Educators Books

This is a great product. I am a respiratory therapy student and this book is a must have.

A must for all respiratory therapists, sleep tech and the nurses who work with respiratory related illness.

This book is EXCELLANT!! It is very easy to read & contains a complete, condensed "stock-pile" of the basics of Respiratory Therapy. It's great!! I recently returned to the Respiratory workforce, after taking a "sabatical" of approximately 8 years. This little book helped me to review what I needed to function in the field of RT. It's nice & compact for easy carrying and has valuable info needed to complete a days work!!

This book contains the information needed by anyone who want to be a quality Respiratory Care Practitioner. I spent several years gathering this information in a hand written pocket notebook and I still did not have the scope and breadth of this pocket tome.

If you want to be good you need this book.

Gerald Zollar,RRT

This is a great little pocket guide, although it needs to be updated. My only suggestion is hide it in your locker at the end of your shift or it is GUARANTEED TO DISAPPEAR!!!!

Very accesible book & good introduction not only to Duke Ellington but the world of Jazz. I suppose an author is limited by the number of pages how in depth one can get but still I expected a more critical examination of the contradiction of Ellington's public persona w/ his spirituality and how he reconciled these contradictions. That said, I still found Steed's argument convincing, especially his leading up to his sacred music. This is especially a good book for the new initiate to Duke Ellington.

The author's knowledge of Duke Ellington, and descriptions of his compositions is impressive. After studying Ellington's life and compositions through this book more closely, in his music, even when it is not overtly religious, one can quickly see that Ellington did indeed work out his spirituality through his music, as this author so convincingly argues. Of especial interest is the author's conception of spirituality and her deep artistry of both genuinely recognizing Ellington's and making that connection with his music, and how both shaped and influenced his life. This is not a scholarly tome, but rather a wonderfully quick, short read. As one of many old Ellington fans, my guess is that Duke Ellington would have smiled brightly and given his big stamp of approval to this book.

I just got finished listening to the new CDs of Duke Ellington's Sacred Music, picked up at Borders. Wow! While I was listening to this great stuff I was reading this book. And Wow! again. If you want the nitty, gritty, the lowdown, or dope so to speak, on the Duke you'll have to go somewhere else. Miss Steed does give you the whole story but her emphasis is on his work, his artistry, and his legend--what the Good Man left us with--and his Sacred Music, which he said, was not his best work, but his most important work. And it was real, man, this is what I was looking for, someone who really had something new to say about The Man, and knew what they were talking about! Buy this book and get to know the Duke and the man behind the legend.

I just recently joined a book discussion group and last night, during my first meeting we were discussing Janna Tull Steed's new book "Duke Ellington: A Spiritual Biography." In just 192 pages Steed traces Ellington's development from a piano player to bandleader to composer and his truly thrilling and sublime sacred concerts in the last decade of his life. Steed also discusses in depth Ellington's ability to write for the individual voice, or band member, which seems to be, at least partly, what made and marks him as such an extraordinary and perhaps greatest American composer--that and his overwelming dedication to his music and a relentless ability to constantly break new ground.

Steed's grasp of Ellington and his music, particularly Ellington as a composer is tops. She draws on the enormous archives at the Smithsonian Institution but also on extensive firsthand interviews with scores of people who were intimately familiar with Duke Ellington and his music, and especially his development of his sacred music and concerts. It is in the area of the sacred concerts that Steed breaks new ground but also her focus of Ellinton as composer, as well as his oft forgotten important work in Hollywood. Her outstanding achievment is that she accomplished this in 192 pages. Steed covers the entire scope of Ellington's remarkable life and career and her insights are very welcome and as engaging as they are informative.

I picked this book up after reading Joan of Arc in this Lives and Legacies Series. This new book delivers everything it promises. I'm a real biography nut with an interest in a very broad range of subjects (and that's just what this series delivers) but have little time to immerse myself in a 500 or 700 page reading. So it's great to be able to pick up these short biographies, get a great read, and then decide if I want to explore a subject in further depth. But I can tell you with both these books, short as they are (192 pages), they are still very in-depth, scholarly and but still accessible to the popular audience. Duke Ellington was a particular pleasure as I knew nothing about his Sacred music and Concerts, nor have I run across anything that examines so fully the films that him and his orchestra were featured in, and which by the way Ellington had a significant role in developing. Author Janna Steed offers up a terrific little gem with this new book on Duke Ellington.

I thoroughly enjoyed this suspenseful book! Jan Blankenship has created characters and a plot that grab your attention on the first page and don't let go until the last. Don't start this book late at night because you will be reading all night like I was. I couldn't stop reading! Great job Jan! I can't wait for your next thriller!

I thoroughly enjoyed this very suspensful book. I was captivated from the very first page! Jan did a great job of creating very real characters with whom the reader can identify. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen on the next page! If you start reading this book at night, start early because you won't be able to put it down!

Class Act holds your attention from the start. The characters are well developed and you are immediately involved with their personalitites and eager to read of their next hair raising situation.You experience the fun, frustration, and excitement with Angie and Jake as their relationship develops while solving this page turing thriller. Family members were waiting their turn to read it. We can't wait for the next book!!!

Great story with lots of suspense and excellent character development in the vein of Mary Higgins Clark. You care about the characters and what happens to them. And you can't wait to turn the page to find out what happens next. I've found myself thinking about these characters two years now after I've read the book and that says a lot. Great read! I highly recommend it!

This is on page 22, but I was already mesmerized by the time I read this. What a delightful combination of thriller, love story, and characters who become friends. I hope to hear more from Angie and Jake and of course Smokey the dog. Amazon says if I liked this book I will also like Crichton, Clancy and Grisham. Amazon knows best! Blankenship is in good company.

Chefitz' book is a delicious collection of sweet, subtly moving stories inside an overly pretentious wrapper. As a Jewish inspirational storyteller, I have found his tales to be powerful without being heavy-handed; two of them are now part of my core repertoire.

You don't need to be Jewish to appreciate these kabalistic stories, however. Read them out loud, savor their sweetness, and be prepared to be touched gently and deeply.

This is the kind of book you want to buy and give to everyone. I gave a copy to my mother in her 80s and she said it was the most wonderful gift she had received this year. These stories sink into your soul and resurface to uplift your days. I definitely remember more to count my blessings and to give them too and thus I receive more blessings and am open to more coming as well. Reading this book, life seems full of miracles!

I purchased this book, The Curse of Blessings, based on the reviews here. I have to say that I am very disappointed with this book. I struggled through it and found little to recommend it. For me, it didn't live up to the high ratings given here. The stories are often convoluted, flat, and without inspiration. I feel duped for having purchased a real clunker. Instead, I would recommend Irwin Kula's book, Yearnings, which I have found to be exceptional in its ability to inspire and provide insights into life's challenges.

This marvelous little collection of stories are good on the first reading, and even better on subsequent readings. Some are mysterious stories, some are sweet, and all have the ring of truth.

I liked it so much I bought other copies as gifts. Enjoy!

These ten short stories by Mitch Chefitz are meant to be read aloud. Each time, as a reader or a listener, I find the stories to be enriching, inspiring, and, in a few, delightful and humorous.

adequate resource for my nursing education course. does not include mentoring or preceptorship, which was my presentation topic.

Very thorough and easy to read. Included all pertinent information from theorist, models of learning, taxonomies, to styles of student learning and much more. Each chapter was concise and to the point.

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.

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.

This is the workbook to the text, Ordinary Parent's guide to teaching your child to read. It is incremental, and covers everything that the texts does in the order that the text book covers it. It really is a shame that the OPGTTYCR did not tell me that these were the workbooks for that guide. I found out on a homeschooling yahoo group and we have been happily progressing along.

I have used these products with small reading groups and with my own children. I also like the before the code and beyond the code books.

This series is amazing!!!!! My four year old has completed explode the code 1 and is sounding words out, reading and SPELLING!!!!! These books are engaging and she loves them. Where were these books when I was a child? The author has broken down phonics, reading and spelling into a very easy, very user friendly system. I use it and my best friend who also homeschools in using these books with the same results.

This product is topnotch for teaching phonics and spelling.
Explode the Code Book 1 focuses on the short vowels. For each short vowel there are eight pages of exercises consisting of matching, spelling, writing, and copying. The prerequiste to using this curriculum is to know the consonants which are taught in the primers "Get Ready for the Code, Get Set for the Code, Go for the Code."
The graphics for Explode the Code are all in black and white with the illustrations having been drawn by children. This would be a good curriculum for those children who are sensitive to color stimuli.
Theoretically this is a sound curriculum, however it is not for every child. This was the situation in our homeschool, so we switched to utilizing School Speciality Publishing (formerly McGraw Hill) products which we are very happy with.

I purchased and have used Explode the Code books 1-4 to date. I also bought and am using the Teachers Guides as well. I enjoy the Guides as they take me through the process of introducing a skill, by offering short and effective interactive presentations or exercises. These usually take only minutes each, and with only a small amount of creativity can be extended when needed. Such activities include a short review of previous skill(s), a phonemic awareness activity, fluency, comprehension, writing, and a challenge, as well as the introduction of that unit's skill. The feedback from these is just what I need to know if its time to progress or not. The exercises also allow me to teach objectives from several angles despite my limited experience. Additional exercises are also presented to appeal to various learning styles.

My student enjoys the Student pages in the Explode the Code books. Once a student learns to do each type of exercise they can be completed with a great degree of independence. Some times we spend more time on student pages one day and more time with other activities the other just to mix it up a bit.

The ETC 1/2 numbered series offers more practice on the same skills taught in the whole numbered books.

For those on a budget, or who are not ready to commit to purchasing an entire phonics system, as well as others who only need to remediate certain objectives, the fact that these books are sold separately is nice.

While I use these as part of our home schooling day, I feel these books would be well suited for parents who wish to challenge a reader who is not being challenged in early grades at school, or who wishes to help remediate a slow or struggling reader. Explode the code is actually written for use in a class setting but well designed and lends to any student to teacher ratio.

Murphy's book has given honest and straightforward insight into the missionary experience. It doesn't try to sell or market his choice to go. It has nonetheless helped my wife and I process through our decision to serve in Africa. It is written in journal form, so don't expect a sweeping narrative with elaborate character and setting. A helpful description of a young missionary's personal journey.

I work with Ryan at RVA, and I like him enough that I was afraid I wouldn't like the book. There was no reason to fear; this is a terrific book. He is wise and honest, and it comes through. Anyone with a heart for missions will love this book, although you might suggest to Ryan that he devote a LARGE section to ME in the sequel that is sure to come.

Set in Kenya during the Murphy family's first years as teachers of missionary children, Ryan Murphy tells the real story of a faith-driven life abroad. Away from the comforts of home, friends and family, he recounts not only the daily challenges and frustrations, but also the heart-warming victories inherent in doing the Lord's work afar. Murphy's tales of daily life evoke humor, compassion and wonder and take the reader on a unique voyage to a rich and colorful land where adventure and uncertainty lurk around every corner. This is a real page-turner, sincerely told in everyday language. It is a delightful read for anyone interested in a unique memoir and a must for anyone contemplating the missionary life.

This easy read give a fresh look at what God can do with two open heart. Honest, open and enjoyable this book will be an highlight of your day as you fell like you actually been to Rift Valley Ac. This book talks about real life and dose not forget what's really important.

My husband and I have been volunteering an American missionary school last two months. It has been an interesting adjustment to the culture. We have gone through all sorts of emotions, but the most disturbing emotions have been ones of discouragement and questioning God's hand in bringing us here. Living here has been tough. Praise God that Ryan Murphy's book "ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND" was given to us to read. Not only is it a delightful and entertaining book, but God used the book to show us that our feelings were not unusual. We could relate to Heather and Ryan's first year missionary life and laughed as we realized how similar our experiences were. I am encouraged to know that my emotions are to be expected and that they are not signs that I shouldn't be here, but rather part of the process of entering missionary life. I have been able to see through the Murphys' experiences that we too will survive and grow to love this place.



This book helps one take a deep breath and realize that these feelings are okay. To realize that the struggle will not last forever but that it is part of God's plan is liberating. Praise God for this encouragement! I think anyone who is considering a cross cultural experience should read this book. It is an easy read and will help those coming to the field to understand the "fitting into the new culture" process. I think it is a must read.

I first met Dinty while reading The Accidental Buddhist and was captivated by his style. I bought Between Panic and Desire as soon as it came out and learned that he is living my life five years in the future. I'm looking forward to his next work to see how my life turns out.

This is probably the most refreshing and inventive works of creative nonfiction. The stories interact with one another in creating a wonderful, compelling narrative. I chose this as a required reader for my creative writing class at Manatee Community College because the forms of the stories provide great examples of what creative nonfiction can be in the 20th century.
Because the novel is enjoyable, it reads quickly. The topics span a great distance in the modern era of popular culture, yet this book does not bog itself down with over-referentiality. Buy this and you will not be sorry!

This is simply an amazing book: funny, accessible, poignant, avant garde, and silly all at the same time. It is an easy read, as it is organized in short, punchy chapters. If you were born in the 1950s or 60s, the book will be even more meaningful for you. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Moore's fine sense of rhythm and wit carries us through this brief memoir. Under a stylish veil of humor and irony, Moore explores the universal human search for balance between panic and desire.

This really isn't a memoir in the conventional sense--and thank God for that. This sad-yet-funny montage provides a number of poignant glimpses into the life of a writer and a country: whether he's writing about Irish-Americana, 9/11, dropping acid, or dysfunctional fathers, Dinty Moore is poignant, honest and ultimately hopeful. No matter how much you think your country is screwed up, or how much you think you've screwed up, or how much you think your family screwed you up, read Panic and Desire. By the time you finish it you'll realize life is better than you thought.

This is an easy to follow book that covers any questions an educator may have over just about any law. I loved that it had a regular index as well as an index of court cases.

This book was an asset. I used it instead of my assigned text when working to pass the TExES Principal exam. This book was much better and more reader friendly than anything else I had used. The special ed section is a Must Read as is the part on employee rights! I highly recomment this book!

The title doesn't sound overly interesting but it actually is an interesting book. Teaching is an important job but there are a lot of things that a teacher could do to get in trouble (such as breaking privacy laws). The book also covers the law regarding starting a job contract, which I found to be particularly enlightening. It also covers some of the changes to Texas law since No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and laws regarding English language learners and illegal immigrants (they have the right to public education like anyone else). These are all important issues for the Texas teacher.

This book arrived quickly and has proved to be everything I needed it to be. Thank you very much

This book was used for a school law class. This is a great cheat sheet for educators in Texas, including teachers.

Narrating the dreadful events from the vantage point of a child and making them sound so incredibly interesting it's a feat by itself. The author had my attention immediately and made me yearn for more. I had to finish it all in one reading and yet I did not want it to end. All the stories are superb.
I wish people in power,along with those who get satisfaction in creating turmoil through wars, would wake up and find other means of peaceful coexistence!!!.Ms. Psyhogeos, presents her case eloquently and kudos are in order!!!

This was a book I could not put down once I had taken it up. The author's childhood memories provide a valuable historical insight into conditions in rural Greece during the horrors of the Second World War and the subsequent Civil War. The author captures perfectly the limited range but vivid experience of childhood.
Most memorable are the moving pen portraits of unforgettable characters: such as the tragic "Lady in Black", of whom it was said that "The history of a nation is written on her face", and the sadistic former collaborator "Mister John", who dominated a small town during the Civil War, and killed the poor and unfortunate at a whim for his own amusement.
It is not surprising that the author, who emigrated to the USA from such a background, found her new home a land of freedom and opportunity. Yet it is disappointing that she never drew any conclusions from the fact that the likes of "Mister John" were sustained in their authority by the US Embassy, which exercised effective control over Greece at the time, and which ran concentration camps every bit as brutal as those of the Nazis, and which governed the country through former Nazi collaborators such as "Mister John"; and all in the name of preserving freedom and democracy.
Still - this was not written as a history book. As a collection of childhood reminiscences it is unbeatable.

I'm in Greece for the Olympics and going by a book exhibit I purchased this book because I liked the title and I thought it will make a pleasant read while going from one event to the next.I was thrilled by it and I couldn't wait to get into a computer and write this. What a fantastic story!! How beautifully one expresses recollections of childhood.I doubt that I would've liked to have had the sad experiences the author narrates of her childhood, nonetheless, I would've loved to have had the talent to write such a poignant book.I will recommend it to all my friends, it is a story that should be read...Wish I could write more about it but I have to go to my next event which is Basketball. READ PLEASE : REACHING FOR THE SKY: CHILDHOOD RECOLLECTIONS OF WAR AND PEACE, I can guarantee you will thoroughly enjoy it!!

Indeed it is the best book I've read this year and I read a lot. I was given the book as a birthday gift by a friend and I thank her for her wonderful taste. I've read it on a flight to Brussels and I could not put it down. The emotions the author expressed throughtout the book kept me captivated. It is difficult to choose few of the short intertwined stories (they'are all of high interest), but if I have to pick only two I will opt for the one on "first love" and the other on "Dick" the author's dog. Well, I cannot say enough for this exceptional story, the sentiments of a little girl towards war and its results is a cry for PEACE and BROTHERHOOD, the ruined dreams and lost childhood innocence, touch deeply the heart. I loved it! I wish there were many books like this. Beutifully narrated, eloquently expressed! Congratulations to the author and many thanks Anne for making my birthday and travel so pleasant!!!

I wanted to love this book but I couldn't. The author is obviously intelligent, well educated, and a perfectly fine writer (technically speaking), but for me, she lacks the ability to convey the full depth of wisdom and understanding that these rich experiences must have imprinted on her. The book is a series of short stories that, while interesting, did not truly touch my heart. Given the great breadth and depth of material Ms. Psyhogeos had to work with, I feel she could have done much better.