A cookbook with a difference
Do you buy cookbooks because of the lovely glossy pictures and "lifestyle" photography? If you answered yes then this book is not for you.
Are you one of the few remaining old-fashioned cooks who buys cookbooks because of the recipes and other food-related information? If you answered yes then this book is for you.
The New Laurel's Kitchen: A Handbook for Vegeterian Cookery & Nutrition
by Laurel Robertson, Carol Flinders, and Brian Ruppenthal
Think delicious recipes, menu suggestions, wholesome cooking, fat reduction without loss of flavour, energy-yielding nutrients, cooking for pregnancy, diet against disease, vitamins, minerals and more.
This book bills itself as the complete cookbook and reference for the whole-foods kitchen and is recommended to both professionals and nonprofessionals.
It's a double whammy - all the recipes as well as plenty to read and learn when you aren't in the kitchen.
Salmon fishing but not as you know it
The Salmon Book by Douglas Sutherland
Most books on salmon fishing contain practical hints on casting techniques, information on fly reels and knotters and maybe some advice about where and when.
Douglas Sutherland's book will not teach you how to catch fish. However, in terms of the practical, you will learn how to cook one to perfection. You will read of foolhardy fishing trips in isolated parts of the world. You will hear of some of the eccentric characters who populate the banks of any salmon-fishing river. You will be instructed in the intricacies of poaching (and I do not mean the cooking method).
The book is for anyone who has ever caught, tried to catch or dreamt of catching a salmon. You should have a copy in your fishing tackle bag or on your bedside table for when you get home at the end of the day. It is irresistable.
From the Beast to the Blonde
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel - fairy tales are something nearly everyone's childhood has in common. But where did these stories come from? Who told them before they were written down and how have they changed over time?
In this extensive study Marina Warner takes us through the history of some of the famous stories, examining possible sources, morals and lessons taught, and what they might have meant to different people in different times. She also includes a history of storytelling and storytellers, and many illustrations that have accompanied the stories.
This is a fabulous in-depth cultural history that is sure to interest and educate anyone who opens it.
A Guide for the Perplexed
If you are not familiar with the series Guides for the Perplexed then you have a real treat in store. They are published by Continuum and are a clear, concise and accessible introduction to philosophers, authors and subjects which can be challenging.
The books concentrate on what makes the subect difficult . They explain key ideas and guide you to a thorough understanding of what you might otherwise have abandoned as beyond you (if you are like me, anyway).
Adorno: A Guide for the Perplexed
Kierkegaard: A Guide for the Perplexed
Above are just two examples but if you've ever struggled (and failed) to fathom something or found a thinker or subject incomprehensible, it is definitely worth checking to see if Continuum have a Guide for the Perplexed on that very topic. These books enlighten and illuminate without patronising. They are a great resource
Have you got a heart?
If I Eat Another Carrot I'll Go Crazy! The Five Point Way to a Healthy Heart
and
What's Cookin' Doc: The Five Point Diet for a Healthy Heart
Dr Walker suggests that heart health is based on some simple food facts and action plans. His method is enjoyable, life-enhancing and fun. He addresses diet, vitamins, exercise and a stress-free life in a straightforward manner and makes complex medicine and science easy. He makes clear why good food, wine & relaxation will keep you out of the cariologist's office. The accompanying recipe book rounds out the healthy heart duo.
We've got copies of these two books for only NZ$1.00 for the two - packaged neatly in a cellophane wrapper and brand new to boot! How can you resist?
Portrait of a Culture: The Trotskys, Freuds, and Woody Allens
What do Freud, Einstein, Trotsky, Woody Allen, Sarah Bernhardt, the Marx Brothers, Bobby Fisher, Noam Chomsky and Bette Midler have in common?
They are all non-practising Jews. Does that matter? According to this book, it certainly does. They are one of the most fascinating and controversial cultural groups of modern times. They win loads of Nobel Prizes; they are prominent in the arts, visionary in the sciences, active in social causes and successful in politics, to mention but a few of the intellectual fields where they excel.
Ivan Kalmar explores this group who he calls 'eji' (pronounced 'edgy'), an acronym for embarrassed about being a Jewish individual. He suggests that this discomfort has propelled them to excellence in many areas.
He tries to answer these questions and many others:
Why are they experts in physics but not zoology?
Why do they play the piano & violin so expertly but rarely the flute?
Why are there superb Jewish actors but so few dancers?
Whether or not you agree with Kalmar's theory. this is a stimulating book which will provoke discussion and thought. It is alternately outrageous, witty, original and contentious.
Trout Flies
New Zealand Trout Flies Traditional and Modern
Published by Reed 1997
This is a comprehensive and informative catalogue of the flies, nymphs and lures used in New Zealand trout fishing. It is an essential reference for any fly-fishing enthusiast.
Keith Draper's book tracks the development of the artifical trout fly in New Zealand from the days of the early colonists up to the present. The influences of modern English stillwater angling and of American fly-fishing are reflected along with some uniquely kiwi flies.
The book has a plethora of illustrations, including colour plates showing over 400 flies. This is a guide you have to have - with a bonus of anecdotes and features on many well known local fly fishermen.
Poetry: Balm for the Soul
Best Loved Poems (edited by John Boyes)
From Arnold and Allingham through Hardy and Holmes to Wilde and Wordsworth, this great anthology of classic poetry features verse from all over the English-speaking world.
This is a wonderful collection containing famous and not-so-famous poets and poems of love & hate, youth & old age, humour & tragedy, life & death and much more.
It would make a great gift or if you know someone who is familiar with British but not New Zealand poetry or well read in American but not Canadian verse. Easy to use via themed section, index of first lines or poets' names alphabetically. Grab a copy and make your own or someone else's day.
