French Women for All Seasons: A Year of Secrets, Recipes, and Pleasure

Amazon.com

Mireille Guiliano, author of the immensely popular French Women Don't Get Fat returns with another book revealing secrets to living the good life. Branching off of her first book that dispelled the notion that you have to avoid everything wonderful in order to lose weight, with French Women for All Seasons, Guiliano suggests that the trick to living life to the fullest is to stay attuned to the "rhythms of the year" (that, and remembering that moderation is the key). Her new book offers new ideas for seasonal entertaining, shopping, cooking, and exercising. Want to know more? Watch our exclusive video message from Guiliano below. Want to know more about yourself? Take our "How French Are You?" quiz and discover your inner Frenchwoman. --Daphne Durham

Watch the video (high bandwith)

Watch the video (low bandwith)

The Mireille Guiliano Quiz: How French Are You?

In French Women Don't Get Fat, Mireille Guiliano laid out a general program for reaching the weight at which you can feel bien dans ta peau (comfortable in your own skin). Now, in French Women for All Seasons, she teaches you peu à peu (little by little), how to make over your whole life for maximum pleasure. Here you will find, not only more specific advice on preparing for the bikini season (with dozens of new slimming tricks and delicious recipes), but also Mireille's secrets to looking and feeling great throughout each season of the year. But before learning to become a French woman for all seasons, take this short quiz to find out how much of one you already are. Your inner French Woman--we all have one!--may already be more developed than you suspect! Find out now how close your daily habits are to bringing you optimum pleasure.

1. Your idea of the ultimate chocolate fix is?
a. A chocolate Entenmann's donut.
b. A Hershey bar.
c. Godiva truffles.
d. One or two pieces of high-quality dark chocolate.

2. How do you take your coffee?
a. I don't drink coffee.
b. Can't stand it without cream and three sugars.
c. I add Equal and skim milk for low-cal pleasure.
d. A small cup of freshly brewed coffee needs no lightening or sweetening.

3. What should the salespeople at the mall know about you?
a. I don't wear prêt à porter!
b. I'm a sucker for the latest trends for the season--I love being in fashion.
c. I'll buy an amazing pair of shoes before I pay my rent.
d. I find a few items to accompany the best pieces in my closet--I just want to refresh my wardrobe.

4. You're throwing a party in a couple of weeks. What's your plan of action?
a. I obsess about the menu, wonder how I'll ever find the time even to plan, and when the big day comes I spend the entire time in the kitchen while my guests (usually) drink too much.
b. I call a caterer, of course. What do I know about such things, and why should I care?
c. I set out a bag of chips and a bag of pretzels and ask everyone to bring a bottle.
d. I choose a few favorite food items to serve, some store-bought delicacies, some easy to prepare but impressive treats, add some personal serving touches, sit back and relax while the guests ooh and ahh.

5. Which of the following drinks will you serve at the party?
a. Whatever the guests bring.
b. Margaritas (Frozen--is there another kind?).
c. Wine, vodka, beer… hospitality is variety.
d. A thoughtfully chosen wine and mineral water—keep it simple and always give guests water with their alcohol.

6. You've just gone to the market and found wonderful fresh basil, but you got so excited about it that you bought too much. What do you do?
a. What would I be doing at the market? What's basil again?
b. I chop some in my pasta, but eventually have to throw the rest away.
c. I have a pesto pack-down that night!
d. I try to invent a new dish for using it while it's fresh (substituting it for another herb I might otherwise use); the rest I make into pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays (one cube is perfect for a single pasta serving).

7. Au restaurant, you're most likely to order:
a. A cheeseburger with fries.
b. A large salad with ranch dressing.
c. Vegetable lasagna.
d. Grilled hangar steak with wine sauce.

8. When the waiter comes to your table to take your drink order, you:
a. Order up Grey Goose.
b. Let someone else advise--wine lists are intimidating.
c. Remember the rule that white goes with fish and red goes with meat.
d. Choose Champagne--it goes with just about anything.

9. How much wine do you typically drink with dinner?
a. None--alcohol is fattening.
b. Keep 'em coming--I've read wine is heart smart!
c. A few glasses--I know my limits.
d. Usually one, but if I want more, I'll have another half glass.

10. You're traveling and a sumptuous breakfast buffet is included in the cost of your hotel room. What do you do?
a. I load up on eggs, bacon, muffins, and pancakes, but make sure to hit hotel gym later.
b. I load up on eggs, bacon, muffins, and pancakes to get me through the day--it's free, and I don't eat that way at home, so what's the harm?
c. I can't be trusted around any all-you-can-eat spread; I skip breakfast.
d. I choose one day to indulge at the buffet (compensating with lighter lunch and dinner), but order room service for the rest of my trip to avoid overdoing it.

11. What is your ideal workout?
a. Does channel surfing count?
b. An hour at the gym, wailing on the Cybex.
c. I eat healthfully so I can spend less time exercising.
d. I walk everywhere, and enjoy some Yoga a couple of times a week.

12. Mireille Guiliano says in French Women Don't Get Fat that her "secret weapon" is plain yogurt. If you want to sweeten it, what do you add?
a. Sweet 'n Low or Equal.
b. Sugar.
c. Spoonful of maple syrup or honey.
d. Fresh fruit.

13. You have an after-hours party to attend for work. Pick an outfit that will take you most elegantly from day to night.
a. A short suit skirt with a tank top and a jacket that you'll be able to take off later--if you've got it, flaunt it!
b. Designer jeans with a top you saw in Vogue.
c. Your trusty black dress, but you'll dress it up with trendy baubles for evening.
d. A trimly cut dress paired with simple jewelry or a scarf.

14. In the fall, you eat:
a. Strawberries.
b. Asparagus.
c. Peaches.
d. Apples.

15. Le dessert is served! You choose to have:
a. A big piece of cake--you only live once.
b. A small slice (or two) of apple tart--an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
c. A piece of pie or cake, but you'll share it with a friend.
d. Nothing overly sweet--instead you go for a piece of seasonal fruit or cheese.

Results:
Allow 1 point for "a" answers, 2 points for "b" answers, 3 points for "c" answers, and 4 points for "d" answers. Add up your total points and find out how French you are based on the scale below.

Not Very French At All (15-25 points)
You are a true American woman. You're busy and don't always have time to entertain or cook. Your treats are sweet or salty. But Mireille says in French Women for All Seasons, "When foods are bursting with natural taste--as opposed to being artificially flavored, laden with fat and salt, or just plain tasteless--the experience of eating them is more satisfying, and we can content ourselves with less." Start reading to find out how you can change your approach to eating, and how all of Mireille's secrets about fashion, entertaining, wine--and more--can change your life.

Potentially French (26-36 points)
You're already aware of your indulgences, and realize you have great potential for improvement. You just need a little coaching on how to maximize style, taste and pleasure without sacrificing your waistline or sanity. "The key," Mireille says in French Women for All Seasons "is to cultivate your own intuition of your offenders and pleasures and adjust each accordingly by degrees that suit you." Start reading to find out how you can change not only your relationship with food, but how Mireille's secrets about fashion, entertaining, wine--and more--can change your life.

You're Almost French! (37-47 points)
You value quality over quantity. But we've all been known to stress out about a party or get weak in the knees in front of a chocolate donut. In French Women for All Seasons, Mireille says, "French women don't get fat because they know the secret of pleasure. But the secret to pleasure is cultivation: a life of ongoing exploration, experimentation, practiced enjoyment, and--most important--self discovery." Check out French Women for All Seasons for tips about how to entertain and dress, new recipes, and most importantly, how to remain bien dans sa peau.

Une Vraie Française (48-60 points)
You may have already read French Women Don't Get Fat and taken it to heart or you simply have an inner French woman. Either way, you've unlocked the secret of pleasure--it's the most important part of life. But again as Mireille says in French Women for All Seasons, "the secret to pleasure is cultivation: a life of ongoing exploration, experimentation, practiced enjoyment, and--most important--self discovery." Read the book to find out how to keep this process going throughout the winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Book Description

By letter, e-mail, and in person, readers of Mireille Guiliano’s phenomenal best seller, French Women Don’t Get Fat, have inundated her with requests for more of her cunning but simple secrets to living the good life, the ways French women manage to enjoy wine, chocolate, and many other seductive pleasures without gaining weight. Mireille’s answer? This buoyant book brimming with fresh advice and seasonal stories—on food bien sûr (more than 100 delicious new recipes) but also on many other aspects of living that should bring us pleasure, such as picking a wine, dressing well, even arranging flowers.

French women not only stay slim while relishing life to the fullest, they also have the longest life expectancy in the Western world. And now Mireille shows us how they attune themselves to the rhythms of the year. Together with a bounty of new dining ideas and menus, she offers us a treasury of tips on style, grooming, and entertaining, all designed to focus the mind on sensory pleasure for maximum enjoyment. Here are four seasons’ worth of strategies for shopping, cooking, and exercising, as well as some pointers for looking effortlessly chic. Whether your aim is finding two scoopfuls of pleasure in one of crème brûlée or entertaining beautifully when time is short and expectations are high, the inspiration you need is here. Taking us from her childhood in Alsace-Lorraine to her summers in Provence and her busy life in New York and Paris, this book of scrumptious Gallic wisdom and wit shows how anyone anywhere can develop a healthy, holistic lifestyle.

In the voice that entranced more than a million honorary French women, Mireille demonstrates that there is indeed an art to joyful living, and that equilibrium—being bien dans sa peau and true to one’s individual nature—is the key to a long and healthy life. Full of sage, irresistible advice on everything from decanting to detoxing, from yogurt to yoga, French Women for All Seasons is an essential guide to savoring all life’s moments—in moderation, in season, and, above all, with pleasure.

Customer Reviews:

Create a new lifestyle!.......2007-09-14

I had noticed on numerous trips to Europe that the women (and men for that matter) were not prone to obesity, even though they ate cheese, chocolate, breads, and drank alcohol with lunch and dinner. I wondered why? Then, at a meeting in San Francisco last fall, I listened as a diverse group of European women enthusiastically discussed a new book. It was titled "French Women Don't Get Fat". They highly recommended it to me because it accurately discribed the European way of eating and enjoying life. I searched for 5 months before finding it in print in America. IT IS A GREAT READ AND FULL OF TRUTHS FOR A HEALTY EATING LIFESTYLE. I have dropped 30lbs. so far and eat anything I want (in moderation of course!). I even have a piece of dark chocolate twice a day. WOW!

I love this book!.......2007-08-21

The book is not a diet book. This is a feel good about yourself and live life kind of book. I retreat to bed earlier than I normally do at night so I can have some alone time to read this book. It really lifts my spirits and I cherish this small slice of time when I get to relax and enjoy Mireille's wisdom and candor. I enjoy hearing about her culinary and travel experiences since I am also a fellow traveler. Her recipes are wonderful and I can't wait to try some of them. Buy this book if you are looking for some hints on how to live a healthier life style and enjoy her recommendations. Don't be too hard on yourself if you do not follow all of them, it is, after all, not the destination but the journey so do you have some fun along the way and enjoy the food!

No comparison to her first book!.......2007-08-17

Started to read the book and just couldn't get into it like the first book. Not what I thought it would be!

this one!.......2007-06-17

The first one is a carry over to the second one. (this is the one with the cake in it) Her summer soup page 115 is very good. Someone with braces can eat it well. It has feta in it, but with a squeeze of a lemon and it is mostly favorful! This one I keep in my kitchen. I am just on summer right now. She gives an outline on what to eat for breakfast lunch and dinner and how much. Now people, you chew this very slowly and *trust me* you get full. THAT is where the weight drops. Along with drinking water and getting some kind of small workout. I adore this book.

enjoyable!.......2007-05-24

This sequel to "French Women don't get Fat" is a great insight to the bounty each season has in store for all.

French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For Pleasure

Average customer rating:

Made staying slim for life seem not so daunting after all (really 3.5)
MNReview
Everyone should read it
Love this book
A little condescending but very interesting and PRACTICLE

French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For Pleasure
Mireille Guiliano
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Nutrition | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1400042127
Release Date: 2004-12-28

Amazon.com

The message of this book could be a blessing or a curse, depending on your perspective. There is no hard science, no clearly-defined plan, and no lists of food to have or have not; instead, you'll find simple tricks that boil down to eating carefully prepared seasonal food, exercising more and refusing to think of food as something that inspires guilt. It's both a practical message and far easier said than done in today's "no pain, no gain" culture.

Author Mireille Guiliano is CEO of Veuve Clicquot, and French Women Don't Get Fat offers a concept of sensible pleasures: If you have a chocolate croissant for breakfast, have a vegetable-based lunch--or take an extra walk and pass on the bread basket at dinner. Guiliano's insistence on simple measures slowly creating substantial improvements are reassuring, and her suggestion to ignore the scale and learn to live by the "zipper test" could work wonders for those who get wrapped up in tiny details of diet. She sympathizes that deprivation can lead straight to overindulgence when it comes to favorite foods, but then, in a most French manner, treats them as a pleasure that needs to be sated, rather than a battle to be fought.

A number of recipes are included, from a weight-loss enhancing leek soup to a lush chocolate mousse; they read more like what you'd find in a French cookbook rather than an American diet book. Most appealingly, these are guidelines and tricks that could be easily sustainable over a lifetime. If you agree that food is meant to be appreciated--but no more so than having a trim waist--these charmingly French recommendations could set you on the path to a future filled with both croissants and high fashion. --Jill Lightner

Amazon Exclusive Video

Click here to watch Mireille Guiliano introduce French Women Don't Get Fat to Amazon customers.

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Stuffed Cornish Hens
Serves 4

When I grew up, the holidays always meant lots of visitors and a series of requisite celebratory meals, mostly at lunchtime. This easy dish was always on one of the menus. Mamie was usually busy (what else during late December?) and would make the stuffing in advance so lunch could be ready in less than an hour. The recipe serves a family of four for lunch in style, but double the ingredient portions and obviously you are ready for a full table with guests.

Ingredients:
2 Cornish hens (or poussins)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons chicken stock
Stuffing:
2 cups water
2/3 cup brown rice
1/2 cup mixed nuts (pine nuts, walnut pieces, whole hazelnuts)
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon parsley, freshly minced
1 teaspoon dry herbs (chervil and savory or rosemary and thyme)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. For stuffing: Bring water to a boil. Add rice and cook for 15 minutes. Drain and mix well with remaining ingredients. Season to taste and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Rinse Cornish hens, dry the inside with paper towels, and season. Add stuffing loosely and truss hens. Reserve remaining stuffing in aluminum foil.
3. Put hens in baking dish and brush them with melted butter and other seasonings. Put in oven and baste 10 minutes later with chicken stock. Continue basting every 10 minutes. After the hens have cooked for 20 minutes reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and put the remaining stuffing in a small ovenproof dish. Roast the hens for another 20 minutes. Serve (half a hen per person) immediately with a tablespoon of stuffing on each side of the hen as garnish.
N.B. For a wonderful tête-à-tête romantic dinner, serve one hen each with a vegetable then dessert. I have prepared it successfully to my husband on Valentine's Day. While the hens are in the oven, you have time to concoct a little dessert, et voilà, you can pop a cork of bubbly, sit for candlelight dinner and have your husband serve dessert.

Hot Chocolate Soufflé
Serves 6

During the season of overindulgences—Christmas, New Year and all the festivities in between—there is in our home a succession of store-brought, traditional goodies: Bûche de Noël (yule log), marrons glacés (glazed chestnuts), the 13 desserts of Christmas in Provence. This is not to say that the holidays don't bring out the baker in all of us, but whether it is to give as gifts or to maintain tradition, people do load up with holiday sweets from pastry shops (as I can attest from seeing from the window of our Paris apartment the annual long lines of people outside the pastry shop across the street). When I grew up, however, come New Year's Day, and there was a home-cooked chocolate ritual. Our big festive meal was on New Year's Eve, which left New Year's Day as a quiet, family "recovery" day. (I appreciate some reverse the big meal day… or have one both days.) Anyway, for us, breakfast was well… late (especially for those of us who went partying after dinner), and limited to a piece of toast and a cup or two of coffee. Lunch was mid afternoon and usually made up of leftovers or an omelet, but the first dinner of the year was marked with a special dessert. The simple meal at the end of a week of overindulgences consisted of a light consommé, some greens, cheese, and the chocolate treat. There were no guests, plenty of time, and Mamie was ready for the flourless soufflé. She is a chocoholic and it would be unthinkable to start the year off without chocolate. So, what better way to end the first day of the New Year than with one of her favorite chocolate desserts as both a reward and I'm sure good-luck charm?

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
Pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 1-quart soufflé mold by lightly buttering it, dusting the insides with sugar and tapping out the excess. Place mold in refrigerator.
2. Pour the milk, cocoa powder and sugar into a heavy saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over moderate heat while stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and cook while stirring until the mixture thickens (about 10 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and cool slightly.
3. Separate the eggs and stir the egg yolks into the warm chocolate mixture. Stir in the butter.
4. Beat the egg whites until they reach soft peaks. Add the salt and beat until stiff. Whisk half of the egg whites mixture into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining whites gently with a spatula. Pour the mixture in the soufflé mold and smooth the top.
5. Bake in the lower-middle shelf of the oven until puff and brown for about 18 minutes which will give you a soft center. Serve at once with softly whipped cream.

Red Mullet with Spinach en Papillote
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 fillets of red mullet, about 2 ounces each
1 lb. spinach, washed and dried in a salad spinner
4 teaspoons shallots, peeled and sliced
8 slices of lime
4 tablespoons of crème fraîche
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Cut 4 pieces of parchment paper (or aluminum foil) into squares large enough to cover each fillet and leave a 2-inch border all around. Lightly brush the squares with olive oil. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Put the spinach in the center of each square and top it with a tablespoon of crème fraîche. Top with two fillets and add one teaspoon of shallots, two slices of lime. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Fold up the edges to form packets. Put the papillotes on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. Serve at once by setting each papillote on a plate.
N.B. You can use sole or snapper instead of red mullet

Pappardelle with Spring Veggies
Serves 4

Ingredients:
12 ounces pappardelle
1 lb. green asparagus
2 cups fresh peas, shelled
2 tablespoons of shallots, peeled and minced
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of pine nuts, toasted
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 cup roughly chopped parsley
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Cut off end of asparagus and blanch in salted water until just tender (about 5 minutes). Blanch peas separately for about 1 minute.
2. In a heavy saucepan, gently sauté the shallots in olive oil until they begin to turn gold. Add peas and asparagus and cook for a few minutes.
3. Cook the pappardelle in boiling water, drain and pour into saucepan. Add pine nuts, parmesan and parsley and season to taste. Serve immediately.

Croque aux Poires
Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 slices of brioche
2 ripe pears
2 tablespoons of sliced almonds
2 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon butter
1. Peel the pears and cut into small cubes. Melt butter in a saucepan and sauté the pear cubes for 2-3 minutes.
2. Arrange pear cubes on brioche slices. Cover with honey and almonds. Put under broiler for two minutes watching carefully. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche.
A yummy dessert also wonderful for a weekend breakfast or brunch.

Book Description

Stylish, convincing, wise, funny–and just in time: the ultimate non-diet book, which could radically change the way you think and live.

French women don’t get fat, but they do eat bread and pastry, drink wine, and regularly enjoy three-course meals. In her delightful tale, Mireille Guiliano unlocks the simple secrets of this “French paradox”–how to enjoy food and stay slim and healthy. Hers is a charming, sensible, and powerfully life-affirming view of health and eating for our times.

As a typically slender French girl, Mireille (Meer-ray) went to America as an exchange student and came back fat. That shock sent her into an adolescent tailspin, until her kindly family physician, “Dr. Miracle,” came to the rescue. Reintroducing her to classic principles of French gastronomy plus time-honored secrets of the local women, he helped her restore her shape and gave her a whole new understanding of food, drink, and life. The key? Not guilt or deprivation but learning to get the most from the things you most enjoy. Following her own version of this traditional wisdom, she has ever since relished a life of indulgence without bulge, satisfying yen without yo-yo on three meals a day.

Now in simple but potent strategies and dozens of recipes you’d swear were fattening, Mireille reveals the ingredients for a lifetime of weight control–from the emergency weekend remedy of Magical Leek Soup to everyday tricks like fooling yourself into contentment and painless new physical exertions to save you from the StairMaster. Emphasizing the virtues of freshness, variety, balance, and always pleasure, Mireille shows how virtually anyone can learn to eat, drink, and move like a French woman.

A natural raconteur, Mireille illustrates her philosophy through the experiences that have shaped her life–a six-year-old’s first taste of Champagne, treks in search of tiny blueberries (called myrtilles) in the woods near her grandmother’s house, a near-spiritual rendezvous with oysters at a seaside restaurant in Brittany, to name but a few. She also shows us other women discovering the wonders of “French in action,” drawing examples from dozens of friends and associates she has advised over the years to eat and drink smarter and more joyfully.

Here are a culture’s most cherished and time-honored secrets recast for the twenty-first century. For anyone who has slipped out of her zone, missed the flight to South Beach, or accidentally let a carb pass her lips, here is a buoyant, positive way to stay trim. A life of wine, bread–even chocolate–without girth or guilt? Pourquoi pas?

Download Description

“Part Proustian memoir, part guide to living well, part recipe for Miracle Leek Soup, this book announces its distance from the Zone, the Atkins and all the rest on the very first page . . . Even the most skeptical and envious woman will find it hard to hold out against the charms of a beautifully written book that features both chocolate and love as key ingredients in a balanced diet.”–Allison Pearson, The Daily Telegraph (London)
“Mireille Guiliano's book is slender, elegant, well-spoken, sensible, and unembarrassed by the frank embrace of stratagems–just like the French women whom she holds up to the reader to admire and, if we can, to emulate.” –Adam Gopnik, author of Paris to the Moon
“I recognized things from my own French background and discovered quite a bit more. An important and fascinating book for all those people out there who’ve ridden the vicious diet roller coaster to failure.” —Nicole Miller

“Not only delicious, but a true story from one of the greatest ladies in the world.” —Chef Emeril Lagasse

“French Women Don’t Get Fat is not only charming and witty, but useful. It made me want to run out and buy a pound of leeks and a bottle of Champagne!” —Sharon Boorstin, author of Cooking for Love and Let Us Eat Cake

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Made staying slim for life seem not so daunting after all (really 3.5).......2007-10-11

I started this book before I went to bed one night (I always have to read something before I go to sleep to unwind, though this one kept me up) and finished it upon waking the next morning. It is not worth the new price tag, but definitely worth the read. It's not much of a recipe book (though I found a few worth trying), but more of a pep talk, and a very good one, too, because I am inspired to cut my portions in half (though sans on the champagne--too expensive, not to mention totally unnecessary, but then I don't like the taste of alcohol anyway), eat more fruit, etc. Though recasting is just another word for fasting, it is something I will do the day before I begin my lifestyle change (to clean out my system so that I may start fresh), but my recasting menu will vary somewhat, maybe include several of those new Sunsweet Ones prunes, some fresh watermelon juice perhaps (oh, wait, it's out of season), etc. It's not that I don't like leeks, I've never had them, but I want to start with more familiar foods, foods I know I'll like, or else it'll feel like a diet.

I was expecting, from some of the reviews I read, that Mrs. Guiliano would come across as a snob, but I actually didn't get that from her. She's just right about the way most Americans are, and it's hard to say how lazy they are without sounding insulting. Hey, I work in a grocery store and some customers will take something out of the freezer, but instead of putting it back if they decide they don't want it, they'll just leave it out. How hard is it to open a door? I am American, and I am disgusted by the fatness, laziness and rudeness (not to mention stupidity, but then, that's just stems from laziness sometimes because they'll ask me where something is when all they have to do is look) of some of the American population; I am even more disgusted when I see an obese child drinking a can of soda in the store and when they pass the doughnuts, ask their parents if they can get some and they say yes. I mean, can't they see how fat their kid(s) is(are)? What kills me is that their parents will say it's hereditary because they're fat, too, but then, they shovel all that junk into their bodies as well. I am not saying genetics don't pre-disposition you to a certain extent, but I believe that much more often than not, it's an excuse, because some people are just lucky and others have to work at it.

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I felt like I was taking an imaginary trip to France. I found Mrs. Guiliano's opinion on gyms interesting. I, too, think gyms are a waste of time and money because you can exercise for free and many of those same people who pay for a gym membership are the very ones who drive around for ten minutes trying to squeeze into the closest parking space. I only park close when I'm on a time crunch or if it's late at night and I'm alone. I will admit I'll park close if a slot's available, but, after reading this book, I am going to make more of an effort. I have in the past, I just got lazy.

But, I was thinking about how I dreaded going to the gym because it was so mind-numbingly boring and you have to get dressed, drive there, etc., when I could just jump on the trampoline at home or skip rope or do the hula hoop (which is GREAT for the abs). The Skip-It toy is also fun and really works the calves. If I lived in a two-story house, I would be going up and down the stairs all day (I feel silly on a machine) and if I knew how to ride a bicycle without training wheels, I would ride around the neighborhood (again, it's just not the same in a smelly, stuffy gym as it is outdoors, with the sunshine on my face and the breeze blowing through my hair). I do have a pair of roller-skates though. There's dancing, tennis, water aerobics, etc., etc. There are just so many more fun things to do than work out on a bunch of machines. We do not need special food (i.e. Slimfast, etc.) or fancy, expensive machines to be fit and healthy, not to mention eliminating entire food groups. Eat to live, but live a little. One ounce of real chocolate can provide as much pleasure as a Snickers bar, if we savor it. Just like it's better to consume one tablespoon of real butter than three of the fake stuff. We've become such an artificial society. We're meant to eat fat and work it off, not eat any and be sedentary.

I think it was Mrs. Guiliano's enthusiasm for everything French and her great faith in her Parisian gospel she was sharing that really inspired me. I do, however, still think that for some peoples with slow metabolism, they need to do more than opt to take the stairs or walk across the parking lot whenever possible, even if they are eating French-style.

Though the majority of France is trim, that doesn't necessarily mean they are strong or healthy (I don't know how many of those slender people could run a mile without gasping for breath afterwards), so I take that consideration into account. I am reminded of those women in those Nutra-System (I think those are the ones) commercials who act like the only reason they wanted to lose weight was so they could wear a bikini . I want to be trim not just because I want to look good, but I want to feel good, too.

So...this book was well worth the six bucks (and hardback edition, too) to me, and worth keeping in my library, too, forsaking any trade-in credit I may get back for it. It was an experience.

MNReview.......2007-10-02

Super to have the author read the book (loved her accent). Sounded like a friend talking to you.

Everyone should read it.......2007-09-27

I loved reading this book. It's not just a diet book, or a weight loss book; it's a healthy lifestyle conversion book. Mireille Guiliano keeps you interested with her humor, personal experiences and tasty recipes. This book is not going to give you a quick fix to your weight issues, but will open your eyes to why you (and the American population) are overweight. It is a source of inspriation and helpful hints to make lifestyle changes. I highly recommend it as a fresh weight loss remedy and cultural read.

Love this book.......2007-09-11

Its refreshingly different perspective from Cosmo and other women's magazines! You will not drop 10 pounds in 10 hours, its about balance and enjoying your life.
Great recipes, well written, simply lovely.
I gave this book to a friend for her birthday, I don't think she knew what to make of it. Give it a shot, you will like it!

A little condescending but very interesting and PRACTICLE.......2007-09-10

"French Women..." have many common threads with Can We Live 150 Years? by another European author, Mr. Tombak. French Women reads more like a novel, and it is also very appealing visually. Sometimes, however, it feels a little condescending... On the contrary, I don't actually like the cover of Can We Live", but it is much more comprehensive and detailed in respect to giving you advice for a healthy life style. The common ideas in both books are:
1. eating only fresh ingredients, drinking a lot of water
2. enjoying the process of eating, chewing well (Tombak), celebrating each meal (Guiliano)
3. eating all kind of foods, not following any fad diets
4. eating a lot of vegetables and fruits
5. using your muscles, exercising
6. focusing on pleasure of foods and life in general
7. changing your diet according to the season
8. eating in small potions, not overindulging ...
The list goes on. Most importantly: LOVING YOUR MEALS WHILE USING COMMON SENSE AT THE SAME TIME. I like "French Women..." for the pleasure of reading but I prefer "Can We Live 150..." for the comprehensive, detailed approach to nutrition, longevity and healthy life style.

Meditation Secrets for Women: Discovering Your Passion, Pleasure, and Inner Peace

Average customer rating:

Meditation
Meditation Secrets for Women: Discovering Your Passion, Pleasure, and Inner Peace
A kinder, gentler treatise on meditation.
Humans naturally seek something beyond themselves in this life...
Lyrical, beautifully written, and so woman-affirming!

Meditation Secrets for Women: Discovering Your Passion, Pleasure, and Inner Peace
Camille Maurine , and Lorin Roche
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Meditation | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0062516973
Release Date: 2001-01-23

Amazon.com

"The field of meditation has been not just a man's world but a monk's world," write Camille Maurine and Lorin Roche, Ph.D., who assert that the techniques that worked for "reclusive and celibate males" need updating for contemporary women. In Meditation Secrets for Women, they introduce a refreshingly modern, female-oriented approach to meditation that encourages "luxuriating in the sensory world, resting in the simplicity of your own being, enjoying yourself shamelessly."

Meditation fills a need that women crave: to carve out time for themselves "to rest, to restore, to settle in." Rather than impose rules and strict discipline, however, the authors encourage women to rejuvenate themselves, open up, and affirm their "womanness" through meditation.

Meditation Secrets for Women presents 12 "secrets" in 12 chapters. Each secret is a theme, such as "celebrate your senses," "claim your inner authority," "ride your rhythms," or "love your body." Each chapter starts with a poem and includes explorations (questions for you to ponder), skill circle (practical tips for skill building), meditations, and reflections. This is a nurturing book, filled with acceptance, warmth, and encouragement. If you've tried to meditate but found it too restrictive, dull, or difficult, this book will give you a different, distinctly womanly, approach.

The authors are a married couple who have been teaching meditation to women for 50 combined years. Maurine is also a dancer and healing practitioner. Roche is the author of Meditation Made Easy. --Joan Price

Book Description

Finally—an approach to meditation especially for women!

The benefits of meditations are manifold—but so few practices are tailored to the special needs and interests of women. Now, with Meditation Secrets for Women, you can discover how to love your body and find a time and place to tune into yourself and restore inner balance. Get in touch with your body's natural rhythms. Honor your instincts, and tap into your feminine power so that you can emerge nourished, revitalized, and joyful. Meditation Secrets for Women offers all the tools and insights necessary for women to design their own custom meditation techniques, without all the restrictions of traditional practices.

Learn How To:

Make use of sensual, pleasurable meditation techniques
Gain a refreshing, rejuvenating rest that is deeper than sleep
Relieve stress and promote good health
Relax and be yourself as you reap life-affirming benefits
Live in harmony with your world
Enhance your relationships and creativity

Download Description

Finally --an approach to meditation especially for women!

The benefits of meditations are manifold -- but so few practices are tailored to the special needs and interests of women. Now, with Meditation Secrets for Women, you can discover how to love your body and find a time and place to tune into yourself and restore inner balance. Get in touch with your body's natural rhythms. Honor your instincts, and tap into your feminine power so that you can emerge nourished, revitalized, and joyful. Meditation Secrets for Women offers all the tools and insights necessary for women to design their own custom meditation techniques, without all the restrictions of traditional practices.

Learn How To:

Make use of sensual, pleasurable meditation techniques
Gain a refreshing, rejuvenating rest that is deeper than sleep
Relieve stress and promote good health
Relax and be yourself as you reap life-affirming benefits
Live in harmony with your world
Enhance your relationships and creativity

Customer Reviews:

Meditation.......2007-05-13

I wasn't happy with this book as it definitely relates to woman's issues.
Yes, it is helpful and can be used as a reference, but wasn't as interesting.

Meditation Secrets for Women: Discovering Your Passion, Pleasure, and Inner Peace.......2007-05-08

Great book. Was delivered timely.

A kinder, gentler treatise on meditation........2007-01-05

Historically, meditation is of the realm of holy men, monks and Eastern religions. This book redefines meditation as effortless and enjoyable, a practice that is alive with imagery, emotion and physicality. A wonderful, practical, comprehensive book for anyone who wishes to explore, excavate and revel in her(or his) true nature.

Humans naturally seek something beyond themselves in this life..........2006-11-12

Since humans naturally seek something beyond themselves in this life, it stands to reason that those of us who are self aware continue to explore the inner world in meditation. The authors of this book bring out another important perception that there is no one way to meditate, and that women, too, have a voice in it's definition.

Lyrical, beautifully written, and so woman-affirming!.......2006-04-26

*****
I have read many books on mediation and in the past, always failed at meditation. I now see why. Conventional meditative practices are sometimes not compatible with a woman's inner style---they certainly weren't compatible with mine. According to the authors, conventional meditative practices work better in a male monastic setting. This book appeals to women's innate, instinctual nature, making the practice of meditation for them self-affirming and self-nurturing. After reading two chapters of this book I meditated for twenty minutes...Yeah! And I enjoyed it! I continue to meditate daily.

If you are a woman, save your money and buy this book first. Then, if you want others, consider purchasing more; however, you probably won't want to and you definitely won't need to.

The 12 Meditation Secrets are thoroughly explored:
Secret #1: "Celebrate Your Senses"
Secret #2: "Honor Your Instincts"
Secret #3: "Claim Your Inner Authority"
Secret #4: "Be Tender with Yourself"
Secret #5: "Dwell In Your Inner Sanctuary"
Secret #6: "Answer the Call"
Secret #7: "Ride Your Rhythms"
Secret #8: "Say Yes to Every Part of Yourself"
Secret #9: "Rest in Simplicity"
Secret #10: "Honor Your Instincts"
Secret #11: "Love Your Body"
Secret #12: "Live It Up"

Multiple exercises and example mediations are given for each secret. One of my favorite parts of the book is at the start of each chapter (each secret) where the author transcribes her thought during an actual mediation. You get to see realistically how mediation works (and it is SO encouraging) instead of just reading about theory.

This is an amazing, life-changing book! I took it on retreat with me and it changed my relationship with my body, my spirituality, and how I feel about myself as a woman. It is a book I will read again and again and refer to often. I wish it was in hardback!
*****

SECRETS OF THE SEXUALLY SATISFIED WOMAN: TEN KEYS TO UNLOCKING ULTIMATE PLEASURE

Average customer rating:

Dynamic Duo
Self Help Book Written by Urologist and Therapist
Very Good Book
Nuveen Basilis
The Berman Sisters Do It Again

SECRETS OF THE SEXUALLY SATISFIED WOMAN: TEN KEYS TO UNLOCKING ULTIMATE PLEASURE
Laura Berman , Jennifer Berman , and Alice Burdick Schweiger
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Sex | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Behavioral Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0786887982

Book Description

In Secrets of the Sexually Satisfied Woman, Drs. Laura and Jennifer Berman offer up the secrets to female sexual satisfaction using data culled from their groundbreaking study, the National Womens Sexual Satisfaction Survey. Both experts on womens sexual health, the authors help women reach their ultimate passion level by encouraging sexual awareness and empowerment while addressing the psychological and medical factors that affect sexuality. The book provides specific and applicable advice to help all types of women improve their sex lives and heat up the bedroom.

Customer Reviews:

Dynamic Duo .......2006-02-23

Just picked this book up at my neighbor's yard sale. She read it, loved it, and sold it to me. I read the Berman Sisters first book and found it really informative. It actually changed my life because I went, with book in hand, to my doctor and got help. I was in menopause at age 38 and didn't know it. The Secrets book again makes me realize I'm not alone, and the word "normal" is relative to ME... not Samatha on Sex and The City. I commend the Bermans on their efforts and their dedication to helping women such as myself. If I could afford it, I'd fly to their clinic at UCLA to get a tune up every week.

Self Help Book Written by Urologist and Therapist.......2005-12-11

This book is more of a self help book than one that unlocks the ten keys to pleasure. Despite the title it doesn't give you 10 secrets to anything profound. Of course communication matters and it helps to feel good about yourself and the relationship. You also should probably address your past issues and have enough lubrication but this is sex ed 101 for most women. One fun quote, "whether you have had one, ten, or twenty sexual parnters, you feel okay about it".

It isn't a "bad" book just mistitled. The bulk of the book is in chapters (relationship health, emotional well being, addressing your past, etc)are typical of a self help book although they cover some hormonal treatments (viagra for women). Neither author is a GYN and the MD Jennifer is actually urologist so just be aware of your sources. They are great on TV and media mavens but they need a better editor and real content.

Their profound conclusion? That orgasm isn't the end all to women's sexual pleasure and the context matters.

Very Good Book.......2005-08-10

I appreciate the way the authors put the book together and it is filled with good information. It even covers diseases and disabilities and how these things affect sexuality.

Nuveen Basilis.......2005-04-19

I thought the book was great. I like having one comprehensive "go-to" for questions that come up in the confusing area of pleasure when kids, jobs, husband all seem to be at odds with it! I really enjoyed the chapters that focused on the emotional and relationship health side of things. The information about sexual empowerment was also a must for anyone who feels as though breast-feeding and exhaustion have brought this side of your life to an end. An excellent resource.

The Berman Sisters Do It Again.......2005-04-14

I was reluctant to believe I could learn anything new from this dynamic duo. AFter the first best-selling book and the media craze they've enjoyed in the last two years, I thought I had seen and heard enough. Well, NOT the case. While Secrets does contain some obvious details about women's sexuality, it did contain some relevant and exciting new data. I am a researcher and was thrilled to learn that the Berman's invested in doing a National Survey on this subject. Hopefully this will spur the FDA as well as other goverment funding agenceys to fund research in this much needed area. I commend the Berman's for their dedication to the field and their ability to communicate to the public. I recomend this book to women as well as their partners. I'm looking forward to the Secrets for Men.

The Modern Kama Sutra: The Ultimate Guide to the Secrets of Erotic Pleasure

Average customer rating:

The Modern Kama Sutra: The Ultimate Guide to the Secrets of Erotic Pleasure
Kamini Thomas , and Kirk Thomas
Manufacturer: Marlowe & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Sex | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1569243093

Book Description

The 2,000-year-old Kama Sutra is widely regarded as the most famous work on erotic pleasure ever created. This original new interpretation of the Hindu sex classic features 40 easy-to-follow explicit positions, each beautifully illustrated by stunning color photographs, step-by-step instructions, difficulty ratings, and relevant quotes from the original text. From slow and gentle to fast and intense, the positions fulfill every mood and sexual need, and are designed to heighten pleasure from both a man’s and woman’s perspective. Separate chapters explore the body, senses, mood, foreplay, and oral sex, offering creative ways to bring new levels of eroticism into lovemaking.

A book that couples will want to keep by their bedside tables and refer to again and again, The Modern Kama Sutra is the ultimate book for modern lovers.

Women of the Pleasure Quarters: The Secret History of the Geisha

Average customer rating:

excellent
Downer's book is an Upper!
Great - what else is there to say?
Will I ever find the Geisha book just for me?
Way to much punctuation,,,,,,,,,,,,sometimes hard to follow!

Women of the Pleasure Quarters: The Secret History of the Geisha
Lesley Downer
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Customs & Traditions | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

History | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0767904907
Release Date: 2002-04-09

Book Description

Ever since Westerners arrived in Japan, they have been intrigued by Japanese womanhood and, above all, by geisha. This fascination has spawned a wealth of extraordinary fictional creations, from Puccini’s Madame Butterfly to Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha. But as denizens of a world defined by silence and mystery, real geisha are notoriously difficult to meet and even to find. As a result, their history has long been cloaked in secrecy.

Lesley Downer, an award-winning writer, Japanese scholar, and consummate storyteller, gained more access to this world than almost any other Westerner, and spent several months living in it. In Women of the Pleasure Quarters, she weaves together intimate portraits of modern geisha with the romantic legends and colorful historical tales that shape their fascinating past. Contrary to popular opinion, geisha are not prostitutes but, literally, "arts people." Accomplished singers, dancers, and musicians, they are, above all, masters of the art of conversation, soothing the worries and stroking the egos of wealthy businessmen who can afford their attentions. Looking into such traditions as mizuage, the ritual deflowering that was once a rite of passage for all geisha, and providing colorful descriptions of their dress, training, and homes, Downer transforms their reality into a captivating narrative, and reveals an enthralling world unlike any other.

Customer Reviews:

excellent.......2006-11-10

This is a very informative book about Geisha. If you like Geisha and want to learn more about them and their history this is definately a must have book, I highly recomend it.

Downer's book is an Upper!.......2006-06-22

Lesley Downer's great book, Women of the Pleasure Quarters: The Secrets History of the Geisha, transported me to Kyoto, Japan. From the detail of her descriptions of place and people, I found myself sketching maps and imagining myself as an American Geisha, walking the streets of the Geisha District as the geisha did so long ago, and still do.

Py Kim Conant[...]

Great - what else is there to say?.......2006-04-25

Lesley Downer's book on geisha is, quite honestly, one of the best out there. Whereas Liza Dalby has been incorrectly referred to as the only non-Japanese woman to be a geisha (see my review on Dalby's "Geisha"), Downer presumes few airs due to her involvement with the community. The picture of her wearing a geisha wig demonstrate a slight embarrassment but there-through her good-humour in acknowledging that she could never be associated with the fine women of Gion or Pontocho. She is an outsider and she recognises that, even if she learnt much about them.

Downer comments in detail upon the lives, both past & present, of geisha in Japan, talking extensively about how the geisha came to be, as well as how they exist today. In doing so she takes time to show that they are real Japanese women, not just dolls in kimono. Indeed they are self-confident, highly-resourceful individuals who rely on themselves alone for their income (not being allowed to get married or have a partner). This is something that is rarely stressed about geisha. Not only can they retire early, many can live well for the rest of their lives with what they earn.

Interestingly she also touches upon the tayu, once courtesans that survive in far fewer numbers than the geisha and maiko of modern Japan, as well as the taiko-mochi ("male geisha"). These are "artists" that few authors have ever discussed. This is one of the things that makes the book for me. Whereas other works have been somewhat narrow in their focused, Downer tries to be more thorough in examining other related areas.

She does a fantastic job in conveying how closed and inaccessible this world is normally, being quite honest in how her initial attempts to enter it were frustrated. She attributes good fortune rather than personal worth as to why she was able to write this book. Her lamentations over the precarious state of the survival of the geisha should also be noted. As wonderful as they seem to us, their exclusivity and inflexibility coupled with Japan's changing circumstances (less people with the money or interest to fund the communities) is the biggest threat to their future. Whereas authors have previously tried to paint an overly romantic or simplified portrait of geisha, this book thoughtfully highlights the complex and subtle nature of this aspect of Japan's culture, while also pointing out the challenges it faces.

Will I ever find the Geisha book just for me?.......2006-03-14

This book was pretty good. It read more like a history book, at times, than a novel...but I guess it was never supposed to be story-time in Japan. But, still, despite the issues I had with Memoirs of a Geisha, Pleasure Quarters just didn't compare.
First of all, while the history lesson was nice, and very intriguing, I felt it was a little too much. The stories, while there wasn't much of a time jump, were so plentiful, it seemed to me that within about 75 years, there were 3 or 4 invasions of Americans, numbers of geisha dropped and raised about 10 times...blah, blah, blah. Perhaps what I am trying to say is that while Downer constantly talked of the Golden Years of the geisha "trade" it was hard to pinpoint exactly when that was, due to the copious amounts of information and dates and numbers given. Ahem.
Another thing that was a little tiresome at times was that she would repeat herself OVER AND OVER. Never again would the numbers of geisha return to the time of blah-blah, if a geisha were to give her heart, it is a tragic thing, they are meant to inspire love, but not love...
I have a few more, but I will list just one. While this was not an autobiography, we were following Downer around on her journey through the willow and flower world. I just didn't feel any sort of connection with her. Why was she writing on Geisha? An assignment? A secret obsession with the geisha world? To show off the fact that she knows Japanese? Or just boredom?
Despite my mini-tirades about, I thought this was a good book to read. It is very informative (though info seemed to change from one chapter to the next, or compared with other sources) and fairly engrossing. Sadly, though, this is not the ideal geisha book I have been longing to read.

Way to much punctuation,,,,,,,,,,,,sometimes hard to follow!.......2006-01-31

I read alot and I've never seen so many commas in a book in all my life! I keep having to go back to re-read a sentence to see if a missed the period somewhere. I've, gotten, about, half, way, through, the, book, and, don't, think, I, can, finish, it!! AHHHH

The Private Life of the Brain: Emotions, Consciousness, and the Secret of the Self

Average customer rating:

Complex but interesting.
A bit unfocused
Frustrating
Read if your brain does indeed have a private life
The brain is a rather complex thing!

The Private Life of the Brain: Emotions, Consciousness, and the Secret of the Self
Susan A. Greenfield
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Neuropsychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Emotions | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Cognitive Psychology | Behavioral Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0471399752

Amazon.com

What's going on in there? One of the great scientific and philosophical mysteries is how a few pounds of wet, salty cobwebs can give rise to the rich experience that we call consciousness. Oxford neuroscientist Susan Greenfield peers inside the dimly lit skull to show us what she thinks is going on in The Private Life of the Brain. Greenfield has a facility for explaining tricky scientific concepts in language that can engage any reader. She presents the basics of contemporary thought on consciousness as they relate to her own theory, which involves a continuum of experience between sensual, emotional grounding in the surrounding world and rational, cognitive withdrawal into mental life. Arguing from a wide range of animal and human research, and drawing on the work of philosophers John Searle and Daniel Dennett, she makes her case compellingly but gently, granting that other theories might also hold in this still-uncharted territory. Looking in depth at depression, drug use, and fear, Greenfield shows how each is explained by her continuum theory and how each relates to the life of the human organism as a whole. Could it be true that as our minds work harder, our hearts lose some feeling, and vice versa? It's an intriguing, thought-provoking idea, one that alone makes The Private Life of the Brain essential reading for minds seeking self-enlightenment. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

"Drawing on many different sources-the effects of neurological disorders and injuries, the actions of drugs, the character of thought in dreams, in schizophrenia, in reverie, and in childhood-Susan Greenfield has given us a synthesis which is challenging, original, readable, and personal."-Oliver Sacks

How does the human brain produce your private world?

In this groundbreaking exploration, neuroscientist and author Susan Greenfield demystifies the private life of the brain. She examines the physical basis of our emotions and searches for the answer to one of the most enduring mysteries in modern science: How does the brain create a unique, subjective experience for each one of us?

Utilizing cutting-edge research and compelling personal anecdotes, Greenfield reveals that emotions, triggered by individual life experiences, are the very foundation upon which our brains build our unique minds. In this absorbing, lyrical exploration, Dr. Greenfield presents a provocative new theory that provides an illuminating glimpse into the human brain and reveals the astonishing essence of who we are.

"This is one of those rare books that can make a reader happy to have been led to think."-Booklist

Customer Reviews:

Complex but interesting........2003-07-07

The Private Life of the Brain by Susan Greenfield is a very complex work on consciousness and theory of self. Trained in the field of neuropharmacology and physiology with degrees from St. Hilda's College, Oxford, United Kingdom, the College de France, Paris, and NYU Medical Center, New York, the author has held lecture posts at several of the world's prestigious universities including Lincoln College, Oxford, the Institute of Neuroscience, La Jolla, California, and Queens University, Belfast. In 1998 she became the first female director of Britain's Royal Institution. Her current research is in the causes of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. With this vita she is eminently equipped to discuss the topic.

Although the book seems to be a bit rambling, this is because it covers a lot of territory-but then there is a lot of territory to cover: brain anatomy-physiology, chemistry, neuro-connections, diseases, emotions, consciousness and the emergent self. Probably because she is a pharmacologist and physiologist and most especially a scientist, she approaches her subject by dividing it into aspects that illuminate these characteristics and give rise to testable hypotheses regarding the inner workings of the brain and mind. The chapter headings are therefore: 1) The Idea (the problem of consciousness), 2) The Story So Far (a history of the theories of mind), 3) The Child (early consciousness), 4) The Junkie (pain, euphoria, neuro-effective and neurophysiological chemicals), 5) The Nightmare (loss of consciousness), 6) The Depressive (highs and lows of consciousness), 7) The Human Condition (emotions and a theory of consciousness), 8) The Answer (the wrap up). Certainly much of the material, especially in the first two chapters, is a recap of the work of others. This is the usual approach to a topic about which one wishes to introduce new information; first you inform your reader of what has been done and by whom and how it fits with what you are yourself doing. Much of this may be new to those who have not studied anything about mind-brain research, but for those who have the names will be familiar: Edelman, Aleksander, Chalmers, Crick and Koch, Calvin, and Dennett, among others. In line with this style of authorship, most of the bibliography Greenfield cites is in the form of articles in prestigious professional journals from the 1980s to the 1990s (the book was published in 2000). One finds here periodicals like Science, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Neurology, Journal of Cell Science, etc. Most of these entries will probably not interest any but the professional in the field. Fortunately the author has done most of the work herself and puts the research into understandable perspective for the amateur.

For myself, I found some of the information very interesting, even useful in my profession. I had heard of and even seen ecupuncture use to control some types of pain, but had felt that it was all a placebo effect. Professor Greenfield pointed out, however, that research on the topic reveals that naloxone (Narcan) can reverse the effects of ecupuncture just as it can the effects of narcotic analgesics. Since I've given naloxone to over narcotized patients (it's preferable to waking them up and asking them to "breathe") I have seen its effects. The knowledge that it is effective in reversing ecupuncture suggests that while the effect of ecupuncture might be "in the mind" it is also legitimate and physiological. I also found the information on brain physiology/chemistry in analgesia and anesthesia informative, since I work in Recovery Room and ICU nursing where I see the effects of these drugs are often very individual.

As to the topics of mind, consciousness and self I would say that the author's thesis is far more convincing than any other I've read so far, if for no other reason than that she offers substantial physiological and chemical proof in favor of it and that it gives rise to testable hypotheses. As she writes: "The key concepts arising from this book are as follows: (1) emotion is the most basic form of consciousness; (2) minds develop as brains do-both as a species and as an individual starts to escape genetic programming in favor of personal experience-based learning; (3) the more you have of (1) at any moment, then the less you have of (2), and vice versa. The more the mind predominates over raw emotion, the deeper the consciousness (pp. 181-182)."

A very informative if somewhat complex book.

A bit unfocused.......2003-06-05

"The more we feel, the less we are, literally, ourselves - the less encumbered we are by previous, idiosyncratic associations the personalize the brain into the mind"

This is the authors proposal, and she uses the examples of the child, the junkie, the depressive to show how this theory plays out in actual experience.

She equates emotions with nature, living in the moment and lower brain structures and equates thoughts with nurture, reflection and the prefrontal cortex.

This dichotomy seems spot on in some of her examples and I could see some parallels to my own life. However, sometimes I couldn't understand her at all, I have no doubt that what she was trying to say made sense to her but to me it seemed like unfocused wandering. I prefer a more structured book

Frustrating.......2003-03-25

All the author did was to put together a long string of Names and refefences. I wish I could remember anything from the book, but no, not even the sentence that was repeated about 1000 times...

Read if your brain does indeed have a private life.......2002-01-22

Not for those who, like some of the other reviewers, have an IQ of less than 85. This book attempts to make an American audience THINK...which is an audacious undertaking, given how most folks do not want to USE their brain...& they complain when someone else DOES! This is a masterful book.

The brain is a rather complex thing!.......2002-01-21

There is no "gene for", no "brain region for",
and no "transmitter chemical for" a particular human
behaviour or cognitive function. I.e. we will
not be able to express a sophisticated brain function
in terms of one feature alone,
Susan Greenfield tells us.

Rather, genes, chemicals and brain regions work
together in a complex and highly intricate
way to produce a behaviour.
So, the book offers no swift catchphrases,
as those so often seen on TV, e.g.: "The chemical
dopamine is a molecule for pleasure,
all human activity therefore evolves around obtaining
higher dopamine levels in the brain".

Instead, Susan Greenfield offers a thorough (and,
must be said, sometimes complex bordering
something almost selfcontradictory)
neuroscientific explanation of mental states,
the effect of drugs, how emotion will ebb and flow in
inverse relation to selfconsciousness etc.

I was particular pleased with the chapter on the
effects of drugs in the brain.
Here I really felt I learned something
about what is really going on inside
a brain under the influence of drugs.
Which also gives an inside into the workings
of a normal brain.
However I wasn't completely swayed by her
explanations concerning consciousness I.e.:
Emotions are found to be "the most basic form
of consciousness" Greenfield states,
but how does that help us to know what consciousness IS?
The book could have digged deeper here.
Still, it is highly recommended.

-Simon

Average customer rating:

One man's views

A poetic hymn to the female body

Erotic Book: Erotica Secrets of Sexy Female Bodies for Men And Women

Awesome Book About Women's Bodies & Female Sensuality

Erotic Book - Learn the Secrets!
Erotic Book: Erotica Secrets of Sexy Female Bodies For Men and Women
Sheldon Filger
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Female Nudes

100 Percent Erotica

Ruth Bernhard: The Eternal Body: A Collection of Fifty Nudes

The Naked Woman: A Study of the Female Body

The World's Top Photographers: Nudes: And the Stories Behind Their Greatest Images (The World's Top Photographers)

ASIN: 1425929176

Book Description

Uplifting eroticism while demolishing myths, "Erotic Book" offers a fresh and exhilarating perspective on the sensuality and beauty of the female body. The author provides readers of "Erotic Book" with insights on what aspects of the female body actually arouse men, and why almost every woman potentially possesses an intensely erotic body. "Erotic Book" rebels against the objectification of women, and presents an understanding of female sensuality that integrates the feminine mind with the feminine body, creating a transcending erotic presence.

Customer Reviews:

One man's views.......2007-07-18

I'm captivated by female beauty, so I was interested at the prospect of a book dedicated to the subject from an artist's perspective. Unfortuately, the author has framed some of his statements to be representative of "most men." It's annoying and sloppy. For example, commenting that many women now shave their pubic hair, he observes that "most men" actually prefer women with pubic hair (without even broaching whether its trimmed or groomed). He fails to acknowledge that preferences vary widely and offers no data to support his statement. He has a section on body piercing where he goes to some lengths to explain how he's finally come around to accept the idea, but only in certain parts of the body, and again women are better off unadorned. Opinions on that subject also vary from person to person. Rather than discussing his preferences as strictly his own (e.g. "As a painter, I prefer 'x' because...") or doing some actual psychological or historical research, this book comes across as the organized ramblings of one opinionated man (whose opinions I don't share) - not intelligent discourse about a beautiful, age-old topic. I returned the book.

A poetic hymn to the female body.......2006-11-12

This slim book is not just a delightful account of the female body, but a passionate hymn to the beauty of woman.
Intensely sensous, but not pornographic at all, it lovingly examines and exalts all the components of her body, underlining their significance from an aesthetic and erotic viewpoint.
It should be required reading for all photographers and painters alike as an introduction to the appreciation of the female body.
Art teachers had better leave anatomy manuals on the bookshelves from time to time and refer to this book as they teach life drawing classes, to arouse the students' genuine interest in what they are drawing.

Erotic Book: Erotica Secrets of Sexy Female Bodies for Men And Women.......2006-08-01

Erotic Book is an open and honest study of the female form, through the eyes of the author. Filger's background in Fine Art Photography is evident by the exquisite detail in which he views every nuance of the female form. Anyone who does not see the beauty in their own body needs to read this book.

Alan Walker

Awesome Book About Women's Bodies & Female Sensuality.......2006-07-04

This is an amazing book, more so as the author is man, but one with unusual perception when it comes to understanding the female psyche about their bodies and sexuality. Sheldon Filger presents the entire female body as an artistic tapestry, and enables the reader to understand the heavenly beauty that is the body of a woman. I really felt empowered after reading this appropriately-named "Erotic Book." Women will truly feel liberated after reading it--and men will also have new insights, and a wonderful gift for their special woman.

Erotic Book - Learn the Secrets!.......2006-05-14

I found this book very refreshing. Every woman should read this! Learn what turns men on about our bodies before you consider any augmentation, you will be pleasantly surprised. Thank you Sheldon Filger for telling us something we really needed to hear.

A Thousand Bells at Noon: A Roman's Guide to the Secrets and Pleasures of His Native City

Average customer rating:

One of best insight of Rome.
Remembering Home
Pleasant, but doesn't reach any great heights.
Bravissimo!

A Thousand Bells at Noon: A Roman's Guide to the Secrets and Pleasures of His Native City
Franco G. Romagnoli , and G. Franco Romagnoli
Manufacturer: Steerforth Italia
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Italian | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Travel | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1586420364
Release Date: 2002-01-22

Book Description

G. Franco Romagnoli was a mere youth when he left Rome for America, where he made a name for himself as a cookbook author, television personality, and restaurateur. But the love of his native city brought him back to Rome for an extended stay, allowing him to rediscover the sights, smells, and sounds of this urban paradise.

In A Thousand Bells at Noon, Romagnoli shares with readers his visceral and emotional experiences in Rome: its ancient streets and modern shops; it parks; cafés, and hidden gardens; its grand public squares and sacred spaces. As he relives moments from his childhood, reconnects with old friends, and sees through new eyes a modern city steeped in history, you will fall in love with Romagnoli's Rome -- a wondrous place like no other on earth.

Customer Reviews:

One of best insight of Rome........2005-07-06

Fascinating....and the review is coming from a 'Romano de Roma'.

Remembering Home.......2004-12-05

This book represents the musings of a native son of Rome, returning for an extended visit home after a lifetime living abroad. Romagnoli, now in his 70s, grew up in Rome, leaving it for America some 50 years earlier with his American wife. As this book begins, the widowed Romagnoli, newly re-married to another American, is returning to Rome to re-establish his ties.

During the tax ride from the airport, Romagnoli considers the concept of "native". He was born in Rome, but that doesn't qualify him as truly Roman. To be truly Roman, all ancestors to 7 generations back must have been born and lived in Rome. While his mother was a Roman, his father was a "pellegrino," an immigrant from the North. The taxi driver points out some of the more recent pellegrinos they pass on the way to Romagnoli's rented flat. This is a suitable introduction to the book-rather than focus on the sights or manners of the Romans, Romagnoli considers broad topics of special import to Italians. In each subsequent chapter, he takes up a different topic in turn, such as government, health care, the fountains, religion, and transportation. But he develops each of these topics from his experiences on this particular trip. By the time you finish reading this book, you will feel you have had a series of long conversations with a Roman about how the city works, and how Romans feel about it.

Pleasant, but doesn't reach any great heights........2003-08-30

It seems that anyone who has lived abroad, (especially if the abode was in Tuscany or the South of France), feels compelled to write about it. This book makes for a pleasant read, but is somewhat predictable in its adherence to that genre of travel/living abroad school of writing. I found the book had some useful and amusing facts, but a lot of the in-depth encounters with other Romans added nothing to my interest in that city. Although a British visitor, without the length of experience of the now-expatriate Romagnoli, H.V.Morton's "A Traveler in Rome" remains the incomparable choice for a deeper understanding of Rome.

Bravissimo!.......2002-12-06

Having had the pleasure of living in Rome, I was thrilled to read this book. Franco's memoir of his beloved city is lovingly written and he captures the very essence of what it is like to spend a few months there and really get to know the neighborhoods. To write about Rome is to take on a daunting task: how can you begin to describe a city that is layered with 2,000 years of civilization? The only way is through personal experience and Franco's book opens the door to this most mysterious and wild, yet sophisticated place. A must for anyone planning a trip there and better yet, if you've already been there and want to reminisce.

Average customer rating:

Really good!
Could not put this book down!!
Secret Pleasures
Bends all the rules!
Sex without Romance or Intensity

Secret Pleasures
Thea Devine
Manufacturer: Kensington
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0758202997

Customer Reviews:

Really good!.......2007-09-30

I really liked this one. Although it's far-fetched (really, how many men have a refractory period of 10 seconds!), it's sexy and VERY erotic. Yes, there is a lot of hot, graphic sex, but that's what this book is about. It's a fantasy, after all, and one should keep that in mind when reading it. If you like this one, also try Wicked Ties by Shayla Black.

Could not put this book down!!.......2004-10-23

This book was an emotional roller coaster. Very very intense - not just the erotic senuality - but the darker plot and all of the hidden secrets that everyone in Genelle's life had. I just found this story very compelling. I definetely thought it one of Devine's very best books! Highly recommend it!!

Secret Pleasures.......2002-09-30

There is a good story plot if you like murder mysterys. Probably most people do not read erotica for a mystery. Throughout part of the book there was WAY too much sex. It just went on and on and nothing else. It has some rather sick characters and overall there was no love between the sex partners. The ending is rreal strange. But I would recommend.

Bends all the rules!.......2002-01-28

My favorite Thea Devine. Not only is this one wildly erotic, it's also a rarity in the romantic suspense genre - a book so filled with plot twists and tension, that about halfway through you begin to think the unthinkable: the hero and heroine might not end up together! So I'm ashamed to admit, I broke my own cardinal rule and skipped to the last page just to make sure. Otherwise, it would have been downright painful to keep reading. There's no "big misunderstanding" keeping this erotically-charged couple from trusting each other. In fact, her suspicions of him are well-founded. Roak may not be betraying Genelle in exactly the way that she - and we - begin to suspect, but he's definitely decieving her - and since she's paying him a fortune to help clear her of her husband's murder, the stakes are high. Devine masterfully weaves a web of intrigue in this book, keeping the reader almost as much in the dark as the threatened heroine is herself. The only thing we readers know at the outset that Genelle does not is this: her "skilled investigator" was no stranger to Genelle's murdered husband - and he's taking on this assignment for his own reasons, not his client's. The two become lovers, of course (which he has planned from the start) and the sex scenes are as steamy and frequent as fans of Devine have come to expect. But the sexual tension isn't the only tension building as the novel progresses. As Scotland Yard begins to build a compelling case against Genelle, and her arrest for murder begins to appear inevitable, she slowly realizes that nothing is as it seems and that her lover/detective is hiding critical information. In fact, he appears to be using their sexual relationship to distract Genelle from her own investigation. Most chillingly, Roak refuses to either confirm or deny that he has his own agenda...In the hands of a less careful author, it would be hard to believe that Genelle would continue paying her investigator for what amounts to little more than his sexual services. But in Devine's skillfully woven web, Genelle hangs onto Roak because he is all she has. She has no friends, and it seems that everybody who knew her husband - including Genelle's own despicable mother - wants to see Genelle hang for his murder. She is addicted to Roak, for better or worse. And so will you be - if you don't mind tension that will keep you awake until the alarm clock goes off!

Sex without Romance or Intensity.......2001-11-21

I was very disappointed with this book. Other reviewers have already noted there is no emotional connection between the main characters. Throughout the story the female protagonist (Genelle) knows almost nothing about the male protagonist (Roak) except that she is in lust with him whenever he's around. There are plenty of sex scenes, but unlike good erotica there isn't sufficient sexual tension (or intensity) to really get things going. The book is essentially a dozen scenes of stranger-sex (each scene almost exactly the same) overlaid by a flimsy (and dull) murder mystery.

Yes, the "underground" sex industry in London is referred to, but somehow the peep shows and cross-dressing are bland with Devine's depiction. There are far better romance novels, erotic romance novels, and erotic novels that you could spend your time on. The only redeeming aspect about this book is that Genelle is more sexually adventurous (read the prologue) than most romance heroines, thus putting her on a more level playing ground with Roak.

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