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Excellent book on how steroids moved from the gym culture in California to mainstream America, from professional to high school athletics and strange way we view steroids - classifying them as dangerous drugs while giving those who make, distribute or use them little more than a slap on the wrist. I liked the personal anecdotes about the people involved, which lent a lot of color to a very throughly researched book. I'm looking forward to learning more about this topic, especially as the Beijing Olympics unfold. It will be interesting to see how the IOC handles the issue this go around.

Shaun Assaels book steroid nation is a powerful history of how performance enhancing drugs have swept our nation. He gives fascinating details about how steroids were used as early as the 1960's by Americans. His detailed look at Venice Steroid Guru Dan Duchaine is scary at times. Being a powerlifter and an avid reader of all of the muscle magazines I found this book to be the most accurate portrayal of what's really going on in sports, both on the field, and the cover ups going on off the field. It's a MUST READ for all sports fans. So the next time some one asks you "do you think that guy is on steroids?" You'll know the answer is probably yes!!!

Shaun Assael, in his book Steroid Nation*, does a great job of weaving the threads of the steroid story from its less than humble beginnings as part of the Venice Beach bodybuilding underground to the Tour de France scandal, use by NFL stars and Major League Baseball players and Olympic champions. Assael tells the story of how the Dan Duchaine, the original steroid guru, opened up Pandora's Box when he published the Underground Steroid Handbook for Men and Women in 1982, and set in motion events that were responsible for - among other things - the BALCO Labs performance-enhancing drug scandal, the drug related deaths of professional wrestlers and the creation of the multi-billion dollar dietary supplement industry.

Steroid Nation* is a crazy story of mad geniuses, smugglers, drug dealers, underground gurus, self-taught chemists, deviants, narcissists, human guinea pigs, cheaters and liars. For people who have had their head in the sand with regard the steroids in sports scandal, Steroid Nation* will grab them by the scruff of their collective necks and shake them into awareness. The uninitiated will be amazed that a sociopath like Dan Duchaine could have had an influence on everything from the explosion of the use of steroids and human growth hormone to the creation of the drugs that were at the heart of the BALCO Labs scandal.

The amazing thing about how performance-enhancing drugs have affected the world of recreational activities and sport, is that there is a coherent string running through the story that connects the pioneers of the movement 30 years ago - Duchaine and his contemporaries; people that nobody has really ever heard of - to some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment of the past 10 years. A business that was as underground and as seedy as any seedy underground business could ever be, affected and then turned into something public, high-tech and lucrative.

Steroids, human growth hormone, creatine, androstendione, legal and illegal supplements have all been developed and used by people looking to get an edge, make some money and build a following. Steroid Nation* tells the story of how underground chemists looking for the next hot drug and supplement developed substances of dubious efficacy and that made people fortunes, while creating problems for the anti-doping movement.

Steroid Nation* is a great book, a book that tells a lot of stories and a book that every sports fan should read. If you don't understand the fuss about steroids, this book will help put things into perspective. "The Juice" isn't something that just came onto the scene, and athletes haven't just started cheating over the past few years.

The current performance-enhancing drug scandal didn't start with Marion Jones, Ben Johnson, BALCO Labs or Barry Bonds. The scandal started 30 years ago and has been growing the whole time, bubbling to the surface every once in a while. Read Shaun Assael's book Steroid Nation* so that you can get up to speed and understand the story that's been going on since the 1970s and that will continue to unfold in new and crazy ways as time goes by.

It's impossible to be a fan of sports these days and not be aware of the role that steroids play in the lives of athletes. If you listen to the athletes themselves, only a few rogue players get sucked up in the juice. But any rational human knows that the truth is something completely different. In the book Steroid Nation: Juiced Home Run Totals, Anti-aging Miracles, and a Hercules in Every High School: The Secret History of America's True Drug Addiction, Shaun Assael looks at steroid use in America from 1981 to today. You can't help but draw the conclusion that there is a vast conspiracy of silence that allows this to go on in professional and amateur sports.

Contents:
Band of Believers - 1981 - 1992: The Guru of Venice; "Zee Codes, Zey Are Missing", Mules, Threesomes, and Mom; The Running Man; Inside Job; Blow Out; The Biggest Believers
Tapping the Vein - 1992 - 2000: Mormon Money; The Perfect Pitch; Solace and Sex; 'Cause I'm TNT, I'm Dynamite!; The King Is Dead
Long Live The King - 2000 - Present: The Right Stuff; A Bully Pulpit; The Scientist Strikes Back; The Two Arnolds; State of the Union; This Is War; A Vicious Cycle; Growing Pains
Acknowledgments; Bibliography; Source Notes; Index

Assael goes back to the days of the Underground Steroid Handbook and Dan Duchaine. Duchaine became known as "The Guru" due to his extensive knowledge and experimentation with performance enhancing drugs. Working out of the Gold's Gym in Venice, he quickly became the go-to guy when bodybuilders wanted to get bigger and athletes needed to get stronger. While these drug sales were far from legal, the government wasn't as motivated to prosecute as they are in today's environment. But that doesn't mean that all the players were staying out of jail. Duchaine did a couple of jail stints, and his life started to slide downhill at a rapid pace as he became addicted to some of his chemical concoctions. His destructive behavior also affected his relationships with women, as ones that stayed around more than a week or two usually ended up physically wrecked in the long run.

Duchaine isn't the only story in Steroid Nation, however. There are other dealers who have become front-page names, like Victor Conte from BALCO. Dealers abound both locally and internationally as the technology becomes more available and the profit potential skyrockets. The government agents, such as Don Catlin and Terry Madden, are forever fighting a battle where the criminals are usually a step or two ahead of law enforcement and the science of detection. And then there are the athletes and celebrities... Lyle Alzado, Barry Bonds, Marion Jones, Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Sylvester Stallone, and many others. The gap between the public image and the actual behavior is incredibly vast. Nearly all deny there are any chemical shenanigans going on, even after positive tests. And even the assertions of being clean due to no positive test results rings hollow, as the chemicals used and masking agents employed change far faster than the testing labs can be updated. And if a new substance is out there that can't be detected (think "Clear" and "Cream" from BALCO), then it may just be a matter of luck that the testing labs will ever find out.

Assael writes a good story with extensive documentation. Steroid Nation is a bit slow in the beginning, as the direction of the story seems to be a bit muddled. But once I got about 50 pages in, I was completely hooked. I know that steroids are a real problem in sports. But after reading this book, I'm of the opinion that far more people are using than testing results would indicate. And while the heads of sporting leagues (and even the fans) want to believe that there's not a problem, they also don't want to go back to the days when their stars looked normal, not "larger than life".

Steroid Nation will open your eyes to the true nature and extent of the problem, as well as the hypocrisy of those who would want you to believe that they are eradicating steroids and winning the war.

The book details the growth of steroid use by US athletes. The topic is pretty intuitively understood so there is little point in a plot summary. Instead, critical comments follow.

What I liked:
*lots of primary research
*interesting topic
*well-written in terms of individual sections

What I disliked:
*seemed heavily dependant on where the author had concentrated his primary research. Read more like a data dump of who he had happened to interview than an overall view of the subject.
*Organization was a little hard to understand (sections). Also every few pages, a new location/content thread would be introduced. I know the author wanted to weave a story that was not 100% connected. And the textual use of a location header was an attempt to make it palatable to the reader. But it still didn't quite work.
*Lack of pictures. There are no photos even though this is a nonfiction book about a drug that creates interesting physiques and although the book emphasizes personalities. Other books on this subject (Balco book, Canseco book) do have pictures. The lack of pictures is cheap and minimizes the value of the work. In contrast, the cover phote is stunningly eye-catching especially in concert with the title. The obvious implication is that some publisher/editor beancounter decided to skimp on content and spend on marketing, figuring he could drive sales at mega-bookstores. Well, Amazon reviews are a place to combat that behavioral tendancy. (And rating critical reviews as not recommended is a way to fight for that tendancy!)
*Also would have liked it if he hunted down and talked a bit more with the "other side" (people who justify the use of the drugs). At least present a bit more detail of the viewpoint alluded to by Arnold (adults making decisions of own).

Neutral, but noted:
*Author has citations in the end, but has no notemarks in the text. I guess this is also a marketing thing as some people will put down a book with footnotes. (Like the famous quote that popular books on mathematics lose half their audience with each equation shown.) It's actually a nice compromise to include the endnotes in this alternate fashion. Good upgrade on Woodward who did not use endnotes at all in his first 2 Bush books.

My first Chinese cookbook for my first foray into Chinese cooking. The recipes here are simple and classic, if rather plain. I like that the ingredients are all easy to find in my area, and that the recipes are very quick! Important for me as a working person who still likes to come home and cook something interesting for dinner. I don't like recipes with ingredient lists that are a foot long. These recipes are short and easy to follow, although a bit cryptic, which led me to make a mistake in one recipe. But I was able to start over on the mistake and the recipe came out well. I would have liked more photos - one per dish would be ideal. I recommend this for the beginning Chinese cook, but not for the beginning cook.

I came across this book recently and found it very useful for my initial experience at cooking Chinese. Although I'm a pretty proficient cook,, I've never had much success trying Chinese dishes before. The difficulty I'd had with some of the other well-known Chinese cookbooks is that they are too complicated if you've never cooked with some of the ingredients before -- too many variables for the novice. This book takes a somewhat simpler, yet satisfying approach. It doesn't lack interest. I think I'll learn a great deal from it.

Every recipe I've tried tastes like it's from a quality Chinese restaurant. The recipes are easy to understand, I can find the ingredients in my local market, and the finished quality is consistently delicious.

I enjoy oriental foods and wanted to learn to cook some of my favorite dishes. This cook book is excellent. It gives clear and concise instructions as well as a wide variety of dishes to choose from. Also, the cook book has beautiful photographs for most of the receips. Items are not hard to find in your local grocery store. This cook book was also made in conjunction with the Betty Cooker cook books. So if you love Betty Cooker cook books this cook book is a plus!

If you really like salty foods or lots of dark soy sause, then this might be for you.

I'm not an expert chief, but I do cook quiet a bit of ethnic foods. I like my dishes to have a range of flavours that are pleasent to the palete and easy on the eyes.

I found that most of the recipes looked good but following the directions caused me to throw them out because I couldn't stand the taste.

A very comprehensive book covering both English and American furniture of the classical to recant,evan having some of the author's own furniture on the front cover.This is a book that has created very favourable comments from visitors to our house who have browsed through it during their stay.

Rodel has crafted an excellent review of the Arts and crafts movement in America with many fine pictures.

The book provides an excellent introduction in the history of furniture at the end of the 19th century and the evolution of the Arts & Crafts movement. The nice thing about this book is that it's giving the larger context, showing the influence designers in England and continental Europe had on Arts & Crafts movement in America. The book has excellent pictures of representative furniture pieces.

Towards the end of the book, there's a small collection of contemporary furniture makers and designers that build classic pieces, or new ones inspired by the classic designs. You can google the name of the furniture makers to find showrooms and stores that carry their products, which is a very good way to start when you want to buy such furniture.

If you like this type of furniture, and you're technically inclined, it might also help getting a book that describes how this furniture is built. This helped me enormously to understand what is involved in producing good quality furniture.

As a librarian and a lover of all things relating to Arts & Crafts style, I recommend this book to anyone desiring a greater knowledge of this furniture's history and design evolution. With clear color photographs and just the right amount of text, this book illustrates the origins of Arts & Crafts furniture in England and its progression, first to our East Coast, and eventually Westward across America. In fact, my only 'complaint' about this book is that the photographs are good enough that they leave you wanting for more.

Because of the depth of information presented here, I would not say that this is a general interest read - rather this book is geared toward those seriously interested in the history of the Arts & Crafts movement and its recent revival.

I've been an architect for many years and bought this book to show clients some ideas from it. Good book. good photography. Worth the cost and more.

This series of books, two so far, the second of which is of similar title dealing with kitchens, is a poorly and sloppy attempt at presenting the works of contemporary architects' approach to design. The choices selected for the books are of such poor caliber that the we have to wonder about the qualifications of the author. It appears that this book was assembled by the writer to capitalize on the current market trend of the educated home buyer who is more receptive to a modernist approach to minimalism in a contemporary setting.
There ought to be some sort of a standard barometer that individuals should meet before allowing them to publish.

I got both 50 New Baths and 50 New Kitchens.
Each is a nice little book but neither offers much
in the way of fresh ideas for contemporary spaces.
The photos have almost no accompanying text, which
might be acceptable if the photos were less stingy.
These books are OK if you can get 'em cheap,
otherwise, they're both rather disappointing.

The photos of her home are beautiful but this read more like a remodeling diary of Ms. Smith's own domain. Many of the pictures are repeated over and over again. Clearing exploiting her fan base here and basically a vanity project.

A staple for experts and beginners alike. This book stands out because it's the first interior design book I've READ cover to cover. Her insights into the design approach and the appeal of, "One must truly study the details of a house to understands it's bones." have helped me to look at design differently. The book is all about Laurie's mid-century modern home and I think that the personal story throughout make it all the more interesting. Rarely in decorating books do you get to see the whole house and how each room plays off of another. I hope Laurie decides to write more great books...they'll all be on my shelf!

I have been a fan of Laurie's work on Trading Spaces for years. She seemed to be one of the few designers that actually took design seriously on the show for a long time and didn't just try to go for shock factor (ie. toilets in a bedroom or straw glued on walls).

I am a fan of the midcentury look in Laurie's personal home (it reminds me a little of the home on Bewitched), showcased in this book, but I did wish it would have shown photos of her past work outside of the show. Maybe she will have future books that focus more on that aspect.

If you enjoy Laurie's style on the show, you won't be disappointed by this book.

I love this book, and read it again and again. Some of the rooms have way too much furniture for my liking, but still, the ideas are good. I enjoyed the laid back atmosphere with some great art on display, and a focus on natural materials.
Especially the last few chapters, where Laurie talks about color, fabrics and acessories are a good source of information.
But I also liked the simple idea of replacing a wall with built in bookcases, thus creating a symmetrical space at the back-end of the bookcases... simple yet effective!
And her tip of picking your wall color as last step was a real eye opener!

Coincidentally, the colors used in her keeping room and living room are very similar to what we have in mind for our living room. So, her choice in fabrics is very inspiring... I guess if you don't like this golden yellow/green combo, the book might be disappointing regarding visual clues. Still... the background info should help you finding your own color combination, and how to pull it off in your home.

Petra

This wasn't what I initially expected, but I hadn't read the description ahead of time. I did enjoy it, however, and it is as described - a book about Laurie Smith's design philosophy and techniques as they play out in her own home.

I like the fact that she uses her whole house to show different variations of her general style in her home. She discusses general ideas and tips that anyone can take and apply into their own home while giving specific examples of what that meant in her own home. For example, she stresses working with a house's "bones," which led her to a more modern style than she typically likes in her own house. She took what she had and worked with it to create something that fit her preferences.

Read this book as a way to get the creative juices flowing about your own home. Don't look at it as a book of plans to copy directly. If you want to put your own personal mark on your home's design, this book will help you figure out how to do it, rather than design your home for you.

In Celtic Twilight, originally published in 1902, Yeats recites several accounts of encounters with the faerie folk and with the people of Ireland of the time which gives us insight into Irish folklore, myth and legend.

Yeats associates poetry with religious ideas and sentiment. And, I believe that he saw himself as writing for Ireland, but a shadowy Ireland of Celtic mysteries and legends, not the Ireland of the modern day. By modern day, of course, I relate this to the modern day of Yeats in the late 1890s and early 1900s.

In the introduction to Celtic Twilight Yeats states; "I have therefore written down accurately and candidly much that I have heard and seen, and, except by way of commentary, nothing that I have merely imagined. I have, however, been at no pains to separate my own beliefs from those of the peasantry, but have rather let my men and women, dhouls and faeries, go their way unoffended or defended by any argument of mine."

I got the strong impression from reading Celtic Twilight that Yeats actually believed in the existence of the faeries. Not just as some myth or legend, but as actual beings that exist in this world, though perhaps unseen by the common man. He wrote each story as if it was something that actually happened, having been related to him by the storyteller, or perhaps that which he had seen for himself in some past time, now recalled as he set pen to paper.

There is a depth to Yeats' writing that lies just below the surface, something that's perceived more than seen. The idea that perhaps magic and the faerie folk are alive in the world of today, but unseen, or perhaps only seen from time to time as a fleeting shadow until one knows just where to look.

It is interesting to note that Yeats was heavily involved in occult studies and practices as part of the Madame Helene Blavatsky's,Theosophical Society and later, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and finally in 1912 the Ordo Templi Orientis.

This would have certainly influenced his outlook on life and his belief in, and dare we say ability to see the unseen things of this world.

I too ask myself from time to time; just what unseen things exist in this world. Perhaps Yeats has seen that which other men can only hope for, or that which they turn away from in dread given the course of their spirits.

Yeats also makes a profound observation: "The things a man has heard and seen are threads of life, and if he pull them carefully from the confused distaff of memory, any who will can weave them into whatever garments of belief please them best."

I found Yeats' observation of particular interest, especially when it comes to theological or philosophical thought. If it is those things that we hear and see in life that forms the fabric of our beliefs, then surely we must take care that that which we see and hear forms strong enough threads so that the fabric we weave is not shoddy.

Yeats' works help us build those strong threads in our lives. For, he certainly influenced the world at large with his writings. In 1923 Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, and in 1934 he shared the Gothenburg Prize for Poetry with Rudyard Kipling.

The main reason I like this book is because in the back it has a chart for whichever kind of surface you'd like to paint. The chart will tell you how to prepare the surface and which kind of paint would be best to go on that particular surface. If I want to go paint my walkway, the chart will tell me exactly what needs to be done so that it will last.

The book gives you a lot of good ideas but they don't seem to be anything different than what the BHG website offers. My opinion, check with the website first before buying the book. If you don't find it in the website than I recommend it.

I thought this book was about preparing to die. Instead, I found Dr. Bright gives great ideas on how to live one day at a time.

I'd highly recommend it not only to someone going through a terminal illness but for any Christian facing their own trials in life.

In 2003 I saw my uncle die suddenly of a heart attack, and for a long time afterward I was anxious about dying. Even though I am a Christian and have accepted Christ, thinking about dying seemed sort of like waiting in a dentist's lobby before having a painful tooth drilling, and I was frequently haunted by anxiety and worry about what dying will be like.

Reading this book was very helpful to me. The author, a well-known Christian evangelist, receives a terminal diagnosis and this book is his story as he faces his own death. He is genuine and open, taking you along through the thoughts and things he faces, and how he comes to grips with the knowledge. The book goes from his first diagnosis, through his progressive failing health, and his final chapter, written in his last days, where he says goodbye to the reader. An epilogue written by his wife describes his final hours as he passed away, which helps the reader to see the end of the journey being completed as he goes to be with Jesus.

We will all face death, and will all have to go through this experience. Even if we are Christians, the prospect of death disturbs us. This book is a great help and a comfort to anyone who has lost someone, or who is facing their own death.

This is one of those books where the minute you pick it up and read the first page, you had to finish it. Bill Bright is truly one of God's faithful servants; choosing to live a life that is selfless and full of integrity as a "slave" of God. The book gives you a glimpse into the last few years of his life as he battled pulmonary fibrosis. He finished his work on earth with the utmost joy and no one can capture what he went through better than the man himself. The book also sheds light into his wife, his children, and his ministry.

It's amazing that not more people know about Bill Bright. He started the Campus Crusade for Christ ministry and has made several films including the JESUS film which has been seem by over 5.5 billion people. He also came up with the 4 spiritual laws gospel among other outreach materials. Through Bill's ministry, millions of people have come to accept Christ. I didn't know about Bill Bright either until this year as I was going through my own struggles in life. Reading his book and seeing how he finished his life with joy and the blessing he left to those around him brought so much hope and encouragement to my life. It also showed me a better picture of who God really is and how He blesses the life of those who love Him. You must give this book a read.

I am just half way through this book and already find it a very uplifting book. It gives you more of a looking forward to Heaven than a fear of death. It is so good to see someone not just live his faith, but also bring God glory through, must be one of the hardest times in one's life, his knowing death is near.

I read this book and recieved so much peace from this mans journey to Heaven, but what I have also done is adopt his daily principles for living and I have shared the book with my son who is Autistic and incarcerated. It has changed both our lives!

It's okay, but missing a couple huge areas--hominy (both white and yellow)and black beans. I can't imagine chile without either or both. Much less Mexican soups. Sort of why I bought the book in the first place. Also needs expansion in prickly pear cleaning and uses, and pretty thin in chili pepper ID. So I was disappointed. There are some goodies, and could help people in other parts of the country learn a bit about what goes on here in the Southwest.

I absolutely love this cookbook. Everything we've made from it has just been delicious! We've had it for going on three years now and I don't even think twice about making my own chile powder or enchilada sauces now. I love the regional variations that allow you to take one dish and make it New Mexican or Texan or however you want to make it! Everything is well researched, it's almost like a story book with recipes inserted. Definitely recommended to anyone who enjoys Mexican and Southwestern cooking!

An excellent cookbook. Well researched and the recipes all work. I especially enjoyed that there were recipes that are usually hard to find such as Horchata and Diablo Shrimp. I would have given it 5 stars but I think that some pictures of the food would have helped. I guess we get spoiled in today's world by various cookbooks and magazines that inspire us to try a recipe because it looks so delicious in a photo. I would recommend it based on the quality of the recipes though.

For the last 15 years, I had been looking to recreate several of the wonderful Mexican dishes I ate while living in Tucson, Arizona for 6 years. It was not until I found The Border Cookbook that I was able to accomplish this task! The authors have made it very easy to cook the wonderful flavors that I have been missing all of these years. The descriptions of the history of the dishes and the detailed explanations of how to cook each recipe make this cookbook one of my favorites!

I purchased this book about three years ago and believe it to be the best cookbook I've seen covering Mexican and Southwestern Cuisine. The only disappointment was with the recipes being so good you would've liked to have seen some pictures. That being the only flaw, I would highly recommend it to anyone that has a fondness for border cooking. Try the Chicken Enchiladas Verda and the Arizona Enchiladas. They are time-consuming recipes that are well worth the effort.

ICFs provide cost-effective ease of construction, energy efficiency, quiet, and long-term sustainability for any location (mountain, coast, valley, flood plain, frequent tornadoes, cold and hot, arid and humid). The use of steel studs on interior walls provides strong structure and reduces thermal breaks. ICFs work for basements and multistory structures. They are insect-proof.

Anything you can design and build with typical "boards and sticks" construction you can do much better with ICFs. ICFs can be used for floors, ceilings, walls and roofs or SIPs (structural insulated panels) can be used. ICFs are suitable for the tropics or high elevation snowy mountains. Want a house that will still be there after a severe tornado? Look into ICFs.

How do you introduce a contractor to ICFs who has been building the same way for 25 years with the motto, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" (resistant to changing methods of construction) - give your contractor a copy of this book. Spend one 24 hour in an ICF house - feel the ambient temperature, listen to the sound, look at the natural and artificial lights, then demand high quality, sustainable ICF construction for yourself, your business, schools and church.

Houses are expensive and costly to operate, regardless of climate. ICFs require good thorough thinking in advance (you're not going to move a window or door easily later on). Want sustainable cost-effective construction in and above ground? Build ICFs.