The Master Cleanser

Book Description

The Master Cleanser diet otherwise known as the lemonade diet has been around close to 50 years. It's the easiest, most delicious, effective cleansing and weight loss diet available. You can feel good and get rid of what ails you. This diet has been used for every health problem with great success . Read the reviews below.

Customer Reviews:

I am dreaming of maple syrup.......2007-10-08

I just finished a 30 plus day cleanse. All I had was a brew of maple syrup, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and water. The hardest part of the cleanse was not hunger. What I found hardest was the monotony of the above mentioned beverage. For the first 10 days it tasted fine. For the next 10 days it tasted less fine. For the 10 days after that it tasted horrible.

Why did I do the cleanse in the first place? I have bladder cancer. And as anybody knows who has cancer, there is no shortage of suggestions about how to cure cancer. Suggestions come from friends, family members, casual acquaintances, and even total strangers who overhear conversations. The suggestions range from the helpfully obvious, such as, "You should probably not make Doritos the mainstay of your diet," to the near cruel, "If you loved yourself more, you would be cured."

Now, before I continue, I want anyone who has read this far to know that I posted this review in my blog also. One of the reasons I am writing reviews is because it was suggested as a good way to market my book, "Letters to My Friends: A No Guarantees Guide to Awakening." I want to make every keystroke, so to speak, count. One thing I have learned from cancer is to make each move count. There may be no tomorrow. Also, I believe in full disclosure.

Anyway, like many people with cancer, I tend not to talk about it because I get tired of the suggestions. But two friends of mine repeatedly suggested this cleanse. They are both advocates of alternative healing. And, even though I find myself excusing myself to run urgent errands whenever they talk about my eating habits, I love and respect them both.

What sold me on the cleanse was what one of my friends said. We were driving in the car in the mountains near her home, chatting about this and that. Suddenly the tone of her voice changed, and I knew I would hear something about a healthy lifestyle. "That cleanse we were talking about the other day, your body will begin to digest itself, and the theory is that the cancer cells will be digested, literally."

She had me. I am not a scientist. But that made sense. I had pretty much decided that Bill must die, Bill being the cancer. So, off I went on the cleanse, pretty much feeling like an old-west, quasi-Buddhist gunslinger. My body wasn't big enough for me and the cancer. One of us had to go. Either I would starve or the cancer would starve. By day 20, people were really beginning to be impressed. By day 30, I was being deified. But, honestly, it wasn't that hard. I'm sure that those fellows who climbed that little mountain felt the same way. Mt Everest, I think it was.

I had been aiming for 40 days, but I quit on day 33. And the reason I quit was because I found my 40-day goal becoming a little bit of an obsession. To quit, believe it or not, took much more will than to continue. As I said, I am a quasi-Buddhist, if there is such a thing, and I practice relinquishing strong attachments. I am, as a rule, much happier when I am not ruled by my attachments. And the cleanse was quickly becoming my master. I was no longer doing the cleanse; it was doing me.

You can find many variations of The Master Cleanse, usually for sale, on the internet. My own advice is to listen to your body. Do not get stubborn. On the other hand, the first three days really is the hardest; although, day 29 was hard too. The key is to drink plenty of lemonade, as it is called, because it will keep you from getting hungry. If you're worried about doing something so drastic, then see your doctor. But do not be surprised if your doctor looks at you as though you are a new age, hippie, weirdo when you mention The Master Cleanse. When I investigated this cleanse on the internet, I found only negative comments about it from the medical establishment.

But, as my mother used to say, "The proof is in the pudding." Is the cancer gone? I do not know. Nor, will I until my next exam. But I know I lost weight, a lot of weight. And I know I have more energy than I have had in a long, long time. I feel great. I'm planning on doing it again soon. But first I need to implement a healthy diet of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and Doritos. And for some reason I want some pudding. Maybe chocolate pudding. Or maybe custard. How about rice pudding?

Blessings,

John C. Conley
Author of "Letters to My Friends: A No Guarantees Guide to Awakening"

Great health book.......2007-10-01

I felt great putting this into practice but I was still hungry. However, I did notice I had a lot more energy. The lemonade tastes awesome.

The Master Cleanser.......2007-09-11

The Master Cleanser Diet information is an excellent source for promotion of good health and feeling good. I highly recommend this boook to everyone.The diet is simple and easy to follow.

Great results.......2007-09-10

I've been on this program for over a week now and feel great! Not to mention that I've lost a lot of weight, althoug that could only be temporary... My skin seems to be smoother and I have the great feeling of being light and well. I must say that it can be difficult to stay on the program and it requires a lot of will power.

I do like the taste of cayenne pepper in my drinks. It makes them more pleasant to swallow ... If you know someone with a serious disease or addiction make them try this program -- it should bring good results. You will be surprised! Another really GREAT book with all kind of internal cleansing methods is "Can We Live 150 Years?". In fact these two books should be sold in one package.

Why is it taboo to criticize this book?.......2007-09-10

I've run into a number of people spurred by the promise of quick weight loss or the belief that they're infested with "toxins" to try this radical "diet." What's astonishing to me is how disinclined people have been so far to question how this motley array of kitchen detritus -- water, lemons, maple syrup and cayenne pepper -- came to assemble itself, or how this perplexing combination of ingredients is specifically supposed to flush out these supposed "toxins."

Reading the book, my first reaction was to wonder how such a text has gotten as far as it has. It only makes sense when I consider my anecdotal experience that it's really the recipe that has travelled far and wide, while the rambling explanation behind it has, to its benefit, remained rather obscure. The author of this terse manifesto of folk medicine wastes no time in proclaiming that his peculiar lemonade (it may have more aptly been Kool-Aid) will cure any disease. He further proclaims, without evidence, that all germs are "our friends," that fungi help us rid our bodies of "toxins," and that asking for the blessing of a meal will raise its "vibrations." Other claims are very easily checked, and should smell fishy even to the casual observer: that lemons and maple syrup provide all the nutrition you need is but one example.

Practitioners of this "diet" flutter with amazement at the results, vindicated that their weight loss that has confirmed the validity of the science behind it: as if there is somehow a correct way to starve yourself.

Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days, Second Edition

Average customer rating:

Unexpected Results!
Stop smoking with the master cleanse
Feeling Great
Loaded With Information
Lost 29 lbs in 14 days

Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days, Second Edition
Peter Glickman
Manufacturer: Peter Glickman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0975572229

Book Description

This is the first book devoted exclusively to the Master Cleanse since Stanley Burroughs wrote the original book in 1976. Written in a clear, simple style, it is based on the author’s coaching hundreds of people, both live and on one of the largest Internet bulletin boards. It covers the widespread nature of obesity, the body's method of handling toxins by storing them in fat cells, how to do the cleanse, what detox symptoms are, what to do about them and what pitfalls to avoid. This book also contains personal experiences from scores of people as they did the cleanse day by, what to expect, which days are the worst, how the cleanse affects women, what ingredients to buy and answers the 70 most frequently asked questions. The author, Peter Glickman, has been a chiropractic clinic director, chelation clinic director (alternative medical procedure for plugged arteries), contributing editor to an online alternative health newsletter and president of two computer software companies.

The book, the author, and/or his website have been in The London Times, The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Us Weekly, the NBC Today Show and are scheduled for Geraldo at Large in January 2007.

Customer Reviews:

Unexpected Results!.......2007-09-29

Purchased the book a few days into my first cleanse and found answers to many questions I had. The cleanse wasn't easy but was successful, even in a way I hadn't expected. After 4 or 5 days I realized that my allergies/hay fever/asthma symptoms were greatly diminished and so I quit taking any medication (even over the counter.) Stayed on the cleanse for 14 days and did not have any symptoms for those days or 2 months following. Did my second 14 day cleanse after 3 months (with symptoms returning) with the same results. Am really trying to watch what I eat now in hopes of keeping all the sneezing, runny nose and eyes, and breathing problems at bay. The book helped with motivation and staying on course as well as providing valuable information.

Stop smoking with the master cleanse.......2007-09-28

I am getting ready to start my second Master cleanse in a few weeks. My first time was about six months ago I was joined by my sister, her boyfriend and my sister in law. we were all successful in our own way my sister and her boyfriend quit smoking cold turkey on day one and have not gone back, they both would agree this was the easiest way to quit with the least amount of negative side effects. I am excited about doing the cleanse again and this book helped me so much my first time I am going to re read it for inspiration.
Eric Zemke

Feeling Great.......2007-09-26

I started this cleanse because I wanted to lose weight and transition to the raw and living food diet. I must say this has helped me tremendously. The weight is falling off, the cravings for sweets and unhealthy foods are gone and I feel great. My skin is glowing and for the first time in years I have an abundance of energy that I did not have before.

Michelle

Loaded With Information.......2007-09-26

I have braved through the Master Cleanse 3 times now. I'm not going to lie, it can be a tough experience and put you face to face with personal challenges like what role does food play in your life? Food satisfied me on many levels other than just something in my stomach. I realized I ate for many reasons...boredom, anxiety, thirst, etc. The M.C. made me face these challenges which made me feel a lot freer in the end, because I no longer used food as a crutch but rather one of the multiple means to good health.
There are a lot of pitfalls and details regarding this fast, and this author covers most of them. There is a lot of practical information. Highly recommended. Here's to Better Health! Your body will thank you...

Lost 29 lbs in 14 days.......2007-09-26

I did the cleanse for 14 days in March 07. I'm a big guy and normally eat more than 4000 calories per day. So I thought I would be really hungry but surprisingly I wasn't. Certainly there were times when I was but overall it wasn't that hard. You find out how much of your eating is habit or boredom and not really caused by hunger. My energy levels were also high, in fact some nights I had trouble sleeping. I seem to have permanent phlegm in my upper throat. At day 12 it seemed to loosen up and I've never been sure if it was coincidence or if I was on the verge of really getting rid of it. Next week I'll start my second cleanse and this time I'll go longer. I prefer using limes to lemons!

Biomaterials Science, Second Edition: An Introduction to Materials in Medicine

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Not a good textbook
Great Text
Big book
Hard to read but book compiled with great care and detail
Biomedical Engineering Student

Biomaterials Science, Second Edition: An Introduction to Materials in Medicine
Buddy D. Ratner , Allan S. Hoffman , Frederick J. Schoen , and Jack E. Lemons
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0125824637

Book Description

The second edition of this bestselling title provides the most up-to-date comprehensive review of all aspects of biomaterials science by providing a balanced, insightful approach to learning biomaterials. This reference integrates a historical perspective of materials engineering principles with biological interactions of biomaterials. Also provided within are regulatory and ethical issues in addition to future directions of the field, and a state-of-the-art update of medical and biotechnological applications.

All aspects of biomaterials science are thoroughly addressed, from tissue engineering to cochlear prostheses and drug delivery systems. Over 80 contributors from academia, government and industry detail the principles of cell biology, immunology, and pathology. Focus within pertains to the clinical uses of biomaterials as components in implants, devices, and artificial organs. This reference also touches upon their uses in biotechnology as well as the characterization of the physical, chemical, biochemical and surface properties of these materials.

* Provides comprehensive coverage of principles and applications of all classes of biomaterials

* Integrates concepts of biomaterials science and biological interactions with clinical science and societal issues including law, regulation, and ethics

* Discusses successes and failures of biomaterials applications in clinical medicine and the future directions of the field

* Cover the broad spectrum of biomaterial compositions including polymers, metals, ceramics, glasses, carbons, natural materials, and composites

* Endorsed by the Society for Biomaterials

Customer Reviews:

Not a good textbook.......2007-03-11

I had this book required for a class, and although it certainly has a lot of information, it is a very poor textbook especially for an introduction. There is WAY too much information on some subjects and unnecessary detail. It reads more like a collection of peer reviewed articles than it does a textbook. The authors need to learn to HIGHLIGHT the important results and summarize information in a concise way. Even graphs are presented in very confusing manner (variable symbols not consistent in comparable graphs. Many authors also makes for different style changes...

Then again, I have little background in biology, and only moderate interest in the subject, so that might slant my opinion.

Great Text.......2007-02-09

This is a great text that sums up the body's response to biomaterials. It has good introductory sections to materials science issues, tissue engineering, and immunology.

Big book.......2006-12-12

It's hard to cover EVERYTHING related to biomaterials in one book, but the topics that are covered in this book are done so in detail. I don't really like how the book is pretty much a collection of works, but I understand how this allows each topic to be covered by an expert in that field. Overall, I find this book to be very useful in all of my classes.

Hard to read but book compiled with great care and detail.......2005-06-16

I must agree, it is probabily not the easiest book, you can pick up and read. It is voluminous, information is very dry, might be difficult to 'make notes' from this book. It may not be structured the way, you might normally find in most of the textbook. But having said that the information is compiled with great care and extraordinary detail. It contains the cutting edge information you can find out about biomaterials. For example, each section made up of 10-15 pages is purely written straight out of the latest journal articles.

It is definetely the best reference you can find for biomaterials, but if this is your main textbook, it might be a little hard for beginners with no background in material science to understand the concept right away. I was personally surprised to see that biomaterials is such an extensively branch in biomedical engineering and there is lot of scope. I think this book will help you realize that!!!

Biomedical Engineering Student.......2002-03-21

...I was not impressed with the content of this book because of mistakes made in the data it reported ie. that polymers can't form crystalline structures. I also found that the equations presented in the text did not have detailed information and at times the explaination of how to use the equations were slight.
I was also disappointed in the fact that I had to buy a xerox copy from the book store on campus (my financal aid would not pay for a book purchased anywhere else) because the publisher stopped print production before the class started which left myself and several other students "hanging" with only the option of purchasing a cheap copy for nearly the price of the original. Now I am left with an expensive book that I can't even you as reference material for future courses nor can I sell it because it is a copy and lastly because it is no longer in print.

The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East

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The Lemon Tree: An Arab, A Jew and the Heart of the MIddle East
The Lemon Tree
A biased view of the Middle East conflict
The Lemon Tree
good read

The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East
Sandy Tolan
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1582343438
Release Date: 2006-05-02

Book Description

The tale of a simple act of faith between two young people - one Israeli, one Palestinian - that symbolizes the hope for peace in the Middle East.

In 1967, not long after the Six-Day War, three young Arab men ventured into the town of Ramle, in what is now Jewish Israel. They were cousins, on a pilgrimage to see their childhood homes; their families had been driven out of Palestine nearly twenty years earlier. One cousin had a door slammed in his face, and another found his old house had been converted into a school. But the third, Bashir Al-Khairi, was met at the door by a young woman called Dalia, who invited them in.

This act of faith in the face of many years of animosity is the starting point for a true story of a remarkable relationship between two families, one Arab, one Jewish, amid the fraught modern history of the regio. In his childhood home, in the lemon tree his father planted in the backyard, Bashir sees dispossession and occupation; Dalia, who arrived as an infant in 1948 with her family from Bulgaria, sees hope for a people devastated by the Holocaust. As both are swept up in the fates of their people, and Bashir is jailed for his alleged part in a supermarket bombing, the friends do not speak for years. They finally reconcile and convert the house in Ramle into a day-care centre for Arab children of Israel, and a center for dialogue between Arabs and Jews. Now the dialogue they started seems more threatened than ever; the lemon tree died in 1998, and Bashir was jailed again, without charge.

The Lemon Tree grew out of a forty-three minute radio documentary that Sandy Tolan produced for Fresh Air. With this book, he pursues the story into the homes and histories of the two families at its center, and up to the present day. Their stories form a personal microcosm of the last seventy years of Israeli-Palestinian history. In a region that seems ever more divided, The Lemon Tree is a reminder of all that is at stake, and of all that is still possible.

Customer Reviews:

The Lemon Tree: An Arab, A Jew and the Heart of the MIddle East.......2007-10-03

This book is a poignant story of the people drawn up into the Arab-Israeli conflict. It takes the premise that both sides have committed atrocities and both sides have been victimized. It does so by following both a Palestinian and Jewish family, linked together by residence of the same home during different periods. Each family learns to understand the other, but still a inpenetrable barrier remains between them.

The Lemon Tree.......2007-10-02

THE LEMON TREE, by Sandy Tolan, is a historical perspective of the Palestine/Israel problems viewed from two lives, one Arab man and one Israeli woman. Their factual stories are given from the history of the land and the divisions made by outside influence. The U.N. and Great Britian were very involved in the partition and resettlement of the people of this area.

The two personal lives were intertwined by having consecutive lives in one house as "one home" for the two families. Both of these lives reflect on people of great faith, great education, and great involvment in the situation.

The author uses much research, factual relativity, and impartiality to his report. A very complicated situation exists and the book allows the information to understand the impossibility of the area and future peaceful settlement.

A biased view of the Middle East conflict.......2007-08-23

Although when I began The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan, I believed this book would be a balanced and nuances work about the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. The book opens with a description of a home which had been built and inhabited by Palestinians and in which Israeli Jews live after the 1948 war. Great, I thought! We'll see two sides of the dreadful tensions and violence in the region. I was disappointed by the time I finished reading because Tolan loads the argument in favor of the dispossessed Palestinians, barely mentioned the horrific consequences of suicide bombings and attacks on innocent civilians. One example is the reference to the problems in Gaza. Tollan describes the attacks by Israel as violent and gratuitous on the Gazans, and actually suggests that the rockets Hamas fired into Israel (after the Israelis pulled out) are harmless. Surely, the author doesn't believe that the intention of Hamas was to fire "harmless rockets" into enemy territory. Throughout the book, we see very little about the wars the Arab nations began, especially the one that immediately followed the establishment of the state of Israel. The 1967 war was initiated by the Israelis, true, but Egyptian forces were massed on the border. If that wasn't provocation, I don't know what is.

I am not sorry I read the book. I enjoyed much of it, and I was certainly more sympathetic with many Palestinians who suffered so much after having read Tolan's presentation of their lives and losses. The book would have been more successful for me had it been more balanced and honest.

The Lemon Tree.......2007-08-07

This is an excellent book - extremely well documented. It affords the reader greater understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It arouses sympathy for those who have suffered injustice - also admiration for people on both sides for their resilience and determination to seek the truth. This book also inspires a feeling of hope through the compassion shown between Jew and Israeli. Would that more people could strive for understanding and peace!

good read.......2007-08-01

This is well written and easy to read book that gave me a new perspective on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict using personalized research,including historical,familial comments and quotes from both Arab and Israeli sources.

Change Leadership: A Practical Guide to Transforming Our Schools (Jossey-Bass Education)

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Change Leadership: A Practical Guide to Transforming Our Schools (Jossey-Bass Education)
Tony Wagner , Robert Kegan , Lisa Laskow Lahey , Richard W. Lemons , Jude Garnier , Deborah Helsing , Annie Howell , and Harriette Thurber Rasmussen
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0787977551

Book Description

The Change Leadership Group at the Harvard School of Education has, through its work with educators, developed a thoughtful approach to the transformation of schools in the face of increasing demands for accountability. This book brings the work of the Change Leadership Group to a broader audience, providing a framework to analyze the work of school change and exercises that guide educators through the development of their practice as agents of change. It exemplifies a new and powerful approach to leadership in schools.

Average customer rating:

Mediocre
I really wanted to like it...
"Lemon tree very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet, but the fruit of the poor lemon..."
From Whence We Came...
"I didn't want to be black anymore. I just wanted to live."

Fruit of the Lemon: A Novel
Andrea Levy
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 031242664X
Release Date: 2007-01-23

Book Description

From Andrea Levy, author of Small Island and winner of the Whitbread Book of the Year and the Best of the Best Orange Prize, comes a story of one woman and two islands.

Faith Jackson knows little about her parents' lives before they moved to England. Happy to be starting her first job in the costume department at BBC television, and to be sharing a house with friends, Faith is full of hope and expectation. But when her parents announce that they are moving "home" to Jamaica, Faith's fragile sense of her identity is threatened. Angry and perplexed as to why her parents would move to a country they so rarely mention, Faith becomes increasingly aware of the covert and public racism of her daily life, at home and at work.

At her parents' suggestion, in the hope it will help her to understand where she comes from, Faith goes to Jamaica for the first time. There she meets her Aunt Coral, whose storytelling provides Faith with ancestors, whose lives reach from Cuba and Panama to Harlem and Scotland. Branch by branch, story by story, Faith scales the family tree, and discovers her own vibrant heritage, which is far richer and wilder than she could have imagined.

Fruit of the Lemon spans countries and centuries, exploring questions of race and identity with humor and a freshness, and confirms Andrea Levy as one of our most exciting contemporary novelists.

Customer Reviews:

Mediocre.......2007-08-01

This book could have been so much better if the author wouldnt have watered it down with fillers .Long repetitive descriptive parts ,pointless dialogues.Life is too short to waste it on reading a book that could ve been easily a short story.Mrs Levy is a talented writer however,in this novel she fails to deliver an entertaining ,well structured novel .

I really wanted to like it..........2007-05-26

Given the premise, I really wanted to like this book, but by 100 pages in I just wasn't hooked. Most of the books I read beg to be opened and finished. This one just sat on my nightstand until it was replaced.

"Lemon tree very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet, but the fruit of the poor lemon...".......2007-03-20

The opening few paragraphs of this novel about the precise way in which Faith Jackson's parents arrived in Great Britain from Jamaica capture perfectly in miniature the bewildering predicament she finds herself in as the daughter of black immigrants--the many ways in which the same facts can be viewed as both stereotype and truth.

Her parents have worked hard to raise Faith and her brother Carl to be well-educated and "respectable" members of British society who will marry hard working black people like themselves. Perhaps in hopes of facilitating their children's acculturation to British life, Faith's parents have never spoken much about their lives in Jamaica--Faith knows virtually nothing about their personal histories or their families. They have also sheltered Faith from the knowledge of the racial stigma they have experienced, and as she enters independent adult life the increasing discontinuity between what she has been taught and the prejudice she now encounters socially and professionally pushes her to an emotional breakdown. Her parents decide on a cure: send Faith to Jamaica.

If the first part of the novel is slow to get off the ground (can anyone be quite as willfully naive as Faith in this period?), the second part, which describes Faith's visit to her Jamaican relatives, is wonderfully rich and lively. The stories about her family, and the gradual accumulation of a family tree, are enchanting and compelling. How the destructive experience of race and color prejucice weaves itself through her family history along with the threads of love, humor, and struggle teaches Faith her place in the world, which is a complicated and interesting one. If the novel fails ultimately to integrate Faith's experiences into a totally natural turn of events, it still is a very worthwhile exploration of these important themes.

From Whence We Came..........2007-02-27

Faith Jackson is the daughter of hardworking, conservative Jamaican immigrants and grows up in a moderate middle-class environment. She, like many others, assimilates into a society that does not fully embrace those that are "different." All her life, she has grappled with some form of scrutiny and eventually develops a blind eye and deaf ear to racial slurs and stereotypes that she experiences routinely, even from her "best friends." For example, as a child, she is openly teased by white schoolmates that her parents journeyed to England via a banana boat. Faith discovers with much embarrassment that in fact, it is true. Despite prodding questions to her parents about their past life or relatives in Jamaica , they remain tight-lipped and dismiss her inquires with abrupt answers or sucking teeth. Talk of the past seems to be a taboo subject, so Faith eventually stops asking at a very early age.

Unfortunately, Faith swallows the British culture, music, and mindsets whole because it is all she has. Under the guidance of her parents, she adapts and employs survival techniques: she learns to smile, dress appropriately, talk properly, and project a non-threatening persona, but there is never any guidance for dealing with racial injustice or prejudice against non-whites. Having recently graduated from college, she is struggling with racial discrimination at her workplace. Couple job stress with a local hate crime, Faith's overload of internalized angst forces her into an emotional "breakdown" stemming from years of frustration, pain, and anger with no outlet or coping skills to handle such prejudices.

Her parents enlist the aid of Aunt Cora, her mother's sister in Jamaica , to entertain Faith for a two-week holiday abroad to rest and forget about things for a while. Upon setting foot in the Kingston airport, Faith experiences instant `culture shock' that eventually leads to an epiphany of sorts. Time spent in the company of Aunt Cora and her Caribbean kinfolk yields answers to questions she pondered all her life. She finds understanding, unconditional love, inner peace, and a sense of pride and confidence that was absent before. Finding strength and solace in her roots, the once embarrassing banana boat passage eventually becomes an event that no longer causes shame but inspires admiration and reverence.

Fruit of the Lemon is a wonderful multi-generational saga that spans two continents and explores the importance of belonging and sense of history. Although the novel chronicles Faith as she struggles to find her place in the world, it goes much deeper by examining the need for identity and racial pride. Faith may be the protagonist of the story, but Levy delivers so much more. She gives the reader a multitude of full-bodied, complex characters, realistic situations, and a page-turning plot sequence. I absolutely loved the unveiling of her ancestor's personal histories! Their loves, desires, and attitudes were cleverly shaped by societal views, the complex histories of the slave trade and British colonialism in Jamaica . Her handling of dialogue which captured the rhythmic Jamaican patois-laced expressions and the straight-laced British phrasing is superb. Her writing is fluid and vivid -- I could picture the characters, scenery, and the moods and vibes perfectly.

Although it is still early in the year at the time of this review, I believe this book will make my Top 10 list of 2007 releases. This is my first read from this author and it will not be my last. I intend to pick up her earlier works soon. This novel is highly recommended for those who enjoy literary reads with African Diasporic themes.

Reviewed by Phyllis
APOOO BookClub
Nubian Circle Book Club

"I didn't want to be black anymore. I just wanted to live.".......2007-02-02

At twenty-two, Faith Jackson is enjoying her new found freedom, sharing a flat with three roommates and a new job in the costume department of the BBC, secure in the knowledge that her parents are her staunchest supporters. Faith is more than a little shocked when her parents announce their possible intention leave England and return to their homeland, Jamaica, since both their children are grown and able to take care of themselves. Precipitously aware of her fragile place in a society still struggling over the legislature of basic civil rights for all, the casual racism that surrounds her rears its ugly head, Faith subjected to the random ignorance of her white friends, the carelessness with which they disparage the blacks in society with hardly a thought to Faith's reactions: "I knew he wasn't prejudiced. He loves animals." The stupid and insensitive remarks grow increasing irritating to Faith, who has so far isolated herself from the bitter truth.

The gradual rift widens, sundering Faith's easy security. Witnessing a random act of violence against a black female shop attendant and patronized at her job since a questionable promotion as the only black dresser, Faith pulls back from this suddenly unfamiliar world, where race is etched inescapably into daily events with casual cruelty. Betrayed on all sides, Faith abruptly withdraws, unable to contend with the demands of the world around her: "I didn't want to be black anymore. I just wanted to live." Thanks to her parents' wisdom, Faith is sent to Jamaica for a two-week visit, submerged in the riotous island culture with her Auntie Coral and Cousin Vincent. There she receives a much-needed introduction to family history, Coral disclosing the secrets of the family tree. Immersed in her intimate cultural identity, Faith achieves the necessary balance to navigate a world at war with its own worst impulses to separate and subjugate, the hearts and minds of citizens wedded to the past prejudices and assumptions.

Adrift in confusion and growing angst in England, it is Faith's Jamaican experience that that restores her soul and enhances her sense of family support. In true Levy style, the dialog is spot on, both the sharp English quips of the roommates and lilting patois of the Jamaicans. With a particular talent for portraying the daily struggles of her protagonists as they tackle the inevitable challenges of their lives, the author delivers once again, this time a young black woman's identity crisis and racial awakening, the questing Faith renewed by the roots of ancestry. Luan Gaines/2007.

Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen Mysteries)

Average customer rating:

Fun for the 4th
great recipes
ONE OF THE BEST COZY MYSTERY SERIES YOU'LL EVER FIND
I concur with inPDX
Too Many Cookies Can Be Murder to Your Waistline!

Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen Mysteries)
Joanne Fluke
Manufacturer: Kensington
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Women Sleuths | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0758215045

Customer Reviews:

Fun for the 4th.......2007-07-10

In the latest installment of Hannah Swensen's life as the Cookie Jar's owner we find her in the middle of a murder mystery in the summer. Hannah not only has to stay afoat with all the 4th of July happenings, two very eligible men, and a murder involving her famous Lemon Meringue Pie, she also has to keep the Cookie Jar and her diet working. To get to the bottom of this one she has to do her usual snooping under the police radar(even though they know this time) and delve into the past to find the answers.

This is a great summer read and had it all: mystery, food, great laughs(from the Dolores, the mom) and great character development. I can't wait to dive into the next one: Fudge Cupcake Murder.

great recipes.......2006-11-05

Cute, easy to read series with awesome recipes. Great reading for a cold winter night or a sunny sumer vacation.

ONE OF THE BEST COZY MYSTERY SERIES YOU'LL EVER FIND.......2006-08-11

These mysteries are COZY and INTERESTING and GOOD!!! They are perfect!!! I could not ask for a better mystery!!! Not only is the setting and atmosphere cozy, but the clues, story line, and pacing are perfect! This author definitely has talent!!! The clues are perfectly and cleverly crafted and lead to the mystery solving. And the characters - you feel like you know them!!!

In this book, Hannah's mother finds a dead body. Hannah and Andrea solve the mystery.

Hannah cannot zip up her pants; therefore, she is on a diet for almost the entire book, even though her job is baking cookies and other weight-gaining foods.

I love the relationship of the three sisters: Hannah, Andrea, and Michelle. The mother's character is interesting, too.

An interesting piece of trivia from this book: if Michelle married one of her particular boyfriends, she would be "Michelle Swensen Jensen". Let's hope she doesn't marry that particular boyfriend!

I concur with inPDX.......2006-08-05

This was the first Joanne Fluke novel I have read, which I grabbed on impulse. I became annoyed with Hannah, her sisters, her mother, and her boyfriends, almost immediately--why on earth would a police officer ever _encourage_ a civilian _baker_ to investigate a murder? Add the HIPPA violations, the author's lack of familiarity with criminal investigations, and the flip-flopping required to generate a villain, and you have a recipe for a refund request.

Too Many Cookies Can Be Murder to Your Waistline!.......2006-07-25

Hannah Swensen returns in the 4th book in this series. In this installment, Hannah jumps in to help solve a murder when a lemon meringue pie from her bakery, The Cookie Jar, is found at the crime scene. When Norman Rhodes, one of Hannah's "boyfriends", purchases a home, he does not realize that the dead body of the previous owner will be found inside. It seems that this owner, Rhonda, stopped at her old home to pick up a few last items and thought she would have one last meal there. This meal was definitely her last, as the person that met her there may have been the last to see her alive! Adding to Hannah's troubles is the fact that some of her clothes just seem too tight, and so she sets out to put herself on a diet (even while she is baking all kinds of yummy cookies!). Playing a part in this mystery is Hannah's nagging mother, Norman's mother, and Mike, the policeman who usually fights to keep Hannah out of each case but finally gives up this time. As Hannah fights to keep her life in order and her weight in check, she must find a killer before he/she strikes again!

I have enjoyed each of the Hannah Swensen mysteries and have loved the recipes that are included in each book. Each time I have read one of the books, I find myself getting hungry (not good for my waistline either!) for all of the goodies that Hannah serves. The mysteries are interesting, but as I like culinary cozies, I enjoy the books more for the food and the characters. My only complaint about this series has to be in the dialogue between characters, as they are constantly repeating each other's names. Other than that, this delightful read will leave you "hungry" for more!

The first book in this series is "The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder". Enjoy!

Professional Digital Techniques for Nude & Glamour Photography

Average customer rating:

Great Tips
This is rather a photo book, not book about taking photos.
Good start but becomes repetitive.
Poor Quality photos, no real information
awesome

Professional Digital Techniques for Nude & Glamour Photography
Bill Lemon
Manufacturer: Amherst Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Fashion | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1584281782

Book Description

Every nude and lingerie photography shoot will benefit from the camera techniques, posing strategies, and prop selections discussed in this handbook from a seasoned model photographer. Sections on evaluating and modifying light, changing the setup, and ensuring the correct white balance combined with a gallery of set, prop, and posing possibilities provide photographers with the technical and artistic inspiration they need to visually enhance a model's assets and create the perfect mood. A variety of situations are covered, including photographs in water, of couples, and of tattoos. Based on the author's 20 years of experience, this handbook emphasizes the photographer's need to cultivate trustworthy relationships with their models in order to ensure the ease and trust that makes for stunning results.

Customer Reviews:

Great Tips.......2007-06-14

This book provides great tips for beginners like myself.

This is rather a photo book, not book about taking photos........2007-03-06

A said before, book consist of basically "well, i was there and i asked {ModelName} to do this, and she selected this pose, which makes this nice image" paragraphs...

So this book is collection of images with few not to detailed sentences about every shot.

I certainly expected more from this book.

Good start but becomes repetitive........2007-02-13

The book isn't very good at really explaining how the shot was created. So if you want to learn about how or why a certain setting was used in detail, this isn't the book for you. If you want to get some good ideas of tasteful nude/portrait photos, this could be the ticket. Some of the narratives of the motivation behind the shot is helpful. However by the end of the book, you may end up disappointed that you read the whole thing. About half way through the book just skim the verbiage and enjoy the photos.

Poor Quality photos, no real information.......2007-02-09

I brought this book a while back and was not happy with it, lucky for amazon I'm a lazy person when it comes to returning things, especially onine. The photos are poor, they look like someone used a compact camera to take the shot, and with no artistic or creative skill either.

There are maybe a few pictures which may be considered close to pro level but as a non pro myself I can already acheive better quality pictures. i expected more than this, there was no depth to the pictures on how they were designed or envisioned by the photographer, just a bunch of random pictures.

awesome.......2007-01-30

A great combination of practical advice and creative insight. This book shows real talent in protraying a delicate subject matter. The use of different locations and lighting techniques shows off Mr. Lemon talent and skill. A must have for any glamour photogher's library

Water With Lemon: An Inspiring Story of Diet-free, Guilt-free Weight Loss!

Average customer rating:

Water With Lemon
Life Changing!! Get This Book
Just painful to read
Looking for motivation?
Very inspiring page-turner!

Water With Lemon: An Inspiring Story of Diet-free, Guilt-free Weight Loss!
Zonya Foco , and Stephen Moss
Manufacturer: Zhi Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Nutrition | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Healthy Living | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1890926108

Customer Reviews:

Water With Lemon.......2007-10-08

I love this book.
Some call it slow, I call it deliberate.
Some call it simplified, I call it simple.
It's the same tips I've always heard presented in a fresh way. I got it.
Did I say I love this book?

Life Changing!! Get This Book.......2007-09-30

Like they say, when the student is ready the teacher appears. I met Zonya at an Expo 13 years ago when my children were young. Immediately, I
felt her energy and inspired focus on health and nutrition.

I've enjoyed Lickety Split Meals also. I used it when the kids were young. Now they are out of the house and I still use it both for myself and when entertaining.

This book, though, is not just about health and food; it is about life and how it starts with the power of one good habit.

The name of my business, coincidentally, is The First Step where I help clients make the changes they want for themselves step by step. My business is about 8 years old - so I was delighted by her approach - because it jived so much with mine.

The timing of this book in my life was perfect. . . . making changes is not nearly as daunting as it often appears. If you're ready to find things that work for your health and fit them effortlessly into your day -I suggest you read this book.

Buy it - you'll read it again and again. Take it slowly. Savor it.

And even if you don't think you're ready, you may be surprised by how comfortable and motivated you can be about simply enjoying your health by doing it YOUR way. . . easily. . . all in YOUR own time!!

I can't say enough about how great this book is. You really owe it to yourself to check it out.

Just painful to read.......2007-09-14

Let me just say the only reason that I am giving this book 3 stars is because I do believe the information is very useful, simple, and just plain practical sense so you don't have to keep thinking, "Wait, am I allowed to eat that?" throughout the day. Yes, I started drinking water with lemon almost immediately and filled up the fruit bowl and will continue from there.

What I object to is the delivery, it was like one long drawn out cheesy mind numbing infomercial and I rolled my eyes so many times while reading it I thought they would stay that way! I don't know if the author felt he needed to dumb it down for the general public (who I really hope is not that dumb!) but yikes, it was just painful to read. I don't know, maybe health and novels just don't mix??

Looking for motivation? .......2007-09-02

As others have said, most of us know the 8 steps to healthy weight loss. But this presentation, revealed slowly, within a novel, that is very readable gives one time to think about things slowly, to digest the steps, one at a time. Nowhere is the list presented which means you will have to read the whole book to have Foco's wisdom revealed. Just as Fowler, the guide, in the story is patient with Karen, the student, we as readers, have time to think about the need for patience with ourselves. I will be recommending this book to others and awaiting the next installment.

Very inspiring page-turner!.......2007-08-06

I have never written an amazon review before, but I felt so strongly about this book that I wanted to write this. This may not be the "great american novel", but I couldn't put it down. As a woman approaching 40, I have been on every diet known to womankind. I have had it with diets and the diet mentality. However, I also need to take some weight off. This book offered a new and refreshing approach to health and weight loss. There was so much I related to, and I kept wanting to know what the next "habit" was. If you are fed up with "dieting" but still need to take care of your health and weight, read this book. It is very inspirational, motivating, and educational. It's not so much that the information in it is anything new, but it's the way they lay it out in the book that makes it all seem doable.

Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Spain

Average customer rating:

Quirky, disjointed but agreeable
Another gem
Does Exactly What It Sets Out to Do
Not Provence or Tuscany either
On the Sunny Side of Life

Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Spain
Chris Stewart
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

Essays & Travelogues | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0375709150
Release Date: 2001-05-08

Amazon.com

When English sheep shearer Chris Stewart (once a drummer for Genesis) bought an isolated farmhouse in the mountains outside of Granada, Spain, he was fully aware that it didn't have electricity, running water, or access to roads. But he had little idea of the headaches and hilarity that would follow (including scorpions, runaway sheep, and the former owner who won't budge). He also had no idea that his memoir about southern Spain would set a standard for literary travel writing.

This rip-roaringly funny book about seeking a place in an earthy community of peasants and shepherds gives a realistic sense of the hassles and rewards of foreign relocation. Part of its allure stems from the absence of rose-colored glasses, mainly Stewart's refusal to merely coo about the piece of heaven he's found or to portray all residents as angels. Stewart's hilarious and beautifully written passages are deep in their honest perceptions of the place and the sometimes xenophobic natives, whose reception of the newcomers ranges from warm to gruff.

After reading about struggles with dialects, animal husbandry, droughts, flooding, and such local rituals as pig slaughters and the rebuilding of bridges, you may not wish to live Chris Stewart's life. But you can't help but admire him and his wife, Ana, for digging out a niche in these far-flung mountains, for successfully befriending the denizens, and for so eloquently and comically telling the truth. The rich, vibrant, and unromanticized candor of Driving over Lemons makes it a laudable standout in a genre too often typified by laughable naiveté. --Melissa Rossi

Book Description

Driving Over Lemons is the contagiously entertaining account of one couple's beginning a new life as they turn a rundown peasant farm in southern Spain into a home.

When Chris Stewart first sees El Valero, he's willing to overlook its lack of electricity, running water, or access road. Assured that he's bought "a paradise for pennies," he phones his wife, Ana, still in England, whose enthusiasm is a little more tempered. Together they embark on an undertaking that includes rebuilding the house, feeding and housing a former owner reluctant to leave, the threat of drought (and flood), a cultural misunderstanding, and the creation of a whole new, fulfilling, enviable life

Customer Reviews:

Quirky, disjointed but agreeable .......2007-09-11

I found this to be a rather odd book, reading like a series of snapshots of the author's life in rural Andalusia. Stewart spends many pages at the beginning of the book recounting a lot of disagreeable time spent with the man who sold him his Spanish homestead in the province of Granada. It isn't until he has cleared this particular barrier that the story got more interesting for me.

There is some good writing in this journal about living off the land in a country not your own, but the same story has been told countless times by others. (What is it about the English that sends them off to the Continent to live rough so often?) Not sure that there are many revelations here that would drive you to buy this book. Still, it is pleasant reading in many of its parts and if you are interested in things Spanish, this might be a good read for you.

Another gem.......2007-03-10

Read every one of Chris Stewart books and will continue to read as long as he keeps on writing.

Does Exactly What It Sets Out to Do.......2006-05-13

What a pleasure it was to read this book. I just came out of National Poetry Month here on the NH Seacoast -- six weeks (it's expanding in both directions from April) of poetry readings with a festival of jazz and poetry as its centerpiece. I attended, hosted, read at, and otherwise participated in nearly 30 events during this period. When it was over, I needed a break; my brain hurt. At that point, I ran into a bus-driver friend who is also a reader. I asked him what he was reading and he recommended Driving Over Lemons. I usually plan my reading months ahead of time; but this time I bought it on impulse. What a treat. Totally laid back. Exciting but not sensationalist. Interesting but not preachy. A cast of genuinely quirky characters -- thankfully, not a "normal" one among them. And sheep, dogs, herbs, heat, flies. All bisected by a willful river. If you approach this book desiring anything more than something that is a simple pleasure to read, you're doing it a disservice. It certainly got my mind out of poetry long enough for me to regain my balance so I can now go back in fighting.

Not Provence or Tuscany either.......2006-05-05

I opened this book with great anticipation because of my previous happy trips to Provence with Peter Mayle and Tuscany with Frances Mayes. Though Stewart's reporting of his experience as an ex-pat living on a rustic farm in Spain is serviceable and may be useful to someone planning a comparable adventure, the book never achieves the transporting quality of the best of this genre. When I closed it (half-way through), I missed enjoying that delicious sense of having made a trip to a new place without leaving my own armchair.

On the Sunny Side of Life.......2006-05-02

Chris Stewart has led a life many of us only dream of. As a teenager attending one of the most prestigious boarding schools in England, he played drums in the very first incarnation of the English rock band Genesis (Phil Collins was the fourth drummer). One imagines Peter Gabriel being attracted to Stewart's optimism more than his drumming ability. Unlike drummer Pete Best of the Beatles, however, Stewart quit the band rather than waiting to get fired. He went on to become a sailor, sheep shearer, travel writer, marry an attractive (and understanding) woman, and father a beautiful girl. And now pen a bestselling book on rural life in southern Spain.

I was cautious upon purchasing this book, as I couldn't imagine yet another member of Genesis achieving artistic and commercial success. But there must have been some fairy dust sprinkled over those schoolboys from Charterhouse School long ago, because "Driving Over Lemons" is a thoroughly well written and enjoyable narrative. It deals with Stewart's pie-eyed zest for simple, earthy living, and his follies and foibles trying to make a go of farming in a foreign country. Stewart succeeds with this book because we can relate to his naivety, and the humor in his narrative is natural and understated. He writes with ease and affection about his Spanish neighbors, fellow expatriates, cats Brenda and Elfine, building bridges, and channeling irrigation ditches.

If you can't chuck it all for the agrarian life in rural Spain, like Chris, at least pick a sunny day, find a cozy hammock, and read his book. It's as close as most of us will ever get to being there.

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