Resources Books

Sure the program comes with a PDF manual but having a printed reference can make learning so much easier. This is not a book on technique, it's a book on features, functionality and workflow. I primarily use Final Cut Express, thankfully most of the tutorials contained in the book are applicable. There's nothing terribly exciting about the book itself, the information is presented in a no-nonsense fashion. If your looking for anecdotal storytelling, humor and opinion you'd do well to consider another title. I keep it handy at all times, it's saved me a lot of time and frustration...well worth the money.

I like Lynda's personal publications best but anything bearing her title "H.O.T." is worth having. Very practical and useful. Norman Borge

When looking for a book on FCP, I just read the various reviews. Even though some others looked quite interesting, I chose this one and am glad I did. I wanted a specific type of instruction because I have some expert-level chops and ignorance at the same time. I'm new to video but am a professional recording engineer by trade. I'm fully conversant on the Mac and non-linear audio programs so I needed a book that got both completely simple (for video concepts new to me) and also provided some depth at the same time.

The type of instruction in this book is having the user execute step-by-step, starting at the most basic level but progressing into more complex stuff fairly quick.

I forget the wording but there's some Chinese proverb........something like
You tell me, I hear
You show me, I see
I do, I learn

That's me and this book suits my learning style nicely. I'm sure there are other books as good but I doubt that any are better, hard to see how you could go wrong with this one.

I consider myself to be a "seasoned user" of Final Cut Pro. I have been editing with FCP since the original release of version 1.0 and have worked on numerous documentaries, features, commercials and episodic television.

I learned about this book from the Apple website. This is the official textbook used for Apple Pro Certification (FCP Level One). So I decided that I would "forget" everything I already knew and begin with Lesson 1. I'm very happy I adopted that attitude because there are so many neat little tips that I picked up in the first few lessons. Now I wonder how I ever survived without them. Those tips have already saved me a lot of time. I have only completed one-third of the lessons thus far and I can already see an improvement in my productivity.

Every chapter of the book is a "hands-on" lesson. The files and media for each lesson are provided on a DVD-ROM (included). You will first copy those files to your hard drive and then open each lesson file and then follow the step-by-step instructions in the book.

I'm looking forward to getting my Level One certification with the help of this book, and I can't wait to continue onto the Advanced Level certification with the second book.

Please note this is essentially the same book as the the "Final Cut Pro HD" book. The DVD is the same and so are the exercises. I had a chance to compare both and noticed only only one minor detailed (a detail is now circled on a screen shot) and, of course, there could be some that I missed. Even so, the back cover of the HD book acknowledges...

"This book was previously published under the title "Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro 4. If you previously purchased this book, there is no need to purchase this revision: All the project files and exercises in the previous edition can be used with Final Cut Pro HD."

Bottom-Line: Newbie or Pro? It doesn't matter! This is a GREAT book to own if you use FCP.

Until I purchased this book, I had owned FCP4 for six months. I had learned my way around the software well enough. I felt comfortable, but not necessarily proficient. In order to improve my editing time, I went ahead and ordered this book, also with the intent of getting my Apple certification, as this is the same text used in their classes. Normally, I am the type that I will skip sections that discuss things that I'm certain I know, but I went ahead and followed every step in the book.
What a difference! Each chapter takes approximately 30-45 minutes to complete, using video clips on the included DVD. After 3 days and 10 chapters, I was hardling touching my trackball. Not only had I learned quite a few shortcuts, but the book helped me understand the editing process itself a little better. I feel that this text is very well laid out, easy to understand, and can be done relatively quickly with a sharp learning curve. I highly recommend this to anyone new to Final Cut Pro. With a little time and effort, you'll be flying around the video editing, the soundtrack design and the Live Type titling package. And, after you have completed this book, go ahead and buy Apple Pro Training Series: Advanced Editing and Finishing Techniques in Final Cut Pro 4, you will not be disappointed.

I really like the fact that they have information week by week about what you and the baby are going through. In addtion they have comments from mother's for each week. A lot of the time these comments are contradictory which helps to illustrate the point that every pregnancy is different and what you are going through is normal for some. I'm in my first trimester and i've read the first 14 weeks thouroughly and looked through the rest of the book as well. I like how the sections are split up and the sections at the end such as the "is it safe?" section are great. There are benefits to other books as well - one is that some of the information, such as information on specific symptoms, is talked about throughout the chapter and so it may not be as easy to search for answers to specific questions in these areas. However, I've really enjoyed this book and I think it's a great reference to have.

I flipped through a bunch of books (and someone gave me What to Expect When You're Expecting). But The Baby Center's Guide had the most meat of those I looked at. I'm the type of person that wants the facts written in intelligent terms. The rest seemed "dumbed down" in comparison.

This is hands down the best pregnancy guide I've read. "What to Expect" is alarmist. "The Girlfriend's Guide" will quickly make you neurotic about your weight. The 2004 edition of "The Unofficial Guide to Having a Baby" is organizationally muddled. This book, however, is wonderful and everything you could ask for in a pregnancy reference guide.

The week-by-week pregnancy descriptions in "Essential Guide" are informative enough to satisfy your curiousity about what's going on with your body and your baby's development, but not so detailed that you feel creeped-out or overwhelmed. The tone of the book is never preachy or anxiety-inducing. The medical info is largely up-to-date and tailored to common American health care system practices. And there are helpful sections on "making the most of your changing look." Bravo! A superb resource I consult often and would recommend to any pregnant woman.

This book was well-thout out, put together clearly, and features input from mothers at each stage (week) of pregnancy, which really helped me understand that everything I was going through was normal (and scientifically explicable). I'm a childcare provider and 1st time mom (now 16 months old), and I recommend and buy this book for all of my pregnant friends (even dads-to-be should read it).
Trust me, you won't be disappointed! I had 7 other pregnancy books given to me by friends/garage sales, and they all were terrible, common sense type books. Even the "What to Expect" series is so incredibly overrated...I have no idea why! Buy this book and you won't regret it. Oh, and you're welcome to check out my wish list on Amazon that I share with my expectant friends and family. I researched forever before deciding on each item and have nothing but terrific things to say about each one!

Great week by week guide of what is going on. Good tips and things too look out for.

Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach is like going to a grand buffet. There is a little bit of everything, and it's all delicious! The book includes, but is not limited to, a synopsis of Robin Sampson's own personal experience of why she began homeschooling, a history of education including a comparison between Hebraic methods of teaching/learning against the Greek approach, four different methods of learning and teaching approaches, and an extensive collection of resources to check out. The book is very well organized making it easy to use this book as a ready, frequently used resource.

Very informative and helpful. It gives you lots of options and ideas in homeschooling the Biblical way.
Neat historical information included. A few thing I wasn't impressed with but very minor. Still a good book.

Robin Sampson hits really strong on Bible first-and-all-day-in-every-subject.

Sampson also is a big promoter of the 4mat method which in a nutshell is: get them excited about the subject, study it, and show what you learned. You show what you learned best by lapbooking (scrapfolder) or notebooking or some other project- maybe a diorama or something.

Well, I am a strong believer in lots of Bible, but I did not teach it all school day. So, in that area, I was really challenged. I have committed to do this now.

If you have not read her book... I cannot recommend it highly enough. No other homeschool book has been more valuable. Worth every penny.

I downloaded this ebook over the holidays and am in the process of implementing Robin's ideas. The review is lengthy, but I feel it is such a foundational and worthwhile book. The book is divided into five sections, so I'll explain my take on each section.

The first section details their departure from public school and the different roads they traveled in homeschooling. Based on her success and failures she describes what led to the Heart of Wisdom teaching approach. One big issue for moms that she addresses is fear. Many wonder are they doing enough? Teaching the right thing? Are their children where they need to be? She does a wonderful job throughout the book of taking us to Scripture to find the answer. (Like Philippians 4:6-7 here.) "God knows what your children will face in the future, and He will give you what you need to educate them in the way they need to be educated." These were powerful words that forced me to realize that I need to abide in God's word so that he can guide me and I can guide my children. In this, you will find peace not fear. My job is to run the race and keep my eyes on Jesus! (Hebrews 12:1-2)

In Section Two she guides you in researching the biblical methods of education. You will also learn about the history of our modern and traditional forms of education. She ends with an appeal to return to a biblical Hebraic model. This section was an eye-opener for me. I learned the Bible's definition of true education and true wisdom. This section is a must for Christians. I now feel totally comfortable that education in my home doesn't look like education at the public school down the street.

A description of the different methods used in her approach is outlined in Section Three. First is always the Bible, then you will recognize a little Charlotte Mason, unit study, delight-directed, and classical methods. However, you will always see the Bible first and most importantly interwoven into everything. She also discusses different learning styles and how to teach to them all using four steps. Doing something with what is learned is one of the four steps. This step usually involves some form of writing. A step that I struggle with, a struggle that's not uncommon for most homeschool moms.

The fourth section gives you the how-to with instructions on just how to work out her plan. She tells you how to go about setting up your unit studies based on a four year study of history. I love how she splits your teaching day into two main areas: God's Word and God's World. She spends most of the morning on God's Word, reading the Bible and using Bible study tools. The afternoon is spent studying God's World using unit studies and living books. God's World studies include science, HIStory, and the arts all filtered through God's Word. She incorporates writing and language skills in everything they do. You will also find more information about making notebooks and timelines in this section. And probably the most important chapter in this section is "Scheduling by Faith." We are all given 24 hours each day, how does God want you to spend yours? This is another chapter that I will need to reread over and over...any time that I'm feeling defeated in my homeschooling journey.

Section three and four have a lot of information. I have read and reread, just trying to soak it all in. I was a product of the public schools and was never taught like this. It is a big paradigm shift for many of us and it will take time to make a complete change. But I believe she does a great job explaining her research and reasoning and then the methods and the how of fleshing out this approach.

And finally, in Section Five, she lists the resources that you can use to teach your children using the Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach. Hundreds of books and resources are listed by her four-year plan for ages K to 12. In addition to this chapter she lists resources for deeper study at the end of almost all of her 24 chapters. The resource lists alone make the book worth the cost.

I will recommend this book to every parent that I can...hence the reason I'm posting it here on my blog! I am even considering buying another copy so that I'll have one to lend out! I do think this book will give you a fresh vision for what God has called us to do. I have always liked the book "Educating the Wholehearted Child," by Sally Clarkson. I felt like it gave me a vision but left me hanging in exactly how to do it. Robin has said many of the things Sally Clarkson has said in her book, but she explains better how to implement it in my home. I can't decide to try her book on Wisdom or her unit study on Adam to the Messiah next, knowing me I'll get them both!

I read this book a year ago and it was great! But it was a new approach for me and it was very helpful. I've been actually using the different approaches she mentions in her book and have adapted them to our family's needs. I decided to reread the book, and boy am I glad I did! I understood more about where she was coming. If you are new to the Charlot Mason, this is a great beginning! Plus, you will LOVE Robin's 4Mat System!!! I have no doubt, this Homeschooling book is a MUST READ! and a MUST READ AGAIN:)

I recommend Terez's 22 Keys for all business professionals. Terez uses practical examples to bring forth important points to the reader. (Humor included!) The book has a human touch as voices of hundreds of folks from all walks of work life reach out as they share their experiences.

You will walk away with practical examples and useful advice.

Without question, the work at the American Red Cross, where I work everyday, is MEANINGFUL! Meaningful work, though, is inclusive.....ALL jobs...volunteer and paid are meaningful and have great value. Tom Terez's 22 Keys To a Meaningful Workplace is a powerful reminder of how hard we must work to keep talented people engaged...even at the American Red Cross!

It is great reading, provides helpful skill building and is a great reference for the keys to being delighted at work!

22 Keys is much more than an interesting book about building a meaningful workplace. It is a practical guide for creating the kind of environment we all wish for. While many books talk about how "nice" it is to have meaning at work, this book has practical excercises for transforming the workforce to one that both improves productivity and retains the best employees. You don't just read the book and put it away, but actually use it to make tangible improvements. Tom's research was fascinating, and he writes in in a style everyone will appreciate. Thanks for all the actual ideas that have made a difference Tom!

22 Keys To Creating A Meaningful Workplace has changed the way our company does business. Period. These simple, common sense keys open the door to a new level of committment, service and pride for our team. We've been so pleased with the results in our workplace, we have featured the book in our company newsletter, which is distributed to over 11,000 professionals in Canada. Simplicity is the key to action and change!

This book was a delightful surprise. I expected to read yet another business book directed solely toward owners, executives, and managers. This specialized audience will gain quite a lot from this book, but so will "ordinary employees." 22 Keys is an Everyman's book, written in a tone that encourages focused initiative by all sorts of readers. Not only does this approach add value to the book, it makes it much more salable in bulk to companies interested in changing their work environment.

Corporate culture has been defined as "what it feels like to work here." Terez has captured what people are looking for in today's work environment in his exploration of what it takes to create a meaningful workplace. Before going any further, it's important to list the 22 Keys. As you read this list, pause at each one and think about how it relates to your personal situation. Purpose, Direction, Relevance, Validation, Respect, Equality, Informality, Flexibility, Ownership, Challenge, Invention, Support, Personal Development, Dialogue, Relationship Building, Service, Acknowledgement, Oneness, Self-Identity, Fit, Balance, and Worth.

Each key is presented in a chapter heavily seasoned with vignettes that hold the reader's attention. Not all the stories have happy endings, making this book even more valuable. It's not a quick-and-easy-guide-to-Nirvana, but is a realistic presentation. Questions challenge the reader's thinking and, hopefully, stimulate behavior. Actions by others are described to build a sense of confidence that the reader can also do these things and make a difference.

The book has a number of features that increase its readability and usefulness. Reality checks at the end of each chapter focus the reader's attention. Did you get the message? Quotations, liberally sprinkled throughout the book, stimulate thought. I felt the author could have done with a few less quotes, but that's a very minor issue. One of the pages I turned down (there were many) marks a quote by Albert Einstein: "Not everything that can be counted counts, but not everything that counts can be counted." When we're all looking to measure our performance, yet at the same time achieve life-work balance, the quote is meaningful. Ah! Meaningful. The objective of the book: well-achieved. The action plans will help you get started to make a difference in your organization.

This book will be around for a while. It fits comfortably with what needs to be done in the world of work-in the private sector, in government, in non-profits, in education. If it isn't on your shelf yet, now is the time to get a copy, read it, and share it. I read the hardcover edition.

This book was a favorite of my children 38 years ago and now I'm buying it for my grandchildren --- and they love it too. It helps teach words of place: over, around, between, down, out, up. Plus it is a gentle "scary book."

This book is so magical when you're a kid. The illustrations are wonderful and just scary enough. I love the last page where the kids are all snug back in bed. Kids can read this book because of the repetition. It's a great way to learn to read!

We had this book when our children were small. Our youngest boy had it memorized in short order and would correct his father if he left anything out while reading. Now our daughter asked for it for her new little boy. We bought it for him for Christmas. He has already listened to it several times (he is 9 1/2 mos old). We love the book.

My kids (girl 8,boy 7) love the Berenstain Bears. I grew up with these books and now my kids are, too.
We all enjoy reading these stories and In the dark is a keeper.

This was my second copy of the book. My kids wanted to give a copy to their teacher.

A great quick guide on drug information, perhaps, the best one. Full monographs of almost all of the drugs, including interactions. Much necessary to the pharmacists and other health professionals.

Excellent, concise, just the facts, ma'am, and easy to look up just what you need. Why wade through the Physicians Desk Reference when this handy gem has all that you really desire in drug information, presented efficiently by pharmacists. Boils it down to the facts. 2-3 pages per medication, in table form often. Once you buy this book, you'll ditch the PDR. Guaranteed.

this is a great resource. as a pharmacist, I use this quite often for basic questions.

The charts in the back are very comprehensive and useful; the drug monographs are very up-to-date and accurate.

While other people in my class waited for their DIHs to arrive, I had mine in no time! Thanks!

This is the best book for gemstone I ever have. It's very detail and compact information without too much bla... bla... bla...

A great travel guide for those buying/looking at gemstones, lots of visual id's...well worth price.

I use this book constantly as a reference in my hobby. It not only has complete descriptions of the gemstones, but the color pictures are marvelous and include not just one, but MANY pictuers of the gemstones in the rough, polished and cut states. You will be glad you purchased this book.

This book is excellent for everyone. Perfect combination of words and pictures. The things I found to be useful are the descriptions for each gemstone and they have a list of what each gemstone may possibly be confused with. They also give you alternative names for gemstones and the history of the name with its meaning. If you are interested in gemstones this is the book for you.

I am going to leave out any helpful information given by the previous reviews, and say what impressed me most about this fantastic little guide. Its size is perfect, the hardback made me happy because it arrived just after another field guide (petersons) which fell apart, losing pages when I first looked into it, and this book looks like it will endure for some time, so yeah! for quality of workmanship, and there are layers and layers of information in this referance.

While scanning it I found on page 142 a very quick yet in-depth study of Layered Stones, and I will say that I was very interested to see the way a (true) cameo was formed and that cameos were once (perhaps still) fashioned from a stone of this sort, such as an agate, and that the base layer of a cameo is dyed while the uppermost portion is left without dye resulting in the two tone effect rather than the stone being two differing stones. What a pleasent surprise! So, you would not need to worry of losing the carved portion from just such a piece, because they were made from the same stone. There is on the opposite page a pictoral step by step illustration of the craft in photos. Also the creation of a cameo is explained so neatly at the bottom caption of this page, in 9 easy steps.

Other things to referance on the same page: Layer Stones, Onyx, Sard onyx, Cornelian onyx, Niccolo,& Intaglio.

I will try to add some pictures for you all, later on, from my books, (the ones I review) on stones gems and fossils. See my other reviews for additional great book referances.

This book has the most information thus far where mining is concerned. Very helpful to me,as I do not always know which way to go with the ethical issues on mining, anyway... and still I am curious about various methods and their effects on the environment. But I love what we bring forth from these fissures and landscapes.
This guide is just so loaded with illustrations! There are so many wonderful pictures, some of people doing their mining work and also with those who cut polish and that sort of thing (drill, color, engrave, polish) nice added touch.

Healing is included in a small section near the end of this guide book as well. Since this is one of my particular interests I was happy to see it.

And so from drilling to healing this guide is quite complete.
There seems to be a page of pictures of stones (mostly faceted and ready for jewelry) for every written page. Left side, the writing, and right side, gorgeous pictures... of lots of stones! This seems to be the basic layout.

I am relishing each and every page of this book! I could go on but someone else will so... remember to see my other reviews for a few more gemstone books that are just really excellant, if you are at all into this sort of thing. I just love these kinds of books.

If I had waited, having had this book longer I would only have more great things to say, of this I am sure, I just could not wait to add a good review! I highly suggest this book!

The best part(s) of this book are the stitching techniques demonstrated right along with the sample quilt(s). You're able to see how the stitching will look as the quilt comes together. Beautifully done with excellent diagrams and photos. The historical information is also very good. A great book to have for your quilting repetoire.

Just received this book and it exceeds my expectations. Made my selection due to the reviews of this book and thanks to all for the comments because this is a great choice. I wanted a book that gives basic instruction on making crazy quilts plus some of the more frequently used stitches,and thats just what I got. Author gives 20 pages to show different stitches and their various possiblities on a project. Inspiring photos, and suggestions for applications of crazy quilt method. This has been a find for me, doubt anyone will be disappointed with this books and all it has to offer. enjoy.

I prefe the books by Judith Montano. This was well written and illustrated. It was for the beginner, ideas were limited.

In my opinion this is the BEST book out on making Crazy Quilts. I have four others but this is my favorite. You'll love it.

Good comprehensive book on crazy quilting -- from basic construction of crazy quilt blocks to stitch diagrams and materials suggestions. Also includes drawings of how stitches would be used in crazy quilt blocks.

The book provides a sophisticated yet practical approach to Corporate Portfolio Management (CPM) which invites managers to consider many facets that will challenge or support the CPM initiatives.

My favorite part is the section where Sanwal lists "the deadly sins" of CPM. These negative examples provide managers tools to anticipate organizational difficulties and adjust their proposals on CPM proactively.

The book highlights a significant problem in the corporate world. The seven deadly sins section idenitifies key challenges found in many companies while the case studies provide real world examples of those leading the charge. Good job!

Definitely one of the best books that I have read on the subject! It combines well the academic aspects of portfolio management with honest insights into corporate realities. And the well-paced narrative makes it a great read!

I lead my company's IT portfolio management effort, and this is one of the most well-written strategy books I've ever come across. It does an amazingly good job of demystifying what can be a complex topic.

Major pros of the book:
- No jargon, acronyms and generally useless platitudes and overgeneralized frameworks like I've seen in other books on the topic. Straightforward, conversational tone makes the book very easy to read.
- Very practitioner oriented
- American Express case study - What the company has achieved is remarkable and definitely the best example I've seen
- 7.5 deadly sins of corporate portfolio management - These were spot on

Optimizing Corporate Portfolio Management: Aligning Investment Proposals with Organizational Strategy

Alike most readers who have reviewed the book on these pages, I approached "Optimizing Corporate Portfolio Management" with much gusto. Despite the catchy title, I soon discovered that the stake did not match the sizzle.

What is undobtedly the most valuable contribution of the book is its practical approach to managing corporations as portfolios. The book contains a number of proven examples that a pactitioner is sure to find useful. This is also what the author promises to do: to write a book from the point of view of a practitioner for the purposes of enlightening a fellow practitioner. So much so good.

From the perspective of an (customer) portfolio management expert (i.e. advanced level practitioner), I found the book quite "light" on all of the key words in the title: corporate portfolio management, aligning investment proposals, and organizational strategy. In more practical terms, the book does not manage to answer the question stated on the cover: how to align investment proposals with organizational strategy?

All in all, I find the book an OK source if you are an absolute beginner and need to get a first glimpse of the subject matter. For anyone with more ambitious aims, the book may not live up to its promise.

If you are ready and willing to examine yourself and let God do the work in you that needs to be done, then this study is the study for you. You must be willing to be honest with yourself. God already knows, but you have to find it out and then be willing to change. After doing this study God began a work in me and brought me to such a higher place in Him. I did this study about 2 years ago and am still reaping the fruit of it. I praise Him for this book and highly recommend it.

This was is great shape! I just thought I was ordering a book...not a workbook. My mistake.

This is the most amazing study and will get you closer to God. We have been all sharing and getting closer together also. It is great for personal revival. I have had experience with Life Action Ministries in a real life revival and it changed my life. Do it! God Bless.

My husband and I are doing this Bible study along with our church. This study encourages believers to really examine our faith walk! This study is challenging and a tremendous blessing in refining our walk with Jesus!

If you are looking to grow, to be asked practical and personel questions, and desire for the Lord to reveal those areas in your life that need improved, then you will love this study. Seeking Him takes you to another level. I have done may studies that seem to go no further than the standard surface questions, but you will walk away from this study feeling like you have the tools and the desire to really change your Christian walk. Great to do alone or in a group study.