Education Books

I really found this book totally real. I lived in the Gaza. I have seen what it is like to live like the character in the book. I have seen houses destroyed just because the owners are Palestinians instead of Israelis. I've seen my mother bury her brother during the last Intafada. This is a wake up call to see injustice as it is. This story is so beautiful that everybody should buy a copy for themselves and then a friend. There is more truth here than the Bible. Check it out. If you don't, then you are really missing out on something, especially the truth. The world needs to get real with the people who are doing time there. The world needs to see what it looks like to be homeless, hungry and scared. I don't have a father. The war took him first and then our home away. This is a fabulous book! It is worth five million words. Forget about Opray's bookclub, join mine. This is real stuff. This is how people live and why they die! Check it out!

I have two uncles buried in Gaza. I have an aunt that cannot go back to where she was born. My family owns land that they need a visa to even visit. It this a made up story? No way! Is the character fiction? You have to be kidding! Do people really live this way? Of course, turn on the television. Its on Al-Jazeera all day! Get the book and feel what's real. See what Americans choose not to believe. See why Palestinians use bombs as painkillers! It doesn't feel good but it makes it all over. This is a great book, so where is the Pulitzer prize? This book is all about what is real. It you are a Palestinian then it is your story and you need to buy it. If you are an Arab, check out the lives of your people. If you are a human, read it and weep! It's the way it is and the way that has to change.

This book represents many ideas and feelings beyond previously ones expressed. Suicide bombing is an old story but one gains a new perspective with this beautifully written fiction. Once you understand the nature of a man's pain, hatred is lessen and compassion becomes rooted.
The Palestinians are truly a misunderstood people. It is an extremely sad affair.

I love fiction and this is a really good one, but it is so sad. I like fairy tale endings and you are not going to find one here. The main character blows herself up in a crowded theater. There is more realness here than fantasy. This is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. Once I began to read the book I realized that it was the story of a real life. I enjoyed it writing and I was touched. It took a lot of tissue but I got the point the author was trying to make. I don't ever think I will forget such a moving story and I will probably read it again. It is a keeper and one of those lessons you look for in a good movie. The girl in the story was so human, I could almost see her while she walked along her destructive path. Add it to your summer reading list. It is pretty deep.

So many books on the tragic situation in the Middle East speak of the issues without delving into the heart of the human beings there. This work is moving and opens the heart to the soul of the Palestinians and their very disappointing situation. This story is about a tragedy of the heart. I strongly suggest that this story be taken beyond the mind. I hardly consider it a fiction when the feelings are so real. Bravo!

Hello everyone ! I bought this book cause I need it !
Not only for a better understanding of max tools but for the entire process of making of a good 3d movie animation !
Well,this book acomplish its purpose !The book pass through every stages of this process !Congratulations for the author and for his clarity expositions !

I just received my copy, this is not much of a review but I have a question, i will update this as soon as i have my review.
My question: is it normal that the book comes with 2 cd-roms? And why are on the 2 cd-roms the same data?

This is a great book on completing a project, it helps in every respect, lots of tutorials, references, information, examples etc....
One thing is not mentioned, to complete these projects, you will need more then 3DS Max 6, you will need to have Adobe PREMIER to make/edit the movie, for special effects & more, you will need COMBUSTION 3, even though it is not necessary but it will be essential for a complete animation, you will need to have a sound editing software like Cakewalk's SONIC or something similar and of course Adobe Photoshop.
I am very happy with the book, and have already started planning & sketching a storyboard plus modeling the environment I will use, my characters are almost ready, but because of this fantastic book, I didn't know about the sound editing and the movie editing outside of 3DS Max requiered to finish a movie, now with this book I will complete my animation project.

This book is a very good surprise. It's very complete, well explained, very clear.

That book contains exacly what is said on the cover.. So no deception possible! (An exemple that Sanford Kennedy shoud follow because his book about 3ds max 5 is terrible, a total desaster.)

So this is the book to buy! Thank you Mr Barret Fox.

He shows how he developed, boarded, modeled, textured, rigged & animated the 3 figures shown on the cover. He doesn't wander off on side issues, nor does he gloss over the tricky parts. The book comes with a CD of usable models and scenes so you can see what and how he did it.


One word of warning is the author assumes the reader is advanced on the subject - don't get this book if you need a basic how-to animate with computer book.

This is a terrific resource and one that I have been using all year in my classroom. We have begun using this book as a book study for a Professional Learning Community at our school for those teaching K-3. My Grade One class has never loved writing more and their enthusiasm for writing has been tremendous.

This book will definitely aid in developing your 6 + 1 writing classroom. It is filled with classroom ideas and great picture books to use to enhance each lesson.

This is a fantastic tool for lower elementary teachers. This is how writing should be assessed. This book is a practical tool. It includes practice assessments and lots of student example papers to help you better understand each trait and how to evaluate it. It also includes many wonderful teaching ideas and picture book examples!

I agree with the positive reviews. The concepts and lessons are great. However, this book must be "all the rage" because when I went online to purchase the trade book from the first lesson plan, I could not find it for less than $50! Of course, you can substitute in your own book selections, but if you want to rely on the lessons as written you MAY not be able to find every book. [...]

We asked. We pleaded. We begged, "Pretty pleeease." Ruth Culham responded to our request with great enthusiasm with 6+1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for the Primary Grades. And teachers across the globe cheered, "Wahoo!" Finally, a resource book for primary educators who have been searching for child tested ideas that tackle instructional strategies and assessment techniques in one comprehensive book. Thank you, Ruth, for doing a wonderful job of explaining each trait, equipping us with developmentally appropriate focus lessons, and reminding us that teaching writing to young authors is a process in which they need plenty of practice and opportunities, and an extra helping of patience on our part doesn't hurt. This must have book for all teachers - novice and experienced alike - won't be another resource that is shelved after a quick glance. It will be close at hand as it is used throughout the year to help develop the talents of young writers.

I have been in real estate since 1979 and after reading this book I have found from the interviews new ideas and ways how I can do things differently in my own business. It stimulated my thinking reading about the success many of the professionals that were intereviewed. I truly believe that this book should be given to every new licensed agent to read and find out from the success of others how they can also be successful. We forget that new licensees need a road map about how to do their own business and they need to see from examples what it takes to make it.

I want to thank the writer, Dr. Margot Weinstein for taking the time to interview these seasoned and successful professionals and giving me new ideas how to do things differently. It is an inspirational book and easy to read. It is a great guide for all real estate brokers to teach their new agents on their team or in their office how to do business in real estate.

I only wish I had this book when I was starting out in real estate but even now, I share it with others and I'm proud to have met the author Dr. Margot Weinstein. I have also been at a conference where she has interviewed the FIABCI World President, Owen Gwyn. Dr. Margot Weinstein is a success in her own life and she is now sharing it through writing about other successful people. Thank you and a Great Job! Sincerely, Dagmar C. Sands
Broker/Owner of Real Estate International, Inc.
President of Heart Smart Properties, LLC
CIPS,FIPC,FIREC,ABR
www.DagmarSands.com
www.WorldClassRealEstateBroker.com
www.HeartSmartProperties.com

Margot Weinstein succeeded in extracting a number of important career development competencies from practice. This book is not theoretical in nature, which makes it very accessible. It takes real life situations and problems as examples and builds on these in order to define and enhance career success. A good read for anyone interested in expanding their own career potential.

Dr. Weinstein uses her talents as an introspective interviewer to offer a roadmap to successful career development. As a doctoral student, I have used this book to carve out my own niche in my industry of choice and have recommended it to several people who are considering a career change or are just getting started.

I consider this required reading for anyone that is still searching for that perfect life balance.

One thing this book did for me was to push me past the fear of how hard it may be to be successful. As I went from chapter to tchapter and did the exercises, there were times I wanted to put the book down, veg out in front of the television and try to creep back into the phoney satisfaction of having a job that just gets me by financially. But I knew I craved something bigger and more lucrative that I could pour myself into.

As I journeyed through Dr. Margot's book, I began to discover more about myself, my passions and a career I needed to pursue. I became motivated to organize my life and set aside time to contemplate my career change. I chose a different form of education because I realized the path I was on was not one I was passionate about.

I'm still on this journey, but I am definitely more equipped to make choices that are better suited to my personality and dreams because of reading this book.

Simply The Best
Thank You, Margot for writing this book. In these changing times with all the downsizing, mergers and job losses, your book truly gives an individual a roadmap for finding that perfect career in these uncertain times.

This book provides me with many leadership building activities to use in my classes at school. The various activities teach communication skills and goal setting,along with games that encourage making good and healthy choices. Marvelous resource for sponsors and teachers who emphasize being good role models!

I am a teacher in an alternative high school and was fortunate enough to meet Tom Jackson in person at a conference just a few weeks ago. He did many of his "lessons" with us and they were fabulous. I went and bought all of his books and now can't wait for the school year to start so I can use his lessons on my students!

Activities that teach has worked very well for us. We use the activities in our 4-H Club. Members age range is between 9 and 18. This book has provided activities that promote thought and sportsmanship. The members have enjoyed working through the activities.

This book is awesome for teachers!! I am a Home Ec. teacher for Middle School and I use at least one of these activities per day! It's great for all grades and can be simplified if needed.

I use this book teaching Health to grades 6-8. It contains a variety of activities that are great supplements to units for social isssues, decision making, alcohol, smoking, drugs & more. Most of the hands on activities involve every student in the class, so they really remember the message!. Discussion questions are listed after each lesson. I started using this book by borrowing it from another teacher, now I've got my own copy.

This is an outstanding book. What I appreciate most about it is its thoughtfulness. Where other books present statistics and give only brief attention to very important topics, this book presents a fair, smart, and thorough account of the World of Admissions and encourages you to sit down and think about things, guiding you along each step of the process.

"Admission Matters" attracted me for a number of reasons--the background, experience and knowledge of the authors is compelling, but moreover I chose this book because as the parent of three with two already in college and the third an applicant now, I was hopeful that I would find new details and advice regarding the competitive hurdles that my youngest will be facing. My hopes were more than fulfilled! This book is an engaging and informative resource that blends just the right amount of humor, candor, anectodal details, encouragement and reality for parents and their college bound kids. It is also organized to facilitate quick reads of sections and question areas of greatest interest. This is a refreshing and valuable guide in the high-anxiety sea of college planning.

The best book I read so far. As an admission consultant, I think it covers the basic information that parents and kids should know. I even met her in person this year. There is one little problem about this book - it is two years old. So new things happened within these two years have not yet been covered, such as the SMART grant (new for year 2007).

As a high school senior, I've been having the usual problems with finding a college that I feel is right for me, and then actually going about the process of applying. Not only was this book helpful in answering nearly all of my questions, but it is written in an interesting, friendly manner that I found heartening in the midst of a process that has been incredibley stressful! I recommend this book not only to high school students but their parents as well - my Mother read it and she loved it too!

This book is clearly written and an excellent guide for the high school student and parents.

I am taking a Corgi into a second grade classroom for the children to read to. This book helped them to understand what therapy dogs do. Thank you.

This story is about a dog and her owner. It not only explains what a therapy dog is but it also gives the reader insight on what a therapy dog does. I was thinking about doing volunteer work with my lab and after reading this book I know what to expect.
I think both children and adults will enjoy this book.

The book explains what the therapy dog goes through from humble beginings to visiting people in need. People will love to read this book

What a wonderful book! It shows just how helpful dogs can be to children as well as adults. Sheila is definately a special dog who loves people. Debbie is a special person to realize this gift her dog has, and it is a beautiful thing that she decided to share Sheila with all of us!!

I read Adventures of Sheila the Therapy Dog to my cousin and we both learned about therapy dogs.
We really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to everyone.
Sheila is a very special dog and I think it is wonderful how people volunteer their time to help others.

This is an excellent book to aid in teaching writing to all ages. Recommend that every English teacher own and use these principles.

For so long, I have found revision difficult to teach for primary students. This book is a wealth of information. The vignettes given as examples are entertaining and are the basis for numerous mini-lessons to guide students through revision painlessly and effectively. This book will remain on my desk throughout the year. I highly recommend it.

Tired of trying to browbeat your students into revising their writing? Afraid you might scream if you have to slog through The Writing Process one more time? Try this welcome antedote. Humorously written but based on sound theory, Mr. Lane's book is chock-full of exercises that are fun, practical, easy to modify, and based on classroom experience. I've used them with third and fourth graders, high school students, and even teachers!
The book's first chapter, "Good Writing is Good Questions," is reason enough to buy the book. When we (or our students)
respond to a student's writing with questions about what we want to know more about, revision happens naturally.
"A large part of writing is simply trusting your own instincts and asking questions that will help you dig deep enough," Mr. Lane writes. Dig deep into this book. There's gold here.

Mr. Lane's book is packed full of ideas for those who wish to find a way to make writing (especially revision) fun for students. The book addresses everything from voice and tone to conferencing and questioning in an effort to make writing truly a student's own (not just what a teacher wants). I find it to be an excellant resource as a new teacher.

I saw this book reviewed here on Amazon. I then went to the public library to review one of his other books. I liked what I saw. Then I bought this book based on the previous reviews and I'm very glad I did. It's definitely worth a 5 out of 5!

This book hits the sweet spot of what I'm trying to accomplish as a tutor to some junior high school students. Barry Lane's exercises and theories fit what I've learned so far in this fun, and sometimes hilarious, quest.

The book is easy to read, yet loaded with useful advice. Now that I've finished this book, I'll be getting his other books and most importantly: I'll be starting to implement his recommendations on teaching writing to children.

The author is a writing in instructor in New Hampshire/Vermont. The book has a useful bibliography and he often comments on important books throughout his chapters.

John Dunbar
Sugar Land, TX

I started this program when my son was 3. He had concentration and attention issues. He is now reading at a 2.5 or second grade half-way through the year, level in 1st Grade! The key for him was the 'action' part. He would beg me to 'play' the game with him, not realizing he was being taught. Isn't that the point?

I love this flip chart! When my son was about two and a half I got this book. He loves it still and he is five now. This method makes it so fun and easy to help your kids learn the alphabet and sounds and puts them on the fast track to reading on their own. And now I feel confident in my abilities to help my kids with their education. I love it!

I have a 3 year old son that has already learned many of the letter names and sounds in the alphabet because of this program. It's so fun and interactive that he learns it easily and actually enjoys it too! It uses all of the senses: auditory, visual and kinesthetic. It's also very reasonably priced too!

This program is the most effective tool I've found in teaching the alphabet and its sounds. I've taught special ed for 14 years and this is by far the best program there is out there! It worked in just 3 days to teach my own son the entire alphabet and sounds. He's in kindergarten and reading at the top of his class and this program gave him his jump start!

This book is what it says, it is Amazing because of the results it produces; there is Action with every letter, and it is a great way to learn the Alphabet sounds in a fun way. Our son was only 8 months old when we introduced this book to him as part of his reading. By the time he was 10 months he knew the actions to some of the letters and now at 16 months can do most of the actions and some of the sounds. We love this book so much our 5 month old is now being introduced to it. This book is Amazing and I am glad to have something that allows our children to be active while learning and it is great for us too, it is just one more positive way to be involved in our son's lives. It is one of our favorite books, thank you for introducing this to us!!!

I am a big fan of the Anansi tales, and the spider's adventures are delightful as well as thought-provoking. For edutainment (educational entertainment) and discussion, I include them in my high school / college level introduction to mythology / humanities survey courses. All ages can enjoy a clever trickster hero who possesses many human qualities, the good and bad--who makes us think about our own deeds and behavior.

In Anansi The Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti, Gerald McDermott retells an Anansi story with warmth, cultural sensitivity, and bright, attention-seizing illustrations. Among the children's books about Anansi, McDermott's efforts stand in a unique place because the text is used sparingly and with great effect, conveying important events only and not burying key ideas in lavish descriptions or dialogues. In this book, the elaborate, geometric illustrations paint the "descriptions" that the text omits.

Features that I like...

The map in the opening that shows the continent of Africa and the country of Ghana. (I'm always happy to see a bit of geography dropped into stories, especially those designed for children.)

The Prologue, which describes the importance of folklore, mythology, and legends. I especially appreciate this statement: "Folklore prepares man for adult life. It places him within his culture."

Rather than beginning the story with the familiar "Once upon a time...," the author uses "Time was..." which is cool! :)

Each of the spider sons in the story is unique in design, appearance, and talent, which makes him easy (and fun) to identify as the tale unfolds. The six sons are See Trouble, Road Builder, River Drinker, Game Skinner, Stone Thrower, and Cushions.

The character of Anansi is rendered with an expressive personality and face while his sons' faces are not shown--just their designs, bodies, and talents. Anansi's face changes emotions based on his experiences, and this would be an excellent teaching element for very young children upon hearing / seeing the story.

Themes & Talking Points the book offers:

Counting, colors, shapes, animals, teamwork, family, intro to Africa [Very Young Children]

Reading; Cause & Effect; Critical Thinking & Response; African Culture. How does Anansi get into and out of trouble? // Each spider is an individual with a specific skill or trait; each spider has a place in the family. What does this suggest about the culture of the Ashanti? // The rescue of Anansi is really a team effort by the sons, but who should get the reward? Does the ending solve this problem? [For children 5-12]

Reading & Design; Symbolism; Critical Analysis; Author Intent; Culture. Why did the author / illustrator choose not to show the faces of the six sons in the story? How does this choice affect the story? How does Anansi's face tell his story? What is the relationship between a son's name and his unique design? In what instances is Anansi's face NOT shown and why? What lessons are taught in this tale? What universal themes are present? Does this book deserve its "honor" designation? [For tweens through college students]

Anansi and his sons are popular guys in our home. My son and daughter (nearly 4 and 6) just adore them, and I enjoy the fact that this book demonstrates how well cooperation works. Not to mention that we get to discuss the story, Ghana, and how people are both like us *and* are different from us.

In this story Anansi heads out for a walk only to be besieged by problems, first from a hungry fish, and then from a falcon. He would have been lunch were it not for his caring sons who fortunately have super-arachnid abilities.

Four Stars. Good Read-aloud. Good story with a moral. My daughter even decided to practice reading this fun and exciting story.

Anansi is one cool African trickster, and he does it again in this book! When he tries to determine which of his six sons to reward for saving his life, he becomes responsible for putting the moon in the sky.

My 18 month old son loves the artwork in this book. There is a lot to talk about on each page. For the first time it seems that my son is following the story and not just dealing with one page at a time. He waits eagerly for the page when Anansi is swallowed by a fish (don't worry it is not violent in any way!) Since there are 6 spider sons there are lots of opportunities for counting. My 18 month old can now count to 6.

The Anansi stories have been handed down through generations of Ashanti culture. This book is a wonderful, vibrant and vivid story for children of all ages. Born in Ghana I left at aged 3, leaving much of the Ghanaian culture behind. At aged 30 I can still remember a song about Anansi the spider, the only remnants left of my native tongue. I was given the Anansi book as a child, it captivated me, I read it over and over again, and it provided a connection to my past. At 16, I spent hours crafting a cushion embroidered an illustration from the book that was a childhood favorite. Sadly, the book was lost and I never thought I could get it again. Now, some 14 years since I last saw the book I can still visualize the pictures and hear the wonderful tale of Anansi the spider, his sons and the moon. I have just bought two copies, one for my niece and one for my two year old daughter. I absolutely cannot wait to read them again and again and pass this memorable story to a new generation.