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Mark Spragg, author of the widely praised memoir Where Rivers Change Direction, sets off his first novel, The Fruit of Stone, with a cacophony of twittering birds. Starlings, sparrows, and magpies punctuate Barnum McEban's glorious morning-after with his best friend's wife, Gretchen. When Gretchen leaves town and her marriage behind, McEban and his bereft friend Bennett follow her letters from post-office boxes in Wyoming to Montana and back. Cutting through the road-trip action and Bennett's tenuous control over his temper and his rifle is the story of McEban's own family. His emotionally closed father, his migraine-riddled mother, the brusque but paternal ranch foreman Ansel, and his grandmother form a parallel tale of life on the ranch: hard work, hard living, and hard times. Spragg spins a good Western yarn and infuses every natural landscape with poetic intention, but the writing drags in these transcendent descriptions. The story reads at its most authentic in the terse dialogue between the two hardened friends; their inability to speak poetically to each other brings out more emotion than a flock of pretty birds. --Emily Russin
Book Description
Mark Spragg's much-anticipated fiction debut is the story of the lifelong friendship between two men and their love for one woman who eludes them. When she leaves her husband for a new life, the two men follow her on a journey across the American West that forces truths and tests the extremes of love and loyalty.
Customer Reviews:
Spragg is a master storyteller.......2007-08-07
Writers who aspire to create memorable, naturally flowing dialogue would do well to read Mark Spragg's work. Fans of his novels will notice characters in The Fruit of Stone who also appear in An Unfinished Life; Spragg creates characters so seamlessly that I felt as if I was seeing old friends-- welcome friends.
The Fruit of Stone is a coming of age story-- and Spragg's characters show that even 40-something year-old-men and women are still capable of "coming of age."
Beth Fehlbaum
Author,Courage in Patience
"Sometimes the only way to survive life is to find the courage to finally live."
A BIG disappointment..........2006-07-04
I agree completely that the writing is magnificent and compelling (why else would I have stayed up reading until 4am?). However, along about Page 150 a thought occurred to me about how the book COULD end. BUT the idea was SO cliched and would be SO unsatisfying that I was sure it was something this writer wouldn't dream of using, and I kept reading. Unfortunately, my instincts were right. I can't recall when I've been more disappointed in the ending of a story. But if you're looking for a Chick Book, read on.
beautiful writing.......2006-01-17
This is a beautifully written book that explores love and friendship in a creative and surprising storyline. It made me laugh out loud several times and read sections aloud to my wife repeatedly. The wordcraft is wonderful.
While there are some things this book that one can question, that seems to miss the point. Mr. Spragg wasn't following my idea of what should make perfect sense or what he should explain. Rather he wrote the story he wanted to tell. I absolutely loved reading it. His character development, dialog and sense of place are exceptional. When the wind changes and the storm blows in and then the rain changes to hail - I was back there again myself, listening to "the sharp snare-drum shatter of the ice pellets against the truck's hood and roof."
love in all its guises.......2006-01-05
I read a lot. But I often don't take the time to write reviews. Having just finished Mark Spragg's, The Fruit of Stone I am compelled to review it because his novel burrowed itself into my soul in a way that no other book has since reading The Boy and the Dog are Sleeping. The Boy and the Dog are Sleeping is a better book because it is a memoir, a real story about love spilling out over life like a rain- swollen stream that has crested far above its banks spreads out over the land. The Fruit of Stone is fiction, so it's not as amazing. But it has that same spirit of hope rising out of miserable circumstances. And the hope, in its quiet, yet muscular way is convincing
Other reviewers have given the outlines of the plot, but even if they hadn't, I wouldn't. The plot, though engaging, is not the heart of the story. It's simply the skeleton to support the muscle and sinew of a story about what it means to love. To love family, to love romantically, to love in friendship, and to love in empathy, despite severe shortcomings, stretched circumstances, and broken people. McEban, the central character who tells his story, portrays love in all its guises and in a way that lets you see that love is about giving more than getting, though getting comes from the giving.
This is not an easy read. People hurt and are hurt, injure and are injured. Sometimes gravely sometimes not so gravely. Sometimes they have it coming. Sometimes not. Many times life gets away from them. But then it comes back because they let it... or they decide they'd rather not. In the end, McEban comes through in a way you knew he would. But it feels surreal and right, a resting place after a long journey, not the syrupy end that it could be.
The Chicago Tribune writer whose quote is on the front of the book nailed it, writing, "Achingly beautiful."
A pleasure.......2003-04-02
I was sent the uncorrected proof by the publisher and read the book out of curiosity. I finished it this morning, and will be re-reading it starting tonight...this time with a pencil to make notes in the gutter and margins. Spragg has written a wonderful novel. It had a hold of me from the first page and didn't want to let me go even after the last.
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The California Farm Cookbook
Kitty Morse
Manufacturer: Pelican Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0882899112 |
Book Description
Identify Alaska's multitude of berries through color photos, detailed drawings, and descriptive text; then use the helpful recipes to create delicious results.
Customer Reviews:
A nice introduction to Alaska's berry bounty!.......2006-09-12
The Alaska Wild Berry Guide and Cookbook is an excellent source for someone interested in making use of the many delicious wild berries that dot the Alaskan landscape. With almost 50 kinds of berries growing wild here on the Last Frontier, you're sure to be close to one or more that will work for jam, jelly or some delectable baked goods. The book's color photos are particularly helpful. My only real complaint with this book is that I'd almost prefer to have a smaller "pocket-sized" guide (sans recipes) for times when I'm out in the woods gathering berries. This would be particularly helpful for those hikes when you're bringing along a visitor or someone knew to Alaska. I'm looking for a specific kind of berry, but they often want to know the names of several varieties and it always seems to be the very ones that have long-since gone from my mind! Despite this small complaint, I give this book 5 stars and recommend it to anyone wishing for more information on berries in the Greatland!
Average customer rating:
- This is a misnomer... it is in you back yard too...
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Fresh Market Wisconsin: Recipes, Resources and Stories Celebrating Wisconsin Farm Markets and Roadside Stands
Terese Allen
Manufacturer: Amherst Press (WI)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0942495268 |
Book Description
In Fresh Market Wisconsin, you'll find a list of farmer's markets in Wisconsin, a harvest calendar and a produce selection guide. And to make the most of these foods, recipes from Wisconsin growers, market enthusiasts and the author's own kitchen will help you prepare this bounty in delicious and healthy ways.
Customer Reviews:
This is a misnomer... it is in you back yard too..........1998-12-26
How many times have you looked at a book and realized what a dis-service the author did to it by creating a misnomer for the book. Terese Allen did just that with her book, Fresh Market - W-I-S-C-O-N-S-I-N because this book could easily be about just about every state in our country. When reading the little stories and the verses, I could just imagine the markets I've been to throughout the Delaware and Pennsylvania as well as a few others I've been through in other states.
Fresh Market - W-I-S-C-O-N-S-I-N contains some excellent recipes that would use the fresh produce from these excursions. One could also be normal and buy them from a regular grocery store, however I think that a big part of making these recipes is the thrill of the 'hunt' as well as the preparation of the food. Some of the recipes - like Barley Dressed Asparagus Spears; Sassy Mushrooms; Bacon-Fried Green Beans; Linguine with Cauliflower, Garlic and Hot Red Pepper; Broccoli and Apple Soup, Herbed New Potatoes, Onions & Peas, and Curried Shrimp with Melon Wedges - just make you envision the freshness of the ingredients.
Fresh Market - W-I-S-C-O-N-S-I-N published by Amherst Press is written by Terese Allen and is put on my 'to have' list for the desire to use only the freshest of ingredients in this ever-fast paced world of canned goods. This book shows us that it doesn't take that much more time, and it is a lot more fune to search for quality ingredients when putting together our everyday meals.
Customer Reviews:
Another failed attempt at a secular ethic.......2007-07-01
As the old saw goes: It's easier to toss grenades than it is to catch them. In other words, it's easier to attack something than it is to posit a defensible alternative. Kurtz is on stronger grounds critiquing theistic ethics and theism in general than he is in providing some rational, secular basis for ethics. For the last few centuries, philosophy has been rife with failed attempts to find some nontheistic, rational foundation for morality. But if there's any consensus in moral philosophy today, both theistic and nontheistic moral philosophy, it's that no attempt to generate such a rational defense or "proof" has of yet been successful. There's simply no rational secular reason why someone should always morally care for another human being, particularly when there's no particular reason why caring about another serves any particular personal interests. What the religious folks have going for them is that they have shared bases for moral appeal. Go to a church, mosque, temple or synagogue, and everyone can point to some shared agreement in a religious text that tells them why they ought to care for one another and for strangers. Atheists and agnostics have no such shared basis, and whatever basis any particular nontheist might personally appeal to provides no rational reason for any other nontheist (unless they just choose to believe - i.e. faith), since there's no objective, secular, rational grounds for morally caring about others when it's not in one's interest. Any assumption that it's always in one's interests to morally care about everyone else in every case is just naive and unrealistic. Certainly there are cases when the expected personal gains from, say, stealing from someone else, outweigh any personal costs, at least for some people. Appeals to evolutionary ethics begs the question, since just because evolution has generated a moral impulse gives nobody any reason to follow that impulse (should we follow all impulses all the time? - and why should one in the short term care about the ultimate survival of one's genes or even species?). What's good for society is not always what's best for the individual, so merely appealing to the best interests of society in general doesn't provide the individual any rational reason to do something that may not be in his or her bests interests. And so on. Perhaps this is why we see moral and charitable movements generated by religious movements but not many by way of atheistic groups. Religious folks can rally around some shared sacred text to motivate them en masse. What do nontheists have?
In the end, the ethics one chooses just ends up being articles of faith, the same kind of rationally unproveable faith that notheists criticize religious folks for embracing.
Yes, humanists can moralize, too.......2007-04-01
This book is solid evidence that atheists do consider issues of "right and wrong" to be real, and important; that they have strong opinions about them; and that they can argue well, and at length, for their opinions.
As eloquent and insightful as Paul Kurtz can sometimes be, however, he seems to regard his own moral reasoning as THE "reasoned" morality. The evidence of history is that there are multiple opinions on moral issues, among those who base their opinions on "fact and reason" as well as among those who base their opinions on "faith and scripture."
Before reading, I already agreed that there is a rational basis for morality that does not depend on the existence of, or instructions from, a supernatural God. I was hoping to find new arguments for that, and found myself disappointed. This book isn't going to prove anything to religionists who insist that God is the foundation of all morality, because evidence does not affect basic assumptions. Basic assumptions affect how evidence is perceived. The most dogmatic religionists are more likely to avoid this book altogether, or to be immediately alienated by it (as demonstated by an earlier one-star review).
So far, I like Kurtz better as an editor than as an essayist. The case he attempts to make here seems to me to be made better in his compilation of other people's essays, Moral Problems in Contemporary Society. Moral Problems in Contemporary Society: Essays in Humanistic Ethics,
For a rational examination of the actual basis for the human moral sense, I recommend The Moral Sense by James Q. Wilson. It not only has more of science in it than Paul Kurtz's book of opinion, it is also not framed as a head-on conflict with religion. It is easier to appeal to reason when you do not gratuitously arouse emotional issues. The MORAL SENSE
Good, But Not His Best........2003-12-17
I would like to say that I have enormous respect for Paul Kurtz and that I essentially agree with everything he espouses. I am an agnostic who believes that religion is a force mainly for ill. But he has written better books than this one.
Unlike The Transcendental Temptation, where Mr. Kurtz masterfully strips religion & pseudo-science of their pretensions & delusions of grandeur with damning evidence, Forbidden Fruit comes up a bit short & a little inconsequential in comparison. As a general introduction to Humanist ethics, it's fine. To be sure, Kurtz does spend a lot of time aptly demonstrating the ills & immorality of religious thought. He also capably describes how ethics are human inventions & obviously not ordained from high. I completely agree with these observations.
Unfortunately, some of his observations are as ill-considered as those of any mystic or creationist.
Aside from quibbles like these, this is an excellent book written by a giant of Humanist thought. I definitely recommend it to those considering abandoning outmoded religious thinking and fanaticism. Speaking of these, I would humbly request that the reviewer from "stationed overseas" remain stationed overseas. We have enough close-minded religious fanatics in the US as it is.
Everyone Should Read this.......2002-05-03
As in his other book 'In Defense of Secular Humanism', Paul Kurtz explains that one need not be tied to religion to be ethical (or even moral). I agree with the previous reviewer who stated that the wirting can get a bit technical at times, but I don't think that it slows the pace at all. The technicality of some of the arguments is necessary, as Kurtz is using reason and logic to explain issues that are usually debated with emotional rhetoric or repititious dogma. You may have some friends who are teetering in their lockstep devotion to religion... so buy this book and give 'em a shove. They'll thank you.
This is not about ethics..........2002-03-03
It's just another "I hate religion" book. This book is seething with "I feel guilty and I refuse to believe its my conscience given to me by God"...
Book Description
Avocados—they're not just for salads anymore.
Take your taste buds beyond the ordinary with more than 50 recipes featuring the buttery smoothness of this favorite fruit. Soothe your palate with the delicate flavors of Avocado Crab Puffs. Warm up a cold winter's night with Avocado and Almond Soup or impress your friends with your zesty Guacamole with Attitude. 24 color photos.
About the Cook West Series: Savor the flavors of the West. Each book in the Cook West Series celebrates the tastes, colors, aromas, and ingredients that create the food of the American West. Home cooks and industry professionals alike will welcome these single-ingredient cookbooks into their kitchens. Each title in the Cook West Series offers 50 original recipes and helpful tips to impress, inspire, and invigorate. Western cuisine is gaining in popularity, and rightly so! Where, but in the West, can one experience the marital bliss of chile and chocolate? Or a refreshing glass of prickly pear lemonade on a hot summer day? Soothe your soul with the creaminess of avocado or allow your taste buds to dance around a tantalizing olive. Enjoy the pleasantly stimulating aroma of roasting garlic or the zesty tang of cilantro. From rubs and sauces to delightful desserts, Western cooks have laid claim to a culinary art as original and distinct as the landscape itself. Conveniently sized and affordably priced, each book in the Cook West Series is the perfect addition for every cookbook library.
Customer Reviews:
Book on Avocadoes.......2007-01-04
The book had less pages than I thought it would and was much smaller in width and heighth. It was illustrated beautifully and had some great recipes. It was a gift for a woman in the office who has several avocado trees on her property. Over the years, she has kept me and others where I work supplied with avocadoes when they are in season. It's also a great book for anyone who loves avocadoes. There is even a recipe for making avocado ice cream! My co-worker really appreciated receiving the book. I just wish it had twice the number of recipes in it. I guess there is just so much you can do with avocadoes.
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Fruits & Berries of the Pacific Northwest
David C Flaherty ,
S Harvey ,
D Flaherty , and
Sue Ellen Harvey
Manufacturer: Alaska Northwest Books
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Binding: Paperback
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Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest (Timber Press Field Guide)
ASIN: 0882403281 |
Book Description
Covers the region's bounty, from apples to strawberries. Learn how to grow produce, prune properly, and deal with pests. Tells about Washington wine and the history of the fruit industry. Gorgeous photos!
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Northwest Berry Cookbook: Finding, Growing, and Cooking With Berries Year-Round
Kathleen Desmond Stang
Manufacturer: Sasquatch Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1570611122 |
Amazon.com
Attending to the cooking is one thing. But before a cook can set hand to ingredient, there's the shopping to account for. All too many Americans have forgotten how to shop for their food, how to select the best possible ingredients. If the apple is big and bright red, then it must be good, right? Well, hardly ever.
Now imagine trying to buy the best possible berries. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries. Not to mention currants, gooseberries, and cranberries. With Kathleen Desmond Stang holding your hand, you are sure to do well in supermarkets and farmer's markets when berry season comes upon us. Even though this book bears the word "Northwest" in the title, the information is valuable anywhere berries are grown, bought, and sold.
There are two basic sections to Stang's diminutive magnum opus. First, there's all the information you are ever likely to need about the origins of some of our favorite berries, their characteristics, their various names, how best they are grown in the backyard garden, when to expect them in the market, what to look for, and the kind of flavor to prepare for. Then there are Stang's recipes.
Kathleen Desmond Stang is somehow able to take the individual berries and imbue them with the heart and soul of the Pacific Northwest. These recipes still have morning dew on them. Try some Cranberry-Orange Nut Bread for breakfast tomorrow, or perhaps a succulent Pork Roast with Raspberry-Pinot Noir Sauce for dinner, followed by Stang's delicious Raspberry Brownies. By using the information in the front of the book, you should become a wise and discerning shopper. Then, by using the best possible berry ingredients in Stang's recipes, you should become an absolute berry wizard in the kitchen. --Schuyler Ingle
Book Description
Long a staple of world cuisine, olives are beloved by good cooks everywhere.
From the open markets of the Mediterranean to New York City's trendy corner delis, the olive's popularity only continues to soar. Enjoy more than 50 recipes for olive lovers everywhere, including Olives Baked in Red Wine, Muffalatta Olive Salad, Pork Tenderloin with Olive and Corn Salsa, and even a Southwest Vodka Martini. 24 color photos.
About the Cook West Series: Savor the flavors of the West. Each book in the Cook West Series celebrates the tastes, colors, aromas, and ingredients that create the food of the American West. Home cooks and industry professionals alike will welcome these single-ingredient cookbooks into their kitchens. Each title in the Cook West Series offers 50 original recipes and helpful tips to impress, inspire, and invigorate. Western cuisine is gaining in popularity, and rightly so! Where, but in the West, can one experience the marital bliss of chile and chocolate? Or a refreshing glass of prickly pear lemonade on a hot summer day? Soothe your soul with the creaminess of avocado or allow your taste buds to dance around a tantalizing olive. Enjoy the pleasantly stimulating aroma of roasting garlic or the zesty tang of cilantro. From rubs and sauces to delightful desserts, Western cooks have laid claim to a culinary art as original and distinct as the landscape itself. Conveniently sized and affordably priced, each book in the Cook West Series is the perfect addition for every cookbook library.
Average customer rating:
- A MUST for all home gardeners!
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A Midwest Gardener's Cookbook
Marian Kleinsasser Towne
Manufacturer: Indiana University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0253210569 |
Customer Reviews:
A MUST for all home gardeners!.......1999-05-02
This is possibly one of the best kept secrets on cooking out of your garden. The recipes are delicious and most of the ingredients are already in your kitchen. The seasonal format simplfies finding a recipe (and there is an alphabetical listing included also). The author has included throughout the book priceless pieces of history and wonderful bits of humor. "Mrs. Maendl's Dill Pickles" is a recipe that is "as much fun to read" as the pickles "good to eat"! When people ask me about them, I HAVE to tell them I made them exactly as the recipe states. Read it and you'll understand! Marian Towne has come up with the perfect solutions for all those fresh fruits and veggies we painstakingly grow. I even managed to use up a considerable amount of zucchini without my children noticing! Even if you are not a gardener, you'll want to run to the next Farmer's Market after seeing this book.
Books:
- The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot
- The Greatest Dot-to-Dot Book in the World (Book 1) (Greatest Dot-To-Dot Book in the World)
- The Insect Viruses (The Viruses)
- The Lean Manufacturing Pocket Handbook
- The Nature and Properties of Soils (13th Edition)
- The Omega Rx Zone: The Miracle of the New High-Dose Fish Oil
- The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control: A Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden and Yard Healthy Without Chemicals
- The Ortho Problem Solver, Sixth Edition (Ortho Problem Solver)
- The Pearl Book, 3rd Edition: The Definitive Buying Guide: How to Select, Buy Care for & Enjoy Pearls
- The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation: From Seed to Tissue Culture : A Practical Working Guide to the Propagation of over 1100 Species, Va
Books Index
Books Home
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Where Rivers Change Direction
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