What is WebSphere? Java, J2EE, Portal and Beyond! (Demystifying IBM's Middle Tier Technology, Vol. 1)

What is WebSphere? Java, J2EE, Portal and Beyond! (Demystifying IBM's Middle Tier Technology, Vol. 1)
Average customer rating:

Not enough for your money !

Great book *** Easy read *** Friendly Author *** Highly recommended ***

Great intro to J2EE and WebSphere

A decent little read, but ...

Glue for the puzzle

What is WebSphere? Java, J2EE, Portal and Beyond! (Demystifying IBM's Middle Tier Technology, Vol. 1)
Cameron McKenzie
Manufacturer: PulpJava
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Java | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
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IBM WebSphere Portal Primer: Second Edition

ASIN: 1591968097
Release Date: 2007-02-19

Product Description

What is WebSphere? is the reference you need to start understanding, managing, and capitalizing on an IBM based, WebSphere infrastructure..... As a developer, mentor and technical trainer, the author, Cameron McKenzie, has been preaching the virtues of WebSphere for years. However, in his sermons, the same questions keep coming up, over and over again..... What is WebSphere? tackles those questions in a funny, informative and easy to understand manner. This book is the best tool around for demystifying IBM's middle-tier technology..... What is WebSphere? tackles those 'need to know' questions to which both WebSphere soldiers and J2EE neophytes need to have the answers..... If you want to learn about WebSphere in a hurry, but you don't want to read a 700 page textbook that is littered with unreadable code, this is the book for you. In fact, the author promises right off the bat to demystify WebSphere without throwing all sorts of HTML and Java code in your face. Of course, the author breaks that promise on about half a dozen pages, but the sentiment remains..... Whether you're a DBA, a senior systems analyst, a project manager, or a Java developer, there is knowledge in this book that you absolutely need to have..... The sections on demystifying J2EE and the WebSphere runtime environment will empower project managers to make more effective management decisions..... The section on connection pooling and JDBC management will enlighten DBAs..... The advanced sections on WebSphere classloaders, Java Naming (JNDI) and session management will enable developers to better leverage the services afforded to them by the WebSphere Application Server..... And the sections on the WebSphere runtime will help J2EE architects make more enlightened infrastructure decisions..... It doesn't matter who you are - if you are using WebSphere, you need the knowledge contained in this book! Order your copy now!

Customer Reviews:

Not enough for your money !.......2007-09-05

OK, so I know more about Websphere than before I read the book. It was simple to read and understand. It cleared up alot of questions and broke down Websphere to basics. But it left me hanging in different areas like MQSeries for the mainframe and distributed systems. The book is only 270 pages with a page size 5 1/2 X 9", that means if it had more standard size pages like 8 x 10, it would probable be around 220 pages, which is like primer-size. In otherwords $73, for a primer is way too much. If you're in IT Audit, this book won't help.

Great book *** Easy read *** Friendly Author *** Highly recommended ***.......2007-09-05

For anyone who has been thrown into a world of WebSphere and IBM middle-tier development, it is easy to become overwhelmed. Pretty soon, you're thrown into a world of SOA, session management, classloading configurations, Servlet and JSP develpment, worlkload management, portal servers and scalable hardward choices. It's pretty overwhelming, and that's exactly why a book like this one just seemed to be calling out to me.

Well, I was pleasantly surprised with the book I received, as I was expecting a somewhat more technical and overly verbose textbook that what I got. Instead, the book is written extremely well, and with a very funny and casually spoken flow. All of the core concepts that revolve around a Websphere architecture and environment are covered in good, but not excruciating, detail, and the explainations are often funny, and always easy to understand.

Anyone looking at having to work with a Websphere infrastructure, be it as a manager, developer, administrator or salesperson should definitely get their hands on a copy of this book. While it doesn't cover every possible thing in the Websphere world, it does cover the all of the key pieces that you need to know in order to look and sound knowledgeable.

My only complaint was the price, which is a little steep, but I guess that's just par for the course for IBM related books. I bought from the publisher through amazon, and got the book at a good discount. The seller was also the author, and actually responded quickly to a couple of my emails. It's nice to get that type of personal service.

Highly recommended.

Great intro to J2EE and WebSphere.......2007-08-23

This book is an excellent introduction for a manager or developer willing to understand WebSphere and the J2EE specification from a very high perspective. It's not a deep introduction, the book just covers the most important topics but it does in a funny but yet illustrative form. I read the book in a couple of days, it's short and fast-paced.

My only complain is the price you have to pay for the book. I don't think it worths all the bucks you pay even when you may find it is a great book. But if you have the money and you don't mind the book is short and the presentation quite simple, then go for this book, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

A decent little read, but ..........2007-06-25

Let me say at the outset that I like the book very much. The author writes in an amusing but informative style, and a lot of the buzzword topics of J2EE are covered nicely.

I was disappointed though with:

(a) the marketing of the book: demystification, yes, but to a point. Few examples, and some topics (like EJBs and JMS) are very "light-on".
(b) the price of the book: $73 is expensive for any textbook.

I think if the prospective buyer understands that this book is totally non-technical, very short, and is virtually a "Websphere for Dummies" book then they'll rate it 5 stars. If you want something to explain Websphere and J2EE concepts with greater significance then look elsewhere.

Glue for the puzzle.......2007-06-13

I have found this text to be outstanding in consolidating the many technologies which Websphere brings to the table. I am fairly new to these technologies, and the author explains the topics very well.

This is one of the rare times where reading a technical text book resulted right away in an ephiphany. The text explains the information so well, and the read is so easy that I feel my confidence growing as I read. Just a really great book for explaining WebSphere in a practical manner.

~Luke

SCJA - Sun Certified Java Associate Certification Study Guide for Java 5, J2EE and J2ME Technology from ExamScam.com - The Pre SCJP, Programmers Certification

Average customer rating:

This helped me pass the SCJA exam...Now to focus on SCJP!!!
The BEST and an UNIQUE study guide for SCJA certification--------It's an EXCELLENT book!!!!
This book SHINES. Far and away the best Java or technology book I've ever read.
far and away the best coverage of OOA and OOD I've ever read. Great Java Book - More Than a Cert Guide!
the best investment of time and money if you want to get Java certified

SCJA - Sun Certified Java Associate Certification Study Guide for Java 5, J2EE and J2ME Technology from ExamScam.com - The Pre SCJP, Programmers Certification
Cameron McKenzie ( http://www.portorials.com )
Manufacturer: SCJA Java Certification Study Guide Publising http://www.scja.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Java | Certification Central | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Certification Central | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Sun Professional Certifications | Certification Central | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Cameron McKenzie's SCJA Certification Exam Questions Guide First Edition Formerly ExamScam
SCJP Sun Certified Programmer for Java 5 Study Guide (Exam 310-055) (Certification Press Study Guides)
SCJP Exam for J2SE 5: A Concise and Comprehensive Study Guide for The Sun Certified Java Programmer Exam
Head First Java, 2nd Edition
Head First Servlets and JSP: Passing the Sun Certified Web Component Developer Exam (SCWCD)

ASIN: 1598726102
Release Date: 2007-02-17

Product Description

How many different ways can a great technical book stand out from the pack? That s the question you ll be able to answer in spades, once you ve gone through Cameron McKenzie s, SCJA Certification Study Guide.

Everyone one that puts their hands on the SCJA Certification Guide from www.scja.com comments on two things right away: 1) how entertaining the book is, and 2) how easy it is to read. I couldn t believe it! I read through the first three chapters in one sitting, and those three chapters made me want to read three more! Those are the types of comments we are flooded with when people finally get their hands on their SCJA Certification Guide.

And there are very good reasons as to why this Java book is so readable, and so enjoyable, not the least of which is the fact that the entire book was written, from start to finish, by one, and only one, author. The one-author-book is a rarity in the technical world these days, but its significance can t be understated. From start to finish, the author makes the objective of this book clear to get the reader certified, fast. With one, single, focused, author penning the pages, this book reads like a single, clear and contiguous thought. The fragmentation seen in so many books written by multiple authors is nowhere to be seen in this logical and free-flowing certification guide.

But not only is the book entertaining and easy to read, but it approaches Java, and the whole issue of approaching Java certification, from an entirely new perspective. Most people penning a book on Java would start the book by discussing syntax and code. But Cameron McKenzie refuses to fall into that old trap, instead, turning the SCJA Exam objectives on their head, by starting off with an in depth discussion the big picture issues, getting the reader excited about Java, and enthusiastic about learning how the language works.

Customer Reviews:

This helped me pass the SCJA exam...Now to focus on SCJP!!!.......2007-09-12

I wrote a review for the Question book by the same author, SCJA Sun Certified Java Associate Exam Questions Guide by Cameron McKenzie Passing Exam CX-310-019so for more detail about why I wrote the SCJA exam, and what I thought about it, check my review there.

As for this book, it totally delivered to me what I needed to know to pass the exam. I had a bit of programming knowledge, but very little OOA and OOD knowledge. I also came from a C background, and my knowledge of Java related technologies, such as JSPs and J2EE, was nil. This book did the best job at helping you understand the big picture of Java, along with explaining the intricacies of OOA and OOD with Java. Actually, this had probalby the best overview of object oriented analysis and design that I've ever read. I highly recommend it, even if you're not taking the exam.

I might improve the Java syntax section. The book doesn't go overly in depth into Java coding, although neither does the exam, so I guess it makes sense.

Otherwise, this was a great book about Java, J2EE and OOA&D. These books were all I used to get certified, and if you want to pass as well, I'm pretty sure they're all you'll need too.

Good luck! It's a tough exam!

The BEST and an UNIQUE study guide for SCJA certification--------It's an EXCELLENT book!!!!.......2007-06-27

Iam new to java. I studied this book and became from zero to SCJA certified and it's more than enough to become certified in SCJA even with zero experience in Java. It's so informative and exam oriented book which made the exam easy. Author Cameron explained the concepts, exam objectives in a very simple, interesting manner such that we can grasp and remember the concepts easily even with little knowledge in Java. The great thing about this book is even complex J2EE objectives were framed in a simple manner so that a beginner can able to understand and get good scores. All question models for the exam were covered in the book. With the experience of this exam I would like to suggest that, This the best book to buy for SCJA exam and newcomers of Java should write this SCJA exam to get overview of complete java like what is java? What are the different technologies present in java? Where we use these java technologies? and basics of java.
It's the unique exam guide I ever suggest.
My Best wishes for all those who are going to take SCJA exam!!!

This book SHINES. Far and away the best Java or technology book I've ever read........2007-06-21

As a certification guide, this book is excellent. It covers all of the objectives, teaches you everything you need to know for the SCJA exam, and does it efficiently and fast, without wasting any time on superfluous topics.

As a preparation guide, there are hundreds of questions in here to give you a good idea of what to expect on the exam. The three fifteen questions were almost exactly the same as the actual exam I aced last week. I would suggest getting the SCJA Questions Book SCJA - The Exam Questions Simulated
from the same author though if you really want to be prepared for the exam. Doing questions over and over again really is the best final preparation you can do.

As far as being just an all around awesome book about Java and technology, that's where this book shines. It's funny, it's interesting, and it covers an incredibly amount of information about Java and modern day development, in a funny, refreshing, and often opinionated manner that really makes you think.

I usually re-sell my books on amazon after I'm done with them, but that won't happen here. I'm keeping this one, because I know I'm going to come back to it again

far and away the best coverage of OOA and OOD I've ever read. Great Java Book - More Than a Cert Guide!.......2007-06-15

I am totally passionate about recommending this book to people. It's more than just a certification guide - it's a great book about Java, J2EE, object oriented programming, and Java design.

I never really got interfaces before getting this book. I understood the basics of object oriented design, but didn't really understand the why, and more importantly, the why nots. Now I really undestand about the importance of interfaces, the dangers of inheritance, and the benefits of abstraction. The chapters on object design and UML are far and away the best I've ever read.

This book, along with the SCJA questions book were the only two resources I used to pass the exam, and they really are the only two resources you need. Totally worth it!

For loads of practice questions that are very similar to the exam, even more so than Sun's online exams, you should get this book:

SCJA - The Exam Questions Simulated - Hundreds of Mock Exam Questions and Expert Answers for the Sun Certified Java Associate Exam, from ExamScam.com - SCJA - The New, Pre - SCJP Certification

the best investment of time and money if you want to get Java certified.......2007-05-14

I'm still amazed at how much information was packed into this book. Not only did it cover every SCJA objective in detail, but it provides hundreds of mock exam questions to test you on how well you are retaining knowledge.

The book was incredibly easy to read, moreso than any other technical book I've ever read, and I've read lots! The book was also filled with opinion, and the occassional cynical comment that made you chuckle.

The mock exam at the end of the book, along with the three, fifteen question mock exams, were exactly like the actual exam, and gave me a better idea on what to expect than any other prep material I looked at.

There are lots of questions on the SCJA exam about client and server technologies. I recommend anyone attempting to take the SCJA exam to go over the first three chapters on client and server technologies, over and over again. Every question I got on the exam about client and server technologies was covered, in one way or another, in those sections. If you know those sections, you'll completely ace those sections of the exam, which covers about 40% of the test. With that much under your belt, you can afford to get a few wrong on the other sections, and still pass with an awesome score.

I also used the Exam Questions Book from the same publisher. It was extremely helpful. After doing about 500 sample questions, I was not only ready for the exam, but also somewhat numb as well.

Five stars!

Average customer rating:

Beware
Half of this series is great...
Into the dark places
O Canada
Can't wait for the next one!

By the Time You Read This: A Novel
Giles Blunt
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Police Procedurals | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0805080619
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Book Description

Detective John Cardinal is on the hunt for an ingenious killer even as he mourns his own wife’s tragic death in this thriller of heart-stopping suspense

Autumn has arrived in Algonquin Bay, and with it an unusual spate of suicides. The most shocking victim yet is Detective John Cardinal’s wife, who has finally succumbed to her battle with manic depression. As Cardinal takes time to grieve, his partner, Lise Delorme, handles an unsavory assignment: a young girl appears in a series of unspeakable photos being traded online, and background elements indicate she lives in Algonquin Bay. Delorme is desperate to find the girl before she suffers more abuse.

When Cardinal receives a string of hateful anonymous notes about his wife’s death, he begins to suspect homicide. His colleagues believe he is too distraught to think clearly, and he’s forced to investigate alone. In doing so, he comes up against a brand of killer neither he—nor the reader—has ever seen before.

In his most masterful and thrilling novel yet, Giles Blunt confirms his reputation as a rising international star in crime fiction, and positions Detective John Cardinal among the finest characters in the genre.

Customer Reviews:

Beware.......2007-09-22

This is a well written murder mystery. Despite undisputable evidence, detective John Cardinal has a nagging suspicion that a shocking suicide isn't what it seems. But beware, there is plenty of grief and depression described in vivid detail in this story as the killer is revealed. It's not for everyone.

Half of this series is great..........2007-08-08

...but it's not two of the books, it's half of each book.

I've read the 4 books in this series over the past month and they all have the same problem in my opinion. The chapters which involve the cops Cardinal and Delorme are terrific, but the books contain many chapters which instead follow the criminals involved and I found them uniformly dull and unbelievable. I plodded through them just wanting them to be over.

I wish I could give the series a higher rating because I love the northern setting and the exploration of mental illness in a relationship. I was sorry to read the event of the first chapter of this one despite the lack of surprise due to the foreshadowing of another relationship throughout the series. I was also sorry to see Cardinal's past criminal act swept under the rug as the series progressed. If another book appears in the series I'll read it, but I wish the author would change his formula and keep his main characters involved throughout the book.

Into the dark places.......2007-06-17

John Cardinal, a small-town policeman, seems pretty run-of-the mill, like his community. Algonquin Bay sits on a lake, surrounded by Northern Ontario rocky forests. There are the usual little crimes and petty injustices to deal with. One night, however, while on the discomforting task of exposing an adultery situation, John is called to an accident scene. A woman has fallen from a new high rise. Or was she pushed? Or did she jump? This is of particular importance to John, because it turns out the woman is his wife, Catherine.

A photographer who often went out on solitary picture excursions - even in an Ontario winter - Catherine is also a depressive. She's been in the dark places. She's been hospitalised several times, returning to a warm homecoming and declaring "How lucky I am!" to have a family which can deal with her problems. That luck seems to have run out, or is it eroded? The last option, suicide, appears to be the cause of her death. There's even a note: "By the time you read this . . .". That should close the case and John Cardinal should take some time to work through his grief. His own dark time is just beginning.

John and Catherine were together too long and they knew each other too well for this copper to rest on easy answers. The note is an enigma, not clarified by some disturbing mail John receives. Little bits of information, imparted willingly or inadvertently, build suspicions in his mind, and he must follow them through. To get to the resolution, John encounters some disturbing elements. A child pornography "ring" on the Internet has reached his town. In fact, it might be centred in Algonquin Bay as Cardinal's colleague Lise Delorme is undertaking to determine. How dark is that news to a town where vulnerable children are supposed to be a rarity? A psychiatrist, Dr Frederick Bell, the doctor counselling Catherine, has a checkered background. What relevance do all these things have to the death of his wife?

A good mystery should command your attention, and Giles Blunt gets you up and running from the opening pages. He weaves an intricate tale, populated by some fascinating characters. He portrays them skillfully - none are seriously overdrawn, and all are plausible. The plot shifts are carefully handled, but Blunt isn't a mystery "mechanic". Events are under the control of the people involved and it's their reactions to changing circumstances that keep this book interesting. If you're a mystery buff, this should make a welcome addition to your collection. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

O Canada.......2007-06-14

Don't often read mysterys set in Canada and written by a Canadian. Blunt has created a special place with his Algonquin Bay CID unit. Great read, easy to digest and remember the story line. The characters are fleshed out. I recommend his entire series.

Can't wait for the next one!.......2007-05-28

Having recently read all of Giles Blunt's previous books featuring Cardinal and Delorme, I devoured this one in a single day. It's his best yet, with less of the overt evil and grisly detail of some of the earlier books, but even more of the superb character study and psychological insight. The evil in this book is subtler, and it's completely believable.

Simply put, Blunt is a terrific writer. His prose is crisp and unfussy, yet still evocative and moving. He knows his setting thoroughly and recreates it so effectively that even if you've never been to his small Ontario city, you feel that you know it well too. His characters are vividly drawn and very real; I find myself thinking about Cardinal and Delorme after I've finished of the books, which is as much as you can ask from any writer.

I've Got a Home in Glory Land: A Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad

Average customer rating:

A Must Read!
An absorbing story
A Kentucky-Canada Story

I've Got a Home in Glory Land: A Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad
Karolyn Smardz Frost
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

Slavery & Emancipation | World | History | Subjects | Books
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Don't Make Me Stop Now: Stories

ASIN: 0374164819
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Book Description

It was the day before Independence Day, 1831. As his bride, Lucie, was about to be “sold down the river” to the slave markets of New Orleans, young Thornton Blackburn planned a daring—and successful—daylight escape from Louisville. But they were discovered by slave catchers in Michigan and slated to return to Kentucky in chains, until the black community rallied to their cause. The Blackburn Riot of 1833 was the first racial uprising in Detroit history.

The couple was spirited across the river to Canada, but their safety proved illusory. In June 1833, Michigan’s governor demanded their extradition. The Blackburn case was the first serious legal dispute between Canada and the United States regarding the Underground Railroad. The impassioned defense of the Blackburns by Canada’s lieutenant governor set precedents for all future fugitive-slave cases.

The Blackburns settled in Toronto and founded the city’s first taxi business. But they never forgot the millions who still suffered in slavery. Working with prominent abolitionists, Thornton and Lucie made their home a haven for runaways. The Blackburns died in the 1890s, and their fascinating tale was lost to history. Lost, that is, until a chance archaeological discovery in a downtown Toronto school yard brought the story of Thornton and Lucie Blackburn again to light.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Read!.......2007-08-26

One would have to read this book several times to completely absorb its multifarious layers, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

First and foremost, it is the compelling life story of Thornton and Lucie Blackburn. They escaped from slavery boldly using forged documents to travel by steamboat to Cincinnati (appropriately arriving on July 4) then settled in Detroit and were subsequently incarcerated under the Fugitive Slave Law. The community (white and black) rose up in their defense, sparking what history records as "The Blackburn Riots of 1833." After their hair raising escape to Canada and subsequent incarceration while appealing extradition under provisions of the Fugitive Offenders Act, they finally settled in Toronto, where Blackburn established the first cab company. The couple acquired affluence and influence - though they always lived modestly - and assisted many other refugees escaping slavery and intolerance before, during and after the Civil War.

Equally fascinating is the process by which their life story was reconstructed. Both Thornton and Lucie remained illiterate, and no one recorded their memoirs. This book is the result of over 20 years of painstaking research and - as the author states in the introduction - no small amount of "historical coalescence." It perfectly illustrates the creative approach historians must take when attempting to break through what genealogists call "The Wall of Slavery." The author relies on everything from Bibles to court documents to glean information and put all the pieces together, and her extensive bibliography alone is worth the price of the book.

While detailing the Blackburn's encounters with the legal system of the time, the author explores the evolution of jurisprudence in both countries: to maintain the Peculiar Institution in the states, and to guarantee civil liberties (and in no small part, autonomy from the U.S.) in Canada. Some slave owners doggedly expended inordinate amounts of time and money to retrieve their "property" and to punish anyone who might have aided their escape. Consequently, there are voluminous court documents related to the Blackburns as their owners pursued them here and abroad, and legal precedents were set which still have impact today. For example, people are often surprised to learn the Ohio River is actually part of Kentucky - that boundary was established to ensure this particular "highway to freedom" remained "slave territory" and this decision was relevant in the lawsuit filed against the steamboat captain and his company.

For American readers, the fact that this book is written from a Canadian's perspective adds yet another interesting layer. (Oh, to see ourselves as others see us!) Yet while pointing out the obvious hypocrisy inherent in U.S. "freedom," Frost does not turn a blind eye to racism and hypocrisy among Canadians. She notes that while Toronto harbored fugitive slaves, it also welcomed slaveholders and Confederate soldiers seeking asylum during the Civil War. Doubly mind boggling is the fact that the Blackburns had personal connections with some of them...and a few of them probably rode in his cab.

In the standard American narrative, slaves escape to Canada and vanish from our story. While many - heartened by the promise of Reconstruction - returned to the United States to reunite with family after the war (only to migrate north again as Jim Crow and sharecropping reinstated the antebellum power structure) the Blackburns lived three-quarters of their highly productive lives as African-Canadians. This book and the work which went into creating it are welcome revelations. I hope they inspire further research into the lives of those who crossed over into Canaan Land.

NB The book describes the role played by the Blackburns in the development of the Elgin Settlement and Buxton Mission, a colony for fugitive slaves south of Chatham. The modern village of North Buxton is still home to about 200 descendants. Several years ago I visited the Buxton Historic Site and Museum and highly recommend it...plan to spend several hours! BuxtonMuseum dot com

An absorbing story.......2007-08-13

Canada's role relative to slavery in the United States - little-known by Americans - is excellently told through the life story of a couple born in slavery. The Blackburns' escape from slavery calls out for dramatization in a movie or at least on PBS' "American Experience." It would also make a fine children's book.

A Kentucky-Canada Story.......2007-05-11

I cannot overstate the importance of this book. It is a moving, heart-wrenching story. Additionally the Kentucky material was of particular interest to me since my own ancestors were in Mason COunty, KY for a good portion of the story of Thornton Blackburn. I have not finished reading it as of this writing.

Average customer rating:

great for professionals
It is what it is
Susur Lee
Susur: Some Thoughts on Perfection in Cuisine
Delusions of Grandeur- You're Su-Su Vain!

Susur: A Culinary Life, Books 1-2
Susur Lee , Jacob Richler , and Sara Angel
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1580087302

Book Description

Over the past decade, Toronto-based chef Susur Lee has built an international reputation with his groundbreaking cuisine, winning raves such as "culinary genius" from critics and chefs alike. Borrowing heavily from French and Chinese traditions, Susur defies the ubiquitous "fusion" label with his wholly original and decidedly bold style of cooking, dubbed nouvelle Chinois. SUSUR: A CULINARY LIFE offers readers an intimate look at the evolution of this master chef. Toronto food writer Jacob Richler takes us on an enthralling culinary odyssey that begins with Susur's apprenticeship at Hong Kong's legendary Peninsula Hotel and follows the chef 's major Successes at his award-winning restaurants Lotus and Susur. This in-depth study also chronicles Susur's ambitious plan to modernize the ancient repertoire of classical Chinese cooking —a 5,000-year journey that ends in the creation of his vibrant new cuisine. A remarkable subject deserves a remarkable book, and SUSUR is as innovative as the chef it celebrates. Two colorful, gorgeously illustrated volumes — one describing Susur 's development as a chef, the other featuring his most sought-after recipes —are bound together in an intricate and innovative presentation that resembles a Chinese puzzle box. A sensuous treat for foodies and chefs alike, SUSUR is the definitive word on this cutting-edge chef.

Customer Reviews:

great for professionals.......2007-01-19

i bought it for my boyfriend, who is an aspiring chef and loves asian cuisine. he loves it - its a beautiful and inspiring book. i wouldn't recommend it for anyone who is just interested in cooking at home.

It is what it is.......2006-04-09

Pretty coffee table book...don't buy for the recipes unless you are a professional. I am a chef and have been at several for and five star establishments. I had the pleasure a few years ago to do a banquet with Susur and he is the real deal. Will his techniques translate to the amateur cook looking to learn from his book? No. These are professional recipes designed to be executed by a top class brigade with years of technique and time to prepare the needed mis en place. But as a professional, the way he approaches food as well as the culinary foundation that he has built for himself is unique and will be appreciated by those in the know. What isn't pretentious about a $50 coffee table book? This book gives exposure to a unique and talented chef who is grounded in solid technique and is able to translate that into well presented and balanced dishes that are not silly fusion. Definetly worth a look.

Susur Lee.......2006-03-20

This book its all about creativity by a man who has been over looked for too many years as one of the worlds Top Chefs. This book is in one simple word "Awesome"

Susur: Some Thoughts on Perfection in Cuisine.......2006-02-21

Given the acidity of previous reviews, let me start with some background on myself: I am an American not resident in Canada; I am a non-professional chef -- I cook for myself, my family and my friends. I love food, both from the philosophy that one can learn the history of a country or region by learning about its cuisine and from the perspective that I truly believe we are what we eat ... and the miserable record of American health and longevity is directly due to the poor quality of what we consume.

I first saw Susur on Food Network's "Chef du Jour", where well-regarded chefs would do a single 30 minute program on a topic of their choice. That was at least 8 years ago. I think he may have been on one or two "Ready, Set, Cook" programs, but I'm not certain. He certainly didn't push to become a "celebrity chef", at least in the TV sense. He did become a celebrity in the culinary world: becoming one of Food & Wine's "10 Best Chefs in the World" is not a self-serving proclamation -- it is an evaluation by those who can and do taste the food of all the best and near-best.

I've had the good fortune to have an expense account and a business that required me to take clients to dinner, so I've had the privilege of eating at many of the finest restaurants in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia. My personal opinion is that Susur belongs among the finest and if in Toronto, it would be my first choice of a dining location -- yes, even if I were paying the bill myself -- some meals are worth every penny of the cost.

I've eaten at his restaurant in Toronto many times, on business trips. The food has always been spectacular, along with the service, along with the description of the philosophy behind each dish. A meal at Susur's not only satisfies the body; it's an education in itself. Again, this is not simply my opinion -- read the reviews in Toronto's newspapers, or read the reviews and look at the scores in zagat.com. Susur isn't the only "great chef" in Toronto, but he is clearly in that category.

Finally, to the book itself: Yes, the binding is unusual), as is the organization (would I count it as 2 books -- no -- do I think that volume 1 as a biography and volume 2 as recipes are two very different works -- absolutely yes). Most chefs don't provide a personal biography and discuss the evolution of their philosophy of cuisine. If you want lots of recipes you can make with ingredients found anywhere, there are thousands of such cookbooks to choose from (start with Rachel Ray's "30 Minute Meals" and go from there). On the other hand, if you want to learn about how to layer flavors, and see how a master puts together a pantry, this is the book to read. The same advice (for flavor, you need sauces, pastes, and other preps) is given by most chefs in cooking courses and is found in lots of other cookbooks -- just to mention a few in Chinese, try Barbara Tropp's "China Moon Cookbook", Nina Simonda "Spoonful of Ginger", Eileen Yin-Fei Lo's "From the Earth" or Emily Grace's "Breath of a Wok". Susur's are more complex, and more subtle, but taste the food and you'll see how it transcends anyone else's.

Is this a book I will cook from daily? No, and Susur is the first to admit that his cuisine needs a tremendous amount of manpower to achieve. Will this book teach me to be a better chef? Absolutely. Will it have a place of honor in my kitchen? Assuredly. Study it, think about it, and learn from it ... and if you have the opportunity, go to Toronto ... and taste it.

Delusions of Grandeur- You're Su-Su Vain!.......2006-02-17

Delusions of Grandeur-Self Proclaimed "Toronto's Local Hero"

I am an intermediate level amateur cook, and pretty aware of cutting edge chefs, cooks and well written cookbooks, and Susur Lee and his book's grandiose recipes may wow small town folks and some home cooks, however he is delightfully delusional in his self importance, proclaiming himself THE "Local Hero" of Toronto, when my long time Toronto friends have not even heard of him!

I highly suggest you first read his very complex, hours long recipes, before spending good money for just 50 or so difficult and few recipes.

Chicago's Chef Charlie Trotter has similar recipes in terms of ingredients unobtainable to less than high end restaurant chefs, and may also have 20-40+ ingredients per dish, requiring an army of assistants to pull it off, however he does not have an entire book devoted to a sycophant praising his own wonderfulness. His combinations also "taste well" together in reading the ingredients, and he has books with "doable" ingredients and they are quite cookable by home cooks.

Susur credits his departed wife Marilou with his success, but others who gave him a "leg up" don't rate even a photo in this paen to his brilliance, as Susur takes back stabbing jabs at better known chefs who helped his career.

Instead of, having say instructive photographs at different stages of a complex dish's creation, he has instead chosen such childish photo selections as photos of his wonderful doodles of his own name, his hand written recipes, and doodling of a seating chart...

Does "You're Su-su vain" come to mind?

Hold that song in mind, as you smile and flick through the first 113 pages of his ego inflating toady's drivel, without even seeing one real recipe.

Oh, the recipes are in the "second" bound book, tighly bound, like a dead Siamese twin to this "first" book. So yes, he has thus published "two" books...um, sure, Susu, we're counting with you. Clever ploy; publish "Susur's Cooking Triptych" next time, and get credit for 5 books, total! (Toronto is certainly still cleaning up from the ticker tape parades for this self proclaimed "Local Hero's" creations!)

Why pay $50 (now down to $30) for only fifty some pretentious recipes, each with 25-45+ ingredients that you are more likely to laugh at, than cook... even one bloated recipe? Borrow this from Susu's large stack of "returns", or from a library, first, before buying!

Forget about "The Emperor's New Clothes"...this is the "Emperor's Trendy Cook Book!"

I do like the professionally styled photos of his creations. You or I could cook them if we had 2 assistant cooks,the strange collection of fresh ingredients, and gratuitous foie gras and black truffles added to many recipes.

Susu's has a dreadful hodgepodge of instructions and techniques, having the reader hopping between both "books" to cobble together a dish, and there's no Table of Contents to organize this chaotic collection.

He knows cooking techniques. I'd happily dine at his restaurant. Teaching techniques by a book is another story. For beginning and intermediate cooks, the cooking techniques that he glides over are far, far better explained in many cookbooks that the professional chefs already consult.

Some well thumbed cookbook/testbooks include "On Cooking Techniques from Expert Chefs"-Labensky, "Essentials of Cooking"-James Peterson, Jacques Pepin's "Complete Techniques", "La Varenne Pratique"- Anne Willan"The Zuni Cafe"-Rodgers, "The New Making of a Cook"-Kamman, "Glorious French Cooking"-Peterson, "Modern Art of Chinese Cooking"-Trop, "The Key to Chinese Cooking"-Kuo, etc.

Big Propblem is...home cooks, without two helpers, will be very frustrated by the hard to find ingredients and the time consuming, convoluted recipes in this cookbook.

Try making Susur's "Pan-roasted scallops, with sunchoke puree, pancetta, periwinkles in truffle sauce and preserved lemon".

Hmmm, if someone mixing up 1000 snippets of culinary nouns in a hat, then let a trained gerbil randomly pick out, then line up the first 10 to 15 words that came out... the resulting recipe titles may even be more appealing to you and I than Susur's convoluted "con-Fusion" titles that easily awe rookie foodwriters and rookie cooks...

Make his "Elk striploin with yamaimo, arame, uni, with burnt butter soy sauce", (40+ ingredients) or try "Braised veal cheek, with parsnip puree, cocoa nibs, grapes stuffed with dry-cured olives, and parmesan (also with over 40 ingredients).

Maybe the "Tuna with wasabi and parsnip mousse on cucumber jelly with crispy squid ink noodle" would whet your whistle. I'd rather go to the grocery store and make "Spiced seaweed crusted red mullet with saffron mayonnaiase and zuchini flower fritters".

A memorable dish is "Roast squab and foie gras stuffed squab legs in port sauce, with lotus root and baby corn, blueberry preserve, and taro root fritters" (>30 ingredients).

Step aside, Charlie Trotter, you've been "out Trottered" by Susu and his caramelized nuts...

For the amusement value, the professionally styled photos of plates that would leave most folks hungry from the tiny portions, and the sad need for the dramatic Napoleonic pose and prose by the self proclaimed "Local Hero of Toronto"... I still give him 3 stars...it takes guts (braised with cocoa, blueberry and truffle oil), to be so sweet and childlike in his vanity!

Average customer rating:

A long trudge down a cold trail, but not without rewards
Disappointing and convoluted follow-up to Blunt's first outing
Like Six Hours of the Weather Channel, eh?
It's a metorological thing
Police Work Through A Prism Of Ice

The Delicate Storm (Marian Wood Book)
Giles Blunt
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Forty Words for Sorrow
Blackfly Season
By the Time You Read This: A Novel
Forty Words for Sorrow
Cold Eye

ASIN: 0399148655
Release Date: 2003-05-29

Book Description

The author of Forty Words for Sorrow-winner of Britain's Silver Dagger Award-returns with a crime thriller challenging our most cherished belief: that, in fiction, there is no such thing as the perfect crime.

The small city of Algonquin Bay in northern Ontario: A freak warm front has moved in, making it feel like April and rousing hungry bears from hibernation. So when Ivan Bergeron's dog brings him the chewed-off arm of a white male, it's assumed the victim met a natural if ugly end. Except, as it turns out, the owner of the arm was dead before the bears got to him.

A second victim is found: a woman, apparently raped. There has to be a connection-two bodies abandoned in the woods within days of each other can't be a coincidence. Then police records reveal a long-unsolved murder with the same MO: a woman found in the woods, seemingly raped. It isn't long before homicide detectives Delorme and Cardinal are led back thirty years to another unsolved murder, this one linked to Quebec terrorists. Logic suggests the Algonquin Bay murders are connected to this case. Evidence is less convincing. And somewhere, a murderer-smart and powerful-is walking free.

Customer Reviews:

A long trudge down a cold trail, but not without rewards.......2006-04-23

Giles Blunt's sophomore effort is set, once again, in the chilling Canadian town of Algonquin Bay. When a dismembered body is found in the woods, Cardinal starts work on what he suspects is a mob hit, only to discover it's connected with a case Delorme is working: the murder and apparent rape of a local female doctor. The trail leads them to Montreal, deep into the history of French separatist terrorism, and back to the Bay when they realize that a supposed pillar of the local community may not be quite what, or who, he seems...Blunt's second crime novel has been praised for its psychology, tension and excellent plotting - but, for me, those are precisely the elements that are lacking here. Unlike his previous effort which explored the minds of the killers as much as the cops, this one is heavy on procedure without much in the way of action or tension to enliven it. Lots of interviews, lots of talking, lots of backstory. The pieces fall into place quite nicely, but there's no urgency to it, no ticking clock driving the plot forward. Nothing's at stake. When the motive behind the murders is fully exposed, it's actually a pretty good yarn. But getting there is a slow slog. The ice storm of the title is used only tangentially, but at least Blunt resists the urge to deploy it in the climax: he's good at setting up anticipation of obvious, convenient resolutions and then avoiding them. There's an effective and occasionally moving subplot about Cardinal's father here, too, but it's insufficiently connected to the main plot, thematically, to be as useful as it might have been.

Disappointing and convoluted follow-up to Blunt's first outing.......2006-02-28

While I still like the characters of John Cardinal and Lise Delorme, the history of Canada's radical movement in the seventies was quite boring. The book starts with a grizzly murder as body parts are found in the woods. At first, it seems a bear is the culprit. Then another body is found in the woods. As Cardinal and Dolorme try to establish the connection between the two killings, they learn about a cover-up by the nation's intelligence organization, the CSIS, the involvement of the CIA, and the kidnapping and killing of a prominent cabinet member. This isn't as strong as the first book, and the link between Quebec's radical past and the killing of the young, female doctor is tangential, at best.

Like Six Hours of the Weather Channel, eh?.......2005-11-30

OK, I exaggerate, but "The Delicate Storm" is under the weather when compared to Blunt's shocking debut, "Forty Words for Sorrow", and "Black Fly Season", his well crafted recent release. Back is John Cardinal, the tight-lipped detective of the fictional town of Algonquin Bay on the very real shores of northern Ontario's Lake Nipissing. "Storm" gets off to a promising start as a body, dismembered and partially eaten by bears, is found in the woods. Cardinal and partner Lise Delorme are on the case, uncovering inconsistencies in the obvious attempt to cover-up the murder, as well as the identity of the corpse. Before long, the Canadian Mounted Police and their CIA-like wing are mucking up the investigation. Through razor-thin ties that strain credibility, the murder is soon connected to a three-decades old Quebec Separatist's terrorist plot that ended in the assassination of a Cabinet member. This is a convoluted plot, but Blunt possesses the necessary skills to pull it off, were it not for the obsession with rain, freezing rain, fog, more rain, degrees-below-Centigrade, and more rain that overpowers the story. We kind of get that the weather in Canada is lousy - that's why nobody lives there, eh? Also, as in previous works, Blunt seems obsessed with keeping Cardinal distracted with family medical problems. This time around, manic-depressant wife Catherine is thankfully stable, so Cardinal's attention shifts to his ailing curmudgeon of a father. Between the weather forecasts and hospital visits, the murder investigations fade into the fog while the main story line wanders off to a premature and less-than-satisfying conclusion. In the end, while Blunt fans will want to add this to their libraries, first-timers would be better off starting with either the first or third of the series.

It's a metorological thing.......2005-10-06

I am not sure I can tell you anymore about the plot than what other reviewers have already written. Therefore, I will focus in other areas and generalize a bit.

The weather definitely plays big in this--the latest crime-stopper--novel from Giles Blunt, and I am sure Canadians will certainly commiserate with Detective Cardinal and the citizens Algonquin Bay, Ontario, when an unusual January ice storm virtually shuts down the town. Of course the weather never seems to affect the criminals amongst us!

Blunt's a great story teller and a gifted writer, this story is testament to that fact. Do you know how you can be readying and enjoying a good book, then hit a spot that seems to do little to advance the story, and all of a sudden you are skimming over the words rather than reading and absorbing them? Of course you do! Well in this book, that never occurred for me. The book was not particularly suspenseful nor would you call it a thriller, but it was interesting throughout and each page, paragraph, and sentence, made a contribution. Blunt uses the entire book, like a trail of bread crumbs, to guide the reader to a final realization of whodunit. Try this--and this is not a spoiler--stop when you get to the middle of the book and try to figure out who the killer is, you will have been introduced to all the characters by then. Bet you can't do it!

A believable crime story, with real-life characters. It could happen like this somewhere and probably already has!

Police Work Through A Prism Of Ice.......2005-08-25

Blunt's book is unique in the detective mystery genre in its careful attention to character development. Much of the book is devoted to the internal musings and thoughts of Detective John Cardinal and his partner Detective Delorme. The partners are working a 17 year old murder case, and the interaction with the people related to the case is vital and very intricate.

Blunt weaves a complicated tale of connections that typifies normal excellent police work. On the way, there is some "high jingo" (higher up manipulation) of the evidence and the information. In addition, the book concentrates on interagency cooperation in Canada. Since the victim is American, the investigation falls in the province of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, but the lead investigators on the case are local police Cardinal and Delorme.

As the reader moves through the book, slowly the information unfolds. One of the beauties of this book is that the connections and information are so complex, that it is virtually impossible to guess the most likely suspect. Blunt is masterful in creating characters for the reader to ponder, and always with good character development.

In short, Blunt is one of the finest detective mystery writers today. All those interested in the genre should read this book.

God in the Alley: Being and Seeing Jesus in a Broken World

Average customer rating:

Are You Looking in the Right Places?
Legit
Finding Jesus in brokenness
Earth Angels
A MUST READ

God in the Alley: Being and Seeing Jesus in a Broken World
Greg Paul
Manufacturer: Shaw
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0877880921
Release Date: 2004-12-07

Book Description

“Greg Paul tells of whores and crazies, misfits and rejects that sound as if they stepped out from the pages of the Bible.” –Eugene Peterson

Sam has survived physical, sexual, and substance abuse, terrible violence, and life on the streets. Wendy lives for the next high on crack, oblivious to her boyfriend’s love. Neil is dying of AIDS.

These are the people of inner-city Toronto. Look into their distorted, obscure faces, their fractured lives, and catch a glimpse of the sublime. Greg Paul calls them tragic heroes–individuals who can offer a testament to God’s love and mercy.

With emotional depth and spiritual intensity, Greg’s compelling stories reveal that people with desperate lives have precious lessons to teach us about the character of God. God in the Alley offers a profound message of grace and calling that each one of us needs to hear.

“The experience of reading this book haunts, convicts, delights. But one thing is for sure: you don’t want to miss it.”
–Mark Buchanan, author of The Holy Wild: Trusting God in Everything

“Greg Paul writes beautifully and welcomes us into the life he lives.… I am grateful to have read this book.”
–David Wilcox, musician, songwriter, and storyteller

“I dare you to read this book at more than one sitting. Each page is a seat belt that straps you in and the turning of the page pulls the straps tighter. When the ride is over, you’ll want to start again.”
–Leonard Sweet, author of numerous books including Soul Tsunami

Customer Reviews:

Are You Looking in the Right Places?.......2007-07-25

This was one of the best books I have read in a long time. I had been bogged down with my seminary reading for the better part of the last 3 years, and while I absolutely love scholastic theology, I also understand the need for a practical application of the $30,000 worth of theological concepts that I learned in seminary. This book served as a great diversion from abstract, philosophical, theological perspectives and gave me a chance to walk with a real pastor through his journey "with" Jesus. You will need to read the book to get a full appreciation for what the author means when he uses the word "with." I guarantee he will challenge you to get "up and out" and to DO the work of the gospel. This book inspired me to get my hands back on the plow. Too much scholastic theology can make one stale and irrelevant. Though I keep constant watch on myself for relevance, one can get caught up in spewing rhetoric onto a page, and find oneself guilty of being a great articulator of biblical concepts, but a total failure at servanthood. Greg Paul is guilty of no such thing. Dare I quote the venerable Leonard Sweet who says of this book, "I dare you. No, I double dare you to read this book at more than one sitting." I'll say no more.

Legit.......2007-04-07

Great book that was simple and sincere. Greg Paul just tells his story and what he's learned. I wish more could write this way. Very humble and a good read.

Finding Jesus in brokenness.......2006-01-21

A friend of mine reluctantly read this book, thinking it would make him feel guilty. I suppose a lot of us approach a book like this with mixed feelings, hoping to be challenged but scared of where that might take us.

The book is called God in the Alley, and the subtitle says a lot: it's about "being and seeing Jesus in a broken world." For those of us who are sheltered, we are introduced to unfamiliar places and people, not far from home but far from our experience. I'm introduced to the underside of a park in Toronto that I've visited many times, and I learn where the high-priced working girls offer their services, and where the low-rent girls work. We meet crackheads, prostitutes, and victims of unimaginable abuse. And, surprisingly, we meet Jesus in the lives of these broken people.

"That's what I want this book to be about: the cultivation of our ability to both be Jesus and to see Jesus," writes Greg Paul, "if only by a dim flickering light - the afterimage on the darkened retina of a momentary, brilliant burst." Those of us who think our lives are not all that bad might overestimate our abilities to be Jesus, but Paul challenges us: you can't be Jesus if you aren't truly seeing him.

"If I truly want to be present as Jesus was and is, I must choose to act in very specific ways. Theory, or doctrinal correctness, is not enough. Seeing Jesus is a discipline of stillness. If I really want to see him, I'll need to avoid being consumed by trying always to do things in his name, and I'll need to learn to be motionless, intent on beholding what is in front of me."

Being present involves not only breaking through the comfort of middle-class life. It also involves breaking "beyond the internal barriers I have erected to protect myself.

So we read stories. These stories are not sanitized or romanticized. There is a lot of messiness in this book, and surprisingly, the messiness shows up in the good guys like Paul just as much as it does in the sinners. Even more surprising, we meet Jesus in surprising people: in those who are broken and who have little going for them. In one of the most moving stories, we meet a modern-day version of the story of Hosea and Gomer. Jesus shows up in the most surprising places, and if we're not careful we'll miss seeing him there.

Greg Paul teaches us to see Jesus in people rather than to see people as projects. He offers hope that we, too, may be able to develop the skill of seeing Jesus, just as he has, and ultimately in being Jesus to the people that we meet.

Paul reflects that at one point, if he had been asked how to be the presence of Jesus, he would have talked about being pure and strong and faithful. Although these are important, Paul explains today that he would answer differently.

"I am more likely to have Jesus revealed to me and through me in weakness than in strength, sinfulness than in purity, or doubt than in perfect faithfulness....I come to this astonishing conclusion: Jesus is found in brokenness..."

"The surprise of this brokenness is not just that the Almighty allowed himself to be broken, and that he invites me to touch him there in that brokenness. It's also that my own brokenness - that hidden, ugly, twisted stuff that I had expected would disqualify me forever from his friendship, and that, if it were known, would torpedo all my other relationships too - is precisely the place where he desires to touch me, and it is the place where I am most able to truly connect with other people."

I began this book expecting that it would teach me about how to serve those the middle class usually ignores. I finished realizing that it did much more than that: it introduced me to my own brokenness, with the "most attractive cover" we can find to hide the mess underneath, and it introduced me to the presence of Jesus in some of the people we see as being most broken. It gave me hope that I, too, can be and see the presence of Jesus in a broken world.

Earth Angels.......2005-10-11

Although Christians would not consider me to be a Christian, (because I also believe in the best of what other religions have to offer) nontheless, to me Greg Paul demonstrates what it takes to embody the "Spirit" of Christianity. Jesus didn't sit in a comfortable pew every Sunday. He was 'in the trenches' as Greg Paul and his staff are.

This book is a great read. It will get you thinking about what it must be like to live in the 'shadow' city areas. It may motivate you to ask yourself deeper questions as to fate and purpose and God? Why them? Why must this be? Where is God in all of this? How can I help?

The personalities described in this book along with their successes and failures, help us understand our common humanity - these were folks who once had dreams and hopes too (and some still do) - despite the fact that reality has faded their aspirations greatly. How could we cope in their place? How can these people still show an indomitable spirit to survive the madness and pain they are exposed to every day?

Buy this book. It is raw and real. People of all faiths (those who are open-minded) will find these true stories to be uplifting and encouraging (no candy-coated trite Bible verses).

Is it possible to demonstrate the highest of spiritual principles on the street? Greg Paul wrestles to understand the complexity of this question and writes honestly about this issue sharing his experiences, vulnerabilities and insights.

A MUST READ.......2005-01-27

If you love and follow Jesus pick this book up.
If you are curious as to why people might love and follow Jesus, pick this book up. If you don't care but just need a good laugh, a heart tug and cry, pick up this book.

Thank you Greg Paul for a wonderful little BIG book!
Great big thoughts and ideas in this one that will stay with me for a lifetime.

Midnight at the Dragon Cafe: A Novel (Alex Awards (Awards))

Average customer rating:

Touching "Midnight at the Dragon Cafe"
Loved it. Now what?
Lack of detail
The people behind the faces of the local Chinese-Canadian greasy spoon
well writtem but leaves the reader hanging

Midnight at the Dragon Cafe: A Novel (Alex Awards (Awards))
Judy Fong Bates
Manufacturer: Counterpoint
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1582431892
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Book Description

Set in the 1960s, Judy Fong Bates’s much-talked-about debut novel is the story of a young girl, the daughter of a small Ontario town’s solitary Chinese family, whose life is changed over the course of one summer when she learns the burden of secrets. Through Su-Jen’s eyes, the hard life behind the scenes at the Dragon Café unfolds. As Su-Jen’s father works continually for a better future, her mother, a beautiful but embittered woman, settles uneasily into their new life. Su-Jen feels the weight of her mother’s unhappiness as Su-Jen’s life takes her outside the restaurant and far from the customs of the traditional past. When Su-Jen’s half-brother arrives, smouldering under the responsibilities he must bear as the dutiful Chinese son, he forms an alliance with Su-Jen’s mother, one that will have devastating consequences. Written in spare, intimate prose, Midnight at the Dragon Café is a vivid portrait of a childhood divided by two cultures and touched by unfulfilled longings and unspoken secrets.

Customer Reviews:

Touching "Midnight at the Dragon Cafe".......2007-02-11

I am a fourth generation Chinese American living in California. I loved this well written, lyrical and engaging book, and recommend it to all. I have not read much about the Chinese-Canadian immigrant experience, and this book was very rewarding in terms of telling the story of the Chinese in Canada in the background of the main story line. The characters are extremely vivid in the book, and one really cares about Su-Jen (aka Annie) right away. The author does a very good job of sketching the lonely life of this isolated Chinese family in this small Canadian town. I particularly felt she handled incidents of racial discrimination experienced by the sensitive Annie during elementary school very poignantly. You really feel for this little Chinese girl, stuck between this lovely unhappy mother, a frustrated and good looking half brother, a traditional but kindly father, and her Canadian white classmates. It is a great read.

Loved it. Now what?.......2006-09-11

I recently finished this book and loved the way it was written, the use of language, the lessons of enduring truths of humanity, etc. It was very touching and I loved it. I read it aloud to my 16-year-old son. We have read a lot of books but now I'm stuck and need a recommendation on what to read next.

Lack of detail.......2006-03-26

What can I say, this book lacked all the details I wanted to read, and was pretty darn predictable to boot. I could tell that it was written by a foreigner because it never contained any "advanced" vocabulary. Always just kept mentioning the same food and the same feelings and the same blah blah blah...Enough. I'm done with this thing!

The people behind the faces of the local Chinese-Canadian greasy spoon.......2005-12-04

With a quiet, unassuming elegance, Canadian-Chinese author Judy Fong-Bates sets the scene for her highly applauded debut novel, 'Midnight at the Dragon Cafe'.

Perhaps this story touched me more acutely than most of its readers, as it called to mind what my father and his parents must have experienced during and after their immigration from Hong Kong to a little town in Canada in the mid-1950s. Every word to me was genuine, haunting, compelling...

Little Su-Jen Chou (at the tender age of six), along with her beautiful yet bitter mother, immigrates to Canada from Communist China, to meet the father she has never known. A father who is the proprietor of the local Canadian-Chinese "greasy spoon". With Su-Jen mother constantly haunted with yearnings for her homeland, unpleasant family secrets uncovered, and the trials and challenges they face in a new and often-times unwelcoming land, Fong-Bates weaves a story full of heartbreak, tribulation and acceptance.

Poignant in its simplicity and yet weighty in its inner complexities, 'Midnight at the Dragon Cafe' explores many social issues of the time, along with the disappointments, the pride, the sacrifices, and the triumphs of those who immigrated to Canada in search of something "better". Compelling and well written, Fong-Bates stunning first novel deserves a heaping spoonful of praise.

well writtem but leaves the reader hanging.......2005-09-02

while i really enjoyed Ms. bates' writing style - both pace and choice of words, i could not get over the fact that the author leaves the reader hanging at the end. there are too many loose ends and far too many characters who left without any resolution. i think that a better ending would have been for the adult su-jen to have quickly narrated over the next 10 or 20 years of her own life so the reader gets a sense of how the events in the books, affected her own life.

From Midnight to Dawn: The Last Tracks of the Underground Railroad

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From Midnight to Dawn: The Last Tracks of the Underground Railroad
Jacqueline L. Tobin , and Hettie Jones
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Escape on the Pearl: The Heroic Bid for Freedom on the Underground Railroad
I've Got a Home in Glory Land: A Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad
Finding Oprah's Roots: Finding Your Own
Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad
Toussaint Louverture: A Biography

ASIN: 038551431X
Release Date: 2007-01-16

Book Description

This extraordinary narrative offers a fresh perspective on the Underground Railroad as it traces the perilous journeys of fugitive ex–slaves from the United States to free black settlements in Canada.

The Underground Railroad was the passage to freedom for many slaves, but it was rife with dangers. There were dedicated conductors and safe houses, but also arduous nights in the mountains and days in threatening towns. For those who made it to Midnight (the code name given to Detroit), the Detroit River became a River Jordan—and Canada became their land of Canaan, the Promised Land where they could live freely in black settlements under the protection of British law. One of these settlements was known as Dawn.

In prose rich in detail and imagery, From Midnight to Dawn presents compelling portraits of the men and women who established the Railroad, and of the people who traveled it to find new lives in Canada. Some of the figures are well known, like Harriet Tubman and John Brown. But there are equally heroic, less familiar figures here as well, like Mary Ann Shadd, who became the first black female newspaper editor in North America, and Osborne Perry Anderson, the only black survivor of the fighting at Harpers Ferry.

From Midnight to Dawn evokes the turmoil and controversies of the time, reveals the compelling stories behind events such as Harpers Ferry and the Christian Resistance, and introduces the reader to the real–life “Uncle Tom” who influenced Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

An extraordinary examination of a part of American history that transcends national borders, From Midnight to Dawn will captivate readers with its tales of hope, courage, and a people’s determination to live equal under the law.

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Niagara Travel Helper

Frommer's Niagara Region
Louise Dearden , and Melanie Chambers
Manufacturer: Frommers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Frommer's | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Canada | Travel | Subjects | Books

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
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Exploring Niagara: The Complete Guide to Niagara Falls and Vicinity

ASIN: 0470838116

Book Description

The Niagara Region is one of Canada’s most popular tourist destinations. The falls, wine tours, the Shaw Festival, shopping, casinos—it’s no wonder that many visitors stay for two to three days to take it all in. And with hundreds of attractions, restaurants, bed & breakfasts, inns, and hotels to choose from, visitors need a discerning guide.

Frommer’s Niagara Region provides readers with a comprehensive guide to the best of this popular area. Detailed, accurate maps, honest reviews, and complete itineraries will make this the ideal guide for families looking to enjoy the falls, burnt-out urbanites seeking a romantic vacation in wine country, and newlyweds hoping to make the most of one the world’s top honeymoon destinations.

Customer Reviews:

Niagara Travel Helper.......2007-01-12

We used this little book extensively on our recent fall Niagara Trip. Gives valuable information to optimize your visit so you don't waste time doing things you know you wouldn't enjoy. It alsos gives tips on interesting things to do in the entire Niagara region. People with varied interests can find many things to do.

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