The Encyclopedia of Italian Cooking

Author: Reader's Digest Books
Genre: Cooking

Very ... encyclopedic. Quite good actually.

Spreads, Toppers & Dips

Author: Diane Rozas
Genre: Cooking

Ever since I discovered the wonders of humus, I've wanted more things to dip my bread in. This book satisfies.

A Still Forest Pool: The Insight Meditation of Achaan Chah

Author: Jack Kornfield & Paul Breiter
Genre: Buddhism

A compilation of lectures and talks given by Achaan Chah, a Thai monk in the Forest Tradition.

Insight Meditation: Practical Steps to Ultimate Truth

Author: Achan Sobin S. Namto
Genre: Buddhism

Speaks practically about the practice of Vipassana.

Culture Shock: Taiwan

Author: Chris Bates and Ling-li Bates
Genre: Travel

The Culture Shock series deal with cultural idosyncrocies of the given country. This book deals with how to politely refuse things (Chinese will offer things three times, you refuse the first 2 offers out of politeness, but relent on the third time), renting apartments, language barriers. Practical stuff. It is not a travel guide though.

The Experience of Insight

Author: Joseph Goldstein
Genre: Buddhism

This appears to be a book containing the day by day lectures of a 30 day Vipassana retreat. Very good.

Blossoms of the Dharma: Living as a Buddhist Nun

Author: Thubten Chodron
Date Finished: Oct 31, 2007

This book is a collection of articles by several Buddhist nuns in different traditions about their experiences training as nuns, or difficulties they have faced living as nuns.