Editorial Review :

When Peter Mayle and his wife traded England's long, gray winters and damp summers for life in southern France, they entered an enchanting, wonderful, sometimes bewildering world. Now, share their adventures, pleasures, and frustrations: the joys and occasional hazards of wining and dining in France, taking part in goat races, attending a Pavorotti concert under the stars -- and much more. Meet Provence's unique characters: a wary truffle hunter, a gourmet in a track suit, the wise and crafty Massot -- and many more. Funny, touching, endearing -- Peter Mayle's Provence proves the adage that while you may not be able to escape from it all, you sure can have fun trying.

Customer Review :

A Perfect Driving Companion

Our whole family has enjoyed being transported to Provence by these tapes while on long distance driving trips. The readers voices conveyed perfectly the flavor and humor of these stories, and wheted our desires to join the author in the bucolic splendor of the French countryside. After a year I still recall the feeling of the warm summer sun and the icy winter winds, the tastes of the provincial restaurants, and the uniqueness of the neighbors and friends we met and enjoyed via these remarkable tapes. Were that all books on tape were as well done and captivating. Highly recommended if you would like to savor the unexpected joys of an often not-so-quiet country retreat.

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Editorial Review :

·All the essentials for learning to speak and understand Spanish for your travels in a single package
·From arrival to departure, expressions for dining out, asking directions, socializing, and more
· A 288-page phrasebook with a two-way dictionary and more than 3,800 words and phrases
·Two 45-minute cassettes, accompanied by an audioscript, with essential phrases and sample dialogues spoken by native speakers
· Easy-to-use phonetics, grammar basics, English translations, travel tips, and more
· From the most respected names in travel and language instruction.

Customer Review :

No hablo Espanol!

I'll get straight to the point: Do NOT buy this unless you have a basic, solid knowledge of Spanish already.
This CD set is comprised of phrases, first said in Enlish, then repeated in Spanish. The Spanish pronunciation is difficult to understand without the book in front of you- which is confusing to follow.
This CD set does not teach grammar, pronouns, tenses, etc. It only teaches phrases- complete sentences.
In order to benefit from this set, you will need to already understand some basic verbs and pronouns (gender and formalities) or you will become lost very quickly.

This CD set is only good if you need to quickly memorize phrases for traveling- but remember, you will also need to UNDERSTAND what people say to you. It's better to learn the basic language skills than to memorize, "Where is the bus station?" and realize you have no idea what the response means!

I recommend starting with a "Teach Yourself Spanish" course first. That will give you a good foundation.

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This book was invaluable to us

My husband and I travelled to Spain for our honeymoon knowing very little Spanish (cerveza, por favor and gracias were basically it). This book helped us to communicate with ease. The book is organized by situation to allow you to find stuff quickly, and also includes a small dictionary. Its small size made it easy to carry with us everywhere. We also carried the Living Language Spanish-English dictionary to help us translate specific words, but to put them in phrases that actually made sense we used this book. We will definitely buy other phrasebooks by Fodor's for our next trip.

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A must have for any trip to a Spanish speaking country!

I picked this up before a trip to Guadalajara, and it really came in handy. It was simple to use and full of exactly the words I was looking for. I practiced with the cassettes on the plane, and then I brought the phrasebook everywhere - shopping, sightseeing, eating out, and (unfortunately) to the pharmacy for, um, an emergency. It even helped me there, although I wish the situation to test that particular area of usefulness hadn't come up. Really a great buy and a fantastic way to stretch those two years of high school Spanish I barely remember.

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phrases are spoken too fast!

The audio with this book has useful phrases that would be great to learn before your trip, however the phrases are spoken to quickly for a beginner to learn. Also, the format is inconsistent. In the beginning they start off first giving you the word/phrases in english followed by spanish. Then, without any warning, it changes to giving you the spanish word first and then the english. This makes learning even more difficult. This is not a good program for beginners. Maybe if you have taken spanish classes and know some basic spanish vocabulary, grammer, and phonics then this would be a helpful review. If you are a beginner like me with one semester in college completed years ago this program is not for you.

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Outstanding

I have this book and several other Spanish language books. This is the best of the lot. It has a dictionary of most common words, a useful phase section with pronunciation and useful information about Spain and Latin America. It is worth every bit of the price. Es muy bueno.

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Editorial Review :

Hailed by the Washington Post as "a spontaneous act of generosity," The Road Less Traveled has already given more than two million grateful readers an inspirational framework for achieving profound personal growth and satisfaction. Now Dr. Peck, a practicing psychiatrist, reads from his extraordinary work in the first of a series of audio programs drawn from the book. Dr. Peck's crucial premise---that life is hard---is challenging for even the strongest among us, but his art lies in his ability to lead us to accept, and ultimately transcend, this idea. The key is discipline, and with Dr. Peck's assistance, you will learn to master the four principles of discipline needed for every healthy, life-affirming act: Delaying Gratification Accepting Responsibility Dedication to Reality Balancing The Road Less Traveled is a landmark. Never before have psychological and spiritual guidance come together so powerfully. It's not the easiest road---but it is the only one worth taking. Let Dr. Peck's remarkable achievement help you find your way as you journey today, and every day of your life.

Customer Review :

The Uber-Self-Help Book

M. Scott Peck's brilliant description of the human condition is the uber-self-help book. If you want to know why the world today (and twenty some-odd years ago when the book was written) is awash with narcisists, liers, responsibility shirkers, loveless relationships, and instant gratification consumers, this is the book for you. And yes, you will find that you exhibit some symptoms of every problem he describes. But how do we combat our own weakness? He explains all. As Dr. Peck says (paraphrased), "Why do people lie? To avoid pain." Simply stated and direct, he writes with a style that exposes the elephant in the room. Every person owes it to themselves to read this book and look in the mirror. This book is not a substitute for therapy, or a spiritual guide. This book is an eye opener, to show you the way towards a healthy mind and spirit...hence the title. Highly recommended.

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Starting on the Road Less Traveled

This is one of the most important books I think anyone can read. It was recommended to a friend of mine in therapy and I decided to read it as well.

The first sentence in the book is so profound. "Life is difficult." For all of us who struggle and find that life is sometimes tough, this is not a revelation, but when you accept that fact, then you can rise above that concept.

This book spoke to me on so many levels and I am certain that it is a book that I will read many many times. It is making a deep change in my life right now as I peruse it for the first time.

If you are tempted to buy this book, please do and read it with an open mind towards spiritual awakening.

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Life Changing

You have to read this book. All of them are great but this is the "gateway" to enlightenment.

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A good book for the young...

It has been many years since I read this book and reread it. There are definitely some truly wonderful tools, which I have kept with me ever since I read the first line of the book... Life is difficult. As soon as one reflects on this fact and accepts it, it really isn't so difficult any more...

Of course I now realize-after having gone through some very painful experiences since I first read those lines-that this is an over-simplification. Life can and does throw some serious curve balls that really knock the wind right out of you! Realizing and understanding that life is difficult, is not enough of a tool to get you through loosing someone to death... Because there are all kinds of disturbing and hellish emotions that go along with loosing someone that you love so very much.

For anyone who was raised with any kind of a religious background, this book does not provide enough reasons as to why we feel the way we do about life's circumstances and our own roles here on earth. The messages that many-if not most of us have been given as children-from our parents and mentors can be quite confusing and contradictory. These messages stay with us, and as twisted as some of them may be, influence many of our decisions and keep us spinning within that vicious sphere.

If you have bought this book or are thinking of reading it, I say, go ahead and read it. It probably will give you some insight and some good tips on coping with life. But if you are seriously searching and trying to change your life, I would strongly recommend The New Dance of Christ by Anthony T Massimini.

The New Dance of Christ is a wonderfully, insightful book which will really blow your mind! I do wish that the title were different though. I consider myself a Recovering Catholic and no longer even consider myself a Christian. If it weren't for a friend of mine recommending this book to me, I would not have picked it up because of the title.

But don't be swayed by the title! Because even if you don't agree with all of the theories of Massimini, you can't help but be intrigued, fascinated and even altered by his words and facts... Whether you are a Christian, Buddhist, or even an atheist, this book will unlock something inside of you that was there all along but blocked and un-nurtured.

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A must read for self awareness and spiritual growth.

This book was originally published and a best seller when I was too young to be interested in a book like this. I happened upon the 25th Anniversary Edition while on vacation and could only skim through this before having to return it to the library on our cruise ship. I was excited to order my personal copy of the book and reread the book. Since then my husband and mother-in-law have read the book with my encouragement. This book is life changing and yet simple. It has helped me to understand myself and others much better, and has put into words beautifully my spiritual beliefs. I have never been to a psychiatrist or taken part in any form of therapy but after reading the book I have a much greater appreciation of the process that takes place in good therapy. I will use this book for the rest of my life.

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Editorial Review :

Over 300 phrases: Basic Expressions - Arrival - Hotel/Other Accomodation - Eating Out - Travelling - Relaxing - Making Friends - Banks - Shops, Stores, Services - Numbers, Days, Months. 32 page miniscript booklet is included.

Customer Review :

No review yet

Customer Review :

Spectacularly Boring

I cannot understand why the first book was a best-seller. It was about an ultra-rich, ultra-materialistic women that has only a very superficial understanding of Italy and the Italian people. I bought this book to read for my book club. It was even worse than the first. No more Frances Mayes for me, ever! One of the most self-absorbed authors the book club has ever read. Hope she finds happiness in her eternal quest for the perfect stuff.

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sweet book about the sweet life

This was the first Frances Mayes book I had ever read; I must be one of the few who bipassed Under the Tuscan Sun (probably because I really didn't like the movie). However, I do love to travel-though I don't have the money to go as I'd like- and I really like Italy, and for those reasons, I found this a delightful read. I love the descriptions of living the sweet life in ways that I can only dream about doing. As with some other reviewers, I find Mayes a bit "whiny," and in this regard, she seems like a spoiled child occasionally, but overall her descriptions of people and food and landscapes and problems is just simply beautiful. She has inspired me to be a better writer. I would love to meet her one day.

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Bella, bella, bella

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Mayes brings you to Tuscany, and you can see and feel the land and people around their home. The recipes are terrific (I've tried several). Bella Tuscany is truly a feel-good book, even when bad things happen. I am of Italian extraction, and visited Sicily (the home of my ancestors) a few years ago, with my nieces. I liked this book so much, I ordered two more and sent them to my nieces, so we could all share the wonderful feeling of the "Sweet Life in Italy". Truly worth the read.

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Next time just tweet

There are some delightful moments in the book - how could you live in a villa in Arezzo and not encounter them? - but they are marred by the whining, by the hatchet job on Sicily (believe it or not, other people living in or visiting Sicily don't spend their time looking for a Mafia Don around every corner), as well as by other less direct hints that the author is, in the end, just another visitor with money who lacks the soul of an Italian.

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Bella Tuscany

I had re-read Under the Tuscan sun, I love Frances Mayes style of writting and I love I Italy, I could litterly see it in her writing and when I did see actual pictures it was as I imagined love the book and will re-read it to at some time, have gotten her other 2 books as well

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