English Books

Is it a coincidence that Thneed rhymes with Deadly Sin #3? Growth for the sake of growth is where we are today. This too shall pass, UNLESS....

Dr. Seuss, turned holier-than-thou by his elevated status in society, decides to preach to us about the evils of industrialization. Does he realize that the many millions of copies of "The Lorax" were all made in factories, using paper that came from trees?

If you're suspicious of the book's theme, trust that neither of my sons, now ages 5 and 4, rise up out of the beds and declare war against American industry after a bedtime reading. They like the Barbaloots. They like the mossy voice I give the Lorax.

The message I share with them is not to waste natural resources. There's nothing wrong with cutting down a tree (it makes great books!) but plant a new one. There's nothing wrong with fishing and hunting but eat what you collect. I applaud Dr. Suess for reaching beyond his "Cat in the Hat" fare and offering up a deeper story.

Have extremists on both sides used the book for their cause? Sure. But I'm reviewing this book for the bedtime book audience who wants to know if this is appropriate for young children. The answer is yes, in fact it is.

This is a beautiful book with unforgettable characters and I hope it helps you teach your children to appreciate nature.

There are not many books for this age group that the parent gets more out if it than the child.

The Lorax is an great story that is hard for young ones to comprehend the first time through, but still fun to hear. As you read it over and over to them will understand and appreciate it more.

This has many similarities to stories like The Giving tree

Stories like these are inspirations for content I create on the [...] storybooks site.

My 5 and 7 years olds have made this one of their favorites. My 7 year read it himself and is even memorizing parts of it. There are lots of made up words in this one, but my kids seem to like that, too. The story moves fast and every page has something new. It is a blatantly pro-environment story which is still relevant today. If my kids get the point, that's good.

I would recommend this book along with Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Pronouns and Prepositions for any level learner of Spanish, but I'd advise you to have a little bit previous knowledge. It's really cheap, explains every important concept in a very simple way and includes lots of exercises to practice. I've been using this book since the summer after I finished my first year of Elementary Spanish at college. I think it was very useful, especially in my second year of Spanish when I still didn't understand many grammar concepts but was given a text book written entirely in Spanish. This workbook explains things very clearly in English, which is important for beginners. Now that I am close to fluent in Spanish, I still use this book now and again to look up things I'm fuzzy on, and I definitely plan to use it to help me as a Teaching Assistant for students next year.

Use this book as a companion to whatever book/CD (grammar, vocab. Rosetta stone etc.) you are using to learn Spanish. I've finished the Rosetta Stone Latin American Spanish volume 1, and know a little bit of Spanish now. But if you are a beginner-beginner, this book may not be right for you. Especially, it may be very challenging for a new student to translate English into Spanish. Every section ends with a "translation/traduccion" exercise. In the first unit, you have to translate a whole paragraph--about 10 sentences of English--into Spanish.

Example from the 1st Unit translation exercise: "Marcos lives in Montana. His mother works in a school where she teaches music and phys. ed. In the morning she plays the piano, sings, and practices with the band."

If you started Spanish yesterday or today and are able to translate this in Spanish, you are definitely a genius. Without finishing the Level 1 of the Rosetta Stone, I would never have been able to translate it.

This is a fantastic book with a lot of exercises. No question about it. But if you are a beginner-beginner, use this book as a companion (not as your primary source) to whatever CD/books you are using now.

Advancing within my present employment requires Spanish fluency. To achieve bi-lingual certification, I purchased various Spanish software programs. My progress remained slow. I began to believe that I had no hope of ever going beyond understanding a word or two from each sentence, and hoping I could manage something that made sense in reply.

Conjugating verbs was my greatest obstacle until I found this book. I can now reason out which tense to use, and which order to place the verb and subject in a sentence. I wish I had found this book sooner!

The book presents each rule in manageable segments, then gives excercizes to test the reader's understanding. The excercizes are excellent reinforcement. I write the answers on a separate piece of paper rather than in the book. Leaving the pages unmarked allows me to repeat sections that might have given me problems the first time, as well as review excercizes after I've moved on. I also made up my own flashcards and vocabulary lists using the verbs and supplemental vocabulary lists. The cards or lists are reviewed 20 minutes each day, using various mnemonic techniques which I learned elsewhere.

I now have a three prong approach to learning Spanish: the book for understanding grammar, lists and flashcards for expanding and testing vocabulary, software and TV to hear Spanish spoken by native speakers and to record my own voice in reply.

I am finally making progress! This book was worth every penny. IT WORKS!

This book was extremely helpful for me as you really need this kind of written practice in Spanish verbs if you are going to fully master the various conjugations (especially for me sitting a university paper in spanish).

I highly recommend it, it really helped me practice recalling the words out of my own head.

I give private Spanish lessons. Although this book may seem tedious at times, it really helps my students understand the patterns of verb conjugation and memorize verb meanings. I highly recommend it for beginners, or for those who would like a refresher.

This book is the ultimate litmus test as to whether the reader is ready to be happy and have joy in his life, or whether he wants to keep crying in his beer.

If this book does not have you falling down on the floor laughing, then chuck it in.

I realize I'm probably one of the last people on the planet to discover this wonderful book, but I got to sing its praises, too. One of the best books I've read in a long time, and fitting as I am also suddenly into Doctor Who, which is quite similar. The Earth is destroyed one horrible Thursday in order to build a hyperspatial express route, and Arthur Dent and his friend Ford (who was stranded on Earth for fifteen years) start hitchhiking around the galaxy. Never have I read a book so clever and imaginative (dealing with the meaning of life pondered by mice, nuclear bombs turning into sperm whales, depressed robots and hyper-friendly computers) with such a clever and hilarious style (pokes great fun at our little species). Grade: A+

Our friend here is simply the best humorist printed on paper during the second half of the twentieth century.

Mark Twain and Bierce Ambroce should see him as a counterpart in heaven (or hell) I recommend this book to any reader, even if that English is not their native language, like me.

this book is the comp of the douglas adams series hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. it is hilarious well written and something just to put your imagination to work.

All the books plus a separate story together in one volume! What else could I wish for? If you enjoyed the movie, (okay, okay, there are always some differences between movie and book) you are going to love the books. It's that kind of ironic humour that makes you laugh through intelligent remarks, not silly statements.

The story was pertty good. just felt like the author kept repeating herself, but overall good book

This book was very well written. I love the story! I could relate to all the characters. As thick as the book was, I still was able to finish it in only a few days. Nice job Ms.Brown!! :)

I read Dime Piece also by Tracy Brown and I thought it was just ok. But a friend of mine advised me to read White Lines. White Line is an Epic Novel filled with Drama, Love, Violence and Friendship. Tracy Brown is a gifted writer and I applaud her for her hard work while writing this novel. I felt like I knew Jada, because the author provided so much detail when explaining each character. The story is about Jada who grew up in a dysfuctional household with her sister Ava her mother and her abusive step-father. With all the drama in the hood and also within Jada life at home Jada relies on her drugs to zero out what is going on around her. First comes the abuse than drugs than selling her body, Jada's life is a rollercoaster ride of ups & downs. She finds love, money, respect but loses all three in just one night. Jada is once again a victim to drugs and no one to help her. Tracy Brown "White Lines" had me shedding a tear or two with this novel. Buy it if you are looking for a Real-Life sotry that will have you begging for a resolution as if you really know the fictional charaters.

This was the best book that I have read since The Coldest Winter Ever. If you loved that book then you will definately love this one. This is the second book that I have read form Tracy Brown, and I must say she is the truth. This book without a doubt get a A+++.

All I have to say is go get it and read it, clear ur day..make time just 4 u and this novel...this here book was so very good, it was heartfelt. Go buy it 2day. It's one of my fav's, and Tracy Brown, did her thang. I highly recommend this novel, I thought that I gave a review b4 I did on "Twisted", but this one is good hands down. Without telling u anything this book is worth every penny..trust.

I purchased this book when I was diving into learning the Spanish language. Although not fluent, this book is a tremendous reference source indicated which word to use when. I still use the book to this day. The author makes it interesting and fun. I'd recommend it to anyone wishing to explore and break out of their gringo culture. I've written my own book and I've included some Spanish dialog that is not "proper spanish" in it.

Notwithstanding my recent romantic desires for a certain woman of Latin origins, and that I am a student of Spanish, I am not compelled to "speak Spanish like a native". The "gotta get it right" tone of this book (and many courses oriented to the beer-swigging tourist) isn't a selling point for me. But this is a good read, very informative and entertaining. Worth every penny. The discussion about the subjunctive is maybe a bit off-putting, not because the author fails to grasp the Spanish application of that somewhat unecessary tense (all you need is "maybe")--but because he seems confused about the English non-use of it in similar "situations" for which, he says, Spanish requires it.

It is not a good idea to ever over-concern yourself with idiomatic expressions, in any language. They come, they go. Like, read some dialog from an aging novel:

"Dig this," says one character, holding up a glittery item.
"Far out!" says another character ...

I am left, by Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish, with the feeling that Spanish, deep down in the nitty gritty grammar, especially compared with English--whose main "problem" is its spelling--see, for example, The Future of Fonics: Spelling and Literacy--might be a bit too fraught with ancient cultural freight for a foreigner to worry much (not anymore, say, than using the big fork for salad) about ephemeral idioms and uttering shamefully quaint constructions. One asks himself how much of his personality, at home and away, is the result of his use (choices) of idiomatic speech, and, for that matter, perfect grammar? In other words, wherever your travels take you, just put your heart in the right place and ¡hablabla!

I bought this book on a recommendation. I took Spanish in high school, and even got a high enough score on the AP exam to qualify for college credit. But that was about 15 years ago. Since then I don't get much opportunity to use or practice Spanish, but I still enjoy trying to learn the language by occasionally attempting simple novels in Spanish, watching movies, etc.

This book conversationally and entertainingly explains a lot of subtleties that you will not find in your standard language text. Basically, it will help you avoid making particularly embarrassing mistakes. I also thought its explanations of the subjunctive mood and when and how to use it pretty good.

My son is serving a Spanish speaking mission for our church. He is wanting to improve his Spanish and has asked for my help. He told me this book was recommended to him. He has thanked me for all the help I have sent him, so I assume this is a good help.

This is a book that I have been searching for. Most of the books I have come across only give very "stiff-sounding" vocabulary and idioms. The author of this book seems to be someone similar to me in how I learned Spanish; 10 years of school and college and then going to Spanish speaking countries and dating Spanish women. He is very good at explaining a lot of things that are culture related. For example, the difference between "nice" and "not so nice" people in Spanish are differentiated as buen educado and mal educado.

What I hate about most Spanish/English dictionaries is that words are not necessarily translated properly and I noticed that reverse lookup from the Spanish and the English sections sometimes don't correlate (saca puntos, which is pencil sharpener is incorrectly translated in the English section of many dictionaries to corta lapices). What I really find more valuable at my level is a Spanish dictionary with Spanish translations. This book is a valuable as that type of dictionary.

So far this is the best book I have found for my level of Spanish.

I'll admit I was hesitant to order this book--it didn't seem to be as "flashy" as some of the other children's books. But with such great reviews, I thought I'd try it out. After a few days this quickly become my 8 month old's favorite book. He loves hearing about the "big hungry bear" and I love the mouse's expressions on each page. Both the artwork & story are absolutely adorable. Highly recommended!

When my daughter was in Kindergarten, we purchased this book. We loved acting out the narrator's part and had so much fun! She loved this book so very much, she took it to share day. Her teacher adored the book, as did all of the children in her class. My daughter was a HUGE hit. When her teacher left to have a baby, we gifted her with her own copy of this book. She used it for years, we found out later at a chance meeting. My daughter is now 22. My niece is turning 3 and this book is going to be part of her birthday. I'm already planning out how to read it to her!

I grew up with this book. I would read it over and over to myself and my siblings. When my family moved though It was lost with a couple of other books too. I just recently found it and bought it. I now read it to my daughter and she gets so excited to turn the pages and read the next phrase and see the next picture. I am enjoying both our childhoods. :)

This book is written in the form of a narrator talking directly to the main character, the little mouse. (Spoiler alert - there probably isn't really a bear.)

Very cute, very simple - each page has only one or two lines on it - and some clever illustrations (one one page, the mouse disguises his strawberry in a pair of fake glasses with a nose).

Only thing is that this book has been abridged slightly. The non-board book versions have a few illustrations that were left out of this version, and some of the two-page spreads in the other versions were cut down into one page in this version, making a few pages look a little choppy. Also, the last page of the book has become this book's back cover and blurb.

It doesn't ruin the book, or make it close to unreadable, but if I had to do it again I'd just buy the longer version to start with.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1TTRY7U6R935X In this video I take you through this classic children's book by reading you this short story much the same way I did for my son. He loved this book so much that we bought two so we always had a backup. I read it so many times I knew it by heart. You can't read this book without expressing delight because the story is so charming and the illustrations so heart warming. This is an all time classic children's book.

This was such a great book when I read it many years ago. I've recently gotten ahold of a copy and have to say that it's still a great read, especially when we are surounded by object in our daily lives that seem capable of their own thoughts and motives. It's also nice to see young people painted in such a way where they're not just miniature adults but actual kids reacting well to tough situations. I always wanted to learn more about what happened to Ellen and Otto and imagined they both continued to be self-sufficient individuals who went on to do quite well for themselves.

The Silver Crown by Robert C. O'Brien is a wonderful fantasy about a girl named Ellen Carroll. Ellen wakes up one day and finds a silver crown on her bedside table. Shortly after, her house burns down with her family inside. Not knowing what else to do, Ellen decides to hitchhike to her Aunt's house. But then she finds the person who burnt down her house is stalking her because he wants to kidnap her and take her silver crown.

The book begins with Ellen receiving a silver crown in the mail on her birthday. The next thing she knows, her house has burned down, her family is missing and people are willing to engage in mayhem and murder to find her. Ellen decides she needs to visit an aunt and sets out on foot to find her. She eventually meets up with a somewhat mysterious young boy and they attempt to solve the mystery of the crown and get Ellen to safety. This book was written in 1969 and at times it really shows. For example, that Ellen wears pants briefly and gets messy is considered striking within the book. However, in the end the book is driven by Ellen's determination and will.

I first bought this book when I was 12 years old at a book fair at school. I absolutely adored it and read it repeatedly for the next year. I gave it away to someone and never got it back. Only recently have I thought about it again and decided that Amazon was the first place to look for it. When I had read it again I couldn't believe how much of it I remembered from many moons ago. It was the first book to capture my interest in fantasy writing and I have never looked back since.

I first this book when I was about 12, and it remains on my shelf to this day (I'm now 35.) I highly recommend it for kids who enjoy fantasy books. Yes, it's dark and has genuinely creepy moments in it--but I see no reason that should discourage young readers or their parents, as it's an extremely engaging tale of a little girl battling the forces of evil. Resourceful girl characters are in short supply in children's fantasy literature, so this shouldn't be passed over.

The issues raised in another review here (regarding the unhelpfulness of adult authority figures in the book, and Ellen's bad descision to accept a ride from a stranger) would be points well taken if this were a book for 5 year olds. However, any child old enough to read and appreciate this book should be well past the point of learning that policemen are generally good and that hitchhiking is unwise. Give kids some credit! And give them good books, like this one.

Although the rhymes as nice and the content of picking various berries come into play - I think the pages are way too busy with lots of illustrations that distracts the story and causes focus problems.

I love this book. I love the rhythm of it, I love the note at the end, I love the dedication - love it.

Unfortunately, I've yet to get either of my nieces overly involved in it. They'll sit through it, but they won't request it :(

So I've had to take a star off what I'd normally rank this book as because, in my house, it's just not doing its job. I don't know why they don't love it, they just don't.

This book was a favorite with our first child 10 years ago, and we just bought another copy for our 1-yr.-old! I love the flowing, rhyming prose, and the illustrations allow for so much discussion and interaction. As with Dr. Suess books, I find myself repeating the words throughout the day (like when we're eating berries!) I definitely recommend this book!

This was my kids' favorite book when they were little, and now I'm buying many copies for nieces, nephews, and little cousins. Wonderful verse, fun pictures. Lots of repetition, which the little ones love. Enjoy!

My grandson loved this book once he turned about 16 months old. Before that he had no interest.

This book reads about as exiting as the monotone drone of a window box fan on a hot sweaty summer night. Gann's style seems didactic to say the least. Muddling through the first chapter I fell asleep and woke up just in time to learn of a near miss in the plane Gann was flying. However in all fairness, most books are written like this, full of details and tangents before coming to the point. Who can get through Moby Dick or Les Miserables without wondering where the authors are going? One should only read books like these if he has a bad case of insomia.

If one is looking for the plot to the movie: Fate Is The Hunter, forget it. This book has almost nothing in common with the excellent screenplay written by Harold Maud except for the title and some flashbacks. Of course it is always a disappointment when the movies don't follow the books, which are usually better than the movies; this case being one of the exceptions.

The paperback book is not an abridged version of the hardcover. So don't try searching for a used copy as I did. It's just a waste of time and money. Quite frankly, I'm sorry I bought the book.

Flight possesses a seductive mystique and "Fate is the Hunter" is one of the few books that has ever really truly captured flight's essence.

It is not only pilots that look skyward at the sound of an aircraft or slow down a little as they drive past an airfield. Similarly, Gann captures what is almost intangible and presents it to the reader with an immaculate style that will engross all who read it.

Gann carefully blends the worlds of the philosophical and aeronautical. In this mix, the reader looks out from the cockpit to at times see better within themselves.

A true classic.

Owen Zupp. Author: "Down to Earth"

www.owenzupp.com
DOWN TO EARTH: A Fighter Pilot's Experiences of Surviving Dunkirk, The Battle of Britain, Dieppe and D-Day

This is the memoir of one of the first 300 airline pilots in America. It tells the story of the development of the airline industry and the Air Transport Command during World War II. It is well-written with wit and pathos. I enjoyed the read.

One will see why this was and remains one of the best works of fiction in any genre, but especially aviation. A great book that every pilot has in the bookcase. I also highly recommend, Flying North South East and West,
a non-fiction book that I think is destined to become an aviation classic.
Flying North South East and West: Arctic to the Sahara,

This is one of those books that has a sneak ending - best appreciated by reading through at a steady rate (which only makes sense once the climax of the book is revealed). The stories, anecdotes and tales seem almost trite and mundane - but build to the showdown, for me a life lesson. Flying is revealed for the joy it is, for its wonder, the thrill of a good landing when one has fought the good fight aloft in peril of ending badly. Gann wrote the thing with a purpose - and it wasn't to entertain you. He is like a grandfather with good advice, and he hits you with a zinger to make the point. You will be grateful, either gender, any station, rich or poor.

To 'stall' is human, to measure divine, is the key message from this book that highlights the tendency of us humans to resist change and thus accept less than perfection from our selves or our organizations. By naming `stalled' performance drivers - tradition holds you back, disbelief of new possibilities based on past experience stops you, misconception of actual facts, perceived unattractiveness of other options, poor communications, bureaucracy or just plain procrastination stalls things - the authors supply motivational materials so the reader will consider their eight-step process for 'stall-busting'.

1. Understand the importance of measuring performance
2. Choose an important process to measure
3. Find best practice for that process
4. Move beyond best practice
5. Imagine the world if perfection of the practice were possible
6. Act on this perfection now
7. Match people and rewards to induce perfection
8. Repeat steps 1 thru 7

As the authors say, most everyone talks about continuous improvement, but talk is not action. If it gets measured, it gets done, the saying goes. For the authors, if it gets measured, it gets improved. I should measure the time taken to read books and write reviews; well, maybe tomorrow.

Dennis DeWilde, author of
"The Performance Connection"

The 2000 Percent Solution is not merely a strategic business thinking book but something more. It is a book that can lead you to find your personal stalls and eliminate them so that free from them, it will be easier to discover and eliminate the organizational stalls. These steps are essential in the effort to apply the author's suggestions for obtaining the 2000 percent solution and finally achieve exponential business success. The book is very comprehensive, it contains sixteen chapters. In the 1-8 chapters the authors explain the various kinds of personal and organizational stalls and propose an effective busting method, while in the rest chapters, there are various techniques for achieving the 2000 percent solution. It a great book!

How fast? Lots of tools to retread wheels of enterprise to increase productivity are in The 2000% Solution. This is not a one read book, but a series of valuable clear disciplines to habituate. Thank God for humor- the spoon full of sugar.

Don Mitchell makes a point, illustration from a wide range of business vignettes threaded with the funny sides of life. The flow of information is linear to me, one point connecting to the next. Some business reads are jumpy and harder for me to follow. I became self employed in 1973, (not knowing the term!) by 1979 hired my first employee. When recognizing I was in `business' I joined the local Chamber of Commerce and began reading business books. Some helped me sleep, not this one!

The 2000% Solution is the first book that has given me a quantum leap thinking process, to think in big significant moves forward. Dr. Mitchell gives simple methods to `do' these processes. One action I took was to chart my actions by the hour for several days to review what I am doing and what actions move me forward. This uncomfortable process is powerful.

Most traditional reads are usually from one person's view of one business or industry. The 2000% Solution malleable big leap `thinking process' alone is worth the read. The value of real stories of real people in real company activities- well - that makes it real to me.

The best thing reading this is FUN- the humor! Some are deliberate jokes and cartoons strengthening points made- then there are the funny real stories happening in business. Many times I laughed out loud. Humor is the no-calorie whipped cream on this delight!

I found this book a great help and have read it several times. It defines in simple terms how to unstall your life and business. It sets out a plan to find and eliminate various types of obstacles or stalls that impede the success in your business or personal life. The book has helped me reorient and remove the obstacles that are a hindress to the exponential growth that is possible within any business. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a way to get out of a rut and start moving forward and upward again

I first read "The 2000 Percent Solution" as part of a course for a Rushmore University doctoral program. It sparked in me the desire and determination to get more "bang for the buck" from my efforts, and provided a clear 8-step guide for doing so.

The guide to creating 2000 Percent solutions essentially helps you to see differently, and acknowledge the reality of your personal and organisational biases. It helps you undertake a wider search than you normally would in the quest for a solution. And it doesn't leave you content with the best solution you may have found, but has you project into the future to "see" what the future best practice is likely to be, and then begin now to implement it.

Applying the authors' ideas to my personal circumstances helped free my mind (an ongoing, never ending process) of a number of personal stalls and led directly to the creation of a management training and consulting company. And in spite of limited capital, the momentum of my take-off amazes acquaintances.

I keep my copy of "The 2000 Percent Solution" in my office, within easy reach, because I intend to read it over and over, to create an upward spiral of exponential gains in my life and work.

The skill of creating 2000 Percent solutions is a valuable one. Combined with the ability to engage in continual business model innovation (as taught in "The Ultimate Competitive Advantage" by Mitchell and Coles), it will guarantee business success long into the future.