Product Description
A lyrical journey through the seasons and passing years of one New Englander's family evokes the feeling of historical America. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

The bomb!!
The Ox Cart Man is probably my favorite kids book of all time.
A Caldecott award winner.Educational and very well illustrated,
it 's worth every penny.

A Two-Year-Old's Favorite
A darling story that is beautifully illustrated. We see something new in the story every time we read it to our son. Such a nice change of pace from the usual fare.

Like folk art for kids
Oh, do I love this book! My 6-year-old has requested this book periodically since age 3, and I'm glad it's still in circulation in my house, because it gives me great pleasure to read. The illustrations are in the folk art tradition, and really capture the feeling of this early period in American history. The text is very simple, almost poetic in cadence, and yet magically detailed. I love the inventory of all the things the Ox Cart Man is bringing to market (really paints a picture of colonial farm life), the details of how he sells every last scrap (and kisses the ox goodbye), and the spare descriptions of winter and spring chores. There's something tremendously appealing in the flat simplicity of words and pictures, and their power to speak volumes on an era in history.

love this book!!
I have always loved the story, "The Ox-Cart Man". I bought this book so that I could share it with my son. We both enjoy it very much. I would recommend it to all!!!

Kind of blah, definitely not a favorite
This children's book, which looks by the illustrations to be set in the 1700s or 1800s, tells the story of a man who loads up his wagon in the fall with all the extra things his family had made or grown in the last year.He then walked 10 days to the market to sell everything (and I mean everything!), bought a few small things, then walked back home by himself to do it all over again next year.You see the cyclical nature of life when people work to grow and raise pretty much everything they need.

This book won the Caldecott medal for illustrations.The illustrations are fine, but not really my style.

The text also drags to me, too slow and repetitive:

"He sold the bag of wool.He sold the shawl his wife made.He sold five pairs of mittens.He sold candles and shingles.He sold birch brooms.He sold potatoes.He sold apples.He sold honey and honeycombs, turnips and cabbages.He sold maple sugar.He sold a bag of goose feathers."

Reading it once when we first got it was more than enough for me; I never wanted to read it again!And my children (now ages 8, 6, 4, 2, and baby) have probably asked me to read it to them only once or twice in the two years since we first got it.So, it's not a big hit with them either.Since we have the book, I'm keeping it, but I certainly would feel no need to go out and get it again when this one wears out.And, if I ever need to pare down the number of children's books we have, this would definitely be one to go.

... Read more

Product Description
Hitch your imagination to an intriguing new mystery series set in the world of competitive carriage driving--an elegant yet cut-throat realm in which gorgeously costumed drivers and their magnificently harnessed horses vie for championships in the challenging obstacle course of the show ring.

Jane Austen, meet Mad Max.

Fans of the long-running Mossy Creek Hometown Series will gallop to bookstores for this spin-off equine mystery series by veteran Mossy Creek author Carolyn McSparren, a nationally known novelist and expert carriage driver, who owns and shows carriage-driving horses in her home state of Tennessee.

Open your barn doors and fasten your (buggy's) seatbelts for THE CART BEFORE THE CORPSE.

Famous southern carriage-horse trainer Hiram Lackland, a handsome widower, dies mysteriously after retiring to a farm outside Mossy Creek. His estranged daughter, Merry Abbot, also a horse trainer, arrives to settle his estate. But Merry quickly plunges into bit-chomping dilemmas when her father's friend and landlord, mystery-novel maven Peggy Caldwell, insists he was murdered.

Before Merry can so much as snap a buggy rein, a handsome and annoying GBI investigator, Geoff Madison, is on her case. Then there's the troublesome donkey: Don Qui. Short for Don Quixote. And the fact that Hiram was teaching all of Mossy Creek's lonely women how to--ahem--drive his carriage.

Can Merry rein in the truth? What kind of horse play was her rakish dad involved in, and why would someone want to giddy-yup him into an early grave?

Stay tuned for the answers in this first episode of, "As the Carriage Wheel Turns." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Horses and Murder
This is not a bad read but neither is it a good read. I expected much more from a book that is the first in a new series. I found the writing amateur though it did improve a bit as the story progressed. There was the odd spot that made me laugh out loud and once I got past the first few chapters it kept me interested enough to finish it. But I always finish reading what I start whether I like the book or not. If you like light murder mysteries, horses and are looking for a quick read that isn't going to tax your brain, this book will suffice. If you want something deep and profound and that really makes you think, this book is not for you.

Cozy quick read for a rainy-day
"The Cart Before the Corpse" by Carolyn McSparren is a new spin-off book of the Mossy Creek Hometown series. Having not read those books I was a bit afraid I'd find myself out of my depth before I even have a chance to get started. I was happily mistaken - you don't need to know one single thing about the series this spins off from to pick up the reins and start in on this new series.

I love horses and reading about their handling and various competitions, equipage, grooming, and the like, but I'm not terribly knowledgeable about the proper terms...until now. This book doesn't assume that you come from the world of horse shows, driving and carriages but it also doesn't "talk down" to the reader to explain things. The explanations all fit in very well without breaking the flow of the story and I know a lot more now than I did about it all. For some reason I had a preconceived notion that the book would be in a bit more of a "primitive" setting. It wasn't that way at all - much to my delight - I like a good historical or "primitive" set book, but I generally prefer to not mix those with my mystery/investigative reading.

Merry is a strong female character, if you like your female characters to be simpering "let the guy take the lead and sweep her off her feet and solve her problems" types, this is probably not the book for you. She's not so strong that she doesn't have emotions, break down, cry or freak out, but she handles what must be done first, then falls apart if she feels she needs to. She just wants to do the best she can in the face of her fathers death, to do right by what he was trying to accomplish near the end of his life, to find out who killed him, why he was killed, and somehow figure out what to do now that she can't ever truly reconcile with her father now that she's finally reached the point in life when she's ready to allow him back into her life.

In addition to Merry, the other primary characters are well developed and at points during the novel get to tell things from their point of view. While primarily from Merry's viewpoint, you do occasionally get a glimpse of what others are doing - this can help advance the storyline while keeping Merry out of the loop of the ongoing police investigation and further "fleshing out" who these other characters are when they're away from Merry from their own standpoint. The sections are all clearly marked with who's point of view it's being told from, so there is little to no confusion about the sudden switches in locale and method of thinking about the investigation.

I am definitely looking forward to more books in this new spin-off series.

Terrific read
I don't read a lot of mystery but I'm so glad I got this one. I enjoyed the characters and the story line. The end was totally unexpected and awesome! This was a quick read, recommended for everyone.

From Steve at J. Kaye's Book Blog
"The Cart Before the Corpse" by Carolyn McSparren, is a murder mystery spin-off of the Mossy Creek Hometown Novels.Mossy Creek Hometown series are books of anthologies by different authors set in Mossy Creek, Georgia.It's a Southern rural hometown that claims "it ain't going nowhere, and don't want to." Populated by colorful local as well as retired out-of-town folk, the characters are all a bit flawed, and truly southern.

McSparren love horses, carriages and mystery, not necessarily in that order and combined all three in "The Cart Before the Corpse."Southern carriage-horse trainer Hiram Lackland, a handsome widower, dies mysteriously after retiring to a farm outside Mossy Creek. His estranged daughter, Merry Abbott, also a horse trainer, arrives to settle his estate. Peggy Caldwell, Hiram's landlord and friend, who happens to be a mystery-novel buff, claims he was murdered.

This fast paced, action-packed mystery is filled with odds and ends of the horse carriage world.If you don't know what that is, you will have a good understanding after reading this.The only thing missing was the fresh scent of horse `apples'. This was the first Mossy Creek story I've read and it covers all you need to know.Even though this is the first of the series, it is complete in itself.This was a good, enjoyable read.

Clever cozy mystery with wonderful setting and rich emotional content
Horse show manager Ms. Merry Abbot may not be having the best of days. A runaway horse causes havoc to her well made plans and news of her estranged father's death follows closely afterwards, necessitating a trip to Mossy Creek. Although most people assume Hiram Lackland's death was accidental, Peggy Caldwell disagrees.From the position in which she discovered Hiram's body, Peggy Caldwell is all too certain that Hiram's death was a case of murder.Geoff Wheeler from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation tends to agree with her.As the only heir in her father's will, Merry realizes that suspicions might be too easily directed at her.As she tries to put her father's affairs in order, Merry Abbott also sets out to discover the motive and culprit behind her father's murder.Will she uncover the important clues in time before she becomes the next victim?

Carolyn McSparren's THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE is a cozy mystery with all the excitement of a clever whodunit puzzle with the added bonus of a rich emotional content to draw one into the delightful cast of characters, setting and the story itself.Told mostly through Merry's first person point of view, some clearly marked chapters are told through Peggy Caldwell and Geoff Wheeler's third person point of view.Rather than disrupting the flow of the narrative, Carolyn McSparren uses these moments well, allowing the reader to gain additional insight into the character's personalities and at other times creating a smoother narrative flow of events.Although Merry has been estranged from her father, his death becomes a catalyst for inner changes within her.As she prepares for his funeral, she comes to know other sides of the man and indeed, discovers more about herself in the process.Carolyn McSparren combines a delightful sense of humor with emotion as Merry Abbott sorts through the funeral preparations and the minute details involved in transfer of his assets.Southerners (and misplaced Southerners too!) will find a special delight in Carolyn McSparren's ability to capture those particular Southern customs, especially funeral customs, engraved in our hearts. THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE takes the reader right into the heart of the world of horse carriage-driving with all sorts of fascinating details from horse breeds to carriage types.Above all, each and every detail brings a depth to the story.Merry Abbot is a woman devoted to horses, not only in her profession but also in her heart.THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE is a mystery for all horse lovers, from those intimate with carriage-driving to readers who just have a soft spot in their heart for these magnificent creatures.Carolyn McSparren just knows how to bring out pertinent, moving details while also integrating them fully into her characters' personalities and the events of her story. THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE draws one into the Mossy Creek world of the book, making one want to return to the book each spare moment possible and revisit the characters.What a delightful ending!This reader is anxiously awaiting the next Merry Abbot mystery!

Carolyn McSparren's THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE is a spin off of the popular Mossy Creek Hometown novels.If you are new to this series, rest assured that THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE works as a stand alone and an easy entry into the world of Mossy Creek, all the more so since Merry Abbott is herself a visitor when she arrives.However, once one gets to know the characters and setting, one might very well find oneself eager to revisit this world, either the main Mossy Creek series itself or another Merry Abbot mystery.

COURTESY OF BOOK ILLUMINATIONS ... Read more

Product Description
A must-have for anyone with a passion for shopping carts and a love of the great outdoors.

In The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America author Julian Montague has created an elaborate classification system of abandoned shopping carts, accompanied by photographic documentation of actual stray cart sightings. These sightings include bucolically littered locations such as the Niagara River Gorge (where many a cart has been pushed to its untimely death) and mundane settings that look suspiciously like a suburb near you.

Working in the naturalist's tradition, the photographs depict the diversity of the phenomenon and carry a surprising emotional charge; readers inevitably begin to see these carts as human, at times poignant in their abandoned, decrepit state, hilariously incapacitated, or ingeniously co-opted. The result is at once rigorous and absurd, enabling the layperson to identify and classify their own cart spottings based on the situation in which they were found. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Hilarious!
This book is set up to be a scientific guide to something so very absurd. Having grown up in central New Jersey in the 70s, some of the pictures hit very close to home - so to speak. And my husband's first job as a 14 year old was rounding up stray shopping carts for the A&P in Fords, NJ. I believe this book may have caused some unpleasant, although 'laugh out loud', flashbacks for him. Everyone who looks at it has the same reaction - laughter, and the realization that this is happening on so frequent a basis that an entire book can be devoted to it.

Great conversation piece, perfect for the guest bathroom or coffee table
This book is for those of us who believe that shopping cart theft is a gateway crime to bigger things. Much like pot is known as a gateway drug to harder drugs. Learn to identify the stray carts in your own neighborhood!

I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes Zombies, but don't ask me why.

Oddly good
I originally bought this book as a gag gift for a friend. But after I gave it away, I had to buy my own copy. It is well written and wonderfully illistrated. I appreciate the rigorous application of intellect to a completely useless subject. I have purchased extra copies and give them away as gifts when appropriate.

New Adventures in Chrome, Plastic and Steel
Pure genius in inatimate typology. Classic witicism and commentary done in an inimitable style with social sarcasm.

A classic.
This book brings much-needed rigor to the field of stray shopping cart classification by introducing a taxonomy that is both precise and intuitive. All specimen are illustrated with high-quality color photographs of often haunting and transcendental beauty. ... Read more

Product Description

Carney's House Party: In the summer of 1911, Caroline "Carney" Sibley is home from college and looking forward to hosting a monthlong house party—catching up with the old Crowd, including her friend Betsy Ray, and introducing them to her Vassar classmate Isobel Porteous. Romance is in the air with the return of Carney's high school sweetheart, Larry Humphreys, for whom she's pined all these years. Will she like him as well as she once did? Or will the exasperating Sam Hutchinson turn her head?

Customer Reviews (2)

Back Again for a new generation
Carney and Winona were my Holy Grail while growing up - I knew they were out there but I couldn't find copies to read.I finally found a copy of Carney in the UT library and made an most likely illegal photocopy.I'm delighted they are reprinted so fans can replace their falling apart copies and so new fans can have their own personal copies.

Carney is a coming of age story about a young woman in the early 1900s who leaves Deep Valley, her small Minn. town to attend Vasser.The bulk of the book is set in Deep Valley during the summers between her Junior and Senior Years.
She copes with friends, dreams that might not come true and a teenage romance that does not translate well into adulthood.Buy it - read it - you won't regret it.

reprints of two warm Amerciana tales
Carney's House Party.In 1911, Caroline "Carney" Sibley has come home to Deep Valley, Minnesota from college for the summer.She plans to throw a month long party and especially looks forward to seeing her friends from the old Crowd.In town with Carney is her classmate at Vassar Isobel Porteous.Her high school sweetheart Larry Humphreys has come home too, but she finds irritating infuriating Sam Hutchinson quite attractive.

Winona's Pony Cart:In Deep Valley, Minnesota, Winona Root prays that her family gives her a pony for her eighth birthday.She has told her father what she wants, but he insists no way.Ignoring her dad's proclamation, Winona believes her wish will come true, which is what she tells her friends Betsy, Tacy, and Tib.

Two of the three Deep Valley stand alone stories (see Emily of Deep Valley); are filled with humor and pathos.Carney's House Party is a full novel while Winona's Pony Cart is a novelette, but each contains fully developed characters, a trademark of Maud Hart Lovelace.As the author did with her Betsy-Tacy saga, these reprints of Deep Valley books bring to life the seemingly innocence of early twentieth century Minnesota.

Harriet Klausner
... Read more

Product Description
Running a store is hard work. You need to get the store built, enter your products, test the site for security, find potential customers, entice them to purchase, and fulfill their orders. This book aims to make your task a little bit easier and hopefully even show you some great techniques that will help make the Internet work for you. These techniques are applicable to all stores built with Zen Cart whether you are a new e-tailer just starting out, a traditional store with retail outlets looking to break into the online world, or are well established online with your store and simply want to improve what you're doing. ... Read more

Product Description

In Detail

Zen Cart is a popular open-source PHP/MySQL-based e-commerce solution available under GPL that is designed to put the merchants' and shoppers' requirements first. Not only does Zen Cart offer a very long list of features, but the system is designed with both store owners and web developers in mind. There's no sacrifice of usability or power.

This easy-to-follow book will teach you how to install, configure, and customize a Zen Cart shop and use its promotion and public-relations tools to attract customers to the shop. It will also teach you to customize the look and feel of the Zen Cart shop by localizing and customizing templates. With this excellent tutorial, you will be able to extend and tweak the Zen Cart store.

What you will learn from this book?

• Install and configure your Zen Cart shop
• Manage, import, and export products in bulk
• Configure zones, currencies, payment processors, and shipping modules
• Use discounts, salemaker, cross-sell and up-sell to promote products
• Use gift certificates, discount coupons, and newsletters to attract customers
• Localize your shop by translating and adding new language and locales
• Create or customize templates for your shop
• Migrate products and customers from osCommerce to Zen Cart
• Integrate Zen Cart shop with other CMSs like e107, xoops, gallery2, WordPress, phpBB, etc.

Approach

This is a highly practical book that can act as a reference material to which you will want to return again and again. The discussion in the book is right up-to-the point and it is filled with ample practical examples.

Customer Reviews (10)

Not very useful, waste of money!
This book is really no help at all. Each chapter starts with "I am sure you are already familiar with". You can get more info from zencarts online help. A complete waste of $40!

Good start for beginner/novice Zen Cart developers
This is a perfect book for someone who has some experience with a PHP-based CMS, like WordPress, and wants to build an ecommerce site quickly. The author does a great job showing how to install Zen Cart, connect to a payment gateway, like PayPal, and modify the template.

It does as advertised. It will show a novice/beginner web developer how to quickly set up a basic store.

However, as other reviews have pointed out, this book doesn't really get into customizing Zen Cart and advanced topics like how to optimize Zen Cart for SEO. The problem is most Zen Cart books out today are not much help for experienced Zen Cart develoopers.

Still, this book gets five stars because it does a great job explaining how to configure Zen Cart. It doesn't claim to be a book for advanced users. I have looked at other Zen Cart books and this is the only one that I would recommend to others.

If you want to learn Zen Cart basics, this is a great start.

Zen Cart is an amazingly powerful web software.
This book aims to allow the new user a tactile base of understanding the complexities of this very adjustable software platform. The company does offer an online forum and FAQ, however this offers the new user an easy desk referrance, and allows for the moderate user to understand the complexity this software can allow. All in all a wonderful software and book definately worth develing into.

Good for beginners who want to set up the store, Bad for developers
Like the title of the post says, the book is good for those who want to know how to install a zen cart store and set it up. Its pretty much up to date with the most current version.

CONS:

This is not the book you want if you are a developer and looking to customize the store front. You will get nothing out of it, if thats what you want to do.

Overall..I'd recommend this book to those who just want to know how to use the store and set it up

totally worthless
I've set up Zen Cart for the first time, using this book as a primer.

In the course of getting everything configured and working, I've had many questions.None of my questions was answered by this book.

I've found answers in the documentation that comes with Zen Cart, I've found answers by searching online, I've gotten help in the Zen Cart forums, and I've figured out some things by trial and error...but not once has this book told me anything that wasn't obvious from looking at the screens. ... Read more

Product Description
Looking to set up your own online store to sell your service or product?

Join the growing number of satisfied store owners who have done so with the free, open source, and powerful Zen Cart shopping cart software.

Customer Reviews (5)

Always available at [...]
Good book. Zen cart can be confusing if you won't adapt to working the way it works. I was very frustrated and gave up on it until I realized I was insisting it work like Joomla, a CMS I was used to.

There are people who are trying to sell this book here for 99.00. They are greedy or insane. You can buy it through [...] for under 50.00 or at the Zen Cart site.

Zen Cart Book
Do not attempt to set up your Zen Cart without this book. It is just fantastic. It contains essential details about every aspect of Zen Cart explaining what some books assume you should know and therefore do not address. I liked the details and what happens if you do "this or that" when setting up. Even if you are completely new to open source as I was, this book explains enough to make set up, if not relatively easy - it will make it very understandable. It will preserve your sanity. Definitely worth every penny!

Zen Cart review
Product arrived as scheduled.Book is written to create Zen Cart on PC.More detail needs to be given for servers and website design.

Comrehensive and practical guide for using ZenCart
This is great, it helps me understand how to configure the important practical aspects of the online store.This guide is not written for nerds, so I know that some of the programmer whiz kids will be disappointed that it doesn't contain obscure source code and cryptic command lines.Instead it has deep content on the everyday configuration items, like adding products and shipping options, the customer order workflow, as well as a advanced topics.Although this guide is written for the general audience, it IS very comprehensive.This kind of good documentation is a rare find in the open source community, but here it is.Well worth the money.

Ok for beginners, but could have been better
If you are completely new to Zen Cart, like having a printed manual to help guide you, and have some extra money, this book is a nice way to get started. But if you already know your way around Zen Cart, don't even bother.

The author provides a guided tour of Zen Cart's admin panel. This book is huge and does a great job explaining how each feature on the admin menu works, like adding and organizing the product catalog and managing the customer database. It also explains how to connect Zen Cart to the various payment systems, like PayPal and Authorize.net.

However, the book does not provide sufficient information on how to edit the design templates and leaves it up to reader to poke around the numerous configuration files to figure out how to change Zen Cart's default design. There are no "getting-started" tutorials. Fortunately, if you want to learn how to change the look and feel of your Zen Cart project, there is a very helpful Zen Cart developer community and the Zen Cart website does have information on editing templates.

Still, it would be have nice if there was just a few pages explaining Zen Cart's templates. Hopefully, there will be other Zen Cart books in the future that will cover design more than this guide, which is nothing more than a thick printed help file. ... Read more

Product Description
This practical, real-world guide serves as a complete “how to” reference on the different aspects of court reporting. It uses easy-to-understand language to introduce both the basic and advanced concepts of court reporting across a wide range of court and legal procedures. The book is packed with general forms, sample written knowledge tests, and review questions designed to give learners an excellent source of information concerning how the court reporter functions in the real world, as well as actual issues they face.A five-part organization divides material into sections on General Information; Official Reporting; Freelance; Caption and CART; and Useful Information. Comprehensive coverage includes the various types of reporting assignments, administering oaths, notary public duties, taking and transcribing court cases, and video grand jury work.For court reporters, freelance reporters, closed captioning reporters, and CART providers. ... Read more

Product Description
Running a store is hard work. You need to get the store built, enter your products, test the site for security, find potential customers, entice them to purchase, and fulfill their orders. This book aims to make your task a little bit easier and hopefully even show you some great techniques that will help make the Internet work for you.

This book will show you how to optimize your site so that Google (and those other search engines) will start bringing customers to you. You'll learn how to improve the user experience so that people will not only look through your product list but will find your site to be fast, responsive, helpful, and targeted to their needs.

These techniques are applicable to all stores built with Zen Cart whether you are a new e-tailer just starting out, a traditional store with retail outlets looking to break into the online world, or are well established online with your store and simply want to improve what you're doing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Book, Goes above and beyond!!!
As a website developer who has read many technical books, this one stands out as one of the best. Well written and easy to understand, this book takes the complex topic of Zen Cart optimization and makes it easy to understand without missing out on the needed technical details.

Above and beyond the Zen Cart optimization, this book delves into details of search engine optimization and provides the reader with descriptions of useful tools and tips that can be used on any website that needs traffic improvements.I've already put some of the suggestions to use and my clients are starting to see results in just a few days!!!!

One more thing, you really can't beat the price of this book. I purchased another one on the topic, full of fluff for 4 times the price and got less out of it.In the final analysis, if you want to improve search engine ranking on your website(s), BUY THIS BOOK!!

... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (29)

excellent vegan cookbok
This is a great vegan cookbook.The author uses normal everyday ingredients.Her recipes are both creative and basic.All recipes I have made so far have been very tasty and easy to prepare.

Kindle Edition
I ordered the Kindle edition of this book since other reviews stated that there weren't any pictures, so I thought that the kindle edition would be fine especially since I usually look-up recipes on my computer anyways.While the recipes themselves look great the kindle edition is TERRIBLE!!!It is impossible to navigate to a specific recipe and worse yet you can't tell which recipe the ingredients go with since the page breaks are all off.I have tried viewing it on my Kindle, my Kindle for Mac and my Kindle for Android and still cannot tell which ingredients go with which recipe without time consuming scrutiny.On a positive note I am actually about to re-order this item in the print version because what I was able to see looked delicious and I can't wait to get a usable copy of this book.

not for novice cooks
I made the first recipe that was given in the free chapter.Lemon Blueberry Muffins.Came out good. I'm sure it would have came out better if she had told me to melt the coconut oil first before adding it to the liquid mixture. So a little oily.

Awesome
The bad: no pictures

The good:

1. Awesome recipes! I haven't had one that hasn't turned out perfectly. So far I've made Cauliflower-Chickpea Tagine (really good), Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Basil Cream Sauce, Quick Berry Jam (my friends beg me to make it all the time), Chickpeas with Tomato and Spinach, and a bunch of others I can't remember at the moment.
2. I love that she made menus so you can throw a dinner party and not stress about whether this dish goes with that dish etc.
3. I love the entertaining section of the book, tons of quick appetizers to appease hungry people and they taste great.
4. She really tries to get you involved in the recipe and the introduction to the book she explains/breaks everything down for the newly vegan.
5. Most recipes are pretty cheap to make, and I like cheap :)

Definitely get this if you're a beginning vegan. If you've been a vegan for many years you probably know most of the recipes in this book all ready, and if you didn't I'm pretty sure you would know how to veganize a non-vegan recipe by now. It's an entertaining read though!

I don't think all sugar is vegan sugar
She says all sugar is vegan sugar. It is my understanding that bones are used in the process of making sugar. Vegan sugar does not use bones. Has this changed? ... Read more

Product Description
Cart and Cwidder is the first in the best-selling Dalemark Quartet of books and tells the story of Moril and his brother and sister who are travelling musicians journeying through Dalemark, until one day they pick up a mysterious passenger.Somehow Moril's family and the stranger are becoming bound together in terror, flight, and music. BLDiana Wynne Jones is recognized as being one of the most outstanding writers of fantasy in recent times. BLThe Dalemark Quartet books are for good readers who have enjoyed the Christopher Chant books by the same author.The books contain the same ability to immerse the reader with real child characters having magical adventures in an imaginary world. BLThis genre of fantasy writing is currently very popular due to the success of the recent 'Lord of the Rings' film. BLDiana Wynne Jones has won the Guardian Award for fiction and has written over twenty novels in less than twenty years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

"I Move in More than One World..."
Diana Wynne Jones is best known for her quirky books that combine magic with realistic, everyday people dealing with the problems that magic creates. Though some take place in parallel worlds, the general atmosphere of these books are contemporary and firmly grounded in reality. However, "Cart and Cwidder" is the first book in the Dalemark quartet that follows the more generic pattern of fantasy (war in a created world) - making it unique in Wynne Jones's canon of books, but a typical inclusion to the range of fantasy novels.

Due to the conflict between north and south countries in the land of Dalemark, very few travellers move between them, with the exception of licensed musicians in their horse-drawn carts, entertaining the crowds wherever they stop. Dagner, Moril and Brid are the children of the singer Clennen and Lenina who are perfectly content to travel the lands, singing and passing on news across the lands. But then Moril's parents take on a new passenger named Kialan whom immediately rubs Moril up the wrong way. Between constant bickering, the three siblings, their parents and Kialan make their way northwards, but soon tragedy strikes and the four children are thrown into a series of chaotic and dangerous events. Inheriting the largest, oldest cwidder in the cart, Moril soon learns that it contains immense power, and with hostile forces closing in around them and Kialan's hidden identity revealed, Moril must learn to use this power in order to save him and the north.

No book by Diana Wynne Jones could ever be truly bad, but "Cart and Cwidder" is certainly not the top of her game. Though it contains the same thoughtful commentary on human behaviour and clever twists, but it lacks the sparkle and wit of her many other books. The characters are not quite as vivid and interesting as the likes of Chrestomanci and Howl, and the story not quite as intriguing as those found in "The Power of Three" and "Black Maria".

Yet for all of this, "Cart and Cwidder" is a worthwhile read if you have the next three volumes on hand, for the way in which Wynne Jones has created this series is immensely interesting (each one has a different situation and set of characters, yet are intricately connected).

One of the finest Children's Series
The Dalemark Quartet is an absolute classic - what I like most about it is that the first three books seem to be totally unlinked except for being set in the same 'world' of Dalemark. They completely turn the standard sequential trilogy/quartet model on its head. The characters are different from book to book. They don't coexist in time. Each is a compelling and brilliantly written stand-alone novel, but....
When I came to the final novel in the quartet I was awe-struck by Wynne Jones's deft handling of the ideas across the books. The links the parallels and the cunning interconnectedness of all four books slowly and magically unfold before you. I would give anything to write so well, so surely and so winningly. Every child's bookshelves should hold this series

One of DWJ's Best
Like most Diana Wynne Jones books, this is published for children and probably most appreciated by adults. Having read it as both, I see a lot more in it now. The theme of finding your own voice, shown through the main character's struggle to control a powerful magic cwidder (which seems to be something of a cross between a dulcimer and a kettle drum), resonates like a mountain-moving spell through every scene in the book.

Music seems to be a metaphor for writing, or for expression and discovery, as it is in many of Jones's books.

A great book
I loved this book.Between Brid and Moril, I think that Jones, the author, did a great job.The family seams to be happy, but there is more to that.The mother Leneia (sp?)is still in love with Ganner, the earl she was engaged to before she ran off with Clennen.Clennen, the father, is a wonderful singer and preformer, but holds a dark secret that puts the family in a few sticky situations.Then Kilian (sp?) comes along to join the family on there journey up to the north.He is unlike the rest of them, selfish (kind of), stuck up, and mean to Moril.When you think of him, you think BAD GUY!!!The Clennen gets murdered before Morils, Dagners (oldest son), and Brid.Oncwe he is gone Leneia goes to Ganner.At his house they see the man that killed Clennen.Then Brid, Moril, Kilian, and Dagner, head up noth to bring Kilian to Harnett.As they pass through towns, Dagner, trys to be a spy and hand oput information like his father, Clennen did.Not smart.He gets caught and is on the brink of ebing hanged.Brid and Moril now have to get Kilian, the son of the Earl of Harnett, up to the north before the weasal of a person, Tholion, gets he hands on him.

This is by far the best book in the quartet.I loved the characters and how tey interacted with eachother.I wanted more Brid and Kilian in the other books.

READ THIS BOOK

A Nice Fantasy for Children and Young Adults
Cart and Cwidder tells the story of a family of singers: Clennen, the larger-than-life lead singer and father, Lenina, the cool, calm highborn mother, Dagner, the talented but shy eldest son, Brid, the impetuous, talkative daughter and Moril, the dreamy youngest son.The family is happy enough, traveling around the country between North and South boundaries, performing for various towns and villages along the way.But when they take on a traveler, Kialan, to take him to the North, their happy life starts to unravel.Clennen is suddenly murdered in the woods.Lenina marries the nobleman she was engaged to before she ran off with Clennen.Dagner tries to continue his father's spy work and ends up in jail.Brid thinks that she is more clever than she is and leads the evil Tholian to Kialan, who is really the duke's son.It is left to Moril to try and muddle his way through, half awake, half dreaming, and learn how to play the magicial cwidder that his father left him.

I loved the characters.As soon as they were introduced, I felt as if I knew them and how they worked together.The author has a nice story to tell and it unfolds rather well, but is kind of abrupt in parts.The beginning of the book is a little slower paced, but once the ball gets rolling, it gets faster and faster and faster and never slows down again.I thought that it would have been nice to have a little more plot development, a little more time to tell the story.However, I do understand that this is a children's/young adult's book and it is a good length for them to read.The main reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the rather detached way that the story is told.Everything is in third person and I sometimes felt that the characters weren't feeling anything.This may be intentional, as Moril is a rather dreamy and detached character and tends to distance himself from circumstances in the real world, but it made the story less than it could have been.It would have been nice to have a more active feel to the story as a whole.Still, I think that most younger readers will enjoy this book.It is also a good introduction to fantasy for teens and children as it takes place in a place that seems normal with touches of magic here and there. ... Read more

Product Description
The romantic poems of 12th-century French poet Chretien de Troyes were of immense influence across Europe - widely imitated, translated, and adapted. Giving rise to a tradition of story-telling that continues to this day, the poems established the shape of the nascent Arthurian legend. In this translation of "Lancelot", Burton Raffel brings to English language readers the fourth of Chretien's five surviving romantic Arthurian poems. This poem was the first to introduce Lancelot as an important figure in the King Arthur legend. "Lancelot" tells of the adulterous relationship between the knight and his mistress, Guinevere, the wife of King Arthur. Thematically this poem differs from Chretien's other romances - Lancelot and Guinevere'slove is a serious crime against their king, Lancelot casts aside his knightly ideals and reputation for the sake of his beloved. and Arthur is endowed with a weaker personality. Raffel has created a three-stress metric verse from that captures Chretien's narrative and old French. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great and important story
Chretien de Troyes is one of the unsung heroes of world literature in general and Arthurian legend in particular. In Perceval he introduced the Grail, a fundamental symbol that fascinated other medieval writers, who expanded on it until the Grail became the defining object of the entire literature. And in Lancelot, Chretien created a story of love and betrayal that achieved almost equal importance with the Grail legend.

Chretien was the first poet to ascribe importance of any kind to Lancelot, who had been sometimes mentioned in Arthurian tales but never a major figure. In this poem, Lancelot becomes one of the bravest of Arthur's knights and, what is more, Queen Guinevere's lover.

The poem begins as so many do that concern Arthur--the court has gathered for merry-making and the festivities are interrupted by an evil figure. Here, it is Maleagant, who challenges Arthur to entrust his queen to any knight in the court. The knight will combat Maleagant, and whoever wins takes the queen home. Arthur is hard-pressed to choose, but the royal steward, Sir Kay, forces him to a decision by swearing he will leave the court if he is not chosen for the contest. Arthur submits to the demand and Kay is defeated.

Sir Gawain sets out to follow the captive queen and, perhaps, rescue her. He is joined by a young, unnamed knight, who is just as determined to rescue the queen. The knight, however, is forced to ride in a cart, a humiliating gesture that soils his reputation for the rest of the story. This "knight of the cart," of course, is Sir Lancelot, and he is bound to find and rescue Guinevere because of his deathless love of her. Lancelot and Gawain agree to journey separately to Maleagant's kingdom and try to save her.

Needless to say, Lancelot succeeds and it is during his stay there that he continues his adulterous liaisons with the queen, further complicating matters. Single combats and a lengthy term of harsh imprisonment ensue, and Lancelot can only be saved by the good things he has done for others.

Chretien's work has stood up well to the test of time. Not only is the quest perfect mixture of adventure and excitement--with numerous combats, near-deaths, and feats of courage and endurance--the story resonates with deep meaning and themes that are still important today. Humility is among the foremost--Lancelot is not named for nearly half the story, and he willingly endures the humiliation of the cart for the chance to rescue his queen. Love and betrayal are also prominent, as is the question of how deeply in love a person should actually be.

Burton Raffel's translation of Lancelot is a brisk read, both exciting and fun. As a non-French-speaker, I can't attest to the literal accuracy of the traslation, but based on his track record in Old English and Middle High German, it can't be very loose. The afterword by Joseph Duggan is very good, highlighting the importance of the poem and its themes, as well as the interesting notion--very strongly argued--that Chretien was not particularly fond of this story. In fact, it was probably not even his idea, which is why Lancelot is sometimes painted as a dolt and sometimes as an idolater, worshipping Guinevere as some would God.

If you're interested in medieval literature, particularly knightly tales and anything concerned with Arthurian legend, Lancelot is in indispensable read. You won't be disappointed.

Highly recommended.

Review of English Translation
This book has been translated into English, but I don't think that he translates as best as he could.He translates into modern/slang English, and not the English that would French would directly translate to.If youwould like to get a general gist of Chrétien de Troyes' book, then thistranslation would be the best to read.Unfortunately, the lines of thisbook are only in English; there is no Old French to compare his English to. That does make it harder to read if you're into die-hard FrenchTranslation.For the average reader, this book would be a good buy. ... Read more

Product Description
From humor to drama to fiction on the edge, ten award-winning authors invite readers to view the future through stories with themes as diverse as love, hate, the environment, disease, and the fate of the human race. Amazon.com Review
In homage to the new millennium, young adult literature criticand author Michael Cart (My Father's Scar)invites nine well-known writers to join him in crafting a story aboutthe future. "Since we are what we were," he notes, "retrospectionmight also be in order." Historical fiction writer James Cross Giblintakes him at his word with "Night of the Plague," a story harking backto the terrors the coming of the first millennium wrought, and JonScieszka plays it for laughs at a Neanderthal-bashing New Year's Eveparty in 33001 B.C. Katherine Paterson writes a story about the lastdog, Jacqueline Woodson explores single motherhood, and Ron Koertgeemploys his amusing style in a tale of socially awkward young men thataffirms that, in spite of robots, "there are two things that are nevergonna change. There's always gonna be a spring dance, and guys arealways gonna play ball." Tor Seidler echoes the sentiment, but thistime it's football, rather than baseball. Lois Lowry soars with herpoignant portrayal of an old man's rage at betrayal andchange. Surprisingly, only two of the authors shape their stories asscience fiction: Gloria Skurzynski, with a Martian Cain and Abeladventure, and Rodman Philbrick, with a brief but terrifying glimpseof a future without compassion reminiscent of A ClockworkOrange. Teens will find something for every taste in thiswide-ranging sampler. (Ages 10 to 14) --Patty Campbell ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Wonderful book
This is quite possibly one of the best compilations of short stories I've ever read... each one good in its own way. This is a great book for someone of the middle school to highschool range, there's a lot of stories to relate to. Its very magical in the way it captures you... even more so than most adult novels I've read. This book really makes you think!!!

Tomorrow land
The Last Dog is a great, funny story by Katherine Paterson.The story takes place in the future.A man named Brock lives in a dome with other humans. They think the water and the air are poisoned from pollution.One day Brock went outside of the dome.Brock sees a dog in the wild and names him Brog.He takes Brog to the dome.When he is there, the other scientist wanted to experiment on Brog.Brock tries to save the dog.

More like Nowland, but still good
It's a nice compilation of stories that takes now and brings it into a look-ahead perspective. It's got a lot of variety, so you won't get bored that easily. Ranging from sibling rivalries to dating hassles, all the short stories have some common trait we all can relate to like fear, loyality, faith, love, envy, anger, hatred and so on. The best story in my opinion (which actually boosts this rating) is the one written by the compiler himself. Cart's pre-millenium tale about a boy in love with a priest's daughter is pretty good and the climax of the boy's choice over right and wrong, between love and faith is released very well. All in all, the book's not a bad read...worth a look but not a buy.

-
Tomorrowland is a collection of about the future, each one unique becauseof the different views of the authors.By having different authors, thereader gets a broader picture with more variety of what the future holds.

An ecclectic group of stories for the new millenium
The title of Tomorrow Land is a bit misleading: Not all ofthese stories are about the future. Instead, editor Michael Cart didwhat good editors do: He gave a group of talented writers an starting point and let them go wherever their imagination led them. What on the surface looks like some kind of SF collection is instead a quirky collection of stories taking place in the past, present, and future. Overall, the book is a wonderful read that leaves its readers with plenty to think about. ... Read more

Product Description
Today s young adult literature is every bit as complex as the audience it s written for, unflinchingly addressing such topics as homosexuality, mental illness, AIDS and drug abuse. In this much expanded revision of his 1996 book, veteran author Michael Cart shows how the best of contemporary YA lit has evolved to tackle such daunting subjects without resorting to sensationalism. He brings his historical survey of this category fully up to date, covering its explosive growth in the past decade, and advocating that librarians and teachers look beyond romance and horror when advising young adults. This survey helps YA librarians who want to freshen up their readers advisory skills, teachers who use novels in the classroom, and adult services librarians who increasingly find themselves addressing the queries of teen patrons by covering the

• Reading habits of today s teens
• Influence of new technologies and formats
• New YA lit awards

Customer Reviews (1)

love it!
Excellent! Insightful, detailed and fun to read. Really captures the history and trends in YA lit. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (30)

Hilarious!
This book is totally awesome!The imagination and humor combined made for great fun!I read it with my friend, which was a blast!Some of the stories are more laugh out loud funny than others, and you probably couldn't read the book very many times, since you would already know the jokes.Great for a coffee table book, or even for a waiting area or lounge.Somewhere that it could be enjoyed by many different people.Plus, each page is a new little story, so they wouldn't need to read the whole thing to get the humor out of it.
Totally memorable, totally fresh, totally funny!

cute!!!!
This was entertaining. Sort of dry humor and more witty than hilarious. But, I would definitely recommend it especially for the price.

Absolute genius
I'd never heard of Hillary Carlip until my vastly superior half brought this book home. Now I think Ms. Carlip is a creative genius.

She begins with the tale of her fascination with discarded grocery store shopping lists she was a teenager. And she imagined the people who were behind those lists.

In "A la Cart", Carlip imagineers 26 shopping lists and the people behind them. The settings for each vignette are grocery stores - or stores that sell at least some groceries.

She emulates Cindy Sherman in creating new personae, 26 of them of various genders, ethnicities, ages, physical appearances and presentation. A Hispanic homosexual male? No sweat. An aging, but still attractive, porn star? You got it. A woman who still entertains after six decades in "show business" and mourns for her husband, while holding on to the glory of her special recipe? Touching beyond imagination.

Carlip creates entire scenarios. She imagines the characters and she and a little team create them from makeup, clothes and props. Barbara Green does the photography, which is also superb. It is difficult that each of the 26 characters is Carlip. From a flouncy porn star to a goth male and a hooker with a heart of gold, a couple of elderly women and an elderly man. It is a tour de force.

Each of the characters is accompanied by a little narrative, a first-person narrative - and they are absolute gems. Carlip embodies a surprisingly detailed, surprisingly moving story in about a page and a half.

The graphic design is excellent, as well.

The overall attention to detail in the makeup, costuming, props, location and photography is stunning.

This is a wonderful book, a showcase for Hillary Carlip's talents. (She also operates a web and graphics design business.) This book is not only one you'll enjoy at home, picking it up now and then, but as gifts as well, for "A la Cart" is truly unique.

Jerry

A great gift!
I originally ordered this as a gift, but then had to get one for myself!This is very entertaining, especially for those of us who like to take a little peek into other peoples business!The photos are great and the diverse personalities really come through.

Lost your grocery list?See yourself here!
This book comes from an interesting concept. Comedienne Hilary Carlip collects abandoned grocery lists, and here she's compiled a group of them and dreamed up the characters who might have written them. Carlip has written a backstory for each of the characters and she's dressed up as each of them. And, shockingly perhaps, her impersonations are quite convincing. Carlip has become everyone from a teenage goth to an elderly man. Some of the stories are funny and some are actually quite sad. What's truly striking about this book is Carlip's ability to portray a ridiculously broad range of characters. The fact that she came up with all of this from a stack of found shopping lists is impressive. THis is a coffee table book. It's both larger than your average book, and full of bright colors and glossy pictures. Ultimately, I found the concept and the photos to be more interesting than the text. This is more a book to thumb through than to sit and read. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (12)

Very, very awesome
I absolutley loved this book. It walks a fine line between serious and funny, and you feel good when you're done reading it. A side, slightly minor point that gave me great pleasure was that, although he doesn't dwell on it, Morris does mention the persecution of the Jews at that point in time. I was always under the impression that everyone knew about the awful treatment of the Jews in the Middle Ages (in some cases, escpecially during the crusades, the death count was higher than the Holocaust), but was recently disabused of this belief. The book, and the whole series, is an icredibly fun interpretation of King Arthur and his court, and I highly recommend it for everyone!

A little darker, but just as good
Morris here introduces some darker themes: cruelty, anti-Semitism, vengeance and hatred.There's humor, but the book also shows some of the harsh reality of the Middle Ages -- and of the present day.I loved the book, loved how Sarah steps in when Gawain, Terence and even Lancelot can't help, conquering her fear and discovering the rewards and the obligations inherent in friendship.

We fight over who gets to read the next one in the series first!
After reading one book by author Gerald Morris, we were addicted!Now my husband (43), my son (12), and myself (37) are fighting over every book in the Squire's Tales series that we can get our hands on!We bought this book because we heard it was "good literature."We had no idea HOW good until we read it.It is clever, witty, sarcastic, adventurous, and inspirational!My husband laughed so hard he cried!It is a very entertaining retelling of the King Arthur stories and Canterbury Tales, complete with knights, castles, princesses, magic, fairies, herbs with healing powers, and quests!The characters as sassy and full of spunk, and there is a new adventure around every corner.We recommended these books to our local library, some of the librarians read one of the books, and they ended up ordering a bunch of the books from The Squire's Tales series for the library.(This book is the sixth in the series.)It is easy to recommend such a charming and entertaining book!

Yet ANOTHER Book to Get Lost In!!! jmeascsKeinnon
The Princess, the Crone, and the Dung-Cart Knight is a GREAT book!

In this story the heroine, Sarah, is an orphan. Being the only witness of Queen Guinevere's abduction, she sets off to Camelot to tell King Arthur about his wife. Soon she finds herself on quest with Gawain and his Squire, Terence, both to rescue the queen and a secret quest of her own.

Filled with the usual assembly of recreant knights, "holy men", and other hilarious characters, this book has kept me turning pages till the very end. My favorite character is King Bagdemagus, a very, very silly man who is always in the latest fashion; whether it's a brilliant green silk robe or torn up shepherd's clothes!!!

In conclusion, The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady is something I think everyone should read and enjoy. So, if you like ADVENTURE, ARTHURIAN TALES, KNIGHTS, Sir LANCELOT, SWORD FIGHTS AND MAGIC, this is the book for you!!!

an EXCELLENT ADVENTURE book by XMMO

This is a great book! It's not as funny as THE SQUIRE'S TALE, but it's more adventure. You see, Sarah witnesses the Queen and Sir Kai's obduction, and she goes for help. Soon she finds herself accompanied by the famous Sir Gawain, his squire, Terence, and searching for the queen and kai.But Sarah's also on a quest of her own, with onlya mysterious old crone to help her. This book is filled with ACTION, ADVENTURE, KNIGHTS, ENCHANTMENTS, SUSPENSE,MAGIC, OTHER-WORLDLY-BEINGS, all on a MEDIEVAL back ground!This really is a great read! ... Read more

Product Description
Are you a skilled realtime reporter looking for a change?Do you need a new challenge in your life?

If so, Alternative Realtime Careers: A Guide to Closed Captioning andCART for Court Reporters, by Gary D. Robson, is the book foryou. You'll learn everything you need to know about the captioning andCART work environments and, more importantly, how to prepare for theseexciting career opportunities. You'll also find information on:

• How to apply for a realtime job

• Captioning from your home

• Starting your own CART or captioning business

• Deaf culture

• The laws that govern the use of captioning

Also, Alternative Realtime Careers offers a variety of case studies,so you can find out how other reporters have transitioned into thecaptioning or CART fields, and a comprehensive list of software andhardware vendors and Web sites.

A JCR Contributing Editor, Gary Robson has been involved in thecaptioning industry since 1989. In addition to his softwareengineering work in captioning and court reporting, he wrote InsideCaptioning, the definitive guide to the captioning industry, and TheCourt Reporter's Guide to Cyberspace. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the true story of a Florida woman who hid her lesbian identity for over 20 years. When she finally came out in 1979, she lost custody of her two young children which thrust her into activism fueled by anger. But it was her irreverent sense of humor that helped her to survive. This is a story of resilience and of passion for social justice. Homelessness, depression, and failed relationships gave way to forgiveness, success, and self-love. This is the story of one woman's dance through life from difficult discoveries to sweet reunions. It is the story of the heartfelt joy of an unconventional grandma! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Inspiration for the soul
Although my tastes run towards historical biographies, I kindled this memoir.
To suggest that I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. I was blown away. Sanlo's ability to bring me to tears was timed effortlessly by introducing a needed moment of audible laughter. I literally stayed up all night finishing the book.

Read it now. You will be inspired by this everyday woman's ability to be a teacher & a student of life.

Inspiring
Dr. Ronni, as she is known to us at UCLA, is someone I will endlessly look up to. To have gotten the opportunity to read her words (and to have them nearby whenever I need to reach for them) is a priceless gift.

Well Done Professor Sanlo
Ronni Sanlo's autobiography, The Purple Golf Cart, gives the reader wonderful insight into what it was like to be gay in the 80s.Although we still have mountains to climb, Ronni's life story demonstrates how far we have traveled.With humor and eloquence, Ronni relates her journey from a heterosexual upbringing to a homeless lesbian to a respected professor and national LGBT leader.Reading her story is at times painful, at times sad, and at all times educational.Through Ronni, we learn about ourselves by learning about those who preceded us.Well done Professor Sanlo!!!

A history both personal and public
Ronni Sanlo weaves her story into its place in LGBT history. It's hard for her not to because she was at the center of much of that history being made, particularly in one of the first battlegrounds of that civil rights war--Florida. She doesn't let the defeats (and there were many) get her down and she fights back with humor and courage to make the world (especially many college campus which she helped brighten with LGBT Centers). She tells her story without pity or self-aggrandizement which could well inspire others to fight the good fight. Worth reading for the personal memoir as well as the slice of America (both gay and straight) of the late 20th Century which she covers.

A tremendously moving story of survival
Ronni's story inspires any reader. From the cruel effects of Anita Bryant's Dade County days, through reconciliation with her children and a new life in California, Ronni shows true resilience. Her less-than-terrific golf score doesn't match the beauty of the purple golf cart or of her life ... Read more

Product Description
Rosie, the "peculiar cart-lady" who lives on the streets, receives the gift of kindness from certain people she meets. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Give the gift of Rosie to a child
For any parent, grandparent or friend who has tried to explain homelessness to a child, this book will be an invaluable resource.It paints the picture of Rosie through a child's eyes, and shows the magicpower of simple love.Makes a perfect gift for the child who is beginningto examine the world around him or herself and ask intelligent questions. ... Read more

Product Description
Creating a usable e-commerce application is a daunting challenge. There is so much to do, from the initial concept, through to designing and coding the application. This leaves a lot of scope for things to go wrong.In this book, we take all the hassle out of online shopping applications, by showing you how to plan your application, design the user interface and data store, and code the entire thing. But it doesnt stop there &emdash; we provide the full code for two complete shopping cart applications, customizable for your own needs.

What you'll learn:

• Planning and designing an entire e-commerce application
• Implementing the product catalog, shopping cart, and checkout system
• Making your web application secure

Customer Reviews (4)

Incroyable
Ce livre est tellement géant que j'ai du pour l' apprehender correctement faire un détour vers le Livre de D. Powers sur 'php5 for Flash' pour en apprecier le goût parfait de la perfection. Les auteurs de ce livres vous accompagnent pour la réalisation total de votre site Ecommerce des plus sophistiqué et intelligent qu'il soit. Merci encore et 'bonjour chez vous!'.

a full treatment of an e-commerce application
The authors set forth an ambitious goal. In one book, they try to show you how to design and code a full e-commerce application. From laying out the user interface and connecting its interactions with a server running a relational database. For the latter, they spend some time with an extended example that involves constructing a set of interrelated tables, with primary and foreign keys.

Those of you already familiar with RDB and the various normal forms will be very comfortable here. For the actual database, they illustrate with Microsoft SQL and the free MySQL. The code to connect is given in fair detail. Quite aside from anything else, the differences and similarities between these databases can be very useful. You can see the pros and cons of going with either. Heck, if you are searching for a book that compares these 2 common and important databases, this book is a good choice.

The book is a little curious in one way. The authors are clearly skilled, but they don't seem to use the formal Model-View-Controller (MVC) approach. Though you might see that the various pieces and interconnections they give can amount to this. Nor do they explicitly use the idea of an n-tier architecture. Perhaps they chose to omit these ideas to simplify the narrative. Since if you successfully use their ideas to build your application, the MVC and n-tier ideas can then have far more substance to you, when you later encounter them.

A full treatment of an e-commerce application
The authors set forth an ambitious goal. In one book, they try to show you how to design and code a full e-commerce application. From laying out the user interface and connecting its interactions with a server running a relational database. For the latter, they spend some time with an extended example that involves constructing a set of interrelated tables, with primary and foreign keys. Those of you already familiar with RDB and the various normal forms will be very comfortable here.

For the actual database, they illustrate with Microsoft SQL and the free MySQL. The code to connect is given in fair detail. Quite aside from anything else, the differences and similarities between these databases can be very useful. You can see the pros and cons of going with either. Heck, if you are searching for a book that compares these 2 common and important databases, this book is a good choice.

The book is a little curious in one way. The authors are clearly skilled, but they don't seem to use the formal Model-View-Controller (MVC) approach. Though you might see that the various pieces and interconnections they give can amount to this. Nor do they explicitly use the idea of an n-tier architecture. Perhaps they chose to omit these ideas to simplify the narrative. Since if you successfully use their ideas to build your application, the MVC and n-tier ideas can then have far more substance to you, when you later encounter them.

Practical oriented and well-focused
Once again glasshaus delivered a practical oriented and well-focused book. The authors don't waste time, straight to the meat; the book is actually full of well-explained code listings. The sample applications use ASP/SQL server and PHP/MySQL, but a lot of material is still relevant for other technologies, especially the coverage of database design, but also usability, interfaces and workflow
BTW The book is actually 300+ pages long ... Read more