Reviews Books

It couldn't be better said.

This book is pure enjoyment. What a wonderful command of the language from this former English professor! Insightful and reflective, this book is about so much more than the obvious. Though perhaps the title is not that far amiss...

My only "criticism" would regard the desire to see more of the photographs to which Adams refers or describes in detail. He gives us very few opportunities to understand what he says by looking at the picture itself.

A wonderfully written book about the wonders of photography written by a wonderful writer with a wonderful eye and a wonderful brain.

This book has been of great assitance to me in my teaching and creative practice over the years. It has been a source of inspiration and motivation allowing me to continue working with my cameras and photography, at the same time reconciling different ideas about 'money', 'ideas', 'freinds', 'teaching' etc to enable me to maintain my faith in what I do.

The essays on teaching and money in particular have helped me clarify my position as both an artist and teacher, I highly recommend this book to anyone considering teaching or photography as a career.

If you are not connected with any photography/art community, this book is for you. If none of your friends has an MFA, and if you are in need of someone who can speak intelligently about photography as art, then again, this book is for you. Robert Adams' writing is clear, concise, and insightful. Adams tells us why we photograph, for example, why we photograph landscapes. The answers include: because the images are of "emblems of a land" (pages 146 and 163), because our photographed subjects redefine us and is part of our biography (page 15), because art is "specifics made universal" (page 120), and because "art is a discovery of harmony" (page 181). Adams consoles photographers who come to realize that spending ten years doing photography won't necessarily result, e.g., in a contract for preparing a coffeetable book: "[t]hey may or may not make a living by photography but they are alive by it" (page 15); and the experience of having an exhibit where the photographer "stand[s] through the opening of an exhibition to which only officials have come." (page 16). Adams reveals the secrets of some of the masters, e.g., Weston: "limbs and torsos . . . treated as shapes to be enjoyed as one might the sight of a smooth stone" (page 64); and Paul Strand: "he worked off axis as if it were a moral principle . . . but usually just slightly off axis." (page 81) Robert Adams offers some critiques of the masters, e.g., of Paul Strand: "[o]ff-centering is used here . . . it begins to seem formulaic (page 87); and of Ansel Adams: "I have been derivative of myself for fifty years." (page 116). Robert Adams' book is a stand-alone book, that is, it does not require a knowledge of literature, art criticism, or history. The book is for the layperson. Another fine, insightful book on photography criticism is Light Readings by A.D. Coleman. A remarkable bit of insight by A.D. Coleman, for example, concerns his view of the typical amateur (page 164): "Typically, a snapshot of someone's relative at Grant's Tomb will show the relative too far from the camera to be identifiable and Grant's Tomb too close to be recognizable . . . Their charm and poignancy derives specifically from their failure to communicate . . ."The writings of Robert Adams and A.D. Coleman may be contrasted with the poetic commentary David Wallace (in Morley Baer's The Wilder Shore) and with the "writing" of Sally Eauclair in The New Color Photography and New Color/New Work. The writings of David Wallace and Sally Eauclaire are silly, and sometimes very silly, and serve only to draw attention to the words printed on the page instead of serving to invoke new concepts and connections in the mind.

Most of the book doesn't really respond to the title, but Robert Adams writes in a very engaging manner and talks about issues that most photographers will find interesting. I found particularly interesting his discussion of famous photographers and their aesthetic philosophy. This is not a book for the casual photographer, but for the photographer who is interested in photography's background, or a collector who'd like to better understand the photographer as artist, this book is terrific.

I'm working with several students in junior high to help them increase vocabulary for the SSAT test. This book helps teach the new words in context and lets them learn in a way that is more familiar to them. Love the book!!!

I am a 7th grader of a middle school, and this is what I think of this outstanding book. This book had a very interesting way of teaching... Instead of a textbook, this book was made into a chapter book with several excellent stories about adventures with three kids and a gargantuan, black cat. The stories were well put together and the advanced words fitted in perfectly. I shared my ideas with my family, and we bought more books of the same series. I think younger kids should just read the book for the stories if the words are a bit too complicated for them to remember, but I'm sure that they will enjoy it. Readers will no longer be oblivious about grammer. As a matter of fact, they might even excel in the field of grammer and writing. Anyway, to me, the words in the book were extremely easy to understand, because they were so well placed, that the context clues made the definitions very clear and obvious. There was also a glossary in the back that gave the definitions to the bold-faced words. Unfortunately, the glossary did not have definitions to all of the words, but if you have a dictionary, you should have no problem. Overall, this was a fantastic book leaving me craving for more.

I used to work as a professional SAT Reading coach, making big bucks; the key issue for most of my students was vocabulary. Rather, VOCABULARY. (The other is slowing down and thinking as--not after--they read.)

Many questions on the SAT reading section amount to vocabulary questions.

What this means is that if you want to improve your SAT scores, if you are an ambitious student trying to get into one of the top schools, there is no two ways about it: you have to study vocabulary.

And study vocabulary.

And study vocabulary.

You cannot study simply one book, or even one series of books. You have to study several series.

However, the Princeton Review Word Smart series is the best that I know of. You should start here. Even if you think you have a good vocabulary, start here just to be on the safe side, and you can move on later.

You would recommend studying any of the vocabulary books that I've ever seen--but I recommend mastering the Word Smart series. These really are by far the best--if you are shopping here, it probably means you need these books.

If you were one of my students, your parents paying lots of money, I would force you to master these books, and I would ride you like a horse until you did. And then your scores would come up, your parents would love me and tell all their friends, and I would get more jobs and more money. That's how it works.

Anyway, these are certainly the best vocabulary books on the market. Even if you're studying vocabulary for some other reason, these are probably still the best.

Good luck!

I am 11 years old and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, both as a story and as a no-stress way to learn new vocabulary. I am actually using the many words I learned in the book ~ it's easy because of the manner in which the book is written! I even enjoyed the quizzes at the end of each chapter ~ they were fun. I would save this book for after I had done my other work (I am a homeschooler) because I enjoyed this book so much. It was my inspiration to get finished with the other things so I could get back to this story!

The book is about three kids and a cat who have worldwide (and outer space!) adventures that lead them away from their real goal, which is to find Bridget's parents. You learn the new vocabulary from reading it in the context of their conversations. No memorizing lists! Great fun!

I bought this tape for my elementary age niece and two nephews. They have played this tape for weeks every night at bed time. They even fight over who gets to listen to it in the car. All of their vocabulary had sky rocketed. They are using "big" words properly and have no problem correcting the adults when we use them wrong. The way the new words are weaved into the stories give the kids the handle to truly understand what the word is, and what the correct usage is for any given situation. My sister and I are so impressed with this tape. We wish there were more of these.

It's been 15 years and Scott Adams shows now signs of slowing down or the ckind of burnout that caused Bill Watterson to retire from Calvin and Hobbes. Thank God! Because Dilbert remains the most consistently funny comic strip in the papers. A daily dose of wry, sarcastic wit that is daily bread to those of us toiling away in an office environment.

The title of this book says it all...who hasn't wanted to smack the person reviewing us upside the head and ask them what the hell were they thinking when they wrote it. Reviews, marketing, computers, stupid bosses...it's all to be read and mocked in Scott's latest collection.

It was beginning to look like Scott Adams would run out of material for Dilbert, but the corporate world just keeps spinning. Words.. is a new high level in corporate mayhem. From Dogbert the headhunter to the genius garbage man and of course Catbert the evil HR manager they are all here. We learn that "plundered" is now called "enhanced stock holder values." The pointy hair boss gets a body double for safety, and Dilbert invents a robot clone to double his visibility. It's another swipe at office management and the minions who toil our lives away in cubicles. Buy a 2nd copy and mail it to your pointy hair boss. Better yet, buy a 3rd copy and mail that one to your HR Catbert.

One of the reasons I like this one so much is because it contains the comic strips that I always read in the paper last year. These are a few of the reasons why you should buy this book.

Toxic Tom
Dilbert as a sheep
Wally being lasy a usual
Dogbert's Tech Support
The Consultick
Dilbert's mood altering drugs
The furniture psychic
The new dress code which is barrels
My favorite comic which is the one where Wally researches Greek names for a new product

This are a bunch of really great comics and they are a must buy for all Dilbert fans.

This is another very funny and spot-on book from Adams. Some of the characters like Ratbert and Dogbert don't appear as much, but Wally comes on strong and new characters are introduced like ConsulTick.

What's funny is the resonant note that Dilbert has struck with so much of corporate America. Having been an employee at a major Fortune 500 company for many years myself, I was convinced that Adams was talking about my company, and so did everyone else, although the resemblances at times could be almost eerie.

Adams's cartoons of the more absurd and ridiculous aspects of corporate culture (which at times seems to be about 99% of it) continue to provide much needed comic relief for hapless cubicle dwellers everywhere, and this is another funny book from Adams that shouldn't disappoint his fans.

It's more Dilbertine for the addicted like myself and allthough there are a couple of minuses to mention the level of hilarity stays high as always. And how could it not? The inspiration from the corporate world keeps coming through in tsunami waves.

While one of the most cult characters in the Dilbert series (Wally) gains even more of the spotlight other equally legendary characters like Ratbert but above all Dogbert himself keep getting lesser and lesser appearances. That's a pity actually as especially these two have offered unforgettable moments in the past. Another thing connected with these two fading somewhat is that we get fewer moments of Dilbert at home and more in the office. Tha creates somewhat of an imbalance which was not present in the initial installments of the series.

All in all though, this gets adequately compensated by Adam's invincible humor and the introduction of new characters who might have less of a lifespan in comparison to Ratbert and Dogbert but who provide for some freshness nevertheless.

Other than that it's Wally galore to the max. Wally has been the secret ace of this comic all along. This is cynicism at its very best and its most hardcore. The lines coming out of Wally's mouth are surreal.
The Dilbert series continues to be a classic.

Through the years I have collected all of the Christmas in My Heart Volumes (except I have not been able to locate Volume 4--keeping my eyes open). This Volume as with the others is simply delightful. If you enjoy traditional and current inspiring, family oriented, uplifting wholesome stories you cannot go wrong with any of the Christmas in My Heart Books. They are a nice break from the hectic pace of today's world. Joe Wheeler does an excellent job of gathering and selecting the stories and the stories he writes himself are wonderful also. If you are an avid reader, you will enjoy these books but if you only have small bits of time for reading, it is nice they have the short story format. Enjoy!!

I bought this book as a gift for a friend, but took a peek inside before I mailed it. It's wonderful! Heartwarming, touching, lovely stories that point your heart toward the true meaning of the season...I loved it.

I have read several of the "Christmas In My Heart" Collections and find each worthwhile. While the stories are sentimental, they do remind the reader of the true meaning of Christmas. The stories vary in diversity, which is a great asset to this collection. Some are quite "old-fashioned" (19th century/early 20th century stories), while others are more recent. Some can be shared with small children, while others would greatly appeal to adults ("Meditation in a Minor Key" is my personal favorite). Reading this collection (or any of the other volumes)is a great way to unwind after a day spend shopping. The colleciton is a reminder of what our true focus should be on Christmas.

My daughter has been going to sleep to the sound of these stories (we have all the volumes) for several years now. She listens to them year round, not just at Christmastime.

One of the reasons they last so long, is that she is usually asleep before the end of the story!

I loved this book. It is a perfect Christmas book to get into the spirit of Christmas. I used it too read the stories to my children as an advent project. The stories are just the right length for children and speak to the heart. Adults and children alike will be touched by the stories compiled here

This book is great with details and background of each character, and has the details from each hour, so is very helpful if you don't have two straight non sleeping days to catch up.

I am a huge fan of "24" and I collect 24 merchandise. This guide does a great job in breaking down each episode. It gives you all the major points you need to understand. When I ordered this book that's what I expected. However, I didn't expect all of the extra content. The first 28 pages are full of behind the scenes info about the shows conceptual design and how it was created. There are interviews with the shows producers and with Kiefer Sutherland himself. I highly recommend this to any fan of "24". It is a must-have.

This book is full of great photos and a real treat for 24 fans. The entire book is mostly photos and arranged by season. There are photos from the show and off set. I loved it and think that all 24 fans would enjoy it.

Two pages of information per episode: timeframe with the key events, research files, additionel intel and photo's. The book also contains the profiles of the main characters of the first two seasons. A must have for the real 24 fans!

Mike and I over at 2GuysTalking:24 have been waiting for a book like this to come out for years now. Our only complaint is why so long? This is a gorgeous book to have in your collection and is chalk full of all kinds of 24 data, background info, interesting tidbits and if that's not all, tons of great photographs to supplement.

The look and feel of the book is something you really want to get your hands on and keep. Its got more of a "Tab Newspaper" style feel to it then your ordinary book. The pages are laid out nicely and each page represents one day in the life of Jack Bauer! Each day has its own timeline of events similar to our own "24 in 60" segment we do in our podcast. A great reference guide if you need to go back to look something up.

Each day featured on a page layout also has a section where they link interesting pieces of information that you might not already know about 24. For example, the $200,000 Mason was accused of skimming in the first season is linked to his son in the second season. Pieces like that really present a whole new perspective to the show that you may not catch when watching it.

Mega Kudos goes to Tara DiLullo for writing such a great book. You definitely want to get this in your collection. Mike and I were so impressed with the book we decided to have Tara on the show to ask her more about what went on behind the scenes and what to expect in the future. Check it out at [...].

This is one of the best film review books out there!!! Very funny and on point with their analysis of movies. Laughed out loud many times during the course of reading the book.

I highly recommend this book! It is as insightful and funny as their popular web site. Very nice to see movies reviewed from an African-American point of view.

I saw this title in a Book Club I belong too&something told me too just go for it&I did.this Book is fun&Informative as well.very detailed& i dug the Honesty&presentation...

I bought the book just because... I wasn't really *expecting* that much to come if it, although I do have the authors' website bookmarked for me to read before I visit the movies (about 3 times a week myself). Still, I bought the book, and in two days, the edges were all messed up. I had read it that much. Every person I showed the book took had to have the book snatched from them, since they were so into the book, and would just go from movie review to movie review.

The reviews are not stuffy or stodgy... like someone saying 'I'm so intelligent and I know better than you do what you should like or not like'. Instead, with the 3 Chicks (that just *happen* to be Black), it's like sitting across a card table or else at the family picnic and talking about what we like, don't like, and it's so easy to find 'Yeah, that's what I liked about it, too... and what I didn't like that I couldn't put my finger on'.

People reading the book were like me: they were hooked, quickly! I have just bought five more copies of the book to give as gifts - I want MY book for me.

.... my foot is tapping. I'm ready for the next volume, Ladies!

If you love movies, you'll love "3 Black Chicks Review Flicks." Besides being funny and presenting a great rating system, these women are intelligent and able to express themselves perfectly in talking about movies. Their reviews are honest and real and cross the boundries of sex and race, thus presenting valuable insight. This is 1 white chick who loves those 3 black chicks!

I have collected many books about the Doctor Who series. Books about the plots, books on the history, books on the Daleks and so on. These series of books, About Time, are the final word. If you just became a fan don't bother with the other books. Buy these books. And if you are already a fan dump all the other books into a Black Hole, or sell them on Amazon.com, and buy up these books.
The first book deals with Seasons 1 to 3, the First Doctor, and really gets into the details about EVERYTHING. The characters, the actors, the plot, the writers, the social and historical events that shaped each episode. Not just the origins of the show but the origins of each and every episode. Plots, merits, flaws, sets are dissected, broken down, and debated about. 288 pages of Doctor Who. Get it used or new.

For those of us not able to watch every episode, this is a good way to understand what has gone on.

They said complete and they mean complete. This is not a book for the novice. This is a highly comprehensive look at each episode, from the Unearthly Child and onwards. Each episode is examined for it's own issues, then looked at in how it fits the series, and how it fits the culture of the day. It's so detailed, this book only makes it through the first three seasons and there are a total of seven books covering the orignial series and I'm guessing we'll get the new series soon (he does mention the 2005 season).

If you are a detail junky, this is the book for you. The cross referencing of the culture of the day, BBC politics, actors issues, development of the story and so forth are facinating. It's kept me turning pages and running to order the next installment. It's a definite must for the hard core fan.

not only of the start of a great show, but also details British television history and pop culture to put it into a larger context. Sometimes academic, sometimes fanwankish, but never tiresomely pedantic or boring. Can't wait to pick up the next volumes.

It's so great to see Doctor Who making a resurgence. I've been avidly acquiring the DVDs as they come out to replace the four drawers full of rapidly decaying VHS tapes on which, as a high school student, I recorded every episode that aired on PBS. So, though I don't think I've ever reached the heights of rabidity of some, I guess you could say I'm a big fan of the series. And now I've been able to read a priceless manual for the fan--About Time. In it, Wood and Lawrence fulfill every desire of those of us who have spent much of our lives mulling over the series.

Compared to some of the other volumes in this series, I would expect that this one would be somewhat less popular. There are good reasons for this, of course. Primarily, this is because it covers the first three years of the series. These years of black & white transmission where many of the episodes have been lost struggle in popularity with some of the later Doctors. Which is too bad because, as the authors point out, the series was very experimental during this time as it set the tone for what would be common ideas as the series wore on.

For those of us who have a love and respect for Hartnell's tetchy Doctor, however, this book is fantastic. I, for one, was very interested in getting the background of stories about which I knew very little because the episodes were lost. Additionally, the authors simply offer a wealth of information. Not only do they provide facts about plot, cast and characters, but they also offer their point of view through analysis of continuity and "things that don't make sense" as well as critique of the stories. There is also a series of essays that look at some "big picture" questions like what makes the TARDIS work? can you rewrite history? what's the dalek timeline? did the BBC actually like Doctor Who? and many more.

If there's a problem in reading this book for me, it's that I am, unfortunately, rather young and certainly American. I never got to see these shows in their first run as they were designed to be seen. Nor do I understand some of the references about British TV, movies, and actors, which I'm sure are quite familiar to some readers. Still, I wouldn't have passed up reading this book for anything. I'm already working my way through volume 2.

Having spent some time doing undergrad recruiting work at 2 different companies, I can honestly say that there's no internship book out there that really prepares you better than talking to alumni of your school who are now working at your ideal company. Nonetheless, for the student who has little starting knowledge of internships, this is probably the best overall book.

I really liked this book. There aren't too many internships guides out there -- but this one's pretty neat. It gives the scoop on internships like Microsoft, Letterman, Intel, Nightline, etc. It's detailed and sassy -- not just a generic listing.

I used this book as my crutch all through college -- it got me 3 out of my 4 internships. It's the best internship book out there.

This guide is outstanding. For inside looks at the employers themselves, I'd also recommend the "Vault Reports" guides from VaultReports.com.

This is an incredible and useful guide if you are looking to explore what internships our out there and what you need to know to get into them. I was suprised the book covered so many different fields from MTV to The United Nations. Each listing is really clear and easy to understand. It lays out the facts and not the writers opinions. You also get to hear from other people who have compleated a interships and thier thoughts about how useful it was. I would not only recomend this book to college students, but to high school students as well. A job well done!

This book introduces four cultures : the Egyptians, the Mesopotamians, the Nubians and the Hittites. The author accurately presents aspects of these civilizations such as history, geography, architecture, clothing, food, religion, writing and labor. Children will enjoy themselves and become part of these ancient worlds by easily following the instructions of the activities. These include constructing a boat, cooking ancient food, creating clothes, and writing on clay. All in all, it is a fun and informative book for children ages 9 to 12.

this is a great book for children. there are lots of fun activity's as, well as alot of info. your children and you will find many interesting things to do. if you have children you will want to buy this book.

This is a gem of a book.As an educator and child psychologist(and parent!),I welcome this exceptional addition to the literary field.Though its defined audience is 9-12 I found ANCIENT EGYPTIANS AND THEIR NEIGHBORS;AN ACTIVITY GUIDE full of ideas and interesting facts.I admit I did not attempt the activities,but the text itself is exceptional--thoughtful and beautifully written as well as meticulously researched.Broida concentrates on four ancient neighboring cultures revealing what their lives were like.The activities give the child an opportunity to become part of these cultures, greatly enriching the reading experience.Let's hope this is only the first of a series.Congratulations to a talentd,innovative and intelligent author.

We use "Our Young Folks' Josephus" as our primary history spine which mentions all these cultures as they relate to Israel. What I like best about this book is that it covers cultures that are often not well represented in other books of this type, particularly the Nubians, Mesopotamians and Hittites. There are many craft activity guides available for Egypt, but nothing that I know of for these other cultures. The crafts are really well thought out and a lot of fun to do. They also have a lot of real learning value and are not just play. Our family highly recommends this book for the study of Ancient cultures.

So much more interesting than a textbook for our homeschool study of ancient history! This book covers not only the familiar Egyptian civilization but also several lesser-known yet equally important ones to whom we owe a great deal. For example, the Babylonians gave us our first written laws; the Sumerians gave us writing and the first real cities; the fierce Hittites discovered how to work iron. Children will remember what they learn in this book because the text is accompanied by recipes, crafts, and other activities. I recommend the Hittite Hummus myself.

Any XENA fan should just buy it ! Is just mildly irreverent, cuz the author really seems to have a warm spot in his heart for this show. The episode reviews are thought inspiring; however, the book needs an index & comprehensive TOC. The next volume or two, for the more recent seasons, are sorely overdue.

This is the ultimate Xena guide. Extremely well written! Greg Cox does an excellent job reviewing each episode with accurate facts and humerous observations. The first three seasons (I wish he would write one for seasons 4-6!) episodes are discussed along with their (possible) Mythological basis, subtex, highlights, and even an episode rating. There is also information on both Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor. If you are going to buy an episode guide this in the one to buy!

If you want a perfect reference for every Xena episode of the first three seasons that is enjoyable to read and very informational, this is the book for you. It makes up for its lack of pictures with great wit and an amazing style of writing. You learn a great deal about the origins of myths and the like. You even learn some ideas about possible symbolism in some of the episodes. This is a show that can always be read on many levels, and when this author peels away the top layer you do find much deeper ideas in many cases. Although I do not always agree with the "rating" he puts on every episode and I do not agree with every comment he makes, all in all it is a wonderful book that makes you think. And you can't agree with someone all of the time. I do respect him though for taking the time to make such a wonderful compendium to the greatest fantasy show in television history. Hopefully he'll create an updated version at the end of this year, to include the fourth and fifth seasons. I always reach for his book after I watch an old episode to read his ideas and I'm dying to be able to do that for the newer episodes also. Please, please write a sequel! In my opinion, the fifth season so far is the greatest Xena has ever had. It deserves a book from him, as does the fourth.

Although completely unauthorized, this is the finest book on Xena Warrior Princess. It contains reviews and insightful remark about the first three seasons of the show. Greg Cox also gives us a "reality check" in which discusses the actual historical/mythological context that the elements of each episode contain. He discusses continuity matters and character motives. He also included reviews of all the Hercules episodes that Xena and Gabrielle appear in. This is a book for fans written by a fan. Read, enjoy and Battle On! YiYiYiYiYiYiYiYiYiYiYiYi!

This book is a great companion when watching the reruns on the USA network. Unlike "official" books on Xena, the author is not afraid to question a bad episode, but fortunately that's seldom required. He does a great job cross referencing recurring actors, characters, scenery(!) and related Hercules episodes, and his remarks on historical tie-ins are really illuminating for a non-history buff like me. I bought this a year ago and I reference it almost daily. The writing is clear and clever, and obviously done with love for the show. Please, Greg, we need a volume 2! I recommend this over all other Xena books I've read.