Cart
|
|
my account
|
wish list
|
help
|
800-878-7323
Hello, |
Login
MENU
Browse
New Arrivals
Bestsellers
Featured Preorders
Award Winners
Audio Books
See All Subjects
Used
Staff Picks
Staff Picks
Picks of the Month
Bookseller Displays
50 Books for 50 Years
25 Best 21st Century Sci-Fi & Fantasy
25 PNW Books to Read Before You Die
25 Books From the 21st Century
25 Memoirs to Read Before You Die
25 Global Books to Read Before You Die
25 Women to Read Before You Die
25 Books to Read Before You Die
Gifts
Gift Cards & eGift Cards
Powell's Souvenirs
Journals and Notebooks
socks
Games
Sell Books
Blog
Events
Find A Store
Don't Miss
Big Mood Sale
Teen Dream Sale
Portland Like a Pro Sale
Powell's Author Events
Oregon Battle of the Books
Audio Books
Get the Powell's newsletter
Visit Our Stores
Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
(0 comment)
Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
Read More
»
Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
(0 comment)
Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
(0 comment)
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
Customer Comments
loischenderson has commented on (10) products
Fly With Me: A True Story of Healing from Multiple Sclerosis
by
Helen Phillips
loischenderson
, June 05, 2011
“What did God say about healing? What did He say about sickness and where did He put Himself in the fight against disease? Where did sickness come from? Did God bring sickness if He was almighty and reigned?” If you have ever asked yourself any of these questions, then Helen Phillips’ spiritual memoir, Fly with Me: A True Story of Healing from Multiple Sclerosis is for you. In this relatively short volume of only 150 pages, Phillips shares a lifetime of experience with the reader, as she shares her experiences that range from farming in the Rhodesian lowlands to becoming a spiritual healer and motivational speaker first in Johannesburg, and later in the southern suburbs of Cape Town, where she still lives with her fourth husband, Bill Phillips. Short as the book may be, it nevertheless packs an extremely powerful punch and bears witness throughout not only of her battle against what many have experienced as a devastating illness, but also of her faith in an all-powerful God. Being struck down by MS when she was only 27 years old and “slim as a whistle, fit as a fiddle,” her incorrigible spirit and her strong commitment to the Christian faith buoyed her up and enabled her to endure not only the physical suffering that is attendant upon such a disease, but also two divorces and the death of a former husband. Phillips is no stranger to financial failure either, and has endured business highs and lows, as well as the alcoholism of her first husband, which helped drive her into the arms of a bounder whom she married not only once, but twice. Above all, however, Fly with Me is Helen Phillips’ personal witness to her growing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as her Redeemer. The pages are blessed with the restorative power of the Holy Spirit’s working in and through her life, making the tone of the whole uplifting and encouraging. However, Phillips in no ways minces her words��"she tells it like it is, so don’t expect to be required to wallow in a pity fest. She has short shrift for those MS sufferers who wish others to climb aboard such a wagon, urging them not to expect to be treated with kid gloves by even their nearest and dearest. Basically, Phillips is a fighter, and she expects that of others too. The tools that she has used to recover from attacks of the dreaded disease she readily shares with her audience, including, most notably, faith, the importance of an entrenched exercise and nutrition regimen, prayer, and God’s Word. Phillips concludes Fly with Me with her tried and true recommended diet for MS sufferers, as well as a spiritual healing recipe and two full-color topographical maps of Africa and Rhodesia as they were in 1976. Fly with Me: A True Story of Healing from Multiple Sclerosis is a faith-based book that is filled with hopeful and inspiring messages from the Bible. In addition to appealing to those who suffer from MS, the work is ideal reading for any who have had experience of a family member or friend with a crippling disease. A copy of the text should form part of all libraries and resource collections of faith-based bodies, no matter where in the world they might be.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Don't let your mechanic pick your pocket!: A simple guide that can save you money and keep the dishonest mechanic in line. It works for any car, truck
by
George A. Moyer
loischenderson
, May 19, 2011
This brief but informative book provides a short background to the author, George A. Moyer, who is a retired mechanic and shop owner, before explaining some basic principles behind the operation of a light motor vehicle. Don’t Let Your Mechanic Pick Your Pocket gives the most essential maintenance guidelines and lists noises and symptoms that might help you to determine where a problem with your vehicle lies. The language used throughout is that of the average driver who knows more how to negotiate his or her way in and out of a traffic jam or how to park the car than about the inner workings of a car’s engine. The format and layout of the text is very clear, from the headings of the chapters (including “Do’s and Don’ts,” “Changing a Flat Tire,” and “Replacing a Rear View Mirror”), through the brief and to-the-point subheadings (ranging from the different parts of the car, such as “Brakes,” “Suspension,” and “Transmission” to the various symptoms that one might detect, including “Chirping,” “Humming/Grinding,” and “Loss of Heat”), to the very font itself, which is well-spaced and which should be easily readable by flashlight (if your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere on a deep, dark, dismal night!). The glossaries of terms, as well as of “Most Frequent Parts and What They Do” should prove most useful when a mechanic tries to befuddle you with technocrese. Moyer’s explanations are so simple, straightforward and reliable that they have the capacity to inspire confidence in even the most inexperienced driver. His honest, at home, down to earth advice is enough to take the worries out of even your most frazzled moment. In addition to guiding what moves you make in registering and reporting any concerns that you have regarding your vehicle, Moyer provides the following invaluable “Top Ten Lists”: “Most Important Repairs (Safety in Mind),” “Least Important Repairs (Safety in Mind),” “Most Expensive Repairs,” and “Easiest Repairs to Get Ripped off with”. The illustrations are appended to the main text, so that they are quickly accessible to the reader. Clear diagrams are provided of tread wear patterns, universal joints, front-, rear- and four-wheel drives, front and rear suspension, engine components, drum and disc brakes, excessive belt wear, and typical lift points. In short, this is a key guide to the functioning of your car, which should be kept with you at all times when you are on the road. You are likely to find it as helpful as a well-supplied tool kit and, in many cases, a great deal less daunting than your own car’s manual. An ideal gift for handing over with the first set of car keys to any youngster, this little book should provide much comfort to you as the parent of a relatively inexperienced car owner. So, if you are a stranger to the workings of your car, or know someone else who is, purchase a copy of this book and DO keep it in your car’s glove compartment��"you won’t be sorry that you have!
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Moon Tahiti 7th Edition
by
David Stanley
loischenderson
, May 13, 2011
Moon Tahiti, the 7th edition of renowned traveler David Stanley’s work in the Moon Handbooks series, is as comprehensive, up-to-date and enlightening as ever. Containing 47 detailed and easy-to-use maps, the guidebook describes the must-see sights, activities, restaurants, and accommodation available not only on Tahiti, but on all the other islands in French Polynesia as well, including invaluable insights into tourist highlights on Moorea, as well as on the Leeward, Austral, Tuamotu and Gambier, and Marquesas Islands. In addition, in his inimitable environmentally aware way, he provides an informed analysis of the land itself, its flora and fauna, its history and government, its economy, its people and culture, and the arts and entertainment opportunities granted by French Polynesia, so that the book is a valuable source of information for tourist and armchair traveler alike. For the former, he supplies a chapter on such essentials as transport, visas and officialdom, customs, and health and safety, while for those who wish to approach their trip with the added insight to be gleaned from other sources he provides a glossary, phrasebook, and a list of suggested reading and Internet resources. That Stanley truly loves these islands is clear from start to finish. His intimate knowledge of the islands is rivaled only by the fluency of his writing. His balanced outlook on French Polynesia allows him to retain an objective stance throughout, enabling him to pinpoint both the merits and the demerits of the islands. For example, he doesn’t hide the fact that the cosmopolitan city of Papeete becomes a ghost town on Sunday afternoons, as “life washes out into the countryside,” so best avoid at such times. Stanley’s style is concise and factual��"he provides you with a great deal of information in a limited number of words. His main intent is to give a complete picture of each place so that you can make informed decisions about how you wish to spend your time in the islands. Stanley consistently keeps the primary focus of the reader in mind, so that no matter whether you are more interested in sports, culture and the arts (his references to the leading French Post-Impressionist, Paul Gauguin, are numerous), the natural beauty of the islands, or the more historic and religious aspects of French Polynesia, you are bound to find much that appeals to your palate. Moon Tahiti is well illustrated throughout with black-and-white photographs of local architecture and scenes, in addition to maps of many of the 118 islands and towns that form part of this archipelago set in the South Pacific Ocean. Stanley also provides a great deal of background information on various cultural practices, aspects of island lifestyle and fascinating biographical overviews of outstanding local characters that he sensibly sets aside in text boxes scattered throughout the main text, so that they do not disrupt the flow of his central argument. If you have ever dreamed of listening to the rustling of palm trees swaying in the breeze while watching islanders gyrate their sinuous bodies in time to the rhythm of exotic melodies, this book is for you. As Stanley writes, “Welcome to paradise!”
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
All Points North
by
Shelby R., III Lee and Shelby R. Lee III
loischenderson
, April 28, 2011
Lee’s enthusiasm for writing permeates this collection of short stories (or ‘volumes’, as he calls them). Most definitely they are not in the conventional short story mode, so don’t expect a snappy beginning, middle and end. Rather, they are sketches of characters and scenes written in a stream of consciousness style, in a way that is reminiscent of Lee’s literary doyen, William Faulkner. One can readily tell that the author is a Southerner, who has been exposed to much of the harshness of life. He, in fact, refers to himself as “a survivor in the key of life.” His stories are not for the faint-hearted, being gritty, zestful and, in places, harsh, as he exposes the vulnerability of members of the human race. Using relatively little dialogue, but a great deal of discussion of inner musings, Lee covers a wide range of characters in the thirteen stories, of which the most memorable I found to be “Boy Freud,” which deals with the perversions of a psychologist. A sense of redemption is lacking from these tales, and, being relatively unstructured as they are, they leave one with an almost indefinable sense of unease. For those who are keen on yachting, “All Points North” should prove to be of great interest, dealing as it does with the rivalry existing in a regatta, with all concerned fiercely contending for the trophy of the day. One aspect of stream of consciousness expression tends to be the use of extremely long sentences. The reader need have no fear on this account, though, as the longest sentences that are included in this book tend to be those in the Foreword, in which Lee describes the role of writing in his life. If you’re more interested in the story than in the process, you could safely skip this section of the book. Personally, I find such descriptions quite fascinating, though (most probably because I enjoy writing myself). The following sentence clearly exhibits Lee’s penchant for stream of consciousness composition: “Then suddenly I was moving fast to my writing table, grabbing another legal pad, a new pen, then, deep into the night, with near heart failure, sitting, writing and thinking, and it was so painful to capture on paper, it came out of me so fast, so difficult to capture on paper, it seemed as though it was being fed to my head telepathically, but there were different phases of long thinking with little writing.” As I say, there isn’t anything like that in the course of the stories, and, even though All Points North bears minimal resemblance to Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, it is worthwhile reading, as long as you don’t expect the sketches to conform to the requirements of the conventional short story genre.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(0 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Women Heroes of World War II
by
Kathryn Atwood
loischenderson
, April 27, 2011
As Georges Loustaunau-Lacau, owner of the magazine L’ordre national remarked to Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, when asking her to organize a massive French spy network that later came to be known as Noah’s Ark, “Who will ever suspect a woman?” In fact, such underestimation of women’s ability helped to bring down the Nazi regime, as, especially at the start of World War II, the fascist supremacists overlooked what damage women could cause to their overwhelming militaristic might. That women made a major contribution to winning the War for the Allies is undeniable, and Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue explains how. Kathryn Atwood proves herself to be a storyteller and historian of note, as she provides an overall account of the War, as it was waged on the Western Front, before giving a country-by-country overview of the progress and impact of the War, covering Germany, Poland, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Great Britain, and the United States. After contextualizing the setting that gave rise to the exploits of the heroines that Atwood describes in Women Heroes of World War II, the author describes the contribution made by each hero to the war effort. The strength and resilience of such well-known figures as Josephine Baker and Marlene Dietrich are paralleled with those of lesser-known women, who fought with as strong a will and determination to defy evil, no matter the odds. That they did so at great danger to life and limb is clearly shown, making them ideal role models for young and aspirant women who, although they might not have to fight against such horrors as Kristallnacht (Crystal Night, or the Night of Broken Glass), nevertheless have frequently still to overcome social stereotyping and discrimination at school, college and beyond. Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue reads like a fast-paced and well-written action novel. In addition to being extremely well-researched and informative, because it presents a comprehensive picture of the War from ground level up, as well as providing an overview of the War at both national and international level, the work is ideal background reading for history learners, especially from middle school level up. The book is so exciting that it is sure to lure many a learner away from the Internet, which, as we all know, is not always the most reliable source of information for school and college projects. Even so, each chapter ends with a short bibliography listing a few books and websites to which students can turn if they wish to read further (and I can almost guarantee you, they will). Women Heroes of World War II is a memorable work that should find a home in all resource centers and libraries dedicated to serving the interests of the youth.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Life With McDuff
by
Judy Mcfadden
loischenderson
, December 13, 2010
Every person who reads Life with McDuff by Judy McFadden is likely to have an incident to which they relate on a personal level. One of the moments that I most enjoyed was McDuff’s reluctance to get back into the car after a therapy session at Project PRIDE’s Opportunity Village—almost as though he were saying: “This is MY post. You, as an inferior human being, might be inclined to abscond from your post, but I REFUSE!” Another was where McDuff managed to get a severely disabled youngster to smile for the very first time by doing what cats and dogs do best—giving him a thorough licking over, in a way that was “soft, deliberate, focused, and much slower” than usual. No matter whether you think of yourself as a hardened professional or as a bunny [or dog] hugger, you are likely to revel in Life with McDuff. This tale of redemptive and unconditional love that only a dog can give will most probably have you laughing and crying in turn. Although McFadden claims not to be a writer per se, her story of a therapy dog and its legacy is riveting from start to finish, and is so well written that the author disproves her own statement. And not only do McFadden and her trusty canine companion minister with true compassion to the needs of others, but she has also won an award from the Angel Animal Network for her acknowledgement of the presence of such beings in her life. Life with McDuff becomes increasingly more focused on McFadden’s altruistic endeavors as one progresses through the book. In the first half, though, she tends to focus more on her own background, during which she is made increasingly aware of the needs of others. It is when she is subjected to an incident of extreme domestic violence that she first experiences the presence of a brilliant white light that she recognizes as her guardian angel, who, she believes, protected her from certain death on that fateful day. But, even before then, McDuff had come into her life—one of the feistiest Scottish terriers that you are ever likely to encounter. He was destined to become her “teacher, companion, and a source of emotional support through the most trying years” of her life. A delightful and heart-warming book, Life with McDuff is unputdownable and inspirational. Not only does McFadden reveal the ups and downs of life with a therapy dog (the downs largely being due to McDuff’s defiant and determined nature—he was most definitely a dog who did NOT do tricks), but also gives insight into the functioning and importance of Therapy Dogs International and the AKC Canine Good Citizen® programs. This is definitely a book well worth purchasing and recommending to all your friends—it’s an ideal gift for Christmas time, or, in fact, for any time of the year.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
It's Not Weird Anymore: An entertaining educational adventurous self-help resource guide to spiritual and health wisdom, conspiracy, sacred se
by
Legere, Laura
loischenderson
, December 13, 2010
In It’s Not Weird Anymore: An Extraordinary True Tale, Laura Legere pays tribute to Elizabeth Gilbert, the much-acclaimed author of Eat, Pray, Love, which has now been filmed with Julia Roberts in the leading role, in the following words: “Reading her book really inspired my own writing. It gave me the impulse to dig deeper and get more descriptive, and like mine, hers was a spiritual journey.” The outer journey that Laura describes takes her from Mexico to Egypt and Hawaii, with her inner journey being just as fascinating. Laura describes her recovery from a scooter accident in the first half of her book—on shore in Mexico from a cruise ship, she lands up hurtling over the handlebars of her scooter face first into a solid coral rock ditch. How she recovers from such a devastating accident, from which she experienced remarkably little pain, forms the first part of her book. She transformed what would, for anyone else, have resulted in severe psychological and physical trauma into a wonderfully restorative lesson in how best to cope with what, on the surface, appears to be a dire form of adversity. On the physical front, Laura was able to reduce the amount of her severe facial swelling by 80 per cent within two days by having a friend apply essential oils to her face while she was lying in hospital. But her journey into her deeper self is even more penetrating and long-lasting in its effects. Laura is a firm believer in alternative healing methods, and she reveals to us not only her own experiences of the beneficial helping hand of nature, but also those of a number of others whom she encounters along her way, including those of Peter, whom she marries in the course of the book, and who has serious health issues of his own, including having to live with Hepatitis C and an addiction to smoking. What Laura also shares with Elizabeth Gilbert is not only the nature of her journey, but also her exuberance about life in general. No wonder she feels so little pain, because not only are her treatments physically restorative (and one should keep in mind that she has her own private practice as a massage therapist and teacher of natural healing in essential oils), but they are spiritually so too. Her approach to life is singularly positive, in that she believes that we choose whether to suffer from the mental and physical blows that we endure in life. By choosing to dwell on what has happened to us in a negative light, we inflict a great deal more harm on ourselves than the incidents might ever have caused of themselves. Laura shows us a way out of self-pity and self-inflicted torment through sharing with us the many remedies that she herself has used and benefited from both directly and indirectly. The second half of It’s Not Weird Anymore: An Extraordinary True Tale consists of a resource guide, in which Laura describes in detail a range of helpful therapies and products that she advocates we use to restore and maintain our optimal health. I would highly recommend that you also consider listening to her radio interview that she makes available on her website: http://www.lauralegere.com — I found the warm vibrancy of her voice truly reflects her grounded and deeply soulful personality. Don’t miss this chance to come into touch with a gentle and inspiring woman who has a great deal of compassion for, and empathy with, those who seek a deeper meaning in life.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Sculpting the Heart: Surviving Depression with Art Therapy
by
Joyce White
loischenderson
, October 04, 2010
Joyce White holds that “[e]veryone can doodle and scribble their way to wellness and joy. By climbing up, up, up, to fun, self-love, and up to the angels that want to hug us with creative possibilities.” White is a Christian and a keen believer in helping oneself to emotional health through any creative way that one can, whether it be art making, journaling, writing poetry, or countless other means of positive self-expression. White explores the importance of dreaming, and provides a number of exercises which we can use to heighten our senses. She encourages us to live in the moment, and stresses the importance of letting the symbols around you choose you. Quoting leading experts on art and a number of religious leaders, White encourages us to believe in the healing capacity of meaningful activity. She produces a number of her creations on her computer, whereas others she does by hand. And she makes clear that you don’t have to be an expert. As White writes, “Spontaneous imaging does not require talent, time or planning ahead. Anyone can draw on the computer.” She finds a use for many different objects, even going so far as explaining how all paper can be recycled to make Paper Mache projects. (As someone who tends to discard a lot of paper, I need to take that one to heart!) Skilful in a number of different media, White has the insight, gained from personal experience, to realize how art can lift one out of depression. She provides a self-quiz which allows one to work out whether one is suffering from the symptoms of depression. And she makes no bones about her coming from a line of depressives—she freely tells of how, despite suffering from bouts of depression, her family as a whole has been able to grow with joy and love. Not that she comes from an untroubled family background—far from it, as her parents were divorced for many years, but even so, as she readily admits, she was able to give them both care during their last days on earth, comforting and nursing them in the comfort of her own home. Surviving Depression with Art Therapy is filled with numerous full-color photographs of White’s own clay and other work. The text radiates joy, and should inspire anyone who has ever had the slightest yen to start experimenting with any material which can be molded to give voice to one’s spiritual search for meaning. [Reviewer for BookPleasures.com]
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Sculpting the Heart's Poetry - While Conversing with the Masters
by
Joyce White
loischenderson
, October 04, 2010
This collection of poetry is filled with poems that reveal Joyce White’s secret, innermost feelings. She finds that writing poetry is an outstanding way of focusing on visual art of the masters. White states that “[e]kphrastic poetry…makes an excellent conversation between two pieces of art.” In her foreword to the collection, White thanks Picasso, Chagall, and all the other artists whose work she tries to match with her own paintings and poetry. Referring to the writing of poetry as a means by which to confront past circumstances as a form of poem therapy, White makes the reader aware of the close connection that there is between different art forms. What is ‘ekphrastic’ poetry? Not a term with which I was familiar at first glance, I must admit, but, according to Word4Word poets, meaning “a poet's response to the direct stimuli of a piece of art combined with the poet's own experience in the moment. The Ekphrastic poem can be a description of the artwork, a story that came into the poet's mind while looking at the artwork, or a poem describing the scene or experience in which the artwork is placed, or a combination of all of the above.” Much as I feel about my book reviews, White writes “[t]here is no such thing as writer’s block when we use others ideas to inspire us.” Her poems in this book have been composed in response to a number of different artworks, which are reproduced in full pages of black and white in this volume. Such artworks include Renoir’s By the Seashore, Picasso’s Les Demoiselles, Rafael’s Angels, Picasso’s Girl in Mirror, and Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus. She also includes the photograph of a collage which she has created from the work of Chagall. The ability to respond to nature is of key importance to the creation of all forms of art, White finds. White highlights the needs of poets, which she links closely to journaling, in that both forms of expression allow one to capture fleeting thoughts and emotions. Her approach is summed up in her poem ‘Our Inner Poet’: “When art comes to consciousness, / whether it be Haiku, epic or free verse, / if it looks and sounds like a poem, it is,…”. White’s poems, which are all in free verse, should appeal to all those who are responsive to both the visual and written forms of artistic expression. Inspirational and accessible, her poems should uplift your spirit and might even encourage you to start on your own personal exploration of the creative potential within you. [Reviewer for BookPleasures.com]
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go 1st Edition
by
Susan Van Allen
loischenderson
, September 20, 2009
100 Places – A Cornucopia of Italian Delights This cornucopia of Italian delights titillates the senses and entices the imagination. Occasionally fringing on the irreverent (who else but Susan van Allen would dream of calling the Blessed Virgin Mary the BVM, for instance – only kidding, grrll!), and bordering on the erotic (as in Susan’s description of The Capitoline Venus attempting to cover her “Cupid’s cloister”), Susan’s selective guide to Italian beauty and beauties scampers through both urban and rural landscape with exuberant glee. Ranging from the divine to the decadent, Susan’s romp through the Italian past and present has one hankering for more. The Divine: Goddesses, Saints, and the Blessed Virgin Mary takes one from the Campidoglio, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill to the Temple of Segesta in Sicily, by way of the artistic splendors of Florence, Tuscany, Venice, Padua, Naples, Campania and Palermo. In each, she focuses on the female, the envisioned and the immortal, as portrayed in key works of art. Instructive and elucidating, she entices one with succulent morsels of information about the work and the artist involved. Suggesting the best times at which to visit all the museums and galleries that she recommends, Susan also gives handy tips on how to plan one’s jaunts for the day, including visits to nearby parks and restaurants. She even manages to sneak in extra tidbits of recommended reading, not to mention a novice’s guide to mythology and Mary’s rites of passage. A little bit of history, a little bit of art… The second section of Susan’s 100 Places romps through the spacious ville, palazzo and an apartment, starting once more in Rome and ending in Sicily – an added bonus to her racy pace is the systematic way in which she unravels the labyrinthine. Her sense of enthrallment with her surroundings is intoxicating, as she seduces us into imagining the scenes of revelry and mayhem that permeated the past. Susan van Allen appears not only to appreciate the intimacy of the boudoir, but also the graceful and cultivated structuring of the outdoors. Finding la dolce vita in the harmonious blend of greenery, sculpture, and fountains that typifies the finest in Italian landscape gardening, she explores gardens originating in the Renaissance and Baroque periods – not without a timely reminder that most gardens close down November to March, so best check ahead to avoid disappointment. Susan then extends her delight in the outdoors to an overview of the finest of Italian beaches, while, on the way, introducing one to the niceties of beach etiquette regarding such key points (;)) as topless bathing and clubbing. Mmm, and after indulging in all those sun-drenched days, what next but to explore the most refreshing and soothing of beauty treatments offered by leading spas (contact details provided)… The culinary delights of Italy await you next, as Susan encourages you to “pursue your passion for tasting by heading to the country and visiting a [woman-owned] winery” and to “indulge your tastebuds as you tune into delicious daily rhythms” of eating out at an urban caffè. Gelato, chocolate and wine are never too far from an Italian lover’s mind… …and which woman does not love to shop…shoes, leather and paper ware, ceramics, jewelry, fragrances, lingerie, embroidery and lace…not to speak of shopping in Milan or at the antique markets, Susan explores them all. Just in case you think that van Allen only indulges the feminine instinct of womankind, in her next section she counters by yielding to the wild buccaneering instinct that’s hidden deep within us all. In her section on active adventures, she introduces us to biking, hiking, skiing, boating, yoga and Pilates, Italian style. Having worked up a sufficiently good appetite through adventuring abroad (pun intended), Susan brings us home with a flourish in her section on cooking classes. She equates taking a cooking class in Italy with “getting a backstage pass to the country’s soul”. After cooking with Susan in Rome, Tuscany, Parma–Emilia-Romagna, Ravello, Campania and Calabria (don’t you just revel in rolling those names off your tongue?), you can learn any one of a vast range of Italian crafts and culture before being entertained at an array of cultural and sporting venues. Then, rounding it all off, she advocates reading about, and developing your own memories in, Italy. 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go concludes with handy tips for Italian travel (though the entire work churns with such ideas…) and packing, a calendar (or should I say colander?) of holy days, and a detailed index. By this stage, if you are not fully replete and with your dates for your next Italian jaunt at least penciled in on your schedule, may the BVM come to your aid, sister…
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment