Language Arts Books

A very readable & enjoyable book. I especially enjoyed the chapter on autism & the origin of language. Fritjof Capra's book "Hidden Connections" referenced this informative & amusing text including the link between brain function involved with hand gesture, signing, & tongue movements that unexpectedly led to the promotion the uptake of speech in autistic.
There are many insights into the shared psychology of humans & other primates. Despite the physiological and genetic similarities of all primates that have made chimps attractive model organisms for research,it was interesting to read about the reluctance of biological scientists to accept the anthropomorphic traits of chimps. There can be little room for a claim to "value-free" objectivity by biomedical researchers who can apparently dismiss the psychological effects of enforced confinement & sensory deprivation, on the effectiveness of anti-viral medications, or a range of other pharmaceuticals. The author has shown considerable bravery & commitment to expanding this area of learning, despite the threats against his personal career by people with vested interests in ignoring or denying the contradictions to their implicit or explicit values.

A must-read for any animal lover. Roger Fouts and the recently deceased chimpanzee Washoe are my heroes.

At age 62, I still look for writers who will change and deepen my sense of our human nature and our place in the natural world. More than writers about religion per se, I think these writers are able to help us advance our moral and spiritual understanding and reconcile our human/animal natures. For some years I've been reading Goodall and others on primates, but Next of Kin was, for me, a pinnacle illumination. Even if you aren't interested in these types of questions, I think this book will move you deeply. If you ARE interested, may I also suggest the recent Mycelium Running by Paul Stamets.Take Me With You When You Go

Although this book was written some time ago, it is exceptionally timely because the relevance of chimp behavior to our own continues to unfold. The devotion the author invests in his charges and the passion he feels about the atrocities visited on chimps both in the laboratory and in the wild drive his story. This abuse is reinforced by the backward and ignorant thinking that stems from bible thumpers who fear the truth about evolution and man's close relationship to apes. Roger Fouts and his wife have provided an invaluable service to our understanding of chimps, and their research related to sign language is truly stunning. They have succeeded in accomplishing their observation and reporting against considerable odds. All these aspects, and the Fouts' fully rounded examination of their subjects make for a gripping and emotional tale well told.

"Next of Kin: My Conversations with Chimpanzees" is one of the most amazing, heartbreaking, and inspirational books I've ever read. The book is written by Roger Fouts, a primatologist who devoted his life to studying the language patterns of chimpanzees. While in graduate school, Roger was introduced to Washoe, a precocious young chimp who became fluent in American Sign Language. Eventually "Project Washoe" expanded to include many chimpanzees, all who learned to communicate with humans using ASL and demonstrated unique personalities, complex emotions, and astounding intelligence.

I've always been a big animal lover, but reading this book taught me so many things that I never knew before. Anyone who questions an animal's ability to think or feel will get a sharp reality check after reading this book. Chimpanzees are people, too, just as much as human beings are. Unfortunately, the majority if humans in this world don't agree with that logic, and thousands of animals, including chimpanzees, are routinely kidnapped from their natural habitats and bred in captivity for the sole purpose of participating in biomedical research. In many cases, medical laboratories house animals in appalling conditions and literally torture them to death. "Next of Kin" details the horrors that go on behind closed doors at biomedical laboratories, and chronicles the steps Fouts and other animal activists have taken to protect chimpanzees from being treated inhumanely.

I absolutely loved this book. Reading it made me feel close to Washoe and her chimpanzee friends, even though I never met any of them before. (Sadly, Washoe passed away last fall at the age of 42, but I hope to visit members of her family at the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute in Washington someday.) Parts of this book are incredibly depressing and difficult to read, but hopefully learning about the terrible ways animals are treated will inspire people to take action. I admire everything that Fouts, his family, and his colleagues have done to protect chimpanzees, who are our next of kin on the great evolutionary scale. I hope other readers get as much out of this book as I did.

HOW TO GET IDEAS is an easy-to-read book that is loaded with wonderful nuggets for anyone who depends on fresh ideas to build his business. As a 30-plus year advertising industry veteran, I must confess I was a little surprised about HOW MUCH I got out of the book. I found the "Five-Step Method for Producing Ideas" an effective process for encouraging idea generation. Suggestions like "rephrase a difficult problem", "look for analogies" and "let your unconscious work on the problem", help provide structure to the usually unstructured task of ideation. Underdog Advertising

This book is a great book to read, the best thing it includes are quotes of famous people, which are mainly funny. Personally I do not believe that this book provided me with any new ways or measures of thinking to get more ideas, it's more of a different theories of people on how to think!!!!

If you are interested in having a good read buy this book, but don't put your hopes up high......

I tend to be skeptical of titles suggesting easy answers to broad problems, but darned if this one doesn't really deliver! Foster's guidelines often fall into the category of "That's pretty obvious, why didn't I think of it?". And therein lies its real beauty: his suggestions are practical, accessible, workable, and often downright ingenious. And not at all limited to his field of advertising.
Furthermore, the book is a delightfully entertaining read. That man can write!

"Albert Einstein said his best ideas came to him while he was shaving," Jack Foster writes in "How to Get Ideas" (2nd ed.). When I read that line, what could I do? I put the book down for a moment and went to shave.

That's about the only time I stopped reading though, and you won't be able to put it down either. For boosting creativity, this book is a lifesaver.

Foster's advice is simple -- have fun, think like a child again, open your mind to new possibilities -- but not necessarily obvious. Most of us do the same old things and think in the same old ways. Foster aims to help us spot these unhelpful patterns, then break out with easy-to-follow tips and stimulating exercises.

And anecdotes. Foster draws on decades of experience as a top creative hand in major advertising agencies, where he encountered guys and gals driven by curiosity -- people who found out how much a ten-gallon hat will hold (three-quarters of a gallon) and how many times per day an African elephant will defecate (16). Illustrating how to solve a problem by stepping around it, Foster tells the story of the woman who solved the slow-elevator problem in her building -- by mounting mirrors in the lobby. (How did she do it? See P. 134.)

You'll discover how to overcome the fears that keep you from thinking creatively ... easy ways to gather information ... combining unrelated facts for new ideas ... the five steps for getting great new ideas ... and how to put them to work for YOU.

You'll finish reading "How to Get Ideas" in an hour or two. But you'll benefit from its advice for the rest of your life.

This is a really good book. It was entertaining to read while also educational. The first edition came out in 1996 I think, and this edition just came out earlier this month. The new edition has two new chapters, 5 and 8, which were added because readers thought the information they contain was missing from the first edition.

The book is split into two parts. The first part covers 10 ways you can "search for ideas." And it is by the far the longer of the two parts. The second part explains the five steps of how to get ideas:

1. Define the problem
2. Gather the information
3. Search for the idea
4. Forget about it
5. Put the idea into action

Theoretically, I suppose, the book could have been set up so the second part was actually the first. And the first part could have been relegated to the end. I say this because the first part is really just an expansion of the "third step" of the five steps.

I enjoyed the humor, the quotes, and the stories included in the author's discussion regarding 10 ways to search for ideas. And thus it made perfect sense to me why he put that material at the front of the book. I read the book to see if it would have some practical use to my SCORE clients who are wanta-be entrepreneurs and small business owners. I think there is a practical use, and I recommend that my clients and similarly situated people read this book. It will help them create their business plans and revamp those plans as time passes. 5 stars!

I am a college student studying Business and I've had a long history of anxiety and panic with being "In the Spotlight." I finally got sick of living in fear-- that a teacher would call on me or that I would have to give a presentation. If a presentation was listed on the syllabus for a class I would have a panic attack right there just in anticipation! I was finally fed up and joined Toastmasters about a year ago. I then set a goal to start the only Speech club on my college campus. At this point, I was still VERY nervous about public speech and decided to read this book in preparation of the first Speech club meeting.

This book helped me in many, many ways. It helped to go forward with that first meeting for the Speech club-- something I had been dreading for months and months! There are many positive and useful techniques: positive thinking, reassurance training, breathing techniques, getting to the source of the anxiety... The list goes on!

I still get nervous giving speeches and continue to have small panic attacks when put on the spot in a class. I know that if I continue to face this fear and use constructive techniques such as the ones in this book, I will slowly grow out of it. Good luck!

I would listen to this CD to sleep, not for my anxiety. The best thing for anxiety is Celexa and EMDR. I bought this CD with the book and it's terrible. It states the obvious and is not helpful at all.

Sorry, but it sucks.

The author had first-hand stage fright experience and she shared the techniques that she learned to overcome the stage fright and to go beyond the fright to enjoy being in the spot light. The skills are very valuable for a stage fright person like me, and are also valuable for teachers of music who would want to learn how to help students with stage fright.

The skills mentioned in the book are transferable skills that can be used to reduce stress and to cultivate positive self-esteem. Teachers can use these excellent skills to help their students.

It was by far the best book that offers alternative and possible solutions to shift the stage fright paradigm. The book has been helpful to me as a personal growth tool and in other areas of my life, in addition to the performance anxiety challenges. One day I was feeling down, and reading chapter 10 of the book re-channeled me to something more funny and pleasant and I was uplifted. That was a powerful experience.

The book is easy, fun and enjoyable to read. Once you start reading, it is hard to stop reading.

Reading Janet's book was a revelation for me. It was amazing to find that someone understood exactly how I felt when I found out that I had to speak in public and the torture I imposed on myself leading up to, during and after speaking. But better yet, she not only empathizes with the reader, but provides a clear path to overcoming the torture. So enjoy the empathy, but enjoy even more the tools for success!

There are a lot of self-help books on the market that deal with the fear of public speaking. But I can say first-hand that if you are looking for help in how to overcome this fear, this is the best one you can buy.

The book is more than just speaking tips or techniques---it takes you right to the heart of the issue, which I found to be surprisingly helpful. It helps you understand where the fear is coming from in the first place and how to ultimately overcome it. I read the book about a year ago, and have re-read certain chapters many times since then as both a resource and a confidence booster when I've have a big speech coming up.

There's not much more I can say, other than I bought the book. It helped me. I highly reccomend it to anyone who is looking for help with this very common fear.

My mother bought me this book when I was a little girl (about 6 or 7). At the time I was learning to play the violin, but absolutely hated it. I tried in various ways to tell my parents this...even going as far as to tell my mom when she was pregnant that what I really wanted was a cello. None of my requests to switch instruments were heard until one day my grandmother happened to look inside this book. There is a page which asks you what your favorite instrument is. I of course had scribbled out the violin and circled the cello. Well, with the help of this book, and my grandmother, I finally had my wish come true, and started on the cello. I have been a cello teacher now for 19 years, and when I saw this book, (I was looking for a book for my own children), I remembered what a difference it made in my life. I also remember the book being a lot of fun to do as a kid, and I still have it!

I got this book when I was 9. I recently bought it for my niece who was 9. It's still in print 20+ years later. It's a fun book!

I had this book when I was young and recently found it in a box up in the attic. It was a grand trip down memory lane and I want my boys to have that same experience. What a great little book this is.

This was one of my favorite books growing up; I hope it will be one of my sons favorites as well

Our daughter received this book from her Grandparents 20 years ago. I purchased the same book for our Grandchildren. There eyes lit up when they saw their picture on the front of the book. Great book and lots of fun.

I am completely crazy about this book and I don't normally read poetry books or books about writing poetry. But as a HS librarian I was trying to find something to help my English teachers who struggle every year to come up with lesson ideas for their poetry units. I struck gold with this book. I actually took six of Wooldridge's ideas and created lesson plans from them which I share with the teachers. For example, I cut up an old wildflower book, laminated the pictures, so that teachers could do an activity about naming plants and then writing poetry about the names. Though I dabble a little in writing my own poetry, I find that I always enjoy following little formulas to help unlock my creative juices. This book has several cute and fun formulas to assist the beginning poets. I highly recommend this book!

This book is not a how to write a poem book. It is how to live your life so that maybe you can write a poem in 6 to 8 years.

Get it! I dare you! This book is awesome! I learn something new every time I pick it up. I love the freedom it promotes in creativity. Buy it!

Over the last few years I've begun to explore my own talent for poetry, and among the books I've read to help me is this one.

I've yet to try the exercises, but just reading the book gives me some food for thought.

Lots of ideas and techniques to try as the spirit moves you.

I confess that I've never been a poetry fan in the past. But thanks to this book, I may very well become one now! I only bought it because Teesha Moore (mixed-media artist, editor of the Art and Life 'zine, and creator of ArtFest) had raved about the author. So I gave this book a try. I'm so glad I did as it has really opened my eyes to what poetry is all about!

This book is freakin AWESOME. It answered ALL and then some of my queries. I didn't think graphology did all of this, but now I'm ALWAYS seeing it everywhere! As it says within the book, "You will never look at handwriting the same way again." It even inculdes a section on what drawings mean. FANTASTIC, UNBELIEVABLE come to mind. I believe it has a small section on PRINT, though I am unsure. I had this book, then lost it in a move....now I'm buying it back (and KEEPING it)! 2 thumbs, 9/10 (or 5/5) watev!

Clear, concise, interesting and very useful. I already have some knowledge of handwriting analysis and found it very easy to learn more.

...everything! "Handwriting Analysis: Putting it to work for you" is a well-organized guidebook into the fascinating world of graphology. As a practicing handwriting analyst, I have used this book as a reference many times - with particular attention to such detailed handwriting traits as a "felon's claw". Handwriting reveals many characteristics to the trained eye - this book will educate and amaze readers, especially when they put it into practice.

Carrying the knowledge that i got from this book is like carrying a swiss army knife with you everywhere you go. i looked back at cards and "good luck in college" signatures in my yearbook and found very interesting things, that i know are true since i knew the people. the handwritings really do match the personalities. i analyze every piece of handwriting i now see! my coworkers, ads on the train, my friends, doctors, etc. this book is my bible. it teaches you who is a liar, has weird sex prefence, whose psychotic, who is secretive, who's an extrovert, who's suicidal, who wants to be well known, who has poor self esteem, etc. !! GET THIS BOOK!!! includes tons of famous signature and writing samples inside

This book offers a quick look at how to analyze handwriting. The quizzes help to engage the reader in the analysis of the handwriting instead of using prose to simply explain the concepts. I found myself analyzing handwriting for fun within a few days.

This manual has everything you need to ensure you are grammatically correct. My office uses it daily as a reference. I would definitely recommend that every office keep a Gregg Reference Manual on hand.

Have a question about colons, semicolons or commas? It's all here. Whether writing a term paper or business document, the Gregg Manual is a must-have. I had not heard of it until I was hired to edit reports and it has proved invaluable. Everything is covered, from how to write numbers to proper phraseology. Worth the money.

I started a new job in which I reference this book frequently. I would recommend it to anyone who is in need of a quick reference.

Great book and will be used often. It was required for my studies for writning in all classes not just english

I purchased the manual to use when I edit other people's documents. I have not had a chance to really go through and use the manual as yet because I've been busy with other things. I have flipped through the pages just to see what it offered and I have seen how terrific this manual is. It has everything a person would need in helping them to decide the best way to use grammar, spelling, editing, punctuation whether in editing or in writing. Use of the manual is great when writing business letters, addressing different dignitaries, and the list goes on. It would be especially helpful to the "Writers" of the world, and also especially if the non-Writers of the world or just anyone who couldn't remember certain things they were taught in English class in High School or College, this manual will definitely help.

I graded The Gregg Reference Manual five stars not because I've gone through the whole book, because I haven't as I mentioned above, but because if you open one or two pages, you can definitely see what this manual has to offer. It is well worth having. In fact, everybody needs a manual like the Gregg Manual. It would behoove any person to purchase this manual.

Now, if I can rate the Gregg Reference Manual with five stars without going through the whole manual yet, you can imagine what you, me, or anybody could accomplish by going through it from beginning to end. A person needs this manual next to them at all times, like you do with a dictionary.

Buy it!! It's well worth the money.

This book is well written and provides a great guide to setting up a functioning literacy program in the classroom while empowering students to work independently. I can't wait to use it in my classroom.

There are many great ideas in this book which I can't wait to use this fall! I especially loved the sample lessons. It is a quick read; plus, I couldn't put the book down!

This book is an excellent research for primary level reading teachers! It clearly outlines ways to support children's development and organize a literacy block.

This book had so much information about workshop AND classroom management. It was worth the price I paid and it would have been worth double the price. Excellent for anyone who teaches children whether you are new to teaching, have many years experience, do workshop in your classroom or not.

The Daily Five: Fostering Literacy Independence in the Elementary Grades is a hands-on, practical book that can be readily implemented in any classroom. It's an easy read with great ideas, and a step-by-step guide. Thank you to the Sisters!

Today even well trained actors balk at having to do Shakespeare. This book provides the tools necessary to bridge the daunting task of getting your mouth around the words and understanding what you are saying. Thanks to the authors for creating a book that captures their extensive knowledge and expertise in a user friendly volume.

Beyond the pronunciation dictionary, essential to every North American actor and director of Shakespeare, the book's notes on scanning Shakespeare's verse set forth briefly in ten clear pages, not extended pedantic garble, what an actor must know, since scansion may dictate pronunciation. The additional notes on dialects, accents, Latin and other foreign languages used by Shakespeare, and the observations on differences in poetic diction in each of his plays, also have great value.

This is as essential a tool for any actor performing Shakespeare as the voice, body and mind! I highly recommend it to anyone who is serious about their craft.

GREAT FIND!! Any and every word Shakespeare ever wrote is in this book with the proper pronounciation. This is a "must have" for any Shakespeare actor, or for someone who wants to read Shakespeare and know exactly how to say every word. Also, the verse speaking techniques are excellent. If you are serious about Shakespeare, get this book!

This incredibly thorough and efficient book is essential to any person who wishes to study or truly appreciate Shakespeare. I've been an actor and a student of English literature for many years, but I did not have the access to or admiration for classical works that I have gained since using Younts' and Scheeders' text.
The poetry is better this way! You need to know how to say it if you want to perform it! Actors, Directors, and Lovers of Shakespeare, GET THIS BOOK!!!

It's been 15 years since I first encountered this book - part of a vocabulary challenge in the sixth grade. I still remember most of the stories, and I must have infuriated my parents using each word incessantly as I learned it. I can't recommend it highly enough.

This animated book gives children a new way to learn the definitions of words. It was highly recomended to me, and I loved it!

I love this book.This book is one of the best books ever.The reason why I gave this book five stars because its funny and senstive. My favorite word was laxcity.Laxcity means that you dont even care about whats gioing on.I think that this book is good for all ages. I hope that you read this fantastic book.

I use this book with my third grade students. We read a story per week. Many of their parents tell me it becomes a topic of conversation each week as the child teaches Mom and Dad a new word. It is fantastic.

This book is one of the best books I had ever read in my life.I would recommend this book to every one because its funny and great.