Ribstars Backyard Smoking & BBQ Cookbook Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm from Texas so I'm particular about my barbeque! This book is for SMOKING and BBQ lovers and there is something for everyone in this little gem! You can tell that "the Chef" (and author) has tried and tested these recipes.... it gives you the confidence to try it his way! I like the fact that this book gives you details in plain language..... I especially enjoyed the tips and tidbit information throughout......and a bonus at the end of the book was some great summertime side dishes and salad recipes. So far, every recipe my husband and I have tried has been perfect and delicious...just ask all of our friends and neighbors!!!

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This is a very unique cookbook dedicated solely to the method of backyard smoking. It includes 136 pages of hints, tips, procedures and 118 fully tested recipes. With 35 pages of information that is necessary for successful BBQ. The book features 10 chapters of recipes:Brine and Cures, Jerky Meats, Marinades, Meats, Mops, Rotisserie Meats, Rubs, Salsa & Relishes, Sauces, Side Dishes.It is meant for the beginning and novice BBQer, who is looking to learn this method of cooking. All recipes have been developed, tested and retested by myself (Richard McPeake)

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Drinking, Smoking and Screwing: Great Writers on Good Times Review

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(More customer reviews)It's a puritanical society we live in, and it sucks. This book makes for a fine release from that straightjacket.
This fabulous short story collection is pure, unadulterated (perhaps adulterous?), almost-illegal fun. Bukowski's unabashedly macho "Women", Erica Jong's Zipless...(can I say the word in a public review?), Eve Babitz's revelations on something called "The Green Death" (I must find some one day and see if it really is that good); well, it's everything your mother and the Surgeon General told you not to do, but you do anyway. Or at least you should.
Speaking of the Surgeon General, my favorite here is Fran Lebowitz's "When Smoke Gets In Your Eyes...Shut Them" (page 192), and I quote from it quite often in today's smokist, nicotine gum, get the patch society. For air pollution and my blood pressure, one would do better outlawing those pretentious, gas guzzling Suburban Utility Vehicles. I suspect that many of the writers in this book BECAME writers to be able to smoke on the job in peace.
I would quibble with a few of the inclusions. For instance, I would have used Anne Sexton's "Fury Of The Cocks" instead if "When A Man Enters A Woman". I would have picked one of Dorthy Parkers acerbic poems about love and sex rather than using "You Were Perfectly Fine". I would have left out the "Lotlita" excerpt altogether for something more overtly satisfying and taboo, such as Pat Califia's "Calyx of Isis". And I'd never have even touched the vapid, sexist, nonsensical and needlessly trashy "Candy", by Southern and Hoffenberg, which is in this collection is rather like a pimple on the chest of an otherwise exquisitely beautiful stripper.
However, the good "bad" stuff more than makes up for the, well, bad "bad" stuff, and this is a book I go back to again and again. Call it my bedtime reading, if you will....a book that goes deliciously well with a good Dunhill cigarette, a nice shot of Baileys, and a half dressed...oh, nevermind. There are kids here.

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The Border Cookbook: Authentic Home Cooking of the American Southwest and Northern Mexico Review

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(More customer reviews)I have a whole rack of cookbooks in my kitchen and none is used more than this book. Every recipe has turned out to be a grand success. You do need to have access to Mexican ingredients as many of the recipies call for a few exotic ingredients. You will not be disappointed in this cookbook however.

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How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone Review

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(More customer reviews)I gotta say, at first i was a little hesitant. The cover made it look kind of simple, perhaps too simple. But once I opened it up, I was thoroughly impressed. This book (really more of a guided journey)has everything you need packed into one. It's got some factual info, some advice, humor, workbook and first hand experience from the author. He gives it to you with a no holds barred approach. Without giving it away, he takes you on a journey inside your head and even heart and forces you to accept who you are. This book is a perfect combination of humor, guidance, passion and purpose. If you've ever wanted to change your life in regards to smoking, or really any addictive behavior, this book is a MUST!!!P.S. Where is the "How to STOP biting your nails without killing anyone" book?

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Ways to Quit Smoking: Kicking the Habit for Good Review

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(More customer reviews)If you are like me, you have tried to quit smoking for decades and have always gone back. I had quit for up to a year before and then fell back into my old comforts. This book helped me change all that. It made me quit for good and so far I have been doing great without even wanting to start back up. This is such a great book. I highly recommend it to everyone who smokes and wants to quit.

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Looking For Alaska Review

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(More customer reviews)...and read this book in one sitting. Okay, it's short and incredibly good, which makes it easy to bolt down. But then you are going to feel like an idiot for not savoring the pleasure, and you're going to be bleary as hell the next day (if you finish it at 4 in the morning, like I did).
This book deals with the Big Ones: suffering, loss, and grief, but it does so with such compassion and humor that the net impact is uplifting. Even the principal turns out to be a human being. There are no cardboard cut-out characters here.
Be aware that the kids in this story do what kids actually do (smoke, drink, and have sex). If that bothers you, read it anyway. There are more important things in life than observing proprieties and pretending that bright kids aren't exploratory. You don't have to approve of these characters. It is enough to love them and learn from them.

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Smoking Salmon and Trout: Plus Canning, Freezing, Pickling and More Review

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(More customer reviews)This book looks self published. For the information I wanted I was jumping all around the book to get. But a lot of the information is there and that is what I wanted.

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Find out how to get the most from your catch with Smoking Salmon and Trout. With over 400 photos and illustrations, this authoritative how-to book provides step-by-step instructions for home processing the fish you catch or buy. Extensive chapters on filleting, smoking, salting, sausaging, marinating and pickling fish show you how to create all the traditional mouth-watering treats you find in supermarkets and delicatessens. There are easy-to-follow directions for safe home freezing and canning, as well as unusual recipes from around the world - including Jamaica Fritters, Martinique Fishballs and Russian Zapekanka - that have been tested by the author.

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Allen Carr's Easy Way for Women to Stop Smoking Review

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(More customer reviews)I didn't want to quit. I needed to quit. I bought the book and because I didn't want to quit I put it away until the cough was, quite simply, embarrassing. Then I thought, with this huge tug-of-war going on (I don't want to quit but I must quit for my health!), let's see if it's as easy as he says it is.
He deals first with the fear. I NEVER even tried to quit using 'willpower' before because of the fear. I was just too terrified of losing my friend, my companion, and all my coffee/cigarette rituals. He immediately acknowledged that we all think like that. But in fact we have invented these rituals as ceremonies for our next "hit".
He points out that we don't feel normal any more unless we're smoking because we are drug addicts and in a constant state of withdrawal that makes us feel empty and insecure and which can only be cured by another 'hit'. That nicotine, far from relaxing us in reality, actually makes us anxious because of what it does to the nervous system over time. But the 'hit' creates the illusion of relaxation because it's so much better than the feelings during withdrawal!
He points out a lot more and does it gently, rationally, entertainingly and never ONCE tries to scare us. And by the time I had finished the book I really was ready to jump to the other side of that proverbial line and say, "Yippee! I'm a non-smoker!"
This is key: you're supposed to smoke the whole time you read the book. So I'm sure a lot of people read really slooooowly. That's not a bad thing, that's a good thing. This is a book you want to literally live with for a few days, focus on it, re-read it again if you need to, and let it really sink in so it can change your thinking.
I am so thrilled about this method I called the UK clinic to see what it took to open one of Allen Carr's clinics in the US. I've researched and read a lot of other methods that emphasize the white-knuckling most people go through. This has got to be the BEST method on the market. Allen Carr does a number on your brain - he de-brainwashes you so you simply don't feel deprived when you quit and that means no white-knuckling!
This book is for women - he has others. Read one of them! This method works!

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Now women can kick the cigarette habit, too, using a version of Allen Carr's revolutionary Easyway (TM) Method created expressly for them. Carr's The Easy Way to Stop Smoking sold nine million copies worldwide; his method succeeds because it helps smokers eliminate the psychological craving for a cigarette even before they throw away that last pack. Filled with inspiring stories and quotes from real women who have battled nicotine addiction, this follow-up addresses the unique difficulties females face when they decide to quit. Carr and Francesca Cesati focus on those issues of special concern to women, such as weight gain, increased stress, and smoking during pregnancy-making this the perfect gift for any woman who lights up…and wants to stop.

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Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking Review

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(More customer reviews)No need for a long review here. About the first three quarters of the book is spent exploding various myths and delusions about smoking (such as smoking relaxing you or getting rid of stress), which sets you up and gets you into the right frame of mind for actually quitting. At this point, the book wants you to continue smoking while you read it. In a nutshell, the easy way to stop smoking involves two things: one, deciding you are never going to smoke again, and two, don't mope about it anymore, rejoice. Sounds too simple, but after reading the first part of the book, this strategy will make more sense to you.
Lastly, the book cites two main reasons why you will fail: the influence of other smokers, and having a bad day. Having been around for 20 some years and being able to refine it with twenty years of feedback, I feel like this is one of the better books out there on non-smoking.
Also helpful: The Sixty-Second Motivator -short, to the point, and practical.


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The Gentle Art of Smoking Review

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(More customer reviews)This book was published in 1954, is 177 pages long, measures 8.25" x 5.25" x 7/8" thick. Hard board covers and I believe was issued without a dust jacket. Published in NY by Putnam's sons. The book covers all the bases from the history of tobacco, to the history of the match, to tobacco for smoking by pipe, cigar and cigarettes, growing tobacco, cigarette manufacturing and pipe manufacturing. In fact much of the pipe manufacturing information in the book appears to be where Hacker got much of the info in his book The Ultimate Pipe Book. The little 1954 book is a great one and a quick read, will teach you thing you didn't know, and I would recommend it for those interested in pipe smoking.

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Dissecting Antismokers' Brains Review

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(More customer reviews)This book has changed my life dramatically. I was deceived by all the misinformation surrounding SHS even though I realized that things just did not add up, I had no proof.
Thanks to Dissecting Antismokers' Brains I now feel totally vindicated and the sense of guilt from this pleasure is pretty much erased. The book is straight forward, thoughtful and well orgnaized. It states all the facts which are easily verified and when you are finished you find yourself wanting more.
When non-smokers read this book they, rightfully so, are outraged to discover that they have been used as pawns in a power stuggle by an elite group of people who are making millions from this. Factor in drug companies making millions from nicotine replacement products and most media outlets threatened with monetary loss if anything positive can be said about SHS and you have the biggest social lie of this generation.
What is happening right now in the free world is nothing short of criminal, akin to organized crime at it's best. Antismoking groups have no real evidence against SHS, just half-truths and outright lies through manipulation. This is racketeering on a world wide scale and most are unaware of this. The newly approved smoking treaty which just came into effect now holds third world countries as hostages who must comply or else. This is extortion and a violation of basic human rights!
We are all victims of these groups whose main goals are power and money but the biggest victims of all are our children. While money, time, media hype and other resources have been wasted on the BIG LIE the use of drugs and alcohol has sky rocketed in young people, STD rates continue to soar and poverty continues to rise. Antismoking groups are apathetic to these REAL problems while continuing to manufacture false data to reap in even more money. These are taxpayers dollars being wasted while freedom of choice is being stripped away.
Finally, for those of you wondering, I am independant of any tobacco companies or other interest groups in this area. I have never met Michael nor have I even had a conversation with him. This book stands on it's own merits, more than I can say for anything published by the antismokers. Read it, you will be amazed and you will even get a few chuckles from his light humour injected throughout. When you are finished send it to someone with some real political clout, someone who will ask the hard questions and expose these criminals for who they really are.

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"Dissecting Antismokers' Brains" is a blend of hard science, linguistic analysis, humor, and easy reading that most readers will find irresistible, whether they smoke or not.A table filled with numbers describing the chemical content of tobacco smoke is followed by the comment that to get a day's Recommended Daily Allowance of cholesterol an individual would have to sit in a room with smokers for over 600 years.The author goes on to recommend a good prime rib instead.The scary picture of our minds being sculpted by those with money and power is softened by the image of a National Guardsman facing down a pack of Virginia Slims with a loaded M-16.And the statistics that always seem so fearful when one opens a scientific journal are pared down, explained, and presented in such a way that anyone with the beginnings of a high school education will feel comfortable with them rather than daunted by them.The various "types" of Antismokers and their motivations are analyzed carefully, and sometimes quite disturbingly, as the author builds the base for his meticulous examination of their arguments."Dissection" is indeed an appropriate word for what one will find in these pages, but it's "Dissection" with an undercurrent of personal touch and humor that does indeed make it an irresistible read.

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Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook: Recipes and Recollections from the Pit Bosses Review

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(More customer reviews)The Legends of Texas Barbecue is not so much a cook book as it is a reverent tribute to Texas-style barbecue and the legends who made it famous. As author Robb Walsh notes in his introduction, "Southern barbecue is a proud thoroughbred whose bloodlines are easily traced while Texas barbecue is a feisty mutt with a whole lot of crazy relatives." There are few things that Texans argue over more often than barbecue. The book traces the diverse lineage of Texas barbecue and introduces us to the pit bosses and restaurant owners who have grown to mythical status in Texas. Throughout, archival photographs highlight these men from as early as the start of the 1900's.
Walter Jetton is perhaps the most influential pit boss in Texas barbecue history, once holding the record for feeding 12,000 people at a single event. He was also a favorite of President Lyndon Johnson. The early part of this book focuses on men such as Jetton and others, and gives a fascinating history of cooking methods and equipment these pioneering men used.
The book then provides indispensable advice on achieving a Texas-style Barbecue at home including suggestions on the best equipment to use, fuels, and cook methods. Forget the gas grill, even the use of smoke boxes will never achieve that true, smoky taste. Utensils are also covered in detail including the one thing every good barbecuer needs...a basting mop.
Moving to chapter two, the Legends of Texas Barbecue covers the "sport" of competitive cook-offs and masters such as Harley Goerlitz, holder of over 300 trophies including numerous championships. These men provide some of their award winning recipes and sure-fire tips to making the best barbecue. Even if you never plan to enter a cook-off, you'll find expert tips from these men that you can use at home.
Rather than being sectioned like most cookbooks into type of foods, this book is sectioned off into regions. East Texas, West Texas, Southern Texas, as well as the very notable influence of German immigrants of the 1800's and the black urban influence that began when Harvey Miller opened his barbecue joint in 1941. Each section provides a sampling of recipes from these influences and it's interesting to note the differences in preparation, cooking, and spices in each. Among the most interesting chapters from a historical perspective is the one that deals with the strong German influence on Texas Barbecue. Texas became a hot spot for German Immigrants in the mid 1800's and continued for some fifty years. This influence is still seen today in the barbecued sausages from this region.
The Recipes are unique and mostly simple, having only a handful of ingredients. Monte Barber's Country Style Ribs uses just orange juice, ribs, BBQ sauce and a basic rub. This is a recipe created by the legendary C.B. Stubblefield who lends his name to the famous Stubbs Barbecue sauces that are available throughout the country. Then there is Drexler's Ribs from Houston restaurant owner James Drexler, smoked to perfection using just ribs. paprika, salt, sugar, and garlic and onion powders. Simple and delectable.
There's Potato and Black Bean Salsa Salad, BBQ Pork and Guacamole Sandwiches, Jalapeno Potato Salad, Barbecued Turkey, and more unique BBQ sauces than you've ever seen. Whether it's ribs, brisket, steaks, chicken, sausages, vegetables or salads, you'll be sure to find many recipes to enjoy.
The final chapter takes readers on a guided tour of the most famous Barbecues in Texas complete with addresses and phone numbers and a capsule history of each. You're invited to make a pilgrimage to the Texas barbecue belt towns of Lockhart, Elgin, and Taylor to visit some of the most famous barbecue joints not only in Texas, but the entire country! In addition there is also a section listing various online and mail order sources where many of the sauces, rubs, and cooking utensils can be purchased.
This is just a magnificent book for any fan of barbecue! Highest recommendation.


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No Smoking Review

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(More customer reviews)First off, I am not a smoker. I have smoked cigarettes before, and enjoy the occasional cigar, but don't consider myself a smoker. However I was intrigued when I saw this book in Barnes and Noble this afternoon (I thought the box was very clever) and ended up sitting down and reading pretty much the entire book.
You don't have to be a smoker to appreciate the effort put into this collection of art, including old advertisements, photos, paintings, and quotes from an array of influential people from the past two centuries. This is not a glorification of smoking; neither is it an indictment. Rather, it asks the reader to forget for awhile their beliefs about smoking and realize what a large part smoking played in American culture as well as European culture.
Yes, smoking can kill you. But to immeadiatly dismiss this book as a nostalgic collection for the fiendish smoker is juvenile, and frankly, disrespectful; like it or not, tobacco has played an enormous part in this country's history. This book does a very good job of taking the reader beyond their beliefs to see a whole world of art, life, and culture that revolved around smoking.

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Can you imagine Groucho Marx without a cigar? Do you remember that a few years ago smoking was allowed in airplanes? Can you tell when New York stopped smoking?In the not so distant past, posing seductively with a cigarette was de rigueur for Hollywood types. How many celebrities today dare to even hold one? No Smoking is a tribute to the 20th century, a century that created, promoted and glorified the cigarette and then suddenly declared war on it.

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Competition BBQ Secrets: A Barbecue Instruction Manual for Serious Competitors and Back Yard Cooks Too Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this book based largely on the title after searching for select BBQ cook books. I've been cooking BBQ for just a couple of years and am trying to reach the "next level" by refining my recipes and techniques, and looked forward to a better understanding of BBQ competition and the techniques\recipes for preparing all the meat categories. There are four things I found disappointing:
1) The recipes rely on rubs or sauces that are only available through certain commercial sources.
2) There are several rub and sauce recipes, but none are referenced or used in the book.
3) The descriptions of trimming and preparation could be greatly improved with the addition of more photographs.
4) This is a useful book only if you already have experience with BBQ.
I also have to agree with one other reviewer that the book cost is about $15 more than it's worth.

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The Health Benefits of Tobacco Review

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(More customer reviews)Dr. Douglass is known for his anti-establishment hyperbole, and it serves him well in creating his saleable persona. While there are very good benefits of limited use of the natural tobacco leaf, this should not cause us to ignore the very real dangers of cigarettes and their additives. Not to mention the stench.
That said, my guess is that the previous one-star reviewer has not read this book. Dr. Douglass does a good job of presenting some of the fallacies of the anti-tobacco lobby and benefits of tobacco. Read the fine print and you'll find that he also does not approve of cigarettes and their additives or over-use of tobacco. He is quite harsh on the tobacco companies.
Benefits of smoking include the well-known protective effect from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. However, sometimes Dr. Douglass can gild the lily, such as pointing to the combination of higher smoking and lower specific disease rates in Asia compared to the U.S. Even though he ignores the fact to gild his hyperbolic lily, I am sure Dr. Douglass must be aware of the reason: green tea. Even the staid NCI (National Cancer Institute) has reported on the protection that green tea catechins offer from cancer. Investigations have borne out the fact that here in Asia green-tea-drinkers who smoke have lower cancer rates than American smokers, but Asian non-green-tea-drinkers who smoke do not have lower cancer rates.
All in all a good book, and it is good to have a doctor willing to stand up to the fascists, but you will have to overlook the hyperbole.


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1,440 Reasons To Quit Smoking: One for Every Minute of the Day...and Night Review

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(More customer reviews)Of course, a book can't make you want to quit smoking. But, it can remind you of the reasons and even provide some new ones.
Not all of the reasons in this book will work for every person. But, if one doesn't apply to you, some of the other 1,439 will. Some are funny: "Climbing the walls is aerobic exercise." Others focus on health, smell, expense, perserverance and pride.
Carry this book in your pocket or purse (it's small enough). Highlight favorite or especially meaningful statements and flip to them in times of need. Good luck!

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Only Way to Stop Smoking Permanently (Penguin Health Care & Fitness) Review

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(More customer reviews)Having read the other user reviews, all having been written within a relatively short amount of time after stopping smoking, I thought it to be important to write a short review a few years on.
I read this book a little about three and a half years ago. I took it seriously, followed through with the reading of it and gave the process of stopping smoking it's due, and it really did work for me. Where the book really works is in hammering home the points that you need to hear, and giving you some structure in which to prepare.
It's a long book, it needs to be, and it focuses the effort on the preparation for stopping smoking, making actually having stopped much easier.
The elation at ceasing any self destructive behaviour can make one very grateful and therefore enthusiastic about the method used in the short term.
Long term, I have found "The Only Way To Stop Smoking Permanently" to be a very solid method. I have been a non smoker for over 3 years since reading this book, and haven't smoked a cigarette since that final one at the end of the book, back in 2005. I'm still grateful to myself for having read this book, and to Allen Carr for having written it.

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This is a companion volume to "Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking".

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