John's Online Bookstore
The books in this section are either recommended on this web site, or
have inspired some part of it, or I just thought they were really
good. You can click on the links to go directly
to Amazon.com, where you can read reviews of the books and (if you like)
order them online.
Mexico -- Greece -- Vegetarian Cooking -- Dilbert -- Tennis/Sports/Fitness -- Perl -- Science Fiction -- Henry Rollins -- Look Up Any Book at Amazon.com
You are visitor number
to these pages since January 26, 1996.
Readers' Picks
I read several travel books in anticipation of a trip to Greece in May
1999. Here are my reviews and recommendations.
- Greece: The Rough Guide.
This one was my favourite.
Very balanced coverage -- for each town, island, and historical site
you get the usual information about getting there, accommodations,
and restaurants, plus sections covering unique features of the place
and interesting side trips. There are many little maps and tables that
make for good quick reference when photocopied. Quite a lot of ancient and
even modern history too.
There are also Rough Guides for Crete and the Greek islands.
- Lonely Planet: Greece. Actually the edition I read is an older, out of print one -- the one here is no doubt better. One of the editors, Paul Hellander, answered many questions for me on rec.travel.europe.
It's solid all around, and gets many recommendations as people's #1
Greece guidebook.
- Let's Go: Budget Guide to Greece and Turkey.
Very strong on addresses and phone numbers, particularly for "essential
services" in each location. Also very strong on restaurants and nightlife.
There is also a
Let's Go: Greece
1999 edition that's a bit more expensive.
- Frommer's Greece on $35 a Day.
(Due to inflation, the current edition is $50 a day. :-)
Quotes prices for hotels and restaurants. Offers a good choice of places
to stay along with recommendations about when to skimp and when to splurge.
I like the Frommer's web site
for its practical articles on techniques and philosophy of travel.
- Lonely Planet Walking Guide: Trekking in Greece - seems to be
out of print; not stocked at Amazon.com anyway. Of interest mostly to
people who would spend multiple days climbing mountains and traversing
long distances. Some good info for trails on the islands.
And of course some Greek vegetarian cookbooks...
- The Best 125 Meatless Mexican Dishes
by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler, Mindy Toomay. $11.96.
Features recipes with exotic but available ingredients like
pumpkin and plaintain. Includes Mexican-style vegetable stock, chile mayonnaise,
and a recipe for tofu chorizo (sausage) that opens up lots of
formerly out-of-reach recipes to a vegetarian interpretation.
- The Vegetarian Times Cookbook.
Great advice about staple foods, kitchen equipment, cooking methods,
and food preserving, in addition to the 400 recipes for all kinds of
dishes. My copy is filled with bookmarks.
- The Single Vegan.
A handy book for anyone who cooks for themselves. It covers the staple foods
that you should always have on hand, and the recipes are organized to cover
entire weeks, with shopping lists and advice on when to use leftovers.
- The Bean, Pea, and Lentil Cookbook.
From the people who bring you Consumer Reports.
The explanations and general cooking techniques for all kinds of beans, peas,
and lentils are valuable for anyone who wants to eat a varied vegetarian
diet, especially anyone who is concerned about protein.
Plenty (although not all) of the recipes are vegetarian.
- Conveniently Vegan
by Debra Wasserman. $15.00.
- Simply Vegan
by Debra Wasserman and Reed Mangels. $10.36.
- The Vegan Handbook:
Over 200 Delicious Recipes, Meal Plans, and
Vegetarian Resources for All Ages
by Debra Wasserman and Reed Mangels. $13.97.
- The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook: Healthy Traditions from Around the World
by Debra Wasserman. $15.00.
Indian cuisine is great for vegetarian cooking. (In fact, I'm taking
an Indian cooking course right now.)
Here is a selection of books from the two Grand Dames of Indian cooking.
The Jaffrey books are not completely vegetarian but are excellent
for vegetarians and non-'s alike.
Tip: If you are just getting started with Indian recipes...
- Find a bulk food store and buy an ounce or so of cumin seeds, mustard
seeds, coriander, garam masala, and other spices that are featured
in Indian cooking.
- Find an Indian grocery store where you can pick up any other unfamiliar
ingredients that you may need for a particular recipe. Look for different
breads, flours, chilis, and exotic varieties of rice and lentils.
Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking by Julie Sahni. $17.50.
Far Eastern Vegetarian Cooking
If you are interested in Far Eastern vegetarian cooking,
here are some titles you can get:
Readers' Picks
These were purchased by visitors to this page, but I don't think they
are particularly vegetarian.
The Vegetarian Table is a best-selling series of books, each
featuring the cuisine from a particular country or region, each from
a different top-notch food writer.
All are hardcover; several feature photographs.
Read about the food of:
- America
by Deborah Madison, Deborah Jones (Photographer). $16.07.
- France
by Georgeanne Brennan. $16.07.
- India
by Yamuna Devi, et al. $16.07.
- Italy
by Julia Della Croce, Deborah Jones (Photographer). $16.07.
- Mexico
by Victoria Wise. $16.07.
Recipes are chosen for quick preparation.
A whole section on things to do with tortillas, another section on
salsas. Other interesting things include spices you can substitute for
hard-to-find Mexican spices, pickled vegetables, vegetable stock, and
barbecue/mixed grill.
- North Africa
by Kitty Morse, Deborah Jones (Photographer).
$16.07.
- Thailand
by Jacki Passmore. $17.47.
- Japan
by Victoria Wise. $17.47.
Combining the whimsical and the practical, here are some Dilbert
books that you can actually use at work. If you're lucky, maybe you can
expense them.
Readers' Picks
I've found that my fastest improvements in tennis and most effective
injury prevention came from working on my strength. So these next few
of entries in the sports section are for strength training rather
than specifically tennis.
- Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding
by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Dobbins. Features just about every possible
variation on strength training. Excellent analysis of training
methods, muscle anatomy, body types, nutrition, and so on.
- Getting Stronger : Weight Training for Men and Women : Sports Training, General Conditioning, Bodybuilding
by Bill Pearl, Gary T. Moran. Bill Pearl is a former Mr. Olympia who is
also a vegetarian. This book is an excellent tutorial on strength training,
and shows different training routines targeted towards many sports. Plus
he explains how to build mass on a vegetarian diet. (OK, milk and eggs
feature in it...)
Great language! For those who like to get things done today.
I don't know much about Henry Rollins (of Henry Rollins band fame),
but one of my visitors must be a big fan!
Readers' Picks
Copyright 1997, 2011 John Russell