Education Books

This is the first book penned by Andrew Cuddy, an attorney based in New York state. After a legal career focusing on criminal law, Cuddy swung over to spec ed after realizing just how poor the outcome for people with disabilities can be without Pre K - 12 intervention. (Think "juvenile justice system.") Cuddy is in a position to offer a unique perspective and parents, advocates, and attorneys who represent children with special needs would do well to "Listen up!"

Cuddy knows school culture inside and out, and confronts it with knowledge and unique experience. For example, the author may be the first to significantly focus on the "Mad Buffalo Syndrome," a term coined by the author to describe parents and advocates who use special education to seek attention--similar to Munchausen Syndrome, except with an education spin. And while you may feel he spends an inordinate amount of bandwidth on the topic, it's not something to dismiss. When an advocate's behavior descends to the extreme, using the child's disability for attention, it is problematic to a child's well being and education.

In The Special Education Battlefield, Cuddy shares personal stories, which enhance your understanding of the twists and turns of the special education and due process experience. This book will benefit parents, lay advocates, and attorneys as well, as the author explores diverse topics in a professional manner.

Do you know the Lodestar Formula and the parameters surrounding recovery of attorney fees? Are you familiar with compensatory services? Do you know the importance of keeping accurate records? Can you dissect an IEP? Are you familiar with the variety of disabilities that can affect your child's education? Should you be concerned about Child Protective Services?

He then swings fully into the nuts and bolts of the hearing itself, discussing mediation and resolution and settlement agreements along the way. Whether or not an attorney is onboard, you, the reader would do well to read this material more than once if due process is on the horizon (or even if it isn't), as you'll learn about the requirements and the powers of hearing officers, timelines, pre-hearing conferences, the hearing process, writing the closing brief, and appeals. Cuddy also devotes a section to describe the five types of attorneys. (Which one is more effective?)

When I review a book, I first look at the Table of Contents, then I focus on a book's Index. I was mildly disappointed to find it missing. I encourage the author to include one in a future edition, as it's helpful for people like me who have an insatiable, driving need to dive into a book's content before reading the first chapter. Also, the price of $40 may deter advocates and parents with limited incomes. But these points are minor compared with the information, resources, and expertise Cuddy includes. And an appointment with an attorney would definitely cost more than the price of this book. If you can't afford the cost, my suggestion would be to check with your local library, or pool your resources with others, and read this book to learn how the system works before you venture into the due process arena.

In closing, Cuddy is an experienced, knowledgeable attorney and strong advocate for children with special needs. The Special Education Battlefield fills a void in special education literature. This book is written in such a way that you actually feel his commitment to children with special needs. So before you step into the due process battleground, grab this book and spend a few hours digesting it. Better yet, grab a second copy for your attorney to read before he stands in front of a hearing officer on your child's behalf.

It is unfortunate that it has become a battlefield to get our children their Free Appropriate Public Education. But since it has, this book is a must read for any parent who has any doubts that their child is not getting the education they are entitled to. Andy gives you a good overview of what it is really like out there for parents who learn they cannot just leave it to the "educational professionals." It is an eye openner for those who are new to the system and advocating for their child's education. It would help prepare them for the real battlefield one experiences as you advocate for your child to receive the education they are entitled to.
The experiences he shares sometimes seem incredible, but unfortunately they are real. The Special Education Battlefield is an easy read of what parents, advocates and children do face in the system which is suppose to protect their right to their FAPE. Whether new to the system or a veteran, you should read this book.
I would gladly encourage Mr. Cuddy to write a sequel and cover this important issue in even greater detail for those families who have had to devote their lives to obtaining a FAPE for their children. His vast experience is extremely valuable.

This is an exceptional book dealing with special ed issues. Andy writes in a friendly, relaxed manner that makes this book very easy to read and understand. My only regret is that I didn't read it sooner! At times I felt as if I was reading my own story. It helps to know, as parents dealing with difficult school districts, we are not alone.

This book is an excellent guide for parents that are dealing with difficult school districts. Cuddy walks through the due process procedures step-by-step and provides a great deal of insight into the characters involved. I particularly enjoyed his classifications of school district attorneys, which included fixers, manipulators, fee churners, mouthpieces and dopes. Perhaps in a future addition he will include a similar chapter on Directors of Special Education. I could not help but think of how our own district's attorney fit so neatly into a particular classification. As times, it felt as if Cuddy was writing specifically about our district. This is a "must read" for any parent dealing with a difficult school district.

Andrew Cuddy is a very experienced practitioner of special education law who really knows his stuff. As I am a special education attorney myself, most of the material in the book is not news to me, but most parents of disabled children will find the ample and accurate information very helpful. Mr. Cuddy definitely has strong opinions, and he pulls no punches in displaying his contempt for many school district attorneys and administrators. Even some parents of disabled children do not escape his trenchant wit, as Cuddy coins the term "Mad Buffalo Syndrome" to describe parents who have not made Peter Wright's transition from emotions to advocacy. I highly recommend this book for parents of disabled children: Cuddy's aggressive approach to the field has helped many parents and their children, and this book should help a parent understand the remedies and procedures available on behalf of disabled children.

so you want to go freelance... you really, REALLY want to go freelance? Tired of working for a boss? Want your own hours? Sleep late? Get this book, read it and then decide. It'll give you a well-rounded education of what they don't tell you in art school because what your professors were really interested in at that time wasn't your education, but getting a piece of co-ed you-know-what while they collected their paycheck.

I really liked this book a lot. It was a very good first-hand book written by a small business owner about his experiences starting, managing, and prospering as a freelance illustrator and/or graphic designer. His writing style was not exactly stellar. But it certainly was clear. The 20 chapters included in the book fell into the following 4 topics:

1. STARTING THE FIRM
>>Where Do You Start?
>>Off on the Right Foot
>>Creating a Plan for Your Business
>>Developing Your Financial Plans
>>Forms, Charts & Templates
>>Pricing Your Work and Getting Paid

2. MANAGING THE FIRM
>>Why Should You Freelance?
>>Setting Up Shop
>>Managing Your New Studio

3. RAINMAKING FOR THE FIRM
>>Bring in Clients
>>How to Get Noticed
>>What Goes in the Portfolio
>>Marketing on the Web

4. POSSIBLE MARKETS
>>The Magazine Market
>>Selling to the Newspapers
>>Working with Advertising Agencies
>>Selling to Book Publishers
>>The Greeting Card Market
>>Working with Art and Design Studios
>>Selling to Small Business

Since I am not an illustrator or a graphic designer I did not have much use for the fourth topic. But it was interesting to read about. I regularly counsel wanta-be entrepreneurs about how to start a small business; I'm a volunteer SCORE counselor. And the material covered in the first three topics above are exactly what I talk about with my SCORE clients. I highly recommend this book to anybody wanting to start their own small consulting practice. It does a wonderful job discussing the topics.

My biggest complaint with the book is the tendency of the author to recommend outsourcing so many functions: accounting, taxes, and Web site design and construction. I think these things should be fully understood by the small business owner and probably done by the owner herself. When the business grows to have a few employees, then the employees can do those tasks if the owner wants to do that.

I would have written the section on choice of business structure differently. Keep in mind that LLCs can be either single member or multi member. An LLC can elect to be taxed as a sole proprietorship (single member), a partnership (multi member), or a C Corporation. Also, a multi member LLC will have to file a partnership tax return. A good book on the subject that I recommend you read to supplement this book is Structuring Your Business (ISBN: 1593371772). I highly recommend forming an LLC and electing to have it taxed as a C Corporation. Just give yourself a bonus at year-end so the corporation retains no earnings. If your business is a corporation it is less likely to be audited by the IRS. 5 stars!

I love this book! It's great for those just starting up and has covered each aspect of becoming a freelancer. Each time something has come up, I referenced this book and found the answers! Highly recommended!

At first, I had heard that this author talks "down" to the illustrator when he is explaining things, but this book I actually found very helpful, true to life and there weren't any sugar coatings. I enjoyed how he wrote and he put things into perspective, he didn't talk down.

This is simply one of the best books for starting a freelance art career that I've ever read. This book gives you very practical information about almost every detail of freelance illustration and graphic design. You'll find information on creating business and financial plans, setting up and managing a studio, billing procedures, creating a portfolio and marketing yourself to potential clients. I find a lot of books of this nature don't talk about the raw mechanics of business so much as they offer token inspiration and motivation. If you're interested in a book that will actually give you useful information about the business side of freelancing this is the one to buy.

The only areas where it seemed to be a little on the thin side were dealing with taxes and the legal issues concerned with working for youself. Other than that it was wonderful.

Upon encountering this book in Foyles on Shaftsbury Ave I picked it up and dusted it off. It was discounted so I bought it... it has been invaluable to me in the past and I thank myself for finding it almost everyday.

Inside the book are all the classics of bad thinking analysed -- everything from the common red herring argument, to argument from authority and the classic Popperian argument that an argument must be weak if it cannot be proved wrong (something amazingly the vast majority of people just do not seem to get).

All of the beliefs that lead to much of the misery in the world and the poor allocation of resources to solve the worlds problems are all here... indeed if people were to read this book the malaise of mysticism, faith-based healing, religious fundementalism, bad science and even worse political reasoning would be avoided...

Oh... and if you're a business person, like I am, you will immediately benefit by avoiding 90% of the rubbish that passes for wisdom in the business/ self-help section of your bookstore.

Treasured.

In my biased opinion, this ranks as one of the finest books on the subject of critical thinking. Unfortunately, it is highly priced on Amazon.com, but one can find cheaper alternatives on the internet. Thouless focuses a lot on how social proof, and other biases do impede one's ability to think rationally, especially when facts are not conclusive, or when there are more than two plausible arguments in a given scenario. Good for policy makers, students, regular folks, and people who routinely make decisions under uncertainty.

I last read this book about 15 years ago as a student and the lessons of the 38 dishonest tricks used in arguments detailed in the book have left a life-lasting impression on me. It is an invaluable book which is still relevant today as it was when it was first published in 1930. Could the copyright owner(s) please reissue this book or better yet, contribute to the public domain?

Reading this book opened my eyes to exactly how badly crooked thinking runs our society today: how little emphasis we place on actual evidence and argument, what kind of dishonest argumentation our politicians and news providers use, etc. The only thing I didn't like about this book is that I had to go to a used bookshop in Perth, Australia to find it! Why isn't this masterwork still in print? We need it just as much now as they did in the 1930s!

Although written at the end of the 1930's, the book is amazingly relevant today and one of the most clearly presented and well thought-out books of its kind that I've ever read. It is well worth your time.

As a kindergarten teacher, this book has made a big difference on how to prepare children to read. This book offers many wonderful tips on how to help your child as parents to better equip your child even before a teacher introduces your child with reading concepts.

I am a teacher of children with mild to moderate specific learning disabilities who went through the teacher education program at Ashland University in Ohio. Like countless other teacher education programs, ours stressed only a "whole-language" model of instruction, to the exclusion of all others, especially those that stress explicit phonics instruction.

I bought this book at a symposium given by the International Dyslexia Association, and I am so thankful that I did. As a parent of elementary school-age children I needed to know the things in this book. Specifically...

*Why a book like this is necessary in the first place.

*What is this "great debate" that reading teachers, and educators keep talking about?

*How do children learn to read? Amazingly, this is not taught in many teacher education programs. Why? Because almost all of the research ever done on the issue, any research worth its weight in cotton candy points to the explicit teaching of phonics to be the way that most children learn to read. As the authors so beautifully, and succinctly point out "The English written code is a sound symbol code, not a word symbol code. That is the game."

Parents of school-age children especially need to carefully read this book. Although I myself am a teacher, I believe in a "parent as consumer" focus in education, and, given this, caveat emptor! Parents need to know what they are getting in return for their hard earned tax dollars.

Please email me if you would like to continue this discussion.

I purchased this book because my younger child is exhibiting signs of having reading difficulty in the future. In contrast, my older child learned to read on her own prior to entering school. From my own experience I realize that there is a wide variation in what children need in school. My easy reader would have found a "face the teacher and practice the sound" program exceptionally boring. I selected this particular book because I wanted "straight talk" on how a school could teach these two, very different, kids. Instead of the "straight talk" I wanted got a very biased presentation. For example, the child that gets phonics is "beaming with success." Secondly, the "researcher" reports the test scores that occur during "whole language" teaching but does not compare it to the scores that occurred during phonics periods. In addition, they do not identify the lag between when a child is taught to read and when they are tested. Thirdly, they should be more clear about why these shifts have taken place. My friends 2nd grader knows phonics well but cannot read because he cannot put it together in context. What happened to those kids in a highly phonics based program. Did they all "beam with success?" Lastly, a credible researcher provides a balanced report that identifies the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches. This book reports phonics as strong and whole language as weak. So, if you want "straight talk" on why phonics is the only way then this is a book for you. I you want to find a balance that will work for many different kids, then keep looking.

This book explains the difference in teaching methods for reading and how effective the methods are. It is written for parents. I appreciate the facts presented on actual studies that have been done on methods in learning to read. As a parent of two preschoolers (and I am not an educator), I am now educated on how I can make a difference in my child's performance in school after reading this book. I like the recommended reading lists by age that can be found in the appendix or at the author's website which is www.proactiveparent.com . The author stresses that the earlier you are proactive - the better chance that your child becomes a good reader. It has been proven that it is much more difficult to become a good reader after the 1st grade. The author points out that usually reading problems are not detected even in "good" schools early enough. She details what parents can look for and what to do when your child is having a problem at a very early stage in leaning to read. The author also has a newer book titled "Parenting a Struggling Reader" that is more for parents with children with reading difficulties. "Straight Talk" is more written for parents of all children before their children read. "Straight Talk" tells parents how to be proactive to ensure their children love reading.

This book was truly spectacular if you are interested in really understanding how kids learn to read and what you can do to help! I learned so much from this book, if I had the money, I would buy a ton of them and give them out to anyone who has kids, will have kids, or works with kids.

This book does an amazing job of developmentally (Pre-K through grade 3) describing the skills kids need to acquire in order to read. It fairly reviews the current debate on how kids need to be taught reading, what parents can do (tons of specific age appropriate activities & lists of good books based on reading level), and it describes the research based warning signs for a child who is at risk for reading difficulties.

This is written by my 11 year old daughter:
I thought this book was amazing and it deserves a 5 out of 5.

Have you ever read a book that you just couldn't stop reading and you had to find out what was going to happen next? That's how I felt while reading Tadpole. It was such a good book that I had to just keep reading it. That's because the book had a good plot and great character's.
I liked the plot because at times the book was sad but at others, it was happy. Tadpole was trying to find a different home. Uncle Matthew, the owner of the house Tadpole was staying at, didn't treat him right. If he did something wrong, Uncle Matthew would slap Tadpole on the back with a horsewhip. Tadpole ran away to the Collin's house, his cousin's, so he could get away from Uncle Matthew.
The main character's were Tadpole, or Tad, Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia, and the girl's mom, Aunt Serilda. I liked them because they all had their own personality's. Kentucky was popular, Virginia was pretty, Georgia was smart, and, well Carolina, she didn't quite know what talent she had, at least until Tadpole came, and that's what I love about him. He is nice, honest, he include's other people, and he helps people too. That's how Carolina found her talent, by Tad. She found that her talent was singing, finding the harmony in music, and also, playing the guitar, she was a natural at it. She could also identify car engines.
As you can see, I really liked this book and I didn't have to say anything bad about it. This book was made up of a great plot, great characters, and so many other reasons!

One mother, four girls, and one fun music loving cousin named makes this a great book. I enjoyed this book because the author had a great style of writing, and the plot of Tadpole was good too.
In Tadpole Ruth White, the author did a great job of writing this book in a way that an eleven year old girl in the south would have talked. Ruth White used words like `cause instead of because, and git instead of get. Details like these makes Tadpole more realistic book.
Tadpole was about a mother, four girls whose father left them because he was tired, and a cousin nick named Tad whose parents had both died. Tad had been living with his abusive uncle Matthew Birch, who had adopted him but, he uses him as free labor until Tad turns 18. One day when Tad's uncle was really mad at him he decided to run away and go to his mother's sister Serilda who lives in a small house with her four daughters. In the middle of the night he goes to his aunts room and tells her all about what his uncle has done to him. Carol who is the youngest and sleeps in the same room as her mother woke up in the middle of their conversation and decided to listen in, so she heard a lot and it became her secret. Mama tried to get a herring with a judge so she can be his legal guardian, but the judge won't hear the case.
This is a great book I it think should have a sequel, to tell more about Tads life and if Uncle Matthew tries to do something to Tad, or if he leaves him alone.

Tad
Have you ever read a book that you didn't want to put down? That's what it was like when I was reading Tadpole. Tadpole was the best book ever! I loved the plot but I thought it was really sad at some parts. I also liked the characters in the book.
I loved the plot of the book because it was sad at certain times but it was happy at other times too. Tad, as he likes to be called, is focused on finding a home where people will take care of him and treat him right. His Uncle Matthew, who has been beating him up, is where Tad has been staying, so he ran away. Tad ran away to his Aunt Serilda's house with her daughters Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, and Virginia. They kept Tad there but he was scared of getting caught by his uncle. Carolina felt like she didn't belong in the family and Tad helped her feel better about herself by helping her discover some of her special talents she didn't even know she had. Like singing, and finding the harmony of songs and she could hear and identify all the different kinds of cars and she would help keep Tad safe if she heard an unfamiliar engine because it might be Uncle Matthew.
I liked the characters in Tadpole too. The characters in the book lived in Kentucky and had a southern accent. The main characters in this book are Tadpole or Tad, Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia, and the girls mama and Tad's Aunt Serilda. I liked the characters because each one had a different personality.
I loved this book and as you can see I didn't have anything bad to say about it and if you read it, I'm sure you won't either!

Have you ever read a book that you just can't put down? That's how I felt when I read an amazing book called Tadpole. There were so many exciting sections that made me jump out of my seat. But the best part that I liked was the characters.
The first exciting event was when Tadpole came to Aunt Serilda's house and lived with the four girls for a while. It got me excited because I thought was not going to be that good. It turned out to be very suspenseful. Another section of the book were there was excitement was when when Tadpoles uncle came to their house to find him. When his uncle came it got me very excited because they hid under the bead and it put a picture in my head right away.
The characters were very funny, but one, Uncle Matthew. He was very cruel and mean. He would abuse Tadpole when he lived there, but he eventually escaped. Tad was very entertaining and funny because he played the guitar and sang. The best character was Carolina because, she reminds me of ME! She reminds me of myself because, because she's nice and quiet.

I really liked the book because it was exciting, suspenseful, and the characters were very funny. There are so many more reasons that I liked the book Tadpole and I'd read it again. Maybe, if you read it too, you would like it also.

I was looking hard for something to help keep me organized as a first year Art teacher shared by two separate schools. Mr. Burke explains how he organizes his own planner, and this offered a working model which I quickly adopted. The 2" binder he keeps his book in, is also the Master Binder--this holds all student info pertinent to the lesson plans and daily activities such as attendance and seating, and is easily carried with you during a fire drill. This resource was a blessing...and but for an unexpected 'expletive' in a sidebar writing, I would have given it 5 stars. My feeling is if I'm to be professional in appearance and demeanor, I'm not wanting to have less than in my planner--especially if I share it with colleagues to offer it as an option for the paperwork shuffle and task organizing. Otherwise, it's full of useful information and has been extremely helpful to me.

As a teacher, I have learned how to review my day and figure out what I need to change. THis book has been instrumental in giving me an outlet for my daily reflections.

I love this planner. I use it to keep me organized in all aspects of my life. Jim Burke has done a great job of creating a resource that fits teachers' needs.

As an English teacher for 18 years, I was always trying to find an easy-to-use book for lesson plans. The generic lesson plan books provided by other companies just "didn't cut it." It took an English teacher (Jim Burke) to create a fabulous tool for teachers to use for lesson planning.

I highly recommend the purchase of this Daybook, in fact, I think it should be the schools themselves that purchase the Daybooks for their respective staffs. But, if your school insists that you use one of the generic books, then your self purchase of this Daybook is well worth the price and then some!

I have used the daybook for the past few years and the revised version is even better. There is plenty of space for daily lessons and the separate pages for reflection allow for more space on the weekly pages. If you want to help balance your personal and professional life, this daybook is a great tool.

Great book! Very helpful for parents of children with CP. Book was received quickly and was in very good condition.

This book is a great help for many types of motor delays other than cerebral palsy. Highly recommended by the mother of a special needs toddler who is not walking or standing.

I work with students with severe and profound multiple disabilities (3-22 years)and I have found this book helpful when explaining things to my staff and parents. It really is written so anyone can understand and the chapter breakdown lets you go right to the skill without having to read the whole thing. My OT and PT also checked it out and loved the "Tummy Time" section. I would also reccomend "Children with Disabilities" by Batshaw. This is a must in a professional (or personal) resource library.

This book contains excellent information that can be shared with parents and caregivers. The descriptions of activities are done very well, with nice pictures and ideas for parents. I believe that this is an excellent tool for therapists to have on their shelf!

I am a parent with a child with CP- This book is GREAT because...
1) It provides a realistic milestone chart- something I've never been able to refer to in other books on child development.
2) It gives great advice no PT ever mentioned. For example, to never put socks on your child.
3) It gives a point-blank explanation of what to do NOW for your child, and to what NOT to wait for. No one ever told me alot of these things
Granted, it was depressing at points, but this book sort of slapped me in the face about motor skills. The book talks alot about how time is Not on your child's side, and it motivated me and other caregivers to do MORE INTENSIVE therapy with my girl.

I am studying education at the moment and this book has been an excellent source of reference. I would recommend this to other education students.

Wow, I could've used this one year ago for my first nurse clinical class! This book starts off very promising. It is going to help you grab that elusive thing all teachers want, a class that doesn't put your students in a COMA. The part on learning theory is well explained with examples that pertain to us nurses. There are some basics on the nuts and bolts of instructing a class, again geared towards nursing. Part 2 is where I realize I'm not going to be teacher of the year with this book alone. After switching to patient teaching goals for awhile then we dive into multicultural concepts. I foud the chapter on multiculturalism to be ineffectual and sparse with no real expertise. I wonder why it was included in the book, perhaps it was there to meet an imposed standard. Part 3 is redeeming with some practical and useful ways to turn the learning on in the classroom. This book is useful for a new nurse educator in that she has lots of strategies to choose from with a good base understanding. The experienced instructor caught in the habit of stuffy lecturing can learn new tricks. Overall, this is a good book for beginners and a resource to expand upon.

As a future nursing educator I found this book to be indispensable. Over the past fifteen years of my nursing career, I have been in virtually every nursing educational setting. For this reason I have collected numerous books and nursing resources on the subjects of cognitive processes, learning and teaching techniques. This book by far pulls all the information together, and it will become the most utilized of my collection. The information is laid out in a logical format that starts with the basic concepts, theories, objectives and goals of learning. She then moves on to explain how to prepare and conduct classes. She concludes with the testing and evaluation process. DeYoung takes you gradually through everything you need to know to formulate and conduct a classroom setting that is both stimulating and achieves the goal of educating nurses to become critical thinking, problem-solvers. Her work employs the latest research on learning/education and at the end of every chapter she reinforces learning through case studies, critical thinking exercises and ideas for future research. Any nursing educator within the academic setting or within the clinical area would benefit from this text. She has made the material easy to understand for the beginning educator and advanced enough for the expert. I wish I had had this resource at the start of my career. I absolutely recommend this book.

As a future nursing educator I found this book to be indispensable. Over the past fifteen years of my nursing career, I have been in virtually every nursing educational setting. For this reason I have collected numerous books and nursing resources on the subjects of cognitive processes, learning and teaching techniques. This book by far pulls all the information together, and it will become the most utilized of my collection. The information is laid out in a logical format that starts with the basic concepts, theories, objectives and goals of learning. She then moves on to explain how to prepare and conduct classes. She concludes with the testing and evaluation process. DeYoung takes you gradually through everything you need to know to formulate and conduct a classroom setting that is both stimulating and achieves the goal of educating nurses to become critical thinking, problem-solvers. Her work employs the latest research on learning/education and at the end of every chapter she reinforces learning through case studies, critical thinking exercises and ideas for future research. Any nursing educator within the academic setting or within the clinical area would benefit from this text. She has made the material easy to understand for the beginning educator and advanced enough for the expert. I wish I had had this resource at the start of my career. I absolutely recommend this book.

Nurses are continuously involved in the education of patients, their families, students of nursing, and of one another. Teaching Strategies for Nurse Educators was written as a guide to help nurses learn how to teach effectively. To assist the reader in learning the concepts important in the teaching and learning processes, the author turns to multiple theories of learning which form the basis of understanding why and how people learn. The author notes that to be an effective teacher, a knowledge of educational theory and research, coupled with the desire to learn about teaching methods and the ability to look objectively at ones' teaching style and overall performance is a process which needs to be developed in the individual. The book provides descriptions of several learning theories associated with effectiveness in teaching and learning, and includes discussion of teaching methods and strategies. Each chapter incorporates Case Study, Critical Thinking Exercises and Ideas for Further Research. Developing critical thinking skills in the nursing profession is of paramount importance. The author addresses this issue by defining critical thinking, describes how learning this important skill can be inhibited by improper teaching methods to students in nursing school and offers strategies to enhance these essential skills. The book follows a logical sequence and states points clearly and effectively and stimulates thought on the part of the reader. References are sited throughout the text and listed at the end of each chapter. True to the Nursing Process, the book would not be complete without an evaluation of both the student learner and patient as the recipients of the information taught. Reading this book sparked my interest in education. I found this book to be both informative and stimulating; however, the breadth of topics covered was more than this reader had anticipated. Nevertheless, I would recommend this book to all nurses interested in enhancing their teaching skills.

I read this book in one sitting, which included the time during my daughter's orchestra concert. I'm ashamed to admit that I was more interested in the book than the concert. After I read it, I immediately xeroxed off several pages to give to my teaching friends who I thought would enjoy the poems as much as I did and I was right, they did! Something about the selections really spoke to my heart. It felt like the poems were meant to nourich me during those days when I was running low on fuel. I highly recommend this book to any teachers out there.

I bought two copies of this book, one for myself and one for my supervisor. The poems are well chosen and the book is well organized into different categories having to do with vocational discernment. What makes this book unique, however, is the personal testimonies from teachers describing the meaning of each poem in their lives. Since I received this book I have used it extensively, not only for my own enrichment but also for the enrichment of the patients I work with,

I bought this book a while back for my oldest daughter who teaches high school English and Art. It was so awesome that I kept it for myself. (I have a naughty habit of reading all the books I buy as gifts before I give them away....does that make them used books?) My copy is quite dog-eared and worn.

If you love poetry, you NEED this book. The poems are varied and inspiring and enlightening. I discovered many new poets whose books I just had to own after reading their poems here. It's an amazing anthology and would make a great gift to give any friend or loved one who enjoys poetry.

At first glance you might think it's just another "teacher book" but it is so fullfilling. As a teacher who loves poetry, literacy, and teaching children to love the written word this book touched me deeply. The poems can be read in the classroom, the narratives are rich and moving and they made me realize I was not alone in feeling I was called to the teaching profession. This book was a Christmas gift to me, one I have deeply cherished. The book gets to the core; it brought tears to my eyes.....tears of joy.

I absolutely treasure this book! For several years now, everywhere I give talks or do workshops on service-learning and civic education in higher education, I find an excuse to read a poem or two from this compelling collection of poetry. I think educators are yearning for renewal, and the combination of each poem along with a teacher's note on the meaning of the poem, strikes a chord. I know this, not only from audience reactions to my reading from the book, but also because I always get asked for the citation! I am always happy to recommend the book--(no one in higher ed has said to me they were not interested in the book, when I tell them the poems were selected by K-12 teachers). Suggestion for gift-giving: whenever it fits the occasion, it is a great present. It is also perfect for end-of-year giving for groups (appreciation gift for graduating seniors, recognition of teachers, thank you to participants in service-learning and community involvement programs, etc.).

A fact filled book on the basics from one of the greats. A good read even if you aren't planning on going racing.

The basics are here, even though the book is some 45 years old. A good place to start from.

The Technique of Motor Racing
by Piero Taruffi

Aloha,
Thirty years ago I was a driver for the "Jim Russell International Racing Driving School" out at Willow Springs, CA USA. One of the greatest times in my life. Jim Russell (JRS) at that time had schools simultaneously on five continents. We taught in so many languages that we did not have a textbook of our own. JRS was busy training movie stars and World Champions for Formula One Race Car Driving. JRS put students in signal seaters from day one! We use to order Taruffi's by the case. It had been "The Book!" for over ten years and was very hard to find. I think Harry Morrow would get them for us from England. They would sell out every time. We could not keep them on the shelf.

I use the principles I learned every time I take to the road. I believe it has helped make me a safer and definitely faster better Motor Vehicle Driver. Probably contributed to my long life, considering I am in the habit of winning on or off the track.

For decades I did not see Taruffi at all. Sometimes I would pick them up in old bookstores. I am glad for the sake of all future drivers that someone has had the wisdom to keep Taruffi in publication. Just the fact that it is around after all these years should tell you something.

Even today, you will seldom see them sold used. You will never see them sold cheap. Many driving books are about the author. Some are about street driving. Taruffi is pure Racing!! How you can drive a car faster. The essence of driving. I do not see how things could have changed enough to invalidate anything Taruffi has had to say. Decide for yourself, you can always return it.

If you have read every book on Motor Racing ever published. You will find The Technique of Motor Racing not only has a lot to offer you. It may just be the most compact bit of Racing Knowledge you have ever found in one place.

Pass Um`
-ooO-(GoldTrader)-Ooo-

The classic corner lines and driving technique discussed. I bought this book based on Niki Lauda's (F1 World Champion 1975, 1997) recommendation of it in one of his books.

This book, first published in 1959, is mostly devoted to cornering, and this is the best publication about turns on flat surfaces with high adhesion, used in sport racing, and this information is still valid.

It has a pretty little chapter on physical training of a driver, with the schemes gymnastic exercises recommended for a motorist.

The details of driving position and handling of a steering wheel are mentioned, but not covered well enough.

Nevertheless, the cornering is explained fairly well, in 69 pages full of formulas, schemes and illustrations.

If you need a deeper text-book about fast and safe cornering, which is not only applicable to sport but also to driving on public road, and which covers slippery surfaces like ice, snow and dirt, I would have recommended a published work by Professor Tsygankov.