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Best Alcoholic Beverages

Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine
Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine will help you make sense of it all in a unique infographic wine book. Designed by the creators of WineFolly.com, which has won Wine Blogger of the Year from the International Wine & Spirits Competition, this book combines sleek, modern information design with data visualization and gives readers pragmatic answers to all their wine questions, including: “A magically vivid wine guide for our information age—cuts through the complexity of wine like a Champagne saber.”-- Mark Oldman , renowned wine expert and author of Oldman’s Guide to Outsmarting Wine. – Geoff Kruth , MS, President Guildsomm.com. "With clever graphics, Madeline has created a wine navigator that effortlessly guides new wine lovers to a better understanding of the taste, origins and geography of wine." Court of Masters, Certified Sommelier (Level 2) 40 Under 40, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, 2015-2016 Wine Blogger of the Year, International Wine and Spirits Competition, 2013-14 Top Wine Writer, Quora, 2012.
Reviews
"The page that explains how to write useful personal wine notes, for example, instantly organizes the way you do your evaluations of wine."
"Wine Folly does not only provide data about several kinds of wines but also explanes the art of wine tasting and evaluation."
"It talks about how to taste wine how to “eye” the wine, how to compare it, and, really breaks down the wine experience for anybody who aspires to be a wine connoisseur."
"VERY NICE coffee table book !"
"Great book and I've learned a lot about wines so far."
"This wine book is phenomenal!"
"Having the book in hand now allows me to provide visuals for every aspect of wine discussion."
"Perfect if you need a basic overview of wine."
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The Drunken Botanist
In The Drunken Botanist , Amy Stewart explores the dizzying array of herbs, flowers, trees, fruits, and fungi that humans have, through ingenuity, inspiration, and sheer desperation, contrived to transform into alcohol over the centuries. An Amazon Best Book of the Month, March 2013 : Peppered with fascinating facts and well-chosen anecdotes, Amy Stewart’s brisk tour of the origin of spirits acquaints the curious cocktail fan with every conceivable ingredient. Starting with the classics (from agave to wheat), she touches on obscure sources--including a tree that dates to the dinosaur age--before delving into the herbs, spices, flowers, trees, fruits, and nuts that give the world’s greatest drinks distinctive flavors. Along the way, you’ll enjoy sidebars on bugs in booze and inspired drink recipes with backstories that make lively cocktail party conversation. ( Forbes ). “Lest you think this is for the imbibers only, a teetotaler foodie, gardener or naturalist will be just as intoxicated by the dashing wit and detailed lore.” — BookPage.
Reviews
"Great read, more of a informational book to read to really get to know all the spices/herbs etc."
"Am highlighting places to check out on our trip to Italy this summer."
"Along with some history the author includes cocktail recipes which utilized some more obscure liqueurs."
"Anyone who enjoys plants and booze of any kind--beer, spirits, cocktails, wine, etc.--must read this book!"
"It's a very cool little book, and I learned quite a bit in the short amount of time I leafed though it."
"purchased as a gift, great little book full of lots of info for the gardener /drink lover in your life."
"Really fun to read and learn!"
"Bought this for a friend, but I read a bit to preview and it was great."
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Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, andRogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste
When the sommelier and blogger Madeline Puckette writes that this book is the Kitchen Confidential of the wine world, she’s not wrong, though Bill Buford’s Heat is probably a shade closer.” — Jennifer Senior, The New York Times Professional journalist and amateur drinker Bianca Bosker didn’t know much about wine—until she discovered an alternate universe where taste reigns supreme, a world of elite sommeliers who dedicate their lives to the pursuit of flavor. With boundless curiosity, humor, and a healthy dose of skepticism, Bosker takes the reader inside underground tasting groups, exclusive New York City restaurants, California mass-market wine factories, and even a neuroscientist’s fMRI machine as she attempts to answer the most nagging question of all: what’s the big deal about wine? When the sommelier and blogger Madeline Puckette writes that this book is the Kitchen Confidential of the wine world, she’s not wrong, though Bill Buford’s Heat is probably a shade closer to this book's sensibility and heart.”. — Jennifer Senior, The New York Times “Reads like a wine lover’s equivalent of Dante’s ‘The Divine Comedy’: There is paradise, but only after glimpses of purgatory and hell…A funny, thought-provoking and at times frightening look at the sublime tastes, enormous egos and curious rules of a profession that is both insanely rigorous and occasionally ridiculous.” —Associated Press "A madcap 18-month journey...[that's] as informative as it is, well, intoxicating." “If Malcolm Gladwell were to write a book about wine, the results wouldn’t linger much more pleasurably on the palate than this accessible, adventurous, amusing and informative book by Bianca Bosker.” — The Times (London) “[An] often-hilarious memoir.”. — Good Housekeeping. “In this smart and sharply observed book, Bianca Bosker takes us on a marvelous journey through the mad, manic, seductive subculture of wine and wine lovers. This hilarious, thoughtful and erudite book may be the ultimate answer to the perennial question of whether or not wine connoisseurship is a scam.”. — Jay McInerney, author of The Juice “In this delightfully written and keenly observed book, Bianca Bosker helps us become connoisseurs not only of wine but also of people whose passions would more aptly be described as obsessions.”. — Walter Isaacson, author of The Innovators. “Speaking as someone who barely knows a good Bordeaux from a bottle of Boone's Farm, I was charmed and entertained by this book.”. — John Jeremiah Sullivan, author of Pulphead “The Kitchen Confidential of wine: Read this book, and you’ll never be intimidated by wine—or wine snobs—again.”. — Madeline Puckette, co-author of Wine Folly. Between her hilarious exploits and thoughtful meditations on wine and life, you’ll want to stay for just one more.”. — Lauren Collins, author of When In French “A joyful journey of discovery into the ‘soul’ of wine, filled with wit and insight at every step.”. — Maria Konnikova, author of The Confidence Game “If you have wondered about the mysteries of wine, and the airs of people who claim to know something about it, Cork Dork is essential reading. This is reportage of a high order.”. — Roger Cohen, author of The Girl from Human Street “Rollicking and lively...I gulped down this book with enormous pleasure.”. — Julia Flynn Siler, author of The House of Mondavi "I have read many 'wine books,' some casual, some pedantic, and many happily informative. But Bianca Bosker’s book stands out as being spectacularly successful in teaching us about wine, in making us love wine, and in presenting a tone of unfailing good humor." “Always perceptive, curious, and entertaining, the author describes her experiences with precision and a wry sense of humor...Readers will certainly come away from the book knowing more about wine and likely eager to explore it further, but even those less inclined to imbibe will be intrigued.”. — Kirkus Reviews (starred review). Bianca Bosker is an award-winning journalist who has written about food, wine, architecture, and technology for The New Yorker online, The Atlantic, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Food & Wine, The Wall Street Journal,The Guardian, and The New Republic .
Reviews
"If you were to ask me what the last wine I had was I’d answer something like “The $7 red I had with dinner last month.” I probably have a dozen or more bottles of wine in my department store wine rack, but they tend to be bottles of three-buck Chuck for cooking, wine I bought because the label looked interesting, or (horror of horror!). And yet I’ve always been curious about wine, and the people are willing to spend upwards of $100 a bottle on some particularly special wine. Ive tasted some of these wines, and while I could tell that yes, they were significantly better than what I’m used to, I couldn’t see getting $100 worth of pleasure out of a bottle of wine like I could getting $100 worth with of (say) a really exquisite dinner. The result is an entertaining and informative read, interesting not only to those with a serious (or even passing) interest in wine, but those fascinated by the nature of obsession, and the sort of person who can be consumed by an all-encompassing obsession for something as seemingly trivial as a bottle of wine."
"Nevertheless this book made me laugh and almost want to spend ten times that much just to see if if I could get a taste what the author is talking about with wines that much."
"I love wine, but I don't know much about it."
"If one is interested in the obsession with wine this is your book."
"A fun book involving wine afficiandos who have the world in front of them."
"Fun and entertaining."
"A great read for anyone interested in tasting wine versus just drinking wine."
"An insightful look at the life of the sommelier, and the aspiring sommelier."
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Best Beer

Quick & Easy Thai: 70 Everyday Recipes
Nancie McDermott, experienced cook, teacher, and author of the best-selling cookbook Real Thai , presents this collection of 70 delicious recipes that focus on easy-to-find ingredients and quick cooking methods to whip up traditional Thai. Nancie McDermott is a food writer and cooking teacher specializing in the cuisine of Thailand, where she spent three years as a Peace Corps volunteer.
Reviews
"If you a) are cooking for your Thai grandmother or b) want to exactly re-create the meal you enjoyed at that noodle shop in Bangkok and are willing and able to go to all the related trouble, this book is not for you. The author readily admits when and where she alters the original recipes to save time or because a traditional ingredient is very difficult to find in the US. I certainly cannot, and being able to create Thai food at home with a minimum of difficulty is more important to me at this stage of my life (busy with a toddler who has very little patience to wait for dinner). By the way, I have tried four recipes so far from this book - the massaman, green chicken, and red shrimp curries, and the Chiang Mai noodles."
"Apparently this cookbook has a lot of history written in it: about the author's experiences, the country, info about certain ingredients and preparation methods native to Thailand."
"I bought the book hoping to experience a bit of Thai at home without Hrs in the kitchen."
"Great book with truly very easy recipes."
"I have made several recipes for friends and they raved about it so much that I decided to buy another book as a present."
"Wow!"
"Fast easy recipes with common ingredients and or substitutions."
"Everything I've made from this book (and I've made a lot of the recipes) tastes absolutely delicious and restaurant quality."
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Best Liquor, Spirits & Mixed Drinks

Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine
Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine will help you make sense of it all in a unique infographic wine book. Designed by the creators of WineFolly.com, which has won Wine Blogger of the Year from the International Wine & Spirits Competition, this book combines sleek, modern information design with data visualization and gives readers pragmatic answers to all their wine questions, including: “A magically vivid wine guide for our information age—cuts through the complexity of wine like a Champagne saber.”-- Mark Oldman , renowned wine expert and author of Oldman’s Guide to Outsmarting Wine. – Geoff Kruth , MS, President Guildsomm.com. "With clever graphics, Madeline has created a wine navigator that effortlessly guides new wine lovers to a better understanding of the taste, origins and geography of wine." Court of Masters, Certified Sommelier (Level 2) 40 Under 40, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, 2015-2016 Wine Blogger of the Year, International Wine and Spirits Competition, 2013-14 Top Wine Writer, Quora, 2012.
Reviews
"The page that explains how to write useful personal wine notes, for example, instantly organizes the way you do your evaluations of wine."
"Wine Folly does not only provide data about several kinds of wines but also explanes the art of wine tasting and evaluation."
"It talks about how to taste wine how to “eye” the wine, how to compare it, and, really breaks down the wine experience for anybody who aspires to be a wine connoisseur."
"VERY NICE coffee table book !"
"Great book and I've learned a lot about wines so far."
"This wine book is phenomenal!"
"Having the book in hand now allows me to provide visuals for every aspect of wine discussion."
"Perfect if you need a basic overview of wine."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Wine & Collecting

The Wine Bible
Announcing the completely revised and updated edition of The Wine Bible , the perennial bestselling wine book praised as “The most informative and entertaining book I’ve ever seen on the subject” (Danny Meyer), “A guide that has all the answers” (Bobby Flay), “Astounding” (Thomas Keller), and “A magnificent masterpiece of wine writing” (Kevin Zraly). “MacNeil’s writing style is engaging and conversational, and if you want to know anything about wine her book is the place to start” – Forbes.com. Karen MacNeil is the only U.S. winner of every major wine award in the English language, including the James Beard Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year (2004). She is the host of Wine, Food and Friends with Karen MacNeil (PBS nationally); a writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Food & Wine, Saveur, and Town & Country ; and chairman emeritus of the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley.
Reviews
"Honestly, for the price (under $15 w/ Prime 2 day shipping) this resource should be in every persons collection if they are the least bit interested in wine, even if it just sits on a lonely coffee table. I highly recommend this section for anyone just seriously getting into wine or working around wine. It begins diving into the complex world of wine regions and never seems to decide on how it wants to take on this overwhelming task."
"I was so thrilled to get this newly revised version of The Wine Bible and Karen MacNeil did a wonderful updated version."
"The definitive wine book, although MacNeil's writing can be a bit unhelpful at times ("you don't drink this wine, the wine drinks you"."
"Well written book on wine without being pedantic."
"Reads like a digest."
"The Wine Bible has lots of wonderful information about wines."
"My only reservation is about hoe outdated some of the statistics might be."
"'classic' wine guide."
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Best Two-Hour Craft, Hobby & Home Short Reads

On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals
With On Talking Terms With Dogs you can learn to recognize these signals and use them yourself to interact with your dog. Turid has a wonderful gift of making everything so easy to understand and relate to...(she has made) an enormous contribution to mankind in our ever-increasing knowledge of man s best friend our dogs. --Pamela Dennison, author of Complete Idiots Guide to Positive Dog Training and Bringing Light to Shadow. I personally owe Turid a great debt because her work validated my observations that dogs are trying very hard to talk to us.
Reviews
"What the book teaches is interesting and helpful to understand and communicate wit our dogs without using he force or aggression. Worth to read."
"This booklet may be small, but the information in it is very helpful, clear, and useful."
"Great book and a must read to all dog owners."
"Anyone interested in canine behavior should have this in their library."
"The definitive guide to dog body language and, by doing just a bit of reading between the lines, compassionate training."
"helps you learn from your dog and make a better you so you can help your dog live side by side with you and others."
"Its a short, but very helpful insight into how dogs communicate."
"I will just say it was okay..I hate to say this knowing she is the gold standard of dog behavior..just my experience reading this book."
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Best Non-Alcoholic Beverages

Nutribullet Recipe Book: Smoothie Recipes for Weight-Loss, Detox, Anti-Aging & So Much More! (Recipes for a Healthy Life Book 1)
Using my specially formulated recipes, you’re able to: Achieve optimum health Have boundless energy & vitality Achieve & maintain you ideal weight Look radiant Live a long healthy life. After many years as a Diabetes Specialist Nurse prescribing & practicing a healthy lifestyle, I’m well aware that you will want recipes that: Are affordable & easy to make Are tasty & delicious Give fast results Fit in with a busy lifestyle. Radiant Skin – with radiant skin you will ooze health & confidence attracting attention from both the opposite sex and in your work life. Here’s a small selection to tempt you further: Chia Seed Rainforest Smoothie Berry Breakfast Smoothie Flat Belly Smoothie Smoothie for Radiant Skin Shamrock Smoothie Antioxidant Anti-Aging Smoothie Raw Mint Chocolate Smoothie Bananarama Smoothie. "Stop thinking and start whizzing." Tons of feel great recipes, but TWO of them are particularly outstanding! While juices did their job of providing me with good nutrients that are essential for the body, and while juices are good for easy absorption of the nutrients, they do not contain the fiber from the fruit or the vegetable, and I found that I wanted something more substantial and nutritious, but also easy and rapid to prepare.
Reviews
""Very imaginative and useful.""
"Gave as Birthday gift with Nutribullet."
"As described, arrived quickly."
"GOOD BOOKI haven't had time to use it much yet."
"LOVE MY NEW BULLET RECIPES."
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Best Coffee & Tea

The Big Book of Kombucha: Brewing, Flavoring, and Enjoying the Health Benefits of Fermented Tea
The book also includes information on the many health benefits of kombucha, fascinating details of the drink’s history, and recipes for delicious foods and drinks you can make with kombucha (including some irresistible cocktails! “Deep-rooted insight into the history, science, and how-to of this ancient brew ... a critical addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in good food.”. — Jennifer McGruther, author of The Nourished Kitchen. “On top of walking you through the kombucha fermentation process, The Big Book also includes a whopping 286 flavor combinations along with the history of the drink, information on health benefits, and much more. Expert brewers Hannah Crum and Alex LaGory reveal how easy, inexpensive, and safe it is to make your own delicious kombucha, with instructions for batch and continuous brewing.
Reviews
"It is a good book in particular for those new to brewing and contains everything from the history of this delicious elixir, to brewing ingredients, tips, flavoring and using your Kombucha in cooking. In the past I have found the many books go too far one way -such as things to use your Kombucha in, or the other way -very basic tips, and do not strike the happy medium that allows the book to be an all around guide. The tea guide was also very detailed and useful -talking about types of blends you should and should not use, and acceptable quantities before they become too much for the balanced of the Kombucha, The sugar guide was equally as useful; as was the equipment guide, as I now know I should not have used that cheesecloth as a cover when in a pinch (allows contaminates to get in your brew). For me the advanced guide was so helpful -how to flavor, as we are currently experimenting with secondary fermentation using cascade hobs, and carbonation, as striking that right balance has been an admitted challenge; and other books have simply not been detailed enough, leaving me having to turn to good old Google -this book solves that! The remainder of this book is a guide to flavors one could experiment with, drinks one can use this in -such as cocktails and shrubs -both of which are hands down amazing with the addition of Kombucha! The book ends with more of the Kombucha story; but most usefully a very detailed guide to components of Kombucha, specific health concerns and how the consumption of Kombucha might help; further reading guides and a brew log, which is very useful for new brewers."
"This big (383 page), bold and beautiful book is full of a wealth of first-hand information on all aspects of Kombucha that Hannah and her partner Alex LaGory have curated over their years of involvement with the Kombucha sub-culture. From the history and science of Kombucha to straightforward guidelines on the many aspects of brewing, decanting and flavoring this healthful fermented tea, Hannah and Alex cram an awful lot of really useful information into this book."
"One thing missing from the book is best place to buy it, I found it though. First flavors I did were strawberry lemonade, blueberry lemonade and cherry lemonade."
"My kombucha was pretty scary looking, scary enough that I could see other buyers thinking it was covered in mold, but after looking at the pictures in this book, I was able to figure out my kombucha was very yeasty and figure out it was probably due to using too many tea bags when brewing."
"But kombucha makes me feel so great it's practically magical."
"I really hope the author writes more books in the in the near future, I'm hoping she will possibly write a book about how to make milk kefir/water kefir, because I wish I could find a book on that subject just as good as this book!"
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Best Juices & Smoothies

Green Smoothies for Life
In her new book, Green Smoothies for Life , the highly anticipated follow up to the #1 New York Times bestseller 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse , Smith presents a way that green smoothies can be incorporated into your daily regimen. She is a nutritionist and certified weight-loss expert who has been featured on The Steve Harvey Show , The Montel Williams Show , and The Jamie Foxx Show and on the NBC, FOX, and CW Network, as well as in the pages of Glamour , Essence , and Ladies Home Journal .
Reviews
"I then segued into this book--30 day Green Smoothies for Life and pretty much followed it to the letter. The 10 day book is meant to cleanse/detox--to rid your body of all the gunk, the junk, the cravings and be a re-setting of a new way of eating--for life! The 40 days gave me time to assess how my body felt without eating the bad stuff and the difference and changes I began to experience with consuming only the good stuff. As I approach the last few days of the 30 day book, I am looking forward to adopting one green smoothie as a meal replacement per day indefinitely."
"Great information on how to live and lead a sustainable, healthy lifestyle provided in a concise format."
"This book works lost 8 lbs in 4 days but i got lazy after and ate."
"East to follow and GREAT recipes."
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