writer tear at the subject, but Stump does it as a reconciliation with his soul. In between the lines, Stump comes to terms with his own demons, and it brings the book to life. Every one of Cobb's misgivings and psychotic rampages is shown, and his one truly great asset, that of being the greatest baseball player of all time, is also given full credit. An amazing work for its balance between the two worlds of writing the truth and writing what our legends want us to see is covered. Al Stump wrote the story of an American legend in everyday life in Cobb, and leaves the reader one possible conclusion, Cobb isn't the man we want our children to emulate.

This is a good learning guide and I think it will be all I need to get my first Ham Radio license. In addition, it has a lot of technical info that is useful in setting up a ham radio station.

My only criticism is that the book has too much information (often repeated) on the social and hobby aspects of ham radio. Not that I don't appreciate this trivia and fun info, it's just that it is mixed in with the technical data that you need to pass the FCC test. As a result, I think you need to study and retain a lot more information.

I am a senior engineer for network security operations. My dad is an amateur radio operator, and my grandfather was as well. I read the 4th edition of "Now You're Talking!" to learn the basics of ham radio and prepare for the Technician license.

Over several weeks I carefully studied chapters 1-10, stopping to answer the questions in chapter 12 when directed. I used the book as a source to make a few notecards on operating frequencies and general electrical engineering principles. The day of the exam, I reviewed the questions in chapter 12 as a whole, and ensured I could answer each correctly.

Without a doubt, this book will prepare you for the Technician exam. If you analyze the questions asked on the exam, they are all fully covered in the text of chapters 1-10. Furthermore, the authors are master educators who present clear explanations for every concept. I found myself with a better understanding of many aspects of radio theory after reading this book, which is more important than simply passing a test!

The only aspect of the book which confused me was the discussion of Technician privileges on page 1-11. The text states "As a Technician, you can use a wide range of frequency bands -- all amateur bands above 30 MHz, in fact." On the same page, Table 1-1 shows Technician licenses provide "All amateur privileges above 50.0 MHz." Table 1-2 on the next page states "Operators with Technician class licenses and above may operate on all bands above 50 MHz." Which is correct, 30 MHz or 50 MHz?

Regardless, I give the 4th edition of "Now You're Talking!" my highest recommendation. At $19 it's a bargain, and it was my sole reference. I earned a perfect score this morning after studying this book, and I look forward to joining the amateur radio community on the air.

This book is exactly right for someone who wants to become a ham radio operator. This book does two things. It is a self study course that will allow you to pass the Technician level FCC test. It is also a general introduction to all of ham radio, covering the highlights of all that can be done in amateur radio. It has just the right level of sophistication to give a good understanding of all facets of amateur radio but does not get into such extreme detail that it is overwhelming. The technical level is just right as well.

I used an earlier version of this text to study for my amateur radio license (KD4TTC). Even though I studied for the Technician license I was able to pass the written portion of the test for the General license class. However, to get to know Morse code, needed for working the frequencies that will get around the whole globe, you will need to find a way to practice receiving Morse code. While this book won't teach you Morse, you will learn from the book how to go about learning it if you want to. (As an aside, I was not interested in international communications back then, so I skipped that aspect of the hobby. I will be learning Morse this year and will upgrade. There is plenty to do with amateur radio without Morse code, so don't let any disinterest or fear of Morse stop you from becomming a Ham. The book explains all this).

I have not yet come across any aspect of ham radio that was not described at least in overview in this book. I may not know details of lots of aspects of all that is ham radio, but I have not come across anything in Ham radio that I was not introduced to in this book.

You can expect that after reading this book you will be able to pass the Technician license exam, you might even be able to pass the General license written portion, you will have learned how to learn Morse, you will be able to decide what equipment you will need and where to find it, you will be able to set up your station and safely operate it, you will know correct and responsible operating procedures, and you will learn about all the different types of communications you can do so you will pick the most enjoyable aspects of the hobby for yourself.

I have given this book to friends so they can become hams. It works well for that purpose. I came here to buy a copy for yet another potential ham and found myself writing this long review. I am not really that avid of an amateur operator, but I am really enthusiastic about this book because it was such a fun and painless way to learn what I needed to know to get into ham radio.

Buy the book.