By Joachim Castellano

The Story of Buddha A Graphic Biography book cover

Money, power, and beautiful women, three desires of countless men throughout the ages. Imagine a man who has all three. A charmed life indeed, promising years of comfort and pleasure, yet he finds nothing but emptiness. He rejects this life to pursue one of meaning and purpose, and after great struggle, he finds true happiness and enlightenment. Of course, this is the story of no ordinary man, but that of Buddha, the legendary spiritual leader whose teachings have been passed on for thousands of years.

In The Story of Buddha A Graphic Biography (Ichimannendo Publishing, Inc., $10.95) Hisashi Ota tells of Buddha’s life through manga (Japanese comics) in a 248-page softcover book filled with comic panels. Focusing on Buddha’s transformation from the wealthy Prince Siddhartha to a spiritual teacher, I found myself drawn into a world paralleling modern day pressures: opportunities to escape reality and the expectation to live a typical life set by societal norms.

I enjoyed following the story through the expressive faces of the author’s characters, and I especially felt Siddhartha’s struggle to stay true to his own chosen path of life. Chapters end with Siddhartha’s insights, seeds that later blossom into the tenets of Buddhism. It was engaging to learn about Buddhism through the progressive rhythm of a narrative story with stylized visuals instead of a dry historic text.

Hisashi Ota, author, The Story of Buddha A Graphic Biography

Ota poured feeling, action, and passion into each page. The story felt like a mirror to reflect upon modern life. Ota’s book pulses in the present, not the historic past, introducing Buddha’s teachings to audiences new and old, perhaps inspiring others to find joy and meaning in life.

I found Ota’s manga approach to Buddha’s story appealing because of the art form’s cinematic visual style. Ota, a graduate of Nagoya University’s School of Science, has been drawing manga for 20 years and his manga about Buddhism in Japan has been published regularly. Born a Buddhist, to this day Ota continues his training at the Jodo Shinshu Shinrankai Buddhist center in Toyama, Japan.

Photos: Tetsuji Yamamoto, Ichimannendo Publishing, Inc.

By Joan Leacock

The Venice Experiment book cover

Photos: News & Experts

In this book, the author shared the story of how he quit the rat race of Florida in the United States to live as a resident of Venice, Italy. He and his wife took a year long journey, a cultural exchange from their lifestyle and expectations, and threw themselves at the mercy of living and being Venetians, experiencing the oddities of being foreigners abroad.

Having visited Venice many years ago and only vaguely remembering taking gondola rides up the Grand Canal, I found myself easily transported to the squares, bridges and streets of Venice and imagining all the characters mentioned in the book, as easily as if they were long lost friends. The Venice Experiment: A year of trial and error living abroad (Savory Adventures Publishing 2011, $14.95), a 238-page book by Barry Frangipane with Ben Robbins, captures the flavors, smells, warmth and frustrations of the year he and his wife spent living in The Floating City. I fell in love with Venice, through the eyes of the author, all over again.

Frangipane navigates the problems he encounters as a foreigner living abroad well. I laughed and moaned at the difficult situations he found himself in, as he and his wife fumbled their way through the narrow corridors of the Italian language, the city’s unique history and diverse personalities.

Barry Frangipane, author, The Venice Experiment

The book provides a concierge service of do’s and don’ts surrounding the legalities of moving to Venice. It became a fun expose of the complexities he experienced with language, assumptions and misinterpretations of cultural norms and, in particular, time management as he wondered at the beginning of their adventure, “Would I learn to see things from their perspective? Given a whole year to figure it out, how hard could it possibly be?”

Overall, I found this book to be an easy read with wonderful references to use and visit should I ever find myself in that part of the world. It is a quaint, funny and informal source of relevant information. The author provides a humorous induction of his move to this city, by cleverly disguising and exposing the red tape that he encountered. I was left with a comprehensive checklist of doable tasks in relation to the transferring of pets, visa requirements, how not to organize a lease for an apartment, the choice of ground floor versus first floor apartments, postal boxes, water taxis, vehicle parking and where to purchase everyday items in unexpected places.

Ingredients for chapped lips balm recipe

Herbal enthusiasts wishing to find home remedies for simple maladies have a new resource, Grow Your Drugs: Easy Recipes for Natural Remedies and Beauty Fixes (Reader’s Digest, $19.95) by James Wong, host of a BBC series by the same name. There are 60 recipes for natural teas, creams, lotions, balms, gargles and cough syrups in the 224-page hardcover book with 150 color photos published earlier this year.

Many of the recipes are accompanied by color photos and step-by-step instructions. The book is divided into: Introduction, Getting Started, Remedies, Top 100 Medicinal Plants, Resources, Index and Acknowledgements. Wong provides recipes to deal with skin ailments including Athlete’s foot, eczema, insect bites and stings, acne, sunburn, age spots, fungal conditions, burn scars, poor foot circulation and chapped hands; digestive issues like bad breath, heartburn and indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, flatulence, and diarrhea; children’s needs such as vitamin booster, head lice, ear wax build-up, and colic; Aches and Pains: Water retention, varicose veins, aching muscles, arthritis; and women’s problems like hot flashes, night sweats, morning and travel sickness, PMS, and cystitis.

He also offers suggestions for colds and flu, coughs and sore throats, cholesterol reduction, hangover, cold sores, immune system booster, mouth ulcers, restorative, memory enhancer, insomnia, migraine prevention, anxiety, hair strengthener, body scrub, bath and massage oil, deodorant, face mask, hand care, exfoliator, face toner and hair rinse, tired or red eyes, glycerin soap, plaque remover and gum soother, and chapped lips.

We placed the lip balm in a glass jar with a wide neck and kept it refrigerated

We tried the chapped lips recipe which required organic and fragrant rose petals, vitamin E oil, bees wax, honey, cheesecloth and aloe vera gel (optional). The biggest challenge was obtaining organic fragrant rose petals in our area. We located organic roses at the local branch of a national health food chain although the fragrance was rather muted. We couldn’t find bees wax so we substituted honeycomb for the bees wax. The resulting balm solidified in the refrigerator although it seemed too soft to carry around.

Author James Wong

James Wong, who grew up in Malaysia and Singapore, trained at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew and received an MSc in Ethnobotany from the University of Kent graduating with distinction. His research has taken him to highland Ecuador, as well as to China and Java. The University of Kent lecturer, an enthusiast about the utilitarian value of plants, co-designed and built two medal-winning gardens (in 2004 as the youngest medal winner and again in 2008).

Click here to buy Grow Your Own Drugs

Article and photos by Gary Cox

The New Book of Soups

Soup is a universal food. From the earliest days of mankind with an iron pot dangling over the fire to modern cuisine in the most exclusive restaurants, soup is one of the most versatile and flexible forms of cooking. The extraction, blending and concentration of flavors in liquid form can be a quiet challenging medium for the novice and experienced chef alike. It has been said that the best way to judge the capabilities of a new chef is to have him or her make a soup with the ingredients on hand.

Reviewing a cookbook can be a challenge, particularly one that requires the reader to possess specific skills or a talent for cooking. What I liked about The New Book of Soups (Lebhar-Friedman Book, $35) by the Culinary Institute of America is that it is well organized, making easy to pick up and start cooking. Also, there is quite a bit of information in the front of the book on processing ingredients, making stock and other topics useful for various skill levels.

It was gratifying to find that even having skipped past all the preparatory material, the recipes still produced great tasting results. We tried the Double Chicken Broth recipe and found it excellent and a memorable addition to our ongoing repertoire. Even substituting a mixture of mushrooms for the shitake ones in the recipe, the resulting soup was tasty and disappeared quickly.

Double Chicken Broth Soup made following the recipe in The New Book of Soups

An excellent test of a cookbook is to make a familiar classic recipe and evaluate the flavors and ease of performing the recipe steps. The next soup I made was the Onion Soup Gratinee, a rendition of the classic French onion soup. The instructions were easy to follow and produced a terrific tasting soup using easily obtainable ingredients. This time of year, Vidalia onions are widely available and they resulted in a slightly sweet and flavorful rendition of this longtime favorite.

The ingredients for the Onion Soup Gratinee

Our version of the Onion Soup Gratinee based on the recipe in The New Book of Soups

There are still many recipes I look forward to trying in this second edition of the 249-page The New Book of Soups. The book is divided into Soup Basics, Broths, Hearty Soups, Stews, Cream Soups, Pureed Soups, Bisques and Chowders, Cold Soups, and Accompaniments sections with many full color photos to illustrate the desired end result. I might even rely on the material in the front and take a lash at making my own stock or some of the other basics to improve my overall skills. It is not necessary to study the basics to get great results, but it is nice to know they are there if I have questions or an interest. Excellent for the beginner or perhaps even for experienced chefs, this cookbook makes a great addition to my library.

Click here to buy The New Book of Soups

Part of the Pride My Life Among the Big Cats of Africa book cover

Although Kevin Richardson had a reasonably normal childhood in Johannesburg, South Africa as an adult he became extraordinary by virtue of his ability to interact safely (mostly) with predators in captivity. Lest we think rubbing nose to nose with male and female lions and hyenas in an enclosure, handling a lion cub while sharing space in the same enclosure with the lioness mum, filming commercials and entire feature length movies, often outside the safety of a park enclosure, is something any zoo staff member can do, it’s not.

It is dangerous work. No one, not even Kevin Richardson, denies that. How and why is this possible? In Part of the Pride My Life Among the Big Cats of Africa, published in 2009 (St. Martin’s Press, $25.99) he discusses his growing years and the path that led him to his amazing interactions with some of Africa’s big cats raised in captivity at the South African Lion Park and the Kingdom of the White Lion. With the help of Author Tony Park, he shares his experience as a self taught lion whisperer.

Kevin Richardson with his lion family (back cover of the book)

The 243-page hardcover book, easy to read in his candid first person style, is divided into 14 chapters, a prologue and an epilogue. For lion lovers and fans of Richardson’s work (some videos on YouTube show him in action) the book answers many questions. It made us eager to watch the two film projects mentioned in the book including White Lion: Home Is a Journey due out soon.

Photos courtesy of St. Martin’s Press

Click to buy Part of the Pride: My Life Among the Big Cats of Africa

Lions at Rattray's

Many travelers familiar with luxury safari lodges in South Africa know of or may have stayed at the Mala Mala Reserve, one of the oldest reserves within the larger Sabi Sand Reserve. The well known reserve fronts a fenceless portion of the Kruger National Park.

A vigilant kitty at Rattray's

Our team's suite at Rattray's

The family owned property offers accommodations for 54 guests in the Mala Mala Main Camp . Nearby there are exclusive luxury accommodations at Rattray’s, an eight suite fenced lodge for guests 16 and older with a fitness center and swimming pool. Click here to read about our team’s impressions during their most recent visit in a dedicated article about Rattray’s.

Article by Elena del Valle and photos by Gary Cox

Tao buddha

Except for the near empty state of the large restaurant (we arrived in the late afternoon) it would have been hard to tell what time of day or night it was inside Tao Asian Bistro (3377 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109, +1-702-388-8338, Taolasvegas.com). Such was the style of the nightclub and bistro which could accommodate 2,000 guests. Located at The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino, the two-story restaurant was crawling with shadows that made it appear mysterious. Done in a slightly different way it could have felt soulless but bright shades of red, brick walls, kanji characters reflected on the ceiling and larger than life decorative oriental artifacts lent it a certain magic. It had the air of a place that comes alive with patrons, especially in the evening.

Tao appetizers

The hostess led us to the last booth, tucked away next to the kitchen door and across from a giant Buddha. Chris, our friendly and knowledgeable server, was with us moments later. At his suggestion, we tried two martinis: Tao-tini (Absolute Mandarin, Stoli Rasberry, Malibu Rum, cranberry and fresh lime juice) and a Lychee Martini (Ketel One, Triple and fresh luchee puree). For starters we shared the Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeño and Ponzu Sauce (a favorite); Alaskan Salmon, Crab and Avocado Roll; Kimchee and Baby Shanghai Bok Choy with Garlic.

Wok Seared New York Sirloin with Shiitake Mushrooms and Szechwan Potatoes

View of the Tao dining room from our seats

Then, our main courses arrived, a mountain of tasty food: Satay of Chilean Sea Bass with Wok Roasted Asparagus (a favorite); Lobster Wontons with Shiitake Ginger Broth; Sandpot Lobster, Shrimp and Scallops with Black Bean Sauce; Wok Seared New York Sirloin with Shiitake Mushrooms and Szechwan Potatoes; Jasmine White Rice, and Mandarin Sizzled Fried Rice with Duck. Chris recommended an ice cream dessert which we enjoyed. These culinary creations were the work of Mark Andelbradt, Tao’s executive chef, and Koji Noda, the executive sushi chef, and their staff.

Our dessert

We washed it all down with six types of sake (Chris recommended this) including three “crazy fun” ones. He brought us the Spirit and Eternal selections from the sake by the glass menu. As we headed to our show (that’s why we arrived so early), the thought occured to me that although we sampled lots of savory dishes and drinks we would were pleasantly satisfied. We had a fun and enjoyable dinner at Tao.

By Chester Godsy

The Kindle closed

I have been very happy with my new Amazon Kindle. The readability of the screen is what really makes this device work. For the display it uses a type of opaque screen technology called E Ink. This display works very well in all types of lighting situations except for in the dark because it isn’t back lit.  I would compare the screen very closely to the quality of a paperback book.

I finished reading several books on my Kindle. Soon after purchasing my first Kindle book we went on  a long car trip across the country. During this trip I finished reading my first book.  With no more books to read I then enabled the Kindle’s cell phone interface and began browsing the online Kindle book store (currently claiming over 240,000 titles) and found another book that I wanted to read. I purchased the book and it downloaded automatically to my Kindle as we were driving down the road. I was pretty happy to be able to get another book to read while riding down the highway in a car.

The Kindle open

Kindle book prices seem to always be lower than paperback versions;  discounts vary anywhere from around a 25 percent to 75 percent over the paperback book versions. The Kindle uses a cellular phone network to download content from Amazon. The cellular phone interface is built into the Kindle and can be enabled or disabled with a switch located on the back of the device. As long as you use the built cell phone network to browse the Amazon store and download its content there is no extra charge for the cell phone connection time.

Another feature of the Kindle that I tried is the ability to convert document files into the Kindle book format.  There are two methods of conversion available for Kindle users. One version requires payment  to convert the document and then it automatically downloads to your Kindle.  I used the free version to convert some technical papers into the Kindle format.  With the free version it is necessary have to copy the converted files manually to your Kindle using a USB cable.

There are a couple of experimental features on the Kindle. One of them is the ability to play music.  I downloaded mp3 files to my Kindle and tried this feature. It is a very primitive audio player. It just played the music I downloaded in a loop.  I found this good if I want relaxing background music playing while I read. The other experimental feature is web browsing which I did not try because of the extra charges I would have incurred to access the web from my Kindle. Aside from the experimental features, after eight weeks I am pleased with the Kindle as a device to read books.

the new Kindle 2: Amazon’s New Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation)

Article and photos by Elena del Valle

The Lotus I drove at Club Spring Mountain Motorsports Country Club

Do you dream of driving a Lotus? I did – for a day at the Lotus Performance Driving School. That morning started with a 4 a..m wake up call at my ‘Vegas Strip hotel. An hour later, I was driving down a dark and lonely road on my way to the Mojave Desert plain with the top down and the radio blaring. After about 90 minutes I found my way to Club Spring Mountain Motorsports Country Club, 193-acres “dedicated to the art, science and pure love of sports and exotic car owners and racing,” as described in the property’s promotional materials.

The club was the brainchild of two California-based entrepreneurs and driving enthusiasts, John Morris and Brad Rambo. Spring Mountain features: a 3.5-mile private road course, three professional driving schools with Corvettes, Lotus and Radical race cars, 56 private single or double-bay garages for members to store their cars, a new $3 million, 8,000 square foot resort-style clubhouse for club members, flying in Remo Light Sport Airplanes right off the track, karting, and an indoor gun range. Memberships to the club start at $7,500 plus monthly dues.

The view from the club tower

My plan was to spend the lion’s share of the day taking part in a professional Lotus driving course, and then return to Las Vegas for dinner and a show with my husband. I accomplished all my goals with room to spare although I was ready for some rest at the end of the evening. In spite of my lack of knowledge or experience with racing and race cars the staff welcomed me to the course.

After a brief classroom introduction we, a motley group of men, one other woman and I, were invited to select a car each to drive for the day. The club’s 15 Lotus cars are available for students and for rent. Minutes later we began our first breaking maneuvers. In the morning, we learned about wheel lockup, threshold breaking and conventional versus ABS (Anti-lock Breaking System) breaking systems. I was thrilled to be behind the wheel of my very own Lotus. It was mine to have and to hold, for better and for worse (I had promised to pay any expenses if I crashed or damaged the car), for the day.

The 2006 Lotus Elise I drove was a handsome vehicle with sexy lines, low to the ground with manual transmission (of course), seat belt, a two-way radio to communicate with my instructors, and air conditioning (only some cars had A/C). Although Proton, a Malaysian company, owns Lotus, the cars are still manufactured in Hethel, England.

Toward the middle of the day I discovered that the seat was designed for drivers 5’5” and taller. Because my height falls below that threshold, reaching the foot pedals (accelerator, break and clutch) required a little more effort than it should have, and made it especially difficult to practice some of the race track maneuvers like heel toe and foot positioning.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Our first maneuvers were nerve wracking, and fun! Even some of the veteran race drivers confessed to being nervous. I thought it would become easier as we practiced more but there were usually only two practice rounds for each skill. After that we had to build on the new skill toward a more complex one. For those of us that didn’t master the skill the first two times learning a new skill on top of the old one we still didn’t master was frustrating.

Time in the classroom

Our instructors’, we had two instructors, philosophy was that the best way to learn to drive a race car was to do the exercise, then do it some more. Although there was a little classroom discussion most of our time was spent in the Lotus practicing maneuvers. By the end of the day, we were invited on to the race track where we practiced accelerating and braking at corners, heel toe, foot positioning, and had a couple of rounds with an instructor in the car before being allowed to “race” on the track.

The 1.5 mile race track at Club Spring Mountain Motorsports Country Club

With no racing experience I was definitely in the minority. Most of my fellow classmates had race cars of their own; at least one of them had a Lotus at home, or racing experience. Speed was they wanted. By the time we hit the race track most everyone was eager to spread their wings and see what the Lotus could do. It was sweet! I was the slowest driver so the instructors left me behind and dedicated their time to the rest of the drivers. A couple of times one of them shared audio feedback through the two-way radio and gave me instructions to get out of the way of the rest of the drivers that were coming through.

Some of Lotus cars in the Club Spring Mountain Motorsports Country Club

As I drove back to Las Vegas in the mid afternoon keeping the air conditioning cold to make sure I was awake (now that the adrenaline was slowing I was afraid I would get sleepy in the desert heat), I thought about my day’s adventure. I liked having an assigned car for the duration of the course. The club facilities were spacious, clean, inviting and luxurious. It was a pleasant place to spend the day and take a course. And, I loved the Lotus! It felt light and easy to handle. It drove well, hugging the road tightly and responding instantly.

At the end of the day and in spite of the many nervous moments during maneuvers, I walked away a better and more cautious driver for my efforts. If I ever have a chance to return or a friend asks for my recommendation, I would stay at a nearby hotel (rather than driving from Las Vegas), request a dedicated instructor so I can take my time and practice the skills until I’m comfortable, and take a two or three day course (one day was not enough). A course like that would be worth a dedicated trip to the Club Spring Mountain Motorsports Country Club and the subject of additional fond Lotus race car memories.

Red, White and Drunk All Over

The holiday season is upon us. For many people it’s a time of stress as well as joy and togetherness. Part of the stress comes from gift giving. Here are some gift ideas including books, gourmet dinners and exotic trips, we hope will help you narrow your choices and relieve some of the stress.

In Red, White and Drunk All Over, Natalie MacLean shares her love of wine and insights from an international wine oriented journey of discovery. The paperback edition, published last year, is 304 pages long and an easy read. At $14.95 Red, White and Drunk All Over is kind on the pocket and the well written book may be a good stocking stuffer for wine newbies and wine aficionados alike.

Cooks and cooking amateurs may appreciate the wealth of information in The Spice and Herb Bible (Robert Rose, $27.95). The exhaustive 607-page tome by Ian Hemphill includes detailed information about, well, herbs and spices.

Naughty Paris A Lady’s Guide to the Sexy City

Naughty Paris A Lady’s Guide to the Sexy City is for women who want to discover another side of Paris. According to the author, the City of Love offers ample opportunities for locals and visitors to indulge in the pleasures of the senses and love. In the 296-page well researched paperback book, Kristen Loop shares some of her ideas, findings and suggestions about love, romance, sexy hotels, outings, shopping, beauty options, culture, dancing, and shows in the romantic city.

A server shaves truffle bits over a dish at Ledoyen

While we’re on the subject of Paris, are you a foodie, celebrating a special occasion or just plain love dining in Paris? Do you have a healthy budget? How about a few days enjoying the best in gourmet dining available in the City of Lights? Of course you can try a neighborhood bistro but if you’re going all the way to Paris you probably want to indulge.  Alain Ducasse and his Paris team at the Plaza Athenee Hotel are well known for their over the top dining. If you can’t get a table there or would rather be a tad more modest, other top tier choices include the dining rooms of: vegetable guru Alain Passard at Arpepe; Christian Le Squer at Ledoyen near the Champs Elysees, Helene Darroze at her restaurant in the Latin Quarter; Pierre Gagnaire’s Le Balzac; Pascal Barbot at L’Astrance, in the ritzy 16 arrondisement; Guy Martin’s historic Le Grand Vefour; and Guy Savoy at his eponymous establishment.

Dusk in Santa Fe

If North America is where you want to be on your next vacation, consider the Canadian Yukon, one of the last vast expanses of wilderness, for next summer; or one of the saints: San Diego and San Francisco in California or Santa Fe, New Mexico. Each one has its own charm. San Francisco, the most famous of the three, and the nearby wine country offer many options, accommodations, food and wine attractions within a short drive. San Diego, much further south and closer to the United States-Mexico border, is large and diverse with upscale and quaint seaside towns like La Jolla. Finally, Santa Fe, is a magnet for Pueblo style architecture and museum and art gallery lovers.

Male and female leopards “flirt” at Londolozi Tree Camp in South Africa

Do you long for something with a little more zest and adventure? If you are itching to travel, have the desire to see beautiful animals in their natural habitat, the patience to fly more than eight hours, and can afford world class accommodations, or as close to that as it gets in some remote areas, consider a safari trip to Africa.  There are plentiful choices of destinations, properties, and game viewing options.

Many travelers in search of luxury lodge accommodations with gourmet dining, spa services and outstanding game viewing mention the Sabi Sand Reserve and the Kruger National Park area in South Africa as favorites. Sabi Sand Reserve is home to Ivory Lodge and 1933 in Lion Sands, Tree Camp in Londolozi, Mala Mala Main Camp and Rattray’s in the Mala Mala Reserve, and Earth Lodge and Selati Camp in the Sabi Sabi Reserve. For a relaxing spa oriented visit our team liked the Cybele Forest Lodge and Health Spa near Kruger. The Outpost in the northern reaches of the park near the border with Zimbabwe offers game viewing in a serene off the beaten path setting.

Those seeking a wilder experience and willing to rough it, fly baby planes, stay in luxury tents and eat more modest meals can opt for other important African game destinations such as Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia depending on their interests, time and budget preferences. Botswana is known for its upscale orientation, huge elephant population and the famous Okavango Delta.  Earlier this year, one of our teams enjoyed a visit to Mashatu in the Tuli Block of Botswana.

Areas to consider if visiting Tanzania include the Ruaha National Park, Selou Game Reserve, and Grumeti Game Reserve (adjacent to the Serengeti National Park). Visitors to Zambia may want to include one or more properties in Lower Zambezi National Park, South Luangwa National Park and Victoria Falls in their itinerary.

Whatever you do, we wish you a wonderful holiday season!

Click here to buy

Red, White, and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass

Naughty Paris: A Lady’s Guide to the Sexy City

The Spice and Herb Bible