O Books

This little book has some really inspiring stories suitable for sharing in a classroom situation or reading alone. It also makes a nice addition to graduation gifts for either highschool or college students.

This book is unique because it links every day experiences to scriptures and does it with humor and insight.

I first bought this book from a discount bin and planned on lending it or giving it to a friend. Then I thought of another friend who might like it. Then I realized there was no way I was parting with MY copy. So I just bought two more copies of this book to give to friends.

I have had a great relationship with God all of my life. But the Bible has never been easy for me to read or understand. Some verses I have to read over and over before I can figure out what the lesson is. This book, while not a "replacement" for reading the Bible, is a great compliment/companion to it. On each page, the book gives a funny "headline", accompanied by a related Bible verse and a "current real life" story explaining the meaning of the verse and making the verse and the lesson, more three dimensional. The book doesn't preach. It teaches lessons in an entertaining way. All while really making you think and bringing you closer to God.

Whether you are someone who feels that you need a 'gentle nudge' back in the direction of God or if you are someone who already has a close personal relationship with Him, there's something for everyone in this book.

What an exquisite book! The meditations are profound in their simplicity, and the illustrations are beautiful. This would be a lovely gift cherished for years to come.

Since our lives are filled with so many challenges, we sometimes just need a break in our day to nurture our souls. This book is filled with humorous stories and thoughtful messages to inspire and encourage you as you strive to become who God intends you to be.

I especially enjoyed reading the quote at the beginning of each devotional. Each message is linked to a pithy quotation and also verses from the Bible. They are very easy-to-read and the stories will make you think. You will find the stories will help you in your daily journey in life.

The issues of marriage, being content, wisdom, important decisions, character, success and various real-life issues are spoken of in such a friendly tone. You will just want to keep reading, but this is meant more for daily devotionals. You might be tempted to read more than one each day. Don't worry, I won't tell on you ;).

Here are two favorite quotes:

Our children are like mirrors-they reflect our attitudes in life. The best way to get the last word is to apologize.

If you enjoyed reading this book, I can also recommend the BreakThrough Series by Dr. Bruce H. Wilkinson. The Prayer of Jabez and Secrets of The Vine are wonderful devotionals which will bring you into a deeper understanding of prayer and your purpose here on this earth as a Christian.

This book came in a brown paper package a few months ago, and I saved it to be my hospital book (though it nearly killed me to see it sitting there so patiently on my shelf, waiting for the baby right along with me). What a book to read during those first few days with my new baby! As I savored the excitement of my new daughter, feeling much the way I remember feeling on the Christmas mornings of my single-digit years, Donna's book reminded me about the hard work and the bright rewards of motherhood. She doesn't gloss over the difficulty, nor does she make light of the responsibility. In this book, she does what she does so well - she encourages all of us mothers.

In the past few months, I've gotten to know Donna a bit, through her blogs and some emails we've exchanged, and reading this book was just like talking with Donna. Each chapter ends with prayer, the kind that you'll want to copy into your prayer book or post on your bathroom mirror. I felt the same sort of comfort in reading this book that I feel when I'm having a cup of tea with a dear friend. So go and grab a copy of this book and a steaming cup of tea. Donna has some words of encouragement for you!

I am a mother of soon to be 3 children ages 3 and under and have read THE HEART OF MOTHERHOOD and it has truly changed my life! The author's outlook on the vocation of motherhood could only have come from the Holy Spirit....Donna Marie Cooper Oboyle's writings are awe inspiring. I encourage all mothers to read this book. It is easy reading and one you can't put down. The writings of this book are ones you remember in the middle of the night when you are up with sick children and want to break down and cry or the days you don't know how you are going to make it through the day....the voice of this book sticks with you and truly helps you become a better mother and helps you to live a holy life at home. IT is a reminder of the true vocation of motherhood that has been lost in today's society.

This is exactly the book I was looking for. I am a stay at home Catholic mom who at times needs a few words of encouragement. It is hard to pray when the 3 year old is up at 5am, the 1 year old just went back to sleep, the 11 and 14 year old need to get up and be ready to go at 7:30 and I am trying to find time for a conversation with God. It is helpful to hear that everything we offer up for our children is a prayer. While I was reading this book I thought of friends and sisters who have and have not given up comfort and wealth to raise souls for God. The Chapter on the Cross made me think of my own Mother who lost my adult sister a few years ago. This book is highly recomended for moms and dads who suspect that there is more to life than what our culture is trying to sell us. God is love and the fullness of his love is in loving our children.

I've read MANY books about being Catholic, being a Mom & being a Catholic Mom...but none of them have touched my heart & mind the way this one did. It was SO common sense about how to weave our Catholicity into our daily lives when there are children at our feet before 5 AM (when it's near impossible to get up before them to pray...even if we really, really want to) and at night, we just pass out, not fall asleep. I read this book twice, have MUCH highlighting throughout & even bought a 2nd copy to give to my sil for her birthday this past Feb. Being a Mom can seem to be a thankless job, being a stay-at-home mom is less than respected in today's society and being a Catholic Mom in the truest sense of the word, can be rougher than anything else I could imagine. Using the practical wisdom in this book helped me to see that even though I can't physically be on my knees in prayer, my heart can be bowed down & focused on Our Lord all day, everyday, keeping my focus on the true Heart of (Catholic) Motherhood.

During May, Mary's month and the month in which we celebrate the vocation of motherhood, it seems fitting to write about what is undoubtedly one of my favorite mothering books in recent years. The Heart of Motherhood: Finding Holiness in the Catholic Home by noted author Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle offers and encouraging and inspirational look at the vocation of motherhood.

In her introductory remarks, Donna-Marie shares that today's mothers need encouragement and recognition. Her mission statement for the book comes in these early pages:

"My hope is that I can help more mothers realize and embrace the sublimity of their missions as mothers, responsible for the souls entrusted to our care."

Having savored the pages of this book through several readings, I would say that Cooper O'Boyle manages to hit that mark head on. Among the highlights of this book, along with Donna-Marie's warm and engaging writing style, are the many quotations she shares from two luminaries of our Church: Pope John Paul II and Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, with whom the author shared a personal correspondence. The Heart of Motherhood is the type of parenting book I favor most. Concise enough to be read in a few short settings, yet thought provoking enough to invite its reader back repeatedly for in depth illumination. Each chapter ends with dual prayers, inspiring pause and reflection upon the content discussed.

In her chapter on the need for saints in our world today, Cooper O'Boyle shares the life story of Mother Teresa, reminding readers that each of us is called to be a saint in our own walk of life. It is fitting that the author reminds mothers that any task, done with love, becomes an act of faith, love and prayer. In this manner, she commends and affirms the role of any mother who may feel that the mendacity of her day to day lives is not "good enough" or sufficiently holy. Remarks by Pope John Paul II reinforce the dignity of the role of every mother. Cooper O'Boyle also underscores the vital necessity for mothers to take breaks for prayer and refreshment throughout the course of their daily familial service.

As Catholics, we have in the Blessed Virgin Mary the greatest role model for parenting with faith and love. Cooper O'Boyle reminds mothers to strive to imitate Mary and her virtues in their lives and to turn to Mary, mother of Jesus and our mother, when in need of help or consolation. Additionally, she reminds mothers of their duty to pray on a regular basis, to teach their children to lead lives of constant prayer, and to seek out opportunities for evangelization in our everyday relationships. The age old conundrum of taking small children to Mass is lovingly and patiently discussed as the author shares her own experience as a mother of five. Donna-Marie encourages mothers to pray throughout their day and to model this prayer to their families. Families should emphasize family dinner as a time of spiritual and physical nourishment and each day should end in quiet prayer with our children.

In subsequent chapters, Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle shares the story of female saints whose lives of quiet service to their families shine as a true lesson for today's mothers. Additionally, and with great charm, Donna-Marie addresses the topic of suffering as a form of prayer and encourages mothers to look for life's "everyday miracles", those moments of grace and opportunity that are sprinkled throughout family life.

I have loved and followed the progression of Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle's writing from her previous book [...]. With The Heart of Motherhood: Finding Holiness in the Catholic Home it is certain that Donna-Marie continues to encourage and support the vocation of motherhood with gentle and loving care.

How could this man have read every thought of mine over 100 years before my birth?! Timeless truth in all of his writings...not just this one. This is a most intimate example being his personal journal. Every word, every well thought out phrase speaks to my heart and idea of what truth should look and sound like. It should make you catch your breath and Thoreau absolutely accomplishes this for me.

We all know Walden and some of the other famous essays but the journals are sometimes hard to get through. This book of excerpts provides some of the gems from the journals and shows Thoreau in a new way.

The Heart Of Thoreau's Journals provides readers with an intimate glimpse into the heart and mind of American literature's premier individualist. Consolidated into 218 concise pages by Odell Shepard from the 39 volumes Thoreau left behind upon his death at 45 in 1862, the journals reveal Thoreau as an irreverent and shrewd observer of the human character who was happily fated with the gift of forever seeing the king riding proudly in public without clothes ("The mass never comes up the standard of its best member, but on the contrary degrades itself to the level with the lowest," "After all, the field of battle possesses many advantages over the drawing - room. There is at least no room for pretension or excessive ceremony, no shaking of hands or rubbing of noses, which makes one doubt your sincerity, but hearty as well as hard hand - play. It at least exhibits one of the faces of humanity, the former only a mask," "This lament for a golden age is only a lament for golden men").

Requiring solitude in the manner most require food and shelter, the philosophical, ascetic Thoreau lived most of his life in isolation ("The poet must keep himself unstained and aloof") as an ardent lover and keen observer of the natural world ("All of nature is my bride," "My profession is to be always on the alert to find God in nature, to know his lurking - places, to attend all the oratorios, the operas, in nature"). A comedic misanthrope ("I have lived some thirty - odd years on this planet, and I have yet to hear the first syllable of valuable or even earnest advice from my seniors," "The society of young women is the most unprofitable I have ever tried"), Thoreau also wrote with sympathy, understanding, and concern about the townspeople whose company he preferred not to keep. Even his plain - spoken contempt for the boorish, the smug, the pretentious and the assertively conformist ("What men call social virtues, good fellowship, is commonly but the virtue of pigs in a litter, which lie close together to keep each other warm") was often tempered with humanity and matter - of - fact acceptance for the inevitable variations of man's psychology. The simple, the genuine, the uncomplicated and the sincere came in for high marks in Thoreau's estimation of people, places, and things.

A Harvard graduate who was born and spent most of his life in New England, bachelor Thoreau set the standard and defined the blueprint for all introverted American artists and thinkers to come. Though Thoreau wrote incessantly and found work as a lecturer, schoolteacher, editor, and tutor at different periods of his life, he typically worked as a gardener, handyman or land surveyor, and spent a particularly frustrating period working in his father's pencil factory. Though he knew himself to be misunderstood by most, Thoreau was uncomplaining ("Ah! How I have thriven on solitude and poverty! I cannot overstate this advantage"), confident, ultimately self - satisfied, and generally unconcerned with what, if anything, future generations would make of him. The respect, acknowledgement, and honor of society meant far less to him than his day - to - day, moment - to - moment freedom to continue to enjoy his perceptions, sensations, and ideas, which he rightfully understood to be his life's work and birthright.

As one of the founders of Transcendentalism, the idealistic Thoreau was a dryly passionate believer in man's capacity to overcome mundane (and often self - imposed) obstacles, identify and focus his attention on the eternal fundamentals of life, and enjoy personal communion with God by utilizing nature as a lens. The journals abound with declarative passages which readers have found enlightening, guiding, and inspirational for generations ("Despair and postponement are cowardice and defeat. Men were born to succeed, and not to fail," "We forever and ever and habitually underrate our fate...ninety - nine and one - hundredths of our lives we are mere hedgers and ditchers, but from time to time we meet with reminders of our destiny"). Thoreau's journals, along with key American text and masterpiece Walden, represent the cream of his work.

I found this book on the shelf at my school's library after I had read a selection of Ralph Waldo Emerson's in which he praised Thoreau for being a particularly clear-seeing individual. I had never read Thoreau and did not know who he was, but this book immediately became my most valued possession after my own journal.

The editor did a wonderful job of selecting from Thoreau's many (often tedious) writings those that offer most in the way of communicating what he felt about life, love, society, government, death, religion, nature, science, beauty and self. The writing is in many ways flawless. Along with Emerson and Whitman, Thoreau embodied the spirit of American Transcendentalism, the philosphy under which one aspired to realize a word beyong the physical and social world. "The Heart of Thoreau's Journals" is the best evidence that Henry David Thoreau realized such a world and lived contently in it many of the days of his life.

This book is probably the best possible choice for anyone looking to read or know Thoreau. It is necessarily as honest as any other work. And unlike "Walden" or other commercially-produced works, it lacks the endless musings and explanations of ideas and events for the audience's information. It is only the bare naked thoughts and feelings of the author. I would suggest it as preliminary reading for anyone who wants to read his other books. It will give you the foundation of an appreciation for Thoreau that puts all other work in proper perspective.

I once sat through a very snide speech, by a very snide editor, who pontificated in a very snide manner, that "no one wants to read your journals." This editor was of course a fool- the very best writing is to be found in personal journals. Nowhere is this demonstrated to be more true than in Thoreau's. Or as he himself put it,"The writer who postpones the recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole with. He cannot inflame the minds of his audience." Well, these writings inflame the mind. Thoreau was that rarest of of divine gifts, a true Individual. I often wonder if he did not represent the highest point that anyone in our society ever reached- the high water mark of a civilization before steam engines, corporations, and mass education reduced us to our present state.

I was concerned that the journals might suffer by editing, especially if an academic type with a deconstructionist ax to grind got his hands on them. Mr. Shepard's brief introduction put my mind to rest. He obviously has a close sympathy with the spirit of Henry David Thoreau and his selections are masterful. As Shepard puts it: "With a fit audience, though few, he is likely to win a more thoughtful reading now that individuals are so obviously withering among us, now that men are quite obviously enslaved by machines, now that we have floundered about as far as we can in the bogs of stupidity, greed, and cowering compliance that he warned us against long ago."

If _Walden_ spoke to you, these journal entries will speak even more strongly to you. This is the spring from which _Walden_ and all the rest sprang. This is the soul of Thoreau. It is the soul of the true America before the Byzantine rot set in.

There is one line from the very first year of the journals that has never ceased to inspire me: "All fear of the world or consequences is swallowed up in a manly anxiety to do Truth justice."

Dr. Makarowski has hit on something that can carry over to all aspects of adult life, making this much more than a simple parenting book. Scripps Howard News Service

I think the general approach and specific techniques advocated in How To Keep Your C.O.O.L. With Your Kids is excellent. I especially endorse the emphasis placed on the parent/adult effecting change in their own behavior as a means of not only increasing their own effectiveness, but avoiding making the situation even worse. I am not aware of any other resources available that adopts this approach and I'm sure this book will prove to be a valuable tool for parents. A. Mitch Cooper, Ph.D.

One of the best books I have read in the last twenty years...first of its kind...applications are universal...great benefit to me, my administrators, teachers, parents and ultimately the students that are served in my school district.. an effective informational vehicle to educate parents...I particularly liked the sample exercises and the protocols from which individual and group work might be initiated...very powerful...It integrates behavior and stress management techniques with practical parenting strategies. I believe that this melding will prove useful to many conscientious parents with school age children. Frank Cranley, Superintendent of Schools

How To Keep Your C.O.O.L. With Your Kids is a practical helpful book for parents. It offers parents practical advice on dealing with their children that is based on solid psychological principles.

Guy T. Doyal, Ph.D.,

This book helped me look at some of my own situations in a new light and I almost cried when I realized that I had been sending some very negative messages without ever intending to to my children. It taught me to see how I would react if someone was sending those very same messages to me -- and I found out that I would have probably reacted the same as my children did (defiantly, angrilly). The author reminds us that our kids are not perfect and we can't expect perfection from them at all times. And that kids who are harder to be around can cause us to tense up even when they just walk into the room (a nonverbal sign that we don't mean to send, but the kid probably picks up). I have done better around my kids and have had at least two or three encounters that really, really tested me and would have sent me through the roof in the past, but I was able to get through with great results without screaming. Of course, I still slip up, I'm definitely not perfect, but the book says that is all part of the learning process. And I know I've gotten better and hope to keep on working on what the author has taught me.

"...a high-quality, hard-cover, beautifully crafted book, which could be a gift, a prize possession of a golfing fan or player-or to anyone who enjoys a little humor."

"The Humorous Golf Poetry of Tom Edwards is quite a good read. I got a kick out of it and I'm a pretty tough critic."

"...a delightful new book...Although I'd rather be beaten with sticks as play golf, I thoroughly enjoyed reading his [Edwards'] witticisms. Edwards may not have mastered the game itself, but he is a gifted wordsmith when it comes to describing his sport in verse."

I got this book as a gift. Being an avid golfer I thought it was a hoot. I'm getting more for gifts. Great illustrations too.

Tom Edwards slim book is packed with whimsey and verse so charming that every golfer needs one in his bag. Clever drawings only amplify the twists of rhyme that lead one down the fairway between sand trap and trees. Fresh, quotable lines for venting the frustration only the game of golf can create. This book was more refreshing to read than eighteen holes on an empty green.

What a book! It is so easy to read and understand. I wish this book was around when I was going for my BSME. It is a great reference book that all designers should have on their shelves.

This book is so interesting to browse through. As a mechanical engineer I really appreciate it, and it comes in handy for getting ideas. Great illustrations and descriptions! I highly recommend it.

I am a farmer who enjoys making machinery. I design my contraptions on paper, then using a CAD program to refine the designs. Having no training in engineering I am frequently using references such as "Machinery's Handbook" and "Moving The Earth" and "Mark's Standard handbook of Mechanical Engineering" and others.
I have to say, that Parmley's book is a treasure trove of information, with heaps of unusual ideas for common compnents such as O-rings, rubber balls, pipe connections, washers and many others, plus hard information about more complex components such as gearboxes, cams, governors etc etc.
This is a big book, with many pages (numbering within each section only), lovely clear diagrams, and enough but not too many tables, formulae and specifications. It can be browsed cover to cover, (as I am doing for the 2nd or 3rd time), open a page at random and be fascinated, or look up specific topics in the excellent index.
I have read the other reviews on this book, and clearly it is a valuable rescource to professionals. I can tell you that it is also a fantastic mine of information to the interested amateur.

This volume contains the most comprehensive list of mechanical components and variations on any given theme that I've seen in one place. Additionally there are significant extensions to computation methods and overviews not found elsewhere. It is an extremely high value book.

The last few favourable reviews cover my thoughts well, but I would like to add that this large volume far exceeded my expectations in terms of both depth of content and quality. This is an amazing value for anyone who works with mechanical components. While its focus is on illustrations of the components themselves, it also includes detailed explanations with graphs, formulae, etc. So it's also a how-to book of sorts. I also purchased a companion volume "Mechanisms and Mechanical Devices Sourcebook", which I also highly recommend.

I really liked this book! I have studied reiki a lot before coming across this book. What I liked about the book was: authentic/passionate/in depth/no fluff/caring authors! They really wanted to know where reiki came from and why.
Here in the US we want stuff faster and now...
I like how the authors want you to truly take your time and get/understand level 1 before moving on to level 2 then 3.
No shotgun wedding here:)
I run an energy meet up in Boulder for all energy healing types, and when asked which reiki I recommend, I say the International House of Reiki.

I am a Reiki Master and I love to check out books on the subject whenever I can. I was recommended the Reiki Sourcebook, by the same authors, through an online Reiki group. I ended up buying this book as well because I was interested to see Reiki from a more traditional view. I was not disappointed. Both books are very unbiased and easy to follow. Very very informative and original. I was pretty sick of books retelling Reiki histoy and the new age type "airy fairy" take on Reiki. Although there is some history in Sourcebook it is not as dry and overdone as other books. It seems to also be better researched by the authors.
These two books were a breath of fresh air and I had a hard time putting them down. I actually enjoyed The Japanese Art of Reiki more than the Source Book. I thought it was more in-depth on techniques and the practical side of Reiki, which was what I was looking for. It gives you a view of Reiki as a solid daily routine. It just seemed to click with me better than some of what I was taught in my Reiki classes. This book has a lot I have not seen in any other book. The Sourcebook is more of general take on things. Though, there is not much redundant material in each if you buy them together. ( I highly recommend you do) If I could only have two Reiki books it would be these. If I could only have one it would be Japanese Art of Reiki.

There is so much emphesus that Reiki is only about healing others, when in fact..."Reiki is about self-practice, self-responsibility and personal development."
This book takes you back in time to what reiki is on a personal level, and what Usui-sensei originally taught. Reiki was not meant to be of just "palm healing" only, becoming a Reiki master/teacher and just healing others, look inside yourself and listen, Reiki is all about "you"!
Get the book, read it and when you are done, read it AGAIN! There is no other book that can compare!

Whether you are new to Reiki energy or have been practicing for years, this book will give you the knowledge and awareness of a comprehensive approach to using Reiki for self healing. You will come to understand the true history of Reiki, and then move on to learn the various techniques used in Japanese Reiki which will allow you to deepen your practice. These techniques are rarely taught in Western courses, which are typically greatly abbreviated, and often filled with misinformation.

Bronwen and Stiene have built a rock solid reputation for the accuracy and integrity of their work.

This book is a "must have" as it takes the reader to the Shinto/Japanese spiritual roots of Reiki and where Reiki comes from. This book has become my Reiki bible and has deepened my practice. When you perform the exercises, as specified, the energy is undescrible and so very spiritual as it takes the participant to another place and space. If you purchase no other Reiki book this is the book to have.

These Bibles were purchased for my grandchildren. They love them and they are colorful but they are complete KJV Bibles which was hard to find in stores for kids.

I was so happy with my purchase. My son is 9 1/2 and he was very intriqued with all of the pages that helped him look up stuff that he found interesting.

For those committed to the use of the Authorized Version of the Holy Bible this is an excellent resource for children of all ages. There are many helpful features to keep the child's interest in addition to the faithful text of the King James. Most importantly, there are no pictures of the Saviour. Most of the children in our church now have a copy.

I purchased this Bible for my then 4 year old son. He was begging for a Bible that we could use to study in at night. We searched forever to find a King James Version children's Bible. When I found this one and saw all of the great reviews, I knew it would be perfect. Now that he is learning to read, it is perfect for him. He is able to follow along with our pastor during church service and the extra little sections and study guides are perfect for us to use at bedtime. The illustrations usually catch his eye and give us a place to start studying. I highly recommend it. I am thinking about getting one for myself!

I purchased 2 copies of the KJV Kids' Study Bible. One for my daughter on her 8th birthday, and one for my son who was 10 at the time. Now, 4 years later, I am so pleased with the study design that I am purchasing a leather-bound copy for myself! (Mind you, I have other Bibles: purse size, chronological, red-letter, you name it.) But at this time in my life, I find the Kids' Study Bible to be the ideal companion in my morning exercise/devotion schedule. Thank you for designing such a wonderful Bible product.

Like all Langenscheidt Dictionaries I have come across, its quality is great. Anybody who has used a Langenscheidt knows what I am talking about. But what I like about this one especially is the perfect size, since it is small enough for taking along in a bag, yet not too short. The material of the cover is superb because it is beautiful, as well as easy to clean if needed, and it is flexible as a paperback, but lasts in good shape for a long time (as I have seen until now, it lasts like forever).

This is one of the better German dictionaries I've come across. It is perfect for college or high school use.

The covers are a thick plastic-type of material which makes this volume stay together much longer, especially if it's put in a backpack and lugged around a lot (as mine is).

The pages are SNOW WHITE and very easy to read, unlike the HarperCollins (ISBN 0062737503) which has newspaper-colored pages. The font is kind of small but that shouldn't be a problem for most college and high school students.

This is called a "pocket dictionary" which makes it sound small but it is not really that small. It's a little bit larger than an average sized romance novel, and a little bit wider. It's very thick and heavy and when I stood it up against a pop can for size comparison it's about a half an inch taller than the pop can.

The pronunciations are given in IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet), which I consider a plus. IPA is not hard to learn and German pronunciation is pretty straight-forward anyway. If you can spell a word, you automatically know how it's pronounced.

All in all I REALLY like this dictionary and I think it serves the purpose of being a college dictionary really well.

I started using this dictionary in 1999 when I had my first German class. Six years later my German comprehension has finally reached university level and I still find myself using it for quick references. I very rarely have not been able to find a word in this compact dictionary, and its compactness is by far its best quality. All the relative articles are given (unlike many beginners dictionaries), although there is no pronunciation guide. I also love how it shows no signs of wear and tear after almost daily use. For a source with more in depth references I strongly recommend http://dict.leo.org/ (from the Technical University of Munich). This is especially true for translators that have to know what a certain word in different contexts means.

This dictionary was a required book for my lower-level college German classes, and I can see why. I also have a Webster's German dictionary, and I am not as pleased with it as I am with the Langenscheidt. It is a great size to carry about in your bag, and, despite all the use (and abuse!) it has seen, mine is still in really good shape. In fact, I liked this so well that I have two copies - one for my desk at home, and the other to keep in my bag for school. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good, usable German dictionary.

This book has survived being stuffed into my bookbag everyday for several school years, and I've taken it with me on a trip to Germany. I'm planning on taking it with me when I go to Germany in a few weeks. The spine hasn't broken and the plastic cover hasn't torn. It's rare that I haven't been able to find the word that I needed in this book, and the list of irregular verbs is very helpful. I own two German-English dictionaries, and, in spite of the fact that the other one is thicker and looks more likely to be useful, I absolutely prefer this one.

I am very happy with this book: it's easy to read, the structure is very intuitive and logical, and everything you need to know is covered. If you're just starting with WCF and you're looking for an excellent resource on the subject, look no further.

Great tutorials and help on author's website. Definately a book for someone who needs to start from the beginning!

This is an absolutely awesome book for those new to WCF, experienced in WCF development and looking at tuning their skills, or trainers looking for quality material for their students (I used this book to prep for the Instructor Led Lab session I delivered at Tech.Ed Australia 2007 and I know the two attendees I gave copies too were also extremely impressed with its content).
Every topic discussed in this book is reinforced with hands-on-labs and code examples in both VB.NET and C# and Michele has also delivered a 15 part series titled "Windows Communication Foundation Top to Bottom" based on the book (see my blog at [...] for a detailed review of each presentation).
If you're serious about WCF, this is the book to get.

You may want to acquire various other WCF books for depth, but if you're just getting started with WCF, this is the book you want. There isn't another book out there that compares to it. It's cleanly written and nicely balances conceptual material on service orientation with the practicalities of Windows Communication Foundation.

Many other books on WCF take the form of a "brain dump" on WCF features, or get bogged down in conceptual discussion of Service Oriented Architecture. Instead, Ms. Bustamante has a very clear, logical path from simple WCF features to more complex. You won't be overwhelmed early, but you will eventually get to most of the advanced features you'll likely need. Other books, such as Juval Lowy's Programming WCF Services (Programming), can pick up at that point for the really advanced topics.

Many of the chapters contain step-by-step labs, and you can get working end results from the author's web site. They start easy and build nicely through more complex concepts.

The sample code in the book is in C#, but if you happen to be a Visual Basic developer (as I am), you're not left out. Many of the labs and samples are also available in VB on the author's web site.

The book was unfortunately published too early to include definite coverage of the Visual Studio 2008 features for automatically generating some of the code you need to use WCF. Those capabilities are in the Visual Studio 2008 beta now and will be released in the next few months. Some of the labs could have been simplified by using those Visual Studio features. But, on the positive side, working through the labs in more detail will give you a more in-depth understanding of the subject and enable you to use the Visual Studio features more effectively.

This is a very good book to get started quickly with WCF. Specially useful are the setup instructions and the section on hosting, which can be big gotchas with new technologies like this one. The section on security is a nice touch.

Here is the table of contents in case you are wondering:

Chapter 1. Hello Indigo
Section 1.1. Service Oriented Architecture
Section 1.2. WCF Services
Section 1.3. Fundamental WCF Concepts
Section 1.4. Creating a New Service from Scratch
Section 1.5. Generating a Service and Client Proxy
Section 1.6. Hosting a Service in IIS
Section 1.7. Exposing Multiple Service Endpoints
Section 1.8. Summary
Chapter 2. Contracts
Section 2.1. Messaging Protocols
Section 2.2. Service Description
Section 2.3. WCF Contracts and Serialization
Section 2.4. Service Contracts
Section 2.5. Data Contracts
Section 2.6. Message Contracts
Section 2.7. Approaches to Serialization
Section 2.8. The Message Type
Section 2.9. Summary
Chapter 3. Bindings
Section 3.1. How Bindings Work
Section 3.2. Web Service Bindings
Section 3.3. Connection-Oriented Bindings
Section 3.4. One-Way and Duplex Communication
Section 3.5. Large Message Transfers
Section 3.6. Custom Bindings
Section 3.7. Summary
Chapter 4. Hosting
Section 4.1. Hosting Features
Section 4.2. ServiceHost
Section 4.3. Self-Hosting
Section 4.4. Hosting on the UI Thread
Section 4.5. Hosting in a Windows Service
Section 4.6. Hosting in IIS 6.0
Section 4.7. IIS 7.0 and Windows Activation Service
Section 4.8. Choosing the Right Hosting Environment
Section 4.9. Summary
Chapter 5. Instancing and Concurrency
Section 5.1. OperationContext
Section 5.2. Instancing
Section 5.3. Concurrency
Section 5.4. Instance Throttling
Section 5.5. Load Balancing and Failover
Section 5.6. Summary
Chapter 6. Reliability
Section 6.1. Reliable Sessions
Section 6.2. Transactions
Section 6.3. Queued Calls
Section 6.4. Summary
Chapter 7. Security
Section 7.1. WCF Security Overview
Section 7.2. Securing Intranet Services
Section 7.3. Securing Internet Services
Section 7.4. Working with Certificates
Section 7.5. Building a Claims-Based Security Model
Section 7.6. Exploring Federated Security
Section 7.7. Summary
Chapter 8. Exceptions and Faults
Section 8.1. SOAP Faults
Section 8.2. WCF Exception Handling
Section 8.3. Exceptions and Debugging
Section 8.4. Fault Contracts
Section 8.5. IErrorHandler
Section 8.6. Summary
Appendix A. Setup Instructions
Section A.1. Database Setup
Section A.2. ASP.NET Provider Model Setup
Section A.3. Certificate Setup
Section A.4. IIS Application Directories
Appendix B. ASP.NET Meets CardSpace
Section B.1. Information Cards and CardSpace: A Brief Tour
Section B.2. Identity Metasystem Participants and Browser Flow
Section B.3. Let's Log In with CardSpace!
Section B.4. Processing the Token
Section B.5. Associating Cards with User Accounts
Section B.6. Creating a Dual Purpose Login Page
Section B.7. Conclusion