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The Northwest Essentials Cookbook is a superbly produced regional cookbook that offers a culinary wealth of more than 150 recipes representing a delicious spectrum of flavors and tastes. From Warm Duck and Apple Salad, Poached Salmon with Tarragon, and Chocolate Almond Apricot Cake, to Oysters Mignonette, Savory Stuffed Mushroom Caps, and Simple Rockfish Stew, The Northwest Essentials Cookbook is a welcome addition to any kitchen cookbook shelf.

I live on the northern california coast and we share many of the same wonderful foods that create the northwest flavor. This is a great cookbook, the recipes are simple and tasty. The book is broken down into chapters like salmon, prawns and crab, wild mushrooms, herbs, lentils split peas & chickapeas, and apples & pears. These are a few, but certainly not all. This is a book full of recipes at their best when you use the freshest of ingredients. I recommend!

- - - -In my heart, my palate, my stomach, memories of home and thoughts of wanting to visit the Seattle area! I really feel good about the support Greg Atkinson gives his recipes in the way of stories, personal experiences and appreciation of the people, places and tastes in his life. This book is a great experience before, during and after meals, for singles and families alike! I'm giving it to my friends!

I am new to astrology and recently purchased the Cosmic Grooves book on my sign,Aquarius. The book gives a brief overview of the Aquarian personality, but nothing that I had not read before. My main complaint is that 26 of the 47 pages are dedicated to describing every possible romantic combination between Aquarians and the other signs. If this information interests you, you might find the book worth your while, but I don't think it's worth the asking price. I bought my copy for $3, mainly because I think the CD is a clever idea and I like some of the songs on it. I agree with the previous reviewer; if you're really interested in astrology, invest your money in something more substantial.

This is my first review so it might sound wierd, anyway. I read this book in Borders bookstore, so before you consider buying the book think about the pages you have to read for the amount you have to pay. I think it's a good book to read while someone is on their launch break but that's it. It's 48 pages but I read the whole book in less than a half hour. They do have a CD but most of the songs on their I already heard so it's not worth me paying that much money. Just think about it before you buy. It's a good book, interesting to read but not worth 15.95 in the bookstore or 12.95 here.

This is a little CD sized hardcover mini-book that is one of a 12 part series featuring all of the signs of the zodiac and it comes with a CD. I'm Pisces so I chose to review the Pisces book and CD. I've also been an astrologer for over 30 years so while I'm envious of the money making power of this clever gimmick package, I must say it is light-weight pop astrology on a par with the newspaper astrology columns and that's about it. There is cursory coverage of the "typical" Pisces, Pisces at work, in careers, in love, in relationships, home, health, style, entertaining, etc. The information found in the 47 short pages of text is accurate as far as it goes and provides a good sketch of the Piscean archetype. The book is accompanied by a music CD containing 12 tunes by twelve different artists each corresponding with a trait attributed to the Piscean character. Some of the tunes hit the mark pretty well while others are obscure and contrived. For example for the "appreciative" trait the selection is "Thank You For Being a Friend" by Andrew Gold...pretty good choice, however the tune for the trait "Empathetic" is "I Can Help" by Jo-El Sonnier and I really don't think the point of that song is empathy but alludes to a more hands-on approach to caring, if you get my drift. If the song choices on this collection of book/CD sets were better...and they easily could be...I would applaud this as a wonderful innovative way to teach Astrology, however as it is I think a person would be better off spending half the money on a good astrology book that covers all the signs not just one, and taking the other half of the money and buying a used CD that REALLY suits you. One very good thing about this is that it comes from Rhino Records so at the least the tunes aren't cheesy remakes. I've checked out all twelve of the sets in this series and the same comments would apply to all twelve.

This book is outstanding! Not only does it comprehensively address the topic of the "culture wars," giving alot of historical perspective, but it does so in an unbiased manner (obviously, your agreement with this point depends on your perspective). Although this book was written in 1991, i.e., before the Internet, web-based fund raising, blogs, etc., its basic messages are still both sound and relevant. If you really want to challenge your thinking and open your mind to other positions on this subject, this book's for you!

This was a textbook for me in seminary. I am in a conservative Presbyterian denomination and studied at a very conservative seminary, and this book got some interesting reviews from the students.

For me, it was a little difficult, since I don't have much background in sociology, but as I trudged through it I really grew to appreciate it. Some of my other classmates loved it too, but there were several who were quite taken aback by it. They didn't like it because Hunter didn't come out and condemn those who were on the wrong side of the culture wars.

But that is just the point - in this book he does not try to point out who is wrong and who is right, his object is to demonstrate why neither side is able to persuade, or prevail against the other.

Each side in the culture war has it's own set of presuppositions and assumptions that it speaks from. Because of this, that which seems most persuasive to one side completely misses those on the other side, because they don't share the same presuppositions. We are talking past one another.

Another problem that Hunter addresses is the issue of extremes and inflammatory rhetoric. Hunter says that, by and large, the culture wars are being fought by people on the extreme ends of their positions. So, the battle of the culture wars is usually fought with inflammatory rhetoric that doesn't persuade, it just angers.

As a sidenote I recently read a story about how communists used to train their young recruits. This particular communist said that when a young person adopted communism the best thing they could do was immediately set them on a street corner passing out communist leaflets. They would get attacked mercilessly, but this attack would only serve to harden and solidify the young communist in his or her beliefs.

I think Hunter shows this - the inflammatory rhetoric used by those on the extreme ends of the culture war debates, only serves to harden the other side in their respective positions.

So, if you are looking for quick answers, or a strategy to defeat your opponents, you won't find it here. But, if you are willing to begin to at least try to understand your opponents, as well as the larger issues, this is a great place to start.

In this work Hunter looks at the culture wars and how they play out in the fields of the family, education, government and the media. His book is well researched and makes several good points. For instance, he argues that both sides must agree on basic definitions and standards before debate can make any sense. I had trouble with two aspects, though.

First of all, although the first half of the book is devoted to our history and earlier culture conflicts, Hunter never adequately explains how those fights led to our present one. How, for instance, does Protestant-Catholic argument about Bible use in public schools translate into today's argument over condom distribution? How does discrimination against Jews cease while controversy over homosexuals increases? It is clear that new coalitions have formed, but it is less clear just why.

Secondly, Hunter has an bothersome tendency to sprinkle the book with sociological jargon. He may be a sociologist, but the terms don't add much to our knowledge. Groups are said, for example, to use positive and negative face when talking about themselves and their opponents. But in the end isn't mud slinging simply mudslinging. Isn't ugliness mere ugliness. And while any book of this kind needs examples, Hunter goes overboard by providing examples everywhere. As a result the book becomes hopelessly predictable at times.

Though the book was published originally published in 1991, it is no wonder that this book is still in print: it is as relevant as ever - and I daresay its relevance is increasing again.

In this book, Hunter gives us a wide-angle view of what is going on in American society since the second half of the twentieth century. Hunter argues that there is a culture war going on. Consequently, he aims at describing the historical and socio-political backgrounds of this cultural conflict.

In five parts, Hunter introduces the culture war (prologue and chapters 1 and 2), maps the lines of conflict (chapters 3 and 4), describes the means of the warfare: the discourse and technology (chapters 5 and 6), and extensively describes the fields of conflict: family, education, media and the arts, law, and electoral politics (chapters 7-11), and finally points out possibilities for a resolution (chapter 12 and the epilogue).

Hunter defines a cultural conflict as "political and social hostility rooted in different systems of moral understanding" (42). According to Hunter, the culture war in America revolves around different worldviews, "our most fundamental and cherished assumptions about how to order or lives - our own lives and our lives together in this society" (42). The contemporary culture war is "a struggle over national identity - over the meaning of America, who we have been in the past, who we are now, and perhaps most important, who we, as a nation, will aspire to become in the new millennium" (50).

Though Hunter acknowledges that the culture war is fought out mainy by the elite and 'knowledge workers', this cultural conflict intersects the lives of most Americans, because the conflict has an impact on every institution of American society: family, education, media, law, and politics.

Hunter writes brilliantly, avoiding jargon as much as possible and defining many concepts with exceptional clarity. This book is really an excellent read.

A personal note:
I am a European citizen and often quite puzzled by what is going on in America. This book gave me a really good perspective on the backgrounds of some American discussions, such as Intelligent Design and why the evolution-creation struggle constantly revolves around education textbooks.

Moreover, this book also made me realize that in contemporary Europe there are plenty of signs that, perhaps, a European culture war is at hand...

An eye-opener, most definitely!

The title of my review refers to the fact that this book, while published in '91, is still quite an accurate portrayal of how the culture wars are conducted. The passing of 13 years and tenure of two presidents has not served to ameliorate the culture war between 'traditionalists' and 'progressives.' Hunter, then, was certainly right.

Hunter's main thesis with this book is that, quite frankly, the culture war being fought over our schools, family policy, law, entertainment, etc. is not a war that will likely EVER engender a consensus. In fact, as it stands now, it seems even to proclude rational debate in favor of charged rhetoric, miscaricaturizations of opponents, and...well...mudslinging.

Hunter asserts this thesis, backs it up with chronicles of how the culture war has been conducted thus far, and conjectures as to why it is so. First, he says, we are dealing with core philosophic differences over questions to do with 'how the world should be.' Thus, both sides have deep emotions on the said issues. Second, there is no incentive to try and foster consensus because in an adversarial system like ours, the game is about power - the power to get your policy instituted and your other's quashed. Third, each 'side' operates using somewhat incompatible philosophic assumptions. To the anti-abortion-rights activist, it is a child and abortion is murder. To the abortion rights activist, it is only potential life and prohibiting abortion is denying the mother freedom of person. Where one sees freedom (either of the mother or fetus), the other sees either servitude or murder. Incomatibilities like these, says Hunter, will ensure that there will be no satisfactory end to the culture war - just a long, tiring, rhetorically charged, and endless, struggle.

Hunter makes his arguments well, is quite convincing, and is as objective as possible. He gives both sides due consideration, never caricaturizing them. While the book focuses on the culture wars from somewhat of a religious perspective (Catholic and Evangelical v. Liberal Protestant and Jew) in the end, the book is about the culture war PERIOD. Highly reccomended reading.