Whether you are researching Cherokee lineages or just wanting to be well informed on Cherokee history and culture, you need this book! I found it not only informative but compelling to read and so hard to put down that I read it completely by flashlight one night at a boy scout campout after getting the book from Amazon that day. WaDo Tony!

The search for your Native American genealogy will no longer be filled with road-blocks because of the information contained in this extremely well researched and easy to use book. With the tips, etc., contained within these pages, you now know where to turn when you thought it was hopeless. Also, you can also learn more about your Cherokee heritage as you continue your search. This book is invaluable.

I just rec'd the this book and after only flipping through just a few pages on my great grandmother's MCCLURE lines, I'm impressed! Not only am I looking forward to reading this book but I plan on using it for future reference, as I see a few made at the end of one of the chapters and I haven't even read thru it yet - and can not wait! Thank you Dr. Tony MCCLURE. You did your homework because you know your homework. Buy this book! You will not be disappointed!

Mrs. Eakman's book is an excellent overview of various psychological schools of thought that have done more than almost any other discipline to adversely effect the modern age. As Mrs. Eakman points out, it is no accident that psychology and politics have come together in order to discover ways to manipulate attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours on a mass scale. While her book is meant to describe the ways in which psychological based curriculum, coupled with electronic data retrieval systems on the part of the State have created psychological profiling and attitude readjustment programs for all school-aged children, her book really out to be read as an expose of more sinister agendas and programs undertaken by governments in this century. The most interesting sections of the book are the ones that connect the development of 19th century materialist atheistic psychologies and 20th century totalitarian politics: the career paths of Nazi and Soviet psychologists crossing with that of such influential Foundations as the Ford and Carnegie Foundations, together with psychological programs emerging out of the Intelligence community after the War, is particulary disturbing. Mrs. Eakman connects the dots, pointing out how a particular person started off in Intelligence, made his way into academia, only to find his way to the corporate world or the media. The only draw back of her book is the absence in many places of detailed footnotes and citing of sources. However, for anyone who has actually read Kurt Lewin or Frankfurt School luminaries, it isn't hard to believe her claims. Additionally, Mrs. Eakman sometimes confuses personages and history: when refering to Dr. Albert Hoffman, the Swiss chemist who developed LSD, she claims he later became a counterculture icon known as Albert 'Abbie' Hoffman -- almost suggesting that Abbie Hoffman of the Sixties and Dr. Albert Hoffman are one and the same. She is also out of her element when discussing philosophers and leading intellectuals. At one point she claims that in Bertrand Russell in his writings about 'a certain educator, Johann Fichte' -- not realizing that Fichte was a Neo-Kantian German philosopher of the earlier 19th century. There are other snafus like these here and there but these can be easily forgiven in light of her insightful analyses and herioc overview of 20th century psychology. To some, Mrs. Eakman's book may sound like 'wacky' conspiracy theories. However, there are a number of so-called mainstream books and publications that have made the same accusations that Mrs. Eakman does and have provided histories of psychological warfare. For the skeptical, try reading Christopher Simpson's book -- published by Oxford Press.

"Cloning of the American Mind: Eradicating Morality through Education" is one of the best books I have ever read. The book discusses, in detail, the dark side of public education and the role of psychiatry and psychology have had in perverting education.

Having worked for about 3 years as a substitute teacher, in two very different school systems, I witnessed firsthand some of what the book discusses. To an extent, I can also confirm the claims the book makes concerning psychology, as I have an advanced degree in the subject (MA, general psychology).

This is definitely a book every parent, teacher, and anyone involved with public education should read.

I find this book to be extraordinary and informative for every person no matter his or her age. This book has opened my heart and mind to the probable causation of our kid's dismay and drug addition to antidepressants, and possibly why the majority of our teaching staff in the American school system have been allowed to become legal drug dealers to our children.

To the reader I say; what if every parent would themselves become a "Change Agent Extraordinaire", then what possible construed human wind could come alone to up root our children's mind and heart.

This book advocates the death of parental ignorance. It seems to be a plea for all of us to awaken to the reality that has happened to our children and many of their unconsious teachers. Provocateurs of Change, as illustrated in this book, do not have to be just the masters of demoniztion techniques; they could become skilled concerned parents. This book gives explicit instructions on how you as a parent or educator can learn and practice the same skills of a covert and overt Provocateur of the new millennium. A person who is able to affect our child from the day their schooling begins.

I congratulate the inspired and informed efforts of Ms. Eakman. Blessed is she who assists us with the awakening of our brilliant children. This book outlines how the dark shroud of outbased education possess the mind of all who moves through our present 21-century educational system. It is a book to read, ingest, practice and become skillful from its content. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you...

William Faulkner is a fantastic, interesting writer. This collection of short stories is as engaging and well-written as his longer novels, with stories and characters as real as memories.

Faulkner is a brilliant storyteller. Begin with "A Bear Hunt" and "A Rose for Emily." You will be captivated by this wonderful collection.

Reading these stories by Faulkner is like listening to your granddad tell about a town and county you want so badly to be real and are heartbroken that its not. These stories are some of the best ive ever read. Their beauty lies in their sense of believability and simplicity of the characters in them. Just like everday people

William Faulkner's work has influenced many writers. His extravagant language and quirky stories are the epitome of fiction. Having read this amazing collection of short stories, I have no doubt in my mind that Faulkner was a very interesting person -- I would've loved to meet him.

My favorite story is "A Rose for Emily"; the quirkiness and symbolism in the story is both beautiful and strange. I also like "A Bear Hunt," "All the Dead Pilots," "Wash," and "Two Soldiers" -- all of the stories have a very unique language. If you like good literature, I strongly suggest that you read this amazing book.

I'm an actor who's been thinking about trying to do stand up comedy. I picked up this book because all my favorite comics were interviewed in it, and I'm glad I did. It's a great book!! As good in it's own way as Michael Caine's great book on film acting which is my acting bible. In the first section of the book Mr. Ajaye talks about what makes a good comedian, and how to study comedians in order to learn from them. It's made me look at comedians much more analytically and appreciate what it takes to be a good one. His writing style is straightforward and full of practical information. The second section has full length probing interviews with today's great comedians, and they are fascinating to read. They speak about their own beginning experiences, difficulties, fears, and methods. Some of them are surprisingly philosophical and offer gems that can be applied to life in general. I found myself highlighting portions of these interviews to refer back to. The third section of the book has interviews with managers, agents, and comedy club owners, and their insights are valuable as well. If you're thinking about being a stand up comedian, you can't do better than this book.

After reading Franklyn Ajaye's incisive guide to the stand-up's art, you might wonder why anyone would ever want to put themselves through the relentless routine of writing, performing and honing material that it takes to become a successful comedian.

Alternatively, if that craving to make 'em laugh still proves irresistible after all 289 pages, at least you'll have picked up a wealth of practical tips along the way.

Comic Insights is clearly aimed as a manual for the aspiring stand-up, and the aspiring American stand-up at that. Given the indefinable nature of comedy, Ajaye sensibly steers well clear of providing advice on how to be funny, concentrating instead on how to be more funny.

It's a book of three unequal thirds, starting with a definitive 'how to' guide for the would-be stand-up. This section is jam-packed with invaluable pearls of wisdom about the mechanics of the craft. These basic tips are often common sense, and are generally regarded as universal truths among performers, but they do need to be said, especially for the rookie.

Mostly, the key is self-awareness: knowing what makes your voice and persona uniquely funny; knowing how your delivery, stage presence and timing went,; and knowing how that affected the laughs you get.

Sensibly, Ajaye recommends aspiring stand-ups study their comedy idols to find out what makes them funny (though definitely not trying to blindly emulate them) and suggests you always record your faltering efforts on stage to analyse what went wrong - or right.

The book's crammed full of such fundamental tips, which no rookie should take to the stage without knowing.

Occasionally the language veers into the unfortunate buzzwords of the training industry, but there's no diluting the rock-solid advice at the heart of it.

A lot of these interviews are fairly old but the advice is pretty timeless, and comes from a collection of interview subjects that covers a wide range of comedy styles. Ajaye isn't always the best inteviewer nonetheless, the gems of truth always do emerge.

In the brief third portion of the book, Ajaye also talks to a small cross-sections industry folk - agents, managers, promoters - to provide a glimpse from that side of the business, too.

For anyone interested in being a comedian or just interested in what makes a comic tick, this valuable book will satisfy on both counts.

According to author Franklyn Ajaye, he was partly inspired in his successful comedy, writing and producing careers by Larry Wilde's Great Comedians Talk About Comedy, a 1968 question & answer style interview book, reprinted in 2000 (available on Amazon.com). Wilde's book contains insightful interviews with late 20th century top comedians and Ajaye hoped his own Comic Insights would be along the same lines.

In fact, Comic Insights, a book containing interviews with some of the early 21st century's comic geniuses, is as good as or even better than Wilde's wonderful and still timely book.

The reason: Comic Insights contains not only great interviews but also specific and concise advice on standup comedy performance technique -- complete with easy-to-review notes at the end of key chapters. It's one of the best books ever published on the subject.

Comic Insights is required reading for ANYONE remotely or seriously interested in performing comedy, key comedy techniques, the comedian's mind-set, goal-setting,
perseverance, the need to be YOU onstage and -- a crucial subject incredibly ignored in most comedy books ...TIMING. Hopefully it'll be reprinted periodically, like Wilde's
book. If it isn't and you don't have a copy then you'll be out of luck because you'll be missing a vital potential comedy tool.

This book was so fascinating, easy to read, and had so much good information, facts, performing tips and inspiration that I virtually defaced it with my colored-marker underlinings and little notes written in ink. Any second the Book Police will (rightfully) arrest me .....

The first section is one of the most readable explanations of key standup tricks of the trade ever written. If an aspiring comedian uses some of these principles it could save him years of bombing. Ajaye also includes helpful review notes at the end of each of these sections.

There are far too many superb tips to list here, but a few include studying WHY top comedians are funny; studying the use of timing, body language and visual effects. The importance of recording and analyzing your act. And, critically, the importance of being yourself in performance and act content: "The hacks can steal your joke but they can't steal the way you look at life," he writes.

Peppered throughout are the BEST written explanations (from him and other comedians) on timing EVER published. He points to the famous (and sadly not re-run) eternal master of timing Jack Benny and notes that timing is a way to "light the fuse" on a
joke, by taking a pause to deliver a punchline. Don't "be afraid of silent moments," he advises, and wait until a laugh naturally subsides before moving to another joke.

The second section includes a wide range of the 21st century's top laugh-makers (again too many to cite here). Some key highlights include:

---LOUIE ANDERSON, a master of setting up routines, using his eyes, space and silence, inspired by Jack Benny. Anderson says: "The secret behind timing is to hold whatever you're going to say until you absolutely have to say it."
--ELAYNE BOOSLER on the importance of taping an act, listening to it, analyzing it and enhancing it..
--GEORGE CARLIN'S great explanation of how evolved from a jacket-and-tie comediandoing stock, standard jokes in front of people who he realized where his parents' friends into a comedy icon for his own and younger generations by changing his jokes, dress
(getting fired for it) his attitude -- and the way many comedians forever would do comedy.
--ELLEN DEGENERES & PAUL REISNER: The slowing down joke delivery.
--JAY LENO: The importance of learning jokes (he has no joke file) and goal setting (you should be able to make standup within 7 years work).
--CHRIS ROCK: On the importance of writing NEW jokes to take any comedy career to the next level.
--ROSEANNE & JERRY SEINFELD: The importance being disciplined to constantly write down ideas (on anything even napkins), jokes, concepts and then sit down and translate those ideas into actual performable material.
--GARY SHANDLING: Persistance. He bombed for 5 years but never gave up.

The third section is especially useful since managers, club owners and agents tell what they seek in a comedian. Talent Agent Irv Arthur, among other things, notes the importance of total preparation to be ready for the big break when it comes.

This superb book, especially if read together with Greg Dean's wonderful Step By Stepto Standup Comedy (also available on Amazon), could save aspiring comedians years of frustration and tears....and it tips off civilians to what's really lurking behind the curtain of that comedy wizard of the Oz called "the comedy club."

I just finished "Chesta's Way" by Mary Jacobson. I read it in one sitting and have been preoccupied with thoughts of Chesta, her family, their lives and incredible contribution to our society's cast-off girls. Chesta and her family offered unconditional love to these girls by opening up their home to them and providing calves for each girl to feed, groom, nurture - to love and to be able to receive the kind of love they had never experienced. This is the story of a family moved to make a difference in the lives of abused, neglected and consequently very troubled and troublesome girls. The calves become a catalyst for transforming the angry, cynical, hard shell of these delinquents to young people who allow themselves to love and be loved. It is a heartful book that is a must-read for all who are affected by today's culture of escalating youth violence and are wondering how we can help to make life so much better for our young. Chesta found a way. "Chesta's Way" is uncompromising in its integrity of portraying the characters who inhabit a fertile valley in the Pacific Northwest and the events which transpire to make it a difficult, yet truly inspiring story. Mary Jacobson is the kind of writer I love to read. Her prose is simple, direct and powerful when her content warrants it, i.e., when the girls interact with the family, school and one another, but as she situates the story and weaves effortlessly from scene to event to dialogue, her prose takes on a lyrically evocative quality that enirely captivated me and made me yearn for more pages when I got to the end. Mary Jacobson is a very fine writer who can tell an engaging story. I look forward to her next story!

As a teacher and someone who works with today's youth, I found Chesta's Way to be an inspiration and an affirmation that people, right now, are not just talking about how to help our youth, but are doing it.

Chesta's Way offers a true glimpse of reality, but uniquely tells the story of a woman who stumbles on a solution to some of our youths' biggest problems. I laughed and I cried while reading this book. Not because it is a joke or because it was depressing, but because I could identify so strongly with the characters and the struggles they went through. It so accurately portrays what our kids are going through and the frustrations most adults confront while trying to help them or just understand.

I do not read for pleasure usually. This book was presented to me and I told my friend to be patient with me, I may not read it for awhile. The first page was tough for me. It seemed too "flowery". However, once past that page, I COULD NOT put it down, literally!! I have NEVER been so moved by literature. Absolutely incredible! If you work with children, have children, like children or are looking for ways to help our future, this is a must.

To those of you who take this seriously, thank you! It is you who will make this world a better place! (I know it seems extreme and exaggerated just for a book, but wait and read it then make your judgement!)

Chesta's Way is an inspiring and heartwarming true story that captured me from the beginning. Through smiles, tears and intense moments, this is an uplifting account of how one woman's compassion and perserverance helped fill the void in troubled city kids hearts. This book is a "must read" for anyone concerned about kids today, anyone who is called in their "own way" to make a difference in the lives of others, and for animal lovers everywhere who know and cherish the gifts animals bring to us through their need, companionship and love. City Kids and Calves...what a wonderful combination! Chesta's Way is beautifully written and it's story rekindles one's faith in the human spirit. It is the kind of book you will want to share with others. The perfect gift. I have given this book as gifts to others with the greatest of joy. Thank you, Mary, for sharing this story.

Every patient and male friend, to whom I have recommended this book, has found great straightforward advice that tells it like it is. Wentworth doesn't waste a reader's time with fluff and explanations, he gets right to the point of how to get over the loss of love and work a practical plan to bring real connection and relationship back into one's life.

He points out the pitfalls that many men fall into in new relationships. He talks directly about psychological "landmines" of character-disordered women (i.e. beautiful borderlines) and how to fight fair, break up respectfully and when and when not to use the Internet for dating. He uses humor and refers to a great many resources for further research, if readers want to know more about any topic.

The women I have recommended this book to have also truly enjoyed the practical and easy-to-understand suggestions. It seems both men and women are tired of groping blindly in the dark and just hoping that love will find them. Taking a proactive approach is far more appealing.

This is a great gift for any man you care about who is really interested in finding a healthy relationship!

This unusual, very helpful book is by a no-nonsense guy who presents straightforward talk about the real issues of dating and relationship. I find that his combination of practicality and personal experience is savvy, down-to-earth, and useful. "Useful" is the operative word here. I think of the chapters on reinventing yourself after the loss of a mate, strategies for finding and nurturing a new relationship, identifying women who may be emotional time-bombs, and being realistic about STDs. These -- along with subjects like meeting on the Internet, knowing when you're really serious, confronting money issues, fighting, and even breaking up (if things come to that) -- make this a great overall book on relationships. But I think its most notable accomplishment may be this apparent impossibility: it offers, in effect, a basic, practical course for men on romance. How rare is that?

"Build a Better Spouse Trap" says it's for men who have lost a wife to death or divorce, but it also turns out to be one terrific guide to creating a successful relationship, full of practical understanding for both men and women, whatever their circumstances may be.

As a man and as a Marriage and Family therapist I feel "Build a Better Spouse Trap" is an important book. To me there are two underlying themes that Mr. Wentworth is conveying to the men he talks to so clearly. First, Think! My office is full of men who didn't think. They reacted. They are now in trouble, and they are sorry.

The second important point the author makes is to encourage the reader to Feel! Or better yet, identify feelings that are already there. Too many men make serious relationship mistakes because they don't know how to feel the feelings they already have. The author makes this point well when he encourages men to "stop living on automatic."

The result of following the advice in the book is to make the relationship process conscious. He says we should actually become conscious in the process of finding our life partner.
Finally, encouraging men to find a good therapist is great advice. I find that with a straightforward approach that is cognitive and logical, men make great progress in therapy and they really enjoy the process.

Beyond that, they learn about themselves, what makes women tick, and in doing so gain enormous confidence.

The book is honest, fun to read, and practical. But the phrase from the subtitle "Street Smart" says it all. The book hands you exactly what you need to have on those dark nights as you are forcing yourself to get out of the car and nervously walk up to her door. One is tempted to take the book along and feverishly flip through the pages for the right advice when she is in the lady's room. It doesn't get any more real than "Build a Better Spouse Trap."

I think "Build a Better Spouse Trap" in a shot in the arm to those of us who otherwise would be lost and depressed hoping the random forces of the universe will finally make us happy.

Pellicer's book was an excellent book for anyone in the education field. Through short essays, he gives a clear, sometimes humorous, always honest view of what it takes to be a successful leader. While reading this book, I was able to personalize many of the experiences he speaks of and apply the lessons that he has learned through the years to my own life and career goals. Because of the way it is written, the reader has the ability to "skip around" and read the chapters that seem the most pertinent at the time. As a classroom teacher, I found this book to be a source of inspiration to me--inspiration that I desperately need at this mid-year point! After reading his thought-provoking, encouraging essays, I think I might just be able to make it until the end of the school year after all!

Caring Enough to Lead was an easy to read, interesting, thought-provoking book. By sharing personal experiences and perspectives in his book, Dr. Pellicer helped me begin to understand what it means to be a leader and to focus on some of the attributes and attitudes of an effective leader. The questions at the end of the chapters caused me to stop and reflect on my role as a leader in my school and in my classroom. The short chapters in the book enabled me to read one or more chapters at a time depending on how much time I had available.

Leonard Pellicer posed many questions in his book, Caring Enough to Lead. By using questions as chapter titles he captured my attention as an educator. I found myself writing comments to myself throughout the book because of the thought provoking questions that he presented. In Pellicer's book, he quotes Autry(1991)"...proper management involves caring for people, not manipulating them." This sums up to me how caring is the most important leadership quality. As a special educator, one of my favorite quotes was "...a leader without the capacity to give away love and caring is seriously handicapped!"

Make no mistake about it. An interdisciplinary interpretation of history is here to stay. Thanks to farsighted historians like Dr. William Cronon and his ethno-ecological study of New England, circa 1600 to1800, entitled Changes in the Land, an enlightening perception of colonial times in New England is depicted by a well-documented mix of anthropology, ecology, sociology, biology, and environmental history. The actual text of the book comprises 171 pages with no less than 35 pages of notes, and an innovative bibliographical essay encourages further study. Cronon clearly states his thesis and purpose for the book in the preface, "the shift from Indian to European dominance in New England entailed important changes" (vii). Cronon not only evaluates the reorganization of people but also stresses the effects of changes on the New England plant and animal populations. With political and military history kept to a minimum, an intriguing analysis compares the ecological histories of the New England Indians to the European settlers and reveals the resulting environmental alterations incurred. There were basic ethno-ecological differences between how both cultures viewed the earth. The New England Indians perceived the natural world with reciprocal sustenance (63) for 10,000 years (33), but the colonists envisioned commodities and wealth in what the earth could provide (75). Within the short period of two hundred years, the environment of New England could not sustain the few Indians who survived the diseases of the Europeans, because the land, plants, animals, and even the climate had changed (169).

These changes seemed very subtle at first. In order to trade for metal utensils, the Indians killed more and more beaver (83). In this way the Indians started to view nature, or their environment, as a commodity instead of a gift to be shared (92). Cronon does not assume that the Indians had no effect upon their native environment (viii) nor that the colonists came to a pristine wilderness (11). What Cronon does enumerate is how the two sets of ecological relationships, Indian and colonist, came to live upon the same land (15). Early in the affiliation, the European settlers came to disrespect the Indians, because although the Indians lived in a land overflowing with natural "wealth," the Indians looked like the poor back in Europe (54). Marshall Sahlins is quoted by Cronon, "there are in fact two ways to be rich, [. . .] Wants may be 'easily satisfied' either by producing much or desiring little" (79-80). The indigenous residents of New England desired little, while the European colonists seemed economically motivated to produce much from the land and introduced the Old World concepts of value and scarcity, using cost as the only constraint to consider (81) (168).

Unfortunately, neither the land nor the Indians could withstand the monumental alterations to come: an Indian "money" system in the form of wampum (97), epidemics which wiped out entire villages (85-90), the severe reduction in native animal populations (98-101), domesticated animals that grazed wildly on indigenous plants and even ocean clams (128-150), deforestation (109-126), the surface of the earth responding more drastically to climatic changes (122-123), flooding (124), the "drying up of streams and springs" (125), land ownership and pastoralism replacing shared land conservation (137-141), soil depletion (147-152), and the introduction of weeds and migrant pests (153-155). The New England landscape went from forests and freedom to "fields and fences" (156). This book vividly correlates the significant and divergent relationship between the New England Indians, the colonial settlers, and the environment they could no longer share. Changes in the Land by William Cronon, winner of the 1984 Francis Parkman Prize, serves as a fine academic example in cross-curricular historical documentation.

At one point in my life, I read every single thing ever written on the Puritans; I was preparing for a dissertation that took me a year to prepare for, only to find somebody else published almost exactly what I was working on a month before I sat down to write. To this day, I have an inordinate fondness for books on the Puritans that mystifies my friends. Like all fans, I know everything there is to know about the subject at hand. So my joy in discovering "Changes in the Land" was in finding a book that told me much that I didn't know about the Puritans. William Cronon, a student of my favorite colonial historian Edmund Morgan, has come up with an excellent mix of ecology and anthropology, history and theology. The development of New England as a land separate from the Indians, and from their uses of the land, is one which resonates throughout American mythology. From the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving (wherein their wholesale adoption of Indian agriculture kept them starving) to the wholesale abandonment of New England farms in the early 1800s due to their miniscule returns, Cronon covers all the bases. A truly fine read for anybody wishing to know more about the history of ecology, the dynamics of invasion, or the Puritans themselves.

I have never read a book that explains the complex interactions between Native Americans, Europeans and their environments quite so well. It is the common sense conclusion that results when you consider the written records of the day, the pollen records available, and the ecology of the New England landscape today. The first time I read it, I found myself saying 'of course' over and over again. Of all the books I've read on the ecological history of this country, this is the ONE I recommend most.

The first recipe I tried was the recipe for the picture on the cover- the chocolate cream pie. I was a bit apprehensive because the last time I tried to make pudding I ended up with chocolate milk, and as I was making this for guests I really didn't want that to happen again. After following the instructions carefully I had perfect chocolate pudding! Not only had the pudding worked, but it was the best I'd ever had. After pairing it with whipped cream and a chocolate crust, it was absolute bliss! The best chocolate cream pie any of us had ever had! The pie also kept well in the refridgerator for several days. The next recipe I tried was the mega oatmeal, walnut, and chocolate chip cookies. They were absolutely fabulous! It made over 40 cookies so I brought them to school. When word got out how delicious they were, they were gone in a matter of seconds. I got many requests to make them again. The other recipe I tried was the Devils food cake. They were moist and delicous and chocolatey. There are still many recipes I want to try. For my birthday I plan on making the chocolate fudge layer cake! It sounds fabulous! There are no pictures in this book, but there is also no need. Anyone could make these recipes perfectly if they just follow her clear and easy instructions. This book is worth the money!

The recipes in this book-mile-high cakes and drippy cakes and puddings and cookies-take you back to the good old days when we were bad, hanging out at the diner, insulting each other and flirting and watching the muscle cars in the parking lot. The photos are great black and white shots of diners from across the country. The short-order cooks, the counters, the menus, the cakes under glass. The recipes are well written and work (so far!). I haven't got out of the pudding chapter yet (you have to try the Banana Caramel pudding) but I have my eye on the cakes, especially the Chocolate fudge Layer Cake. This is a really unusual book, and even if you have a big cookbook collection, you won't have anything like this.

You won't find any revelations here, but this has everything you'd want in a book of fairly basic desserts. No skimping on ingredients, and as long as you know basic baking, you don't need to worry about the results. There wasn't anything I tried that I didn't like. The coconut "dream" pie and coconut cake are particularly good. I also liked the lemon cake and the all-chocolate cake very much. The cheesecakes are a little too dense for my taste, but the lemon cheesecake with blueberry topping has a nice flavor. The instructions are very good, and everything I made came out exactly as described (I'm beginning to think this is a rarity among dessert cookbooks).