Roland Mesnier's Basic to Beautiful Cakes Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this book after attending a cooking class that Mesnier had at a local cooking school I like to occasionaly visit. He was great. This book is just as a great. I'm not the best cook or anywhere near the best cook but the Cherry Trifle cake helped me when a cook-off at work for best Dessert. The American crust-less cheesecake is to die for; it even list sauces to top with -- fresh chunky strawberry sauce is my favorite. All I can say about this book is buy it, buy it, buy it.

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In his twenty-five years as Executive White House Pastry Chef, Roland Mesnier prided himself on creating a unique dessert for every special occasion, from elaborate State Dinners and formal receptions to smaller family gatherings and birthday celebrations. In Roland Mesnier's Basic to Beautiful Cakes, the author of the classic and comprehensive Dessert University shows home cooks how to create desserts that can be beautifully embellished to serve any occasion by using a small set of foolproof cake recipes.Hazelnut Ring Cake, for example, can be served on its own at teatime, as it was in the Reagan White House; or, with the addition of espresso-flavored whipped cream and a crown of caramelized phyllo, can become the memorable culmination of an elegant dinner party. Chocolate Dome Cake (one of the Carters' favorites) can be topped with raspberry glaze, served with Grand Marnier mousse, or spangled with berries. Blueberry Upside-Down Cake with yogurt sauce is a light treat for a long weekend morning; the cherry version, with its lattice of whipped cream, will delight children and adults alike, and the truly grand Peach and Spice Upside-Down Cake with Brioche "Peaches" is a show-stopping confection, elegant enough for the Clintons to serve to the chancellor of Germany and the prime minister of England.Even on the most important ocassions, Chef Mesnier believes that desserts don't have to be filled with butter and cream. Recipes like the wheat-free Carrot Cake, the dairy-free Orange Sherbert Cake with Glazed Oranges, and the low-fat Apricot Souffl -Cake with Apricot Grand Marnier Sauce satisfy guests with special dietary concerns but still meet Roland's exacting standards for taste and presentation. The easy-to-follow instructions for these time-tested recipes anticipate pitfalls and offer sensible suggestions for when it is worth to invest in high-end ingredients and equipment and when you can get by without them, and how to peel and slice fruit for the most attractive results. With Chef Mesnier taking you through every step of each carefully constructed recipe, you can be sure that your cakes will be delicious and spectacular every time.Soon you will have mastered the basic recipes and a few of the more advanced techniques, and you will be able to develop a repertoire of your own. like Chef Mesnier, you'll be able to tailor your desserts to the tastes of your guests or the spirit of a celebration. Whether the table is lit by tapers and laid with your best silver or you are serving a few friends Sunday supper in the kitchen, you will be able to create sophisticated mouthwatering desserts that your guests will remember for weeks to come.

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Hewitt's Guide to Slam Poetry and Poetry Slam with DVD Review

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(More customer reviews)Geof Hewitt's Guide to Slam Poetry and Poetry Slam with DVD: This book is a must for all teachers of English and Creative Writing. Hewitt has an easy to understand and charming style which he uses to lay down the Ways and Means of Slam in the classroom. For all the noise about scores and tests, if kids aren't engaged in language - as writers, speakers and creators, educators will have missed the boat. Taking classroom writing to active performance, where, what you say and how you say it becomes IMPORTANT, SCARY, EXCITING, is a brilliant and effective (sometimes even FUN) way of getting kids to value the WORD and how you use it. I use elements of this book in teaching creative writing in rural New York and I find it pays off, not only in wonderful writing and readings , but, by the end of the year, I can hear them from the back of the class, when they read/perform a report on Newton's 3rd Law. And, the book is full of ways to lighten up the competitive aspects of Slamming, so that kids with varied apitudes all can win the language game.

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The history, the rules, organizing, performing, scoring: all these are the elements of a fascinating phenomenon known as "Slam Poetry."Designed and concocted more than 20 years ago in Chicago and what has come to be a "new American artform," slam poetry and poetry slams are lushly written about by veteran poet, Geof Hewitt.Vermont's 2004 state champion, Hewitt is a master of the game but reminds us that"the point is not the points, the point is the poetry."

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Gourmet Preserves Review

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(More customer reviews)This book's easy-to-follow recipes uses minimal ingredients which produce outstanding results. Great for the beginning preserver and creative enough for the seasoned canner. Inspirational!

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The Vibe History of Hip Hop Review

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(More customer reviews)In this day and age, we are now witnessing an explosion of hip-hop in mainstream popular culture. Acts like Limp Bizkit, Korn and Kid Rock have all incorporated hip-hop into their music. Lately, hip-hop has been defined as 'the music of the youth'. This definition is devoid of color, making hip hop accessible to people of all races and cultures. The tricky aspect of this new 'universal' definition of hip hop is the possibility of the artform 'going the way of Rock and Roll' in that although it was pioneered by African-Americans, it may be 'stolen' by White artists the way Elvis and Pat Boone 'stole' Rock & Roll. There is sad evidence to this theory - Although TLC is the biggest selling female group of all time, they have yet to make the cover of Rolling Stone, yet Eminem made the cover after one hit song. There are countless other examples of this double standard that would take too much room to mention here. The history of hip hop is happening right now, but there's no better way to start paying attention by doing a little research, and VIBE's History of Hip Hop is the best place to begin.
This book is a masterpiece. Some break down hip hop into four elements: Graffitti, The Turntable, The MC and Breakdancing. I believe that while these are the cornerstones on which hip hop culture was built, this definition is too simplistic - and the VIBE history of Hip Hop does a wonderful job of bringing to life yet another form of Black music that has taken not only the United States, but the world by storm.
Broken down into many, many sections including "The Real Old School", "Pop Rap", "Ladies First" and "Hip Hop in the Movies", you can see first hand the amount of research and work that went into this book. Then, the book also focuses on hip hop icons like Run DMC, LL Cool J, Public Enemy and Salt-N-Pepa. Over 17 journalists contributed to this book and they are all well respected, talented writers in their own right. This book was edited by Alan Light, the original editor-in-chief of Vibe and current editor-in-chief of Spin magazine. It was published in the era of Danyel Smith while she was editor-in-chief, and now she's at Time Inc. Most of the writers in this book are youthful and hip, yet serious and ambitious. Authoritative is the best word to describe this document to hip hop.
But wait - there are the many, many pictures that say so much to support the knowledge that is recorded on each of the glossy 418 pages in this book. Even the last few pages that tell you about each and every one of the contributors is an entertaining read. It's also inspiring for those of us who also wish to be journalists (like myself).
So yes - if you want to learn about hip hop, or need a source to cite your knowledge of hip hop...this book is for you - by the editors of the best urban-oriented magazine since Ebony, Jet and Essence...Vibe is the magazine of our culture and our future.
You'll be picking this one up time and time again...

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Mel Bay Basic Blues Harmonica Method Book/CD Set Review

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(More customer reviews)This book rocks! Building basic riffs using 1 hole! making it sound incredible. You are given the tools to start building your style of the blues riffs you like, illustrating how to attack the notes.
Very well done.

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Basic Blues Harmonica Method is geared toward getting you playing blues harmonica as fast as possible. The songs and exercises have been designed to get you comfortable with moving around the instrument and allow you to take full advantage of the great sounding patterns available on your harmonica, without first having to learn advanced techniques such as bending. The basic techniques covered are single hole embouchure, tongue block embouchure and octaves. You'll be able to achieve that bluesy feel, without bending notes, by learning how to play in 3rd position. You'll also learn single note patterns and rhythms that will help you develop your motor skills and tone. This book is packed with song examples that sound great, even at this beginning stage. The CD that accompanies the book contains eight jam tracks for you to play along with. These jam tracks use harmonica-friendly keys and a wide variety of tempos and grooves to fit whatever mood you're in. The instruction portion of this book/CD set teaches phrasing within the 12 bar structure.

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Roller Derby to RollerJam: The Authorized Story of an Unauthorized Sport Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is a Derby fan's dream come true! I never got to experience the Derby for myself (it ended when I was only a year old), but I've always been fascinated with the players, the game and how it captivated people. Coppage, along with input from Derby owner Jerry Seltzer (the Commissioner of RollerJam's World Skating League) and the memories of former players and fans, tells the story of a sport that endured despite being looked down by other sports as a "poor cousin" -- and ended up creating a phenomenon in the process. The photos are spectacular -- you almost can feel the punching, the falls and the energy that must have galvanized the skaters to play to their best every night. Similarly, Coppage's discussion of the Derby's "next generation," RollerJam, is as comprehensive and fun as the Derby section (though much shorter, as the 'Jam is still in its infancy). This book, coupled with Frank Deford's "Five Strides on the Banked Track," should be a Roller Derby fan's Bible. Brilliant work!

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Roller derby first appeared in Chicago during the Depression. With the advent of television, this dynamic, sometimes violent sport became a national favorite. In Roller Derby to RollerJam, Keith Coppage takes a fond look at the origins, history, and players of the game who made it successful, from promoters to superstars.

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Steve Kaufman's Four-Hour Bluegrass Workout (Homespun Tapes) Review

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(More customer reviews)Steve Kaufman's Four Hour Bluegrass workout introduces 50 fiddle-type tunes. For each tune, the CDs contain a slowed down version, which I found a great way to learn the melody. Then the band kicks it up a notch to full speed. Some are fairly easy to follow along with and some are blazingly fast...a workout indeed. The melody of the entire tune is played once, then the accompaniment is played twice. I found that playing the chords the first time and then the melody the following two time was an excellent way to learn both parts.
Many standard fiddle tunes are included, with straightforward arrangements, often in the style that is common at jam sessions. Learning these tunes provides a great basis for jumping into jams with other players.
Beginners may find even the chords difficult at times, while advanced players are likely to know many of the tunes. I highly recommend this product to intermediate players looking to learn new tunes and to build speed and technique.

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HereÕs a great way to improve your picking, build up speed and stamina, and get those licks and solos working - no matter what instrument you play! Whether you are a professional or a "parking lot" player, these fabulous sessions will get your fingers in shape - fast! On the four CDs, you have a dedicated bluegrass band on the right speaker to give you solid back-up to 49 great tunes, both slowed-down and up-to-speed. The lead part can be heard in the left channel.

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Spice: Recipes to Delight the Senses Review

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(More customer reviews)While perusing the library I stumbled upon this incredible book (which I later purchased due to it's great content). After thumbing through the pages I was instantly intrigued by the use of Asian ingredients with dishes ranging from meats, noodles, soups, appetizers and deserts. All using ingredients that I like to employ in my everyday cooking.
The first recipe that caught my eye was a Ahi Tuna over Spinach and Homemade Anchovy Aioli. It was incredible and one of my favorite recipes in the book. All of the recipes I've tried are imaginative and complex in flavor. As I type this I have a Spicy Vegetable stock for a Turmeric and Lemongrass Noodle dish on the stove.
Warning to those who only shop at the not-well-stocked American grocer: many of these recipes call for ingredients you simply will not find. But, if you feel like being adventurous, give it a try. There are also a lot of online grocers for a variety of ingredients should you live in a small town.

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Many people use the bare minimum when it comes to spicing up their food, sticking with the standards of salt and pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg, oregano and basil. But spices should be a sensual feast that enlivens the palate, seduces the taste buds and tantalizes the mind. Spice is anything but dull, a cookbook love affair with the exotic and under-appreciated, and draws on spices and aromatics from countries such as Sri Lanka, Japan, Singapore, Tunisia, China, Thailand and Mexico.Spice includes a plethora of delicious recipes such as Saffron Prawn Risotto, Asparagus and Fragrant Curry Sauce, Smoked Eggplant and Spicy Masala Sauce, and Tangelo Cardamom Ice Cream. With a comprehensive spice index, a description of the wide variety of spices available today and a huge selection of recipes including everything from appetizers to drinks and desserts, Spice will add zest to everyone's palate.Praise for Spice:"Christine Manfield evokes rich aromas and luscious flavours from the very first page...The recipes, from traditional Thai pastes to Manfield's own exotic inventions, are exceptional." - Marie Claire

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The Art of Choosing Review

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(More customer reviews)I had high expectations for this book. Sheena Iyengar's research on choice is well known and often quoted, and I was looking forward to this exposition of her ideas. The book is OK, and will be a worthwhile read for those with a deep interest in choice theory and decision making; however, I personally found the book to be less valuable than other books on this subject.
More specifically:
On the positive side, the book is well researched and is particularly strong when discussing cultural differences regarding choice and decision making. It is loaded with a large number of anecdotes and research studies.
On the negative side, after having read the book, I had a hard time outlining the key points or recalling a handful of particularly powerful examples. Despite the author's frequent references to the importance of a "narrative," I struggled to find the narrative in the book.
In a nutshell, when reading this book I felt as though I would have learned a lot if I'd had the opportunity to spend a semester in one of the author's classes, benefitting from a rich give and take of ideas and arguing the interpretations of the various research findings and personal perspectives. However, not enough of that experience came through in the book -- the studies and examples were mostly ones I had read many times before, and the integrating "theory of the case" was not strongly presented.
For discussions of decision making as it relates to economic or business choices, I found "Predictably Irrational" by Dan Ariely of Duke and "The Winner's Curse" by Richard Thaler of Princeton to be more valuable than "The Art of Choosing." For consumer choice research and issues, Barry Schwartz's "The Paradox of Choice" remains the standard. To swim in the evolution of decision theory as it struggled to integrate its joint heritage in psychology and economics, "Choices, Values, and Frames" by Dan Kahneman and Amos Tversky is the place to look. On the subject of intuitive decsion making, Malcom Galdwell's "Blink" is exceptionally well written and a joy to read.

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Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Treats for Kids Review

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(More customer reviews)This is such an eye-pleasing book. I just love the scallop edged pages, and the sturdy, colorful cover. The lay flat spiral binding inside is also a good feature. I love food photography so I do wish this book had a picture of every recipe, but I understand the space constraints. There are a good amount of photographs though, and they are all beautiful!
We already own a lot of kid-related cookbooks, so I wasn't sure if we needed another one. I was delighted to find that this book is really appropriate for the more advanced young chef. My 13 year old daughter takes her cooking very seriously and she felt like this book was filled with fun recipes that were the kind a real chef would make.
Banana Split Pancakes, New York Crumb Cake, and Chock-a-block Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Muffins are on the top of my list of projects I can wait to taste from this book!
My only complaint is just related to the packaging done by amazon; some of my pages were bent by the inner cardboard piece inserted into the book.

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Teeny tummies love yummy treats. Sticky Chewy Messy Gooey Treats for Kids is bursting with 30 tasty but simple recipes for sticky sweets and gooey breakfasts. Such delights as Pinkalicious Princess Cupcakes, Wicked Good Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Cups, Banana Split Pancakes, and Hunka Chunka Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are the kinds of treats kids will love. With a lay-flat binding, an easy-to-clean cover, and step-by-step instructions, this book gets the whole family gathered around the mixing bowl.

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The Everything Canning and Preserving Book: All you need to know to enjoy natural, healthy foods year round (Everything Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)A lot of times when you pick up a canning book it seems to have all the same, worn out recipes. This one is completely different! I am so inspired to go into my kitchen and start making gifts for friends, let alone canned goods for my family.
Sure there are a few takes on the classics (like bread and butter pickles) but then you find recipes like:
- Chrysanthemum soup (and other edible petal recipes)
- caramelized red onion relish
- Asian vinaigrette
- Bourbon mustard
- Watermelon pickles
and even homemade salami! There's so much more that this list hardly does the book justice.
For people who want to know what's truly IN their food, and who want to save money by buying in bulk this book is an incredibly useful resource. I had gone looking for something that could teach me what my grandmother knew, but also give me safe guidelines and great inspiration -- this book does all three!
I've already made many blends and find the directions easy to follow and the results very successful.

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More and more people are beginning to can and preserve, whether for health benefits or to save money. Complete with step-by-step instructions, recipes, and tips, this book is a must for beginning and experienced canners alike. With this book you will learn to:
Preserve fresh foods by drying, freezing, canning, and pickling
Find and use the tools needed to can and preserve foods at home
Take safety precautions to prevent food contamination
Can all-natural broths, soups, and stews
Dry herbs and spices from the garden for year-round use
Make festive food gifts?from jams and jellies to dressings and sauces
In addition to a wealth of information and 100 great recipes, you will find a glossary of terms they can reference and an appendix of resources, including lists of products, books, and websites, to help you find everything you need to begin canning today!

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Coaching the Sale Review

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(More customer reviews)Finally, a book that promotes a clear path to the sale while still valuing the relationship of the client. So often it's about making the sale, forcing the sale and even manipulating the sale; it was nice to have a clear process that allows you to build a solid relationship before the sale is "made". "Discover, Discuss and Decide" may at first seem elementary, but the coaching industry has a very loose and organic approach to everything it does... even anti-consultant at times in an effort to help differentiate ourselves from "them". This book provides a clear framework to have intentional conversations with clients about what they really want & need, and how they want you to help them. I appreciate the book, the models and have already used the process several times to create greater clarity and understand with my clients and prospects. Thanks for another great resource to recommend to my clients and friends. www.seanoliver.com

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Selling in the 21st century is a whole new game. Every day you face educated and skepticalbuyers who are tired of traditional sales techniques and tricks. A whole new approach is needed, and everyone is seeing the benefits of coaching.Coaching the Sale brings the power of coaching to the sales process. It involves a respectful approach where you create solutions with your prospects, resulting in greater buy-in and increased client loyalty.Using the 3D Sales Solution, you will learn to:--Discover the Issues--Discuss Solutions--Decide an OutcomeCoaching the Sale is an entirely new approach to sales, one designed to win over today's cynical customers. If you learn to work with your clients and bring them on your team, they will let you coach them to bigger sales and a long-term relationship.

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Kill Everyone: Advanced Strategies for No-limit Hold 'em Poker Tournaments and Sit-n-go's Review

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(More customer reviews)The long awaited sequel to 'Kill Phil' has finally been published. Where 'Kill Phil' provided an effective long-ball strategy for neophyte tournament poker players to compete against expert players, 'Kill Everyone' takes the 'Killers of Phils' [who by now should have had a lot of playing experience] to another level of play.
This second book by Lee Nelson and his new collaborators [Tysen Streib and Kim Lee] details some very advanced tournament poker concepts and strategies. It is also based on the modern game [also sometimes called the 'new school'] of very strong aggression. Where 'Kill Phil' emphasized a long-ball strategy due to its target audience being beginning tournament players, this book teaches small-ball play in the early stages of a tournament, and provides further analysis of the long-ball tactics introduced in 'Kill Phil'. Thus, you now have both strategies in your arsenal to be utilized as befits the situation.
The book identifies two key phases of tournament play - the early game, where the objective is to accumulate chips, and then the end-game [when the blinds are escalating, and players are generally in the `move-in' stage], where the goal is to win it all. It is this last phase where the book excels. It is also the most useful, as this is the situation that most players find themselves in - short-stacked or average-stacked. It not only provides detailed guidelines and tables for the strategies to be used but the discussion is strongly backed up by sound game-theoretic analysis. A particularly useful discussion is equilibrium play when far from the money, .i.e. you become short stacked early in the tournament, and you can no longer play `cash poker' - how do you play your short stack optimally? The authors present a non-exploitative `jam-or-fold' strategy with adjustment guidelines to exploit your opponents should they not follow an equilibrium strategy against you. The end-game and equilibrium strategies discussion is a detailed expansion on the work presented in `Kill Phil' except that this latter work presents a deeper analysis and allows the [hopefully] now more experienced `Kill Phil-ler' to really grasp what he was doing by rote, and adapt to his opponents.
The next major section of the book presents a new and very important concept in tournament poker - `bubble factor' [new in that I don't believe that is has been discussed and developed to the extent that it has in this book]. This is defined as the `ratio of the cost of losing vs the gain from winning' when you're all-in and approaching the money in a tournament. This concept is important because it significantly affects your decision making, e.g. when would you fold aces pre-flop? Bubble factors are strongly tournament-strategic rather than poker-strategic - what is the prize pool and how is it paid out, the tournament structure, how many players are left, what is your stack size relative to other players, what is your relative position, how far from the money are you? Experienced pros have an intuitive feel for some of these issues, and now, thanks to this book, the `secrets' backed by solid mathematical analysis, are available to the rest of us. The discussion concludes by offering practical guidelines on utilizing `bubble factors' [`bubble factors' are calculated using the Independent Chip Model which makes it a tad difficult to work out at the table]. A good understanding of your opponents' bubble factors also allows you to apply `fold equity' more effectively. Chapter 7 of the book, `Specific Strategies for Different Tournament Types' then applies bubble factor strategies to different tournament types, including SnGs, MTTs and super-satellites. I have personally applied the concepts discussed here to dig myself out of trouble and end up at the final table.
And should you be fortunate enough to get heads-up against Gus Hansen, `Kill Everyone' presents you with information to not only hold your own, but to win the tournament. It has the most detailed heads-up strategy that I have seen in a poker tournament book. Again, it provides an equilibrium short-stacked strategy that would not be exploitable by the pro. It also presents a practical strategy for when the stacks are deeper.
The book then applies the concepts discussed in a detailed analysis of the Full Tilt Monte Carlo Invitational SnG. It is interesting to see how difficult it is, even for pros, to play optimally. The authors conclude by presenting a potpourri of topics including recent changes in modern tournament play, e.g. UTG steals, playing against the pros etc.
All in all, an exceptionally good book on a winning approach to the modern game of tournament poker. I personally find the chapters on equilibrium play, bubble factors, and heads-up to be very useful in my own development as a tournament player.
... and should you be unlucky enough to get knocked out of the tournament, you can read the bonus chapter on online short-handed cash games provided by the Australian pro, Mark Vos, and head up to your hotel room and login.

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Kill Phil was a revolutionary poker manual -- its simplified yet potent strategies empowered even rank novices to compete against the world's best poker players.Kill Everyone begins where Kill Phil left off. Its perfect blend of real-time experience, poker math, and computational horsepower combine to create nw concepts and advanced strategies never before seen in print for multi-table tournaments, Sit-n-Go's, and satellites.Kill Everyone explains how to choose the right strategy for the right game, provides the proper tactics, and introduces new weapons into a tournament-poker-player's arsenal. These include:* fear and fold equity*equilibrium playsbubble factorsendgame strategiesoptimal heads-up playand much much more!Unlike Kill Phil, which was 90% pre-flop strategy, Kill Everyone goes all the way. In the end, you'll know how to accumulate chips early, navigate through the middle stages, and perfect your play on the bubble and at the final table.This book is for anyone serious about playing tournament poker, both live and online. And for cash-game players, a bonus chapter, penned by online cash-game ace and 2007 WSOP bracelet winner Mark Vos, helps you develop your short-handed no-limit hold 'em cash game.

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Wireless and Mobile Network Architectures Review

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(More customer reviews)The reviewer was in search of a book that could provide the basis for a course on mobile communications at the graduate level for students from a mixed (EE and CS) background. The new book by Lin and Chlamtac fits the bill perfectly. It assumes neither knowledge of wireless physical layer, nor knowledge of higher layer applications and application interfaces. In fact, it is a book with an original approach, being the first to present mobile networks by emphasizing the services that can be provided and the mobility management schemes needed to support such services. Because of its particular focus, the book is also an excellent text for systems and systems software developers as well as the senior undergrad or grad level science and engineering reader who is curious about the particular subject. Certain decisions were necessary to keep the book focused. For example, it stays clear of elaborating on modulation, coding and modeling for wireless communication (presenting just the essential info). It also avoids being IP-centric, although, naturally, it cannot escape discussing data services, such as SMS, GPRS, WAP etc.
An aspect that weighs in favor of the book is the inclusion of research results from the research of its two world renowned authors. The included research results can help the graduate level reader appreciate the available research opportunities, and the context in which solutions can be developed. The researcher will also find the collection of references (as recent as 2000) extremely helpful in studying the area. The teacher can use the material to develop simulation and analytical models for students to gain better insight to the workings of mobile services.
Another objective of the book, is to function as reference material. Its authors have done the hard work of distilling the essence of a large collection of standards documents related to mobility management. >From this point of view, the book will be of value in the longer term as well, making it an a perfectly sound investment.
A challenge dealt with successfully in this book is that in order to present mobility management, it ultimately needs to discuss about signaling protocols, and SS7 in particular. The book takes an approach of presenting background material on signaling on "as needed" basis. A reader not familiar with signaling, will likely progress slowly when signalling is first introduced, but, at the end, will have the double benefit of being exposed to signaling's central role in advanced communication services, and gain understanding on how mobile networks really work. Certainly, there are parts of the text where the density of acronyms calls for careful parsing of the sentences, but such is the case for any technical book that maintains a formal presentation style. It still beats reading standards documents.
After a short review and classification of the systems covered in the text, the book introduces the need and nature of mobility management followed by the most important aspect of mobility management, that of handoff management (detection, assignment and radio link transfer). Following the introduction, extensive attention is given to IS-41 (where, in a way, AMPS, IS-136 and IS-95 "meet" together) and to the GSM counterpart, the Mobile Application Part (MAP). Covered GSM services include the Short Message Service (SMS), International Roaming, and Operations, Administration and Maintenance. In this, first part of the book, what may appear odd at first is the inclusion of low-tier systems with few mobility management capabilities (such as CT 2, DECT etc.) but it serves as a reminder that little gems of protocols can be found in places one may not think looking at. Certainly the point is justified by the discussion of PACS signalling in a separate chapter. Another topic placed in this first part of the book (due to its relation with AMPS and IS-136) is CDPD's architecture and its radio resource allocation and roaming management.
The remaining half of the book is service-oriented. It covers how different types of services can be supported. The services include mobile number portability, VoIP service for mobile networks, GPRS, prepaid mobile phone services, and WAP. Following are two chapters covering the topic of heterogeneous PCS systems integration and the new (3rd) generation mobile services. The final three chapters cover three addition services that follow their own evolution path. Namely, paging systems, the wireless local loop and wireless enterprise networks.
Overall, this book is worth having. Whether you approach it as a student, as an instructor, as an engineer or just as interested to expand your knowledge, it has something to give you. It is unique in its approach and future books on the topic will be measured against it.

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A comprehensive guide to building wireless and mobile networks and services. Based on advanced wireless and mobile network architectures, Personal Communication Services (PCS) offersthe enterprise freedom of communication through mobility. This book gives network engineers and managers a window on the world of wireless and mobile networks, from the enabling technologies and protocols to creating and managing mobile services. Lin and Chlamtac use a unique sustained example approach to teach you how PCS concepts apply to real network operation. For example, they use location update to illustrate concepts in chapters on network signaling,- Mobility management for different systems- Wireless Application ProtocolNetwork signaling for IS-41-based systems, PACS, and GSM- Roaming procedures and international roaming- Operational management- VoIP service for mobile networks- Mobile number portability- GPRS- Third generation (3G) mobile systems- Wireless enterprise networks- Wireless Local Loop- And much more

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Jazz Jamtrax Review

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(More customer reviews)Tired of trying to get people to play more than three cords or trade solos? This small booklet and CD work great to expand your imagination and explore more complex changes than some modern blues. The booklet has some real Jazz chords and scale ideas - such as E-flat mixolydian over E-flat 9ths. The changes are like most mainstream Jazz with a modern flavor.
One caveat -- you need to be somewhat experienced as a guitar player to get something out of this CD and book. Things go by too quickly for someone just starting out.
While practicing with the CD won't make you into Howard Roberts or even entertain friends much, it is a great way to stretch one's imagination beyond the old 3 chord blues. Has tablature if you can't read music, sounds good through a portable CD player and headphones - so nobody will ever need to know your secret admiration for Jazz guitar style. No help playing those solos either - you're in charge of picking which notes to play and how to play them. If you sit in with Jazz combos on the weekend, you're probably beyond Jazz JamTrax ( after all, you read the charts and play it in your head before you even touch your guitar, right? ). For the rest of us, for whom no band would have enough patience while we learn, this is a dream come true. My girlfriend liked the CD when I played it in the car (without my guitar work!) - it's more interesting than a plain guitar class. I still enjoy the CD after many plays. 5 stars for price and value overall, -1 star for a couple of corny tracks that would even embarrass the producers of old CHiPs television show. Fun overall and worth the money.

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Full-band backup to 10 extended jams in authentic jazz styles. Includes tips on scales and techniques to use with each track.

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A Time Before Crack Review

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(More customer reviews)If you were born between 1965 and 1975, this book will take you back to many forgotten memories. It is all at once an ode to fashion, an ode to attitude, and an ode to hip hop culture in its original form.
Pictured here are the days when the budding hip hop culture was special. Hip hop fashion and style had yet to escape the boundaries of the hood, and here we see ourselves in all our "fresh" glory.
The Puma sneakers with fat laces. The black goose "bomber" jackets. The sheep dog coats. The safari Kangol caps. And of course the Cazals...in every color. Its all here. This is a trip down memory lane that will surely make you smile.
Jamel Shabazz was at the right place at the right time with his camera to capture the essence of hip hop culture in its infancy. This is as much a nostalgic book as a historical document to a time long gone. It was a time when being cool didn't necessarily mean being "thug", it was just...cool.
Shabazz is an absolute master at capturing the raw grittiness of urban life while still showing the fun side. "A Time before Crack" is a necessary testiment to cultural evolution and is a must have for anyone that came of age in the hood in the late seventies and early eighties.

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"Deeply unpretentious and undistracted by the trendy new aesthetics or technologies, Mr. Shabazz is the best kind of photojournalist: one driven simply by curiosity about other human beings." (Ken Johnson, The New York Times)Once upon a time before crack, inner city communities were blighted by poverty and unemployment—but not by the drug wars that tore families apart, destroying lives with needless violence and mindless addiction. Once upon a time before crack, pride and style were as inseparable as a beatbox and mixtape, or as a pair of shoes and matching purse. Once upon a time before crack, Jamel Shabazz was on the scene, working the streets of New York City, capturing the faces and places of an era that have long since disappeared. Best known as hip hop's finest fashion photographer for his blockbuster best-selling monograph, Back in the Days (powerHouse Books, 2001), Shabazz revisited his archive and unearthed an extraordinary collection of never-before-published documentary photographs collected for his third powerHouse Books release, A Time Before Crack. A visual diary of the streets of New York City from the mid-seventies to the mid-eighties, Shabazz's distinctive photographs reveal the families, the poses, and the players who made this age extraordinary.

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Cooking Moroccan (Thunder Bay Cooking) Review

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(More customer reviews)Cooking Moroccan by Tess Mallos is a mouth-watering, menu-inspiring compendium of step-by-step recipes showcasing some of the best of Moroccan ethnic and regional cuisine. Superbly enhanced by gorgeous photography throughout, the recipes range from Fava Bean Dip; Preserved Lemon and Tomato Salad; Filled Savory Pancakes; and Lamb Tagine with Sweet Tomato Jam; to Couscous with Chicken and Vegetables; Briouats with Goat Cheese; Trout Stuffed with Dates; and Fried Honey Cakes. Thoroughly "kit-chen cook friendly", Cooking Moroccan is especially recommended for those who have a special interest in authentic ethnic cooking in general, and North African cuisines in particular.

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From Morocco's savory little dishes—Filled Pancakes, Fennel and Olive Salad, Sweet Tomato Jam—to a celebration of "Dishes from the Palace," here are all the tastes and scents of Moroccan cooking. Spicy kebabs, rich vegetarian and meat tagines, perfect couscous, and rosewater-infused desserts are just a few of the pleasures waiting to be discovered in Cooking Moroccan. 250 color photographs explain special techniques and show finished dishes; ingredients integral to each cuisine are featured in special expanded focus sections, and cultural tips—a discussion of the traditional Moroccan mint tea service, a look at the spicy tradition of chorizo sausage—immerse the reader in regional cuisines. The practical and inspirational meet in this lavish exploration of Moroccan cuisine.

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