Language Arts Books

New ideas for behaviour change specialists. Quite a lovely book.

This is a great book. It is easy to understand and use. We need more guides like this.

This book is a wonderful, practice resource for international development staff. Intuitively appealing, it gives good advice on campaign materials development. Most appropriate for non-researchers; great for field staff.

This book contains much valuable information for understanding risks and understanding how to get others to understand their risks. I am very pleased with the practicality of the theory behind the book and have found it useful in my crisis communication work.

I was taught that fear appeals didn't work but we used them anyways in our state health department work. This book explains what we instinctively knew -- that fear appeals work and they work well given the right conditions. I like the theory in the book and the worksheets.

This book, or rather, collection of three booklets, is one of the most useful guides to organizing and structuring a report, and then writing it in the clearest and most coherent manner. The author has had extensive experience, especially in guiding professional staff in the World Bank, and the result is a manual that is both concise and eminently practical.

Bruce Ross-Larson has now given us a fitting sequel to his classic Edit Yourself, which I have used since the 1980s to help me cut the fat out of what I write -- and improve clarity. When I worked in the World Bank I had him teach these arts to my staff. This saved me a lot of managerial time which I could devote to strategic pursuits like planning and innovating. Not exercising my red pencil on the prose of my mostly non native English speakers.

Bruce has now outdone himself by giving us three books in one: Effective Writing teaches us how to write "stunning sentences", "powerful paragraphs", and "riviting reports". Still to come, I understand, is "writing for the web". But for now, Bruce has put his wealth of experience as chief editor of some of the most important publications coming out of the World Bank and the United Nations (e.g. the World Development Report and the Human Development Report), just to name two of his clients, at the disposal of the writing public. This book is so good in print that it is being converted into a web-based training service for writers, aimed at corporate intranets. Clearwriter.com is coming soon.

But you can be the first on your block to hone your writing skills and impress your readers, whether they are your bosses, clients, or customers. This book is a must for every writer's bookshelf, whether or not a native English speaker.

Bruce Ross-Larson has now given us a fitting sequel to his classic Edit Yourself, which I have used since the 1980s to help me cut the fat out of what I write -- and improve clarity. When I worked in the World Bank I had him teach these arts to my staff. This saved me a lot of managerial time which I could devote to strategic pursuits like planning and innovating. Not exercising my red pencil on the prose of my mostly non native English speakers.

Bruce has now outdone himself by giving us three books in one: Effective Writing teaches us how to write "stunning sentences", "powerful paragraphs", and "riviting reports". Still to come, I understand, is "writing for the web". But for now, Bruce has put his wealth of experience as chief editor of some of the most important publications coming out of the World Bank and the United Nations (e.g. the World Development Report and the Human Development Report), just to name two of his clients, at the disposal of the writing public. This book is so good in print that it is being converted into a web-based training service for writers, aimed at corporate intranets. Clearwriter.com is coming soon.

But you can be the first on your block to hone your writing skills and impress your readers, whether they are your bosses, clients, or customers. This book is a must for every writer's bookshelf, whether or not a native English speaker.

This is a collection of books from the Effective Writing series and is a great deal. All the books here, Stunning Sentences, Powerful Paragraphs, and Riveting Reports, are essential for any writer's or student's desk.

The first part, Stunning Sentences, turns from the memorization of sentence forms and gives the readers many examples of ways to model their own sentences. In the examples, Ross-Larson deftly shows the readers how the different sentence styles work and when they could best be used. He also gives the readers an example with exemplary sentences so that readers can see how the sentences work in a larger context.

The second part, Powerful Paragraphs, shows the readers how paragraphs can be formed and used by the writer. Different examples show how the topic sentence of the paragraph can be moved within the paragraph for effect. As with the previous section of this book, the author gives us plenty of examples.

The third part, Riveting Reports, walks the readers through the writing process and shows the readers how they can slowly and steadily build a solid paper. By showing these steps, the readers can eliminate a lot of stress by planning when these steps will be accomplished. There is also a full example of a paper from start to finish.

In all, this is a very handy resource to have available to you. Using this, and not just reading it, will provide you with great ideas in planning and writing. This is a must-have.

If you're a verb-challenged troglodyte, you should read this book. If you're a budding Bob Woodward, you should own this book. Effective Writing is the book for anyone who wants to learn to write, focus their writing, or sharpen their editing. Using numerous examples, Bruce Ross-Larson demonstrates how to write sentences with variety, construct paragraphs that hang together and assemble all of that into the finished product. Ross-Larson's breezy, non-instructional style makes this 269-page book as easy a read as a romance novel.

This book is a compilation of three of Ross-Larson's more subject-specific books: Stunning Sentences, Powerful Paragraphs, and Riveting Reports. Not surprisingly, those are also the titles of the three sections into which Effective Writing is divided. The table of contents for each section identifies every tip so a deadline-pressured scribe can quickly zero in the advice sought, whether it's for "Interruptive Dashes" or "Make Your Points in Compelling Ways."

Ross-Larson's occupation as a writing coach is a primary reason for the success of this book. President of the American Writing Institute, he has helped improve the writing of executives at the World Bank, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Census Bureau, among others. His experience in dealing with non-writers shows. No grammar guides here; there's no spelling secrets. Only practical, easy-to-understand advice on how to polish that rough stone of an idea into a sparkling gem.

He takes it for granted that his readers recognize good writing, even if they can't (yet) do it themselves: "So, to move from the common to the stunning," he advises, "begin to look for patterns in good writing that you can emulate." He also assumes some basic knowledge of parts of speech such as prepositional phrases and clauses. Some of his observations seem boringly obvious: "Most sentences should convey one idea - or two closely related ideas." Yet there are plenty of mental prods here for even the veteran pen-dragger, such as his advice on repetition: "Repetition - far too often avoided - can be a powerful rhetorical device. It can bring order and balance to a sentence's parts. And it can rivet a word to the reader's frontal lobe with more impact than elegant variation ever could." Each suggestion is supported by several examples culled from published articles and reports, with the point he's trying to make italicized.

But this isn't a mere primer. Ross-Larson doesn't hesitate to tempt readers to attempt more advanced forms of paragraph structure. For instance, he devotes 4 1/2 pages to "undermining," which he refers to as "a clever way to make your point stand out while taking the claws out of an opposing view." He describes how to "undermine a premise at the end of a paragraph" as well as how to "undermine a premise immediately." Or even to "undermine a premise in the middle of a paragraph." Of course, examples abound.

It is this hefty use of examples that contributes to readability of this book. For experienced writers, the examples can serve to blow away the syntactical cobwebs and refresh prose that may have grown stale. For beginners, the examples are mini case studies on which to linger.

For journalists, the section on report writing may have less relevance. Reporters facing daily deadlines rarely have time to take advantage of Ross-Larson's detailed approach to planning and drafting lengthy reports. However, for the college student writing a term paper or a junior executive trying to impress her boss with that seamless sales analysis, the time spent on these pages will be a great investment.

This book is written in a style light enough to engage even those who hated English in high school. Still, there's enough meat inside that every serious student of language ought to consider adding Effective Writing to that select group of books which occupy a corner of every writer or editor's desk.

When I was in school, English grammar was taught like the Ten Commandments: "Here are rules. Follow them always; question them never."

When I was in Organic Chemistry lecture in college, the professor took the old saying, "Oil and water don't mix," and he explained _why_ the oil and water don't mix. But his explanation was complex enough that we students needed an entire year of freshman chemistry as prerequisite, in order to understand his words.

What's my point? It took me many more hours to learn the here's-why rules of chemistry than that don't-ask-why rules of English grammar, but now I understand how chemistry works. Whereas up till now, I considered English grammar to be merely a collection of arbitrary, meaningless decrees.

But Dierdre Honnold's book changed that. The English language has a system (surprise, surprise), and she explains that system. Very seldom does she fall back on "I can't explain this rule, but it's a rule, ya gotta obey it." Everything that she writes about, has been covered in other grammar books; but I guarantee you that no other book explains anything more clearly than she explains it. And so often I said to myself, while reading Dierdre Honnold's book, "_Now_ I get it!"

The chart on page 50 (what I call the "Shopper's Guide to Verb Tenses") explains exactly what each verb tense means; and if you want to be precise in writing a sentence, it lays out exactly which tense to use. This single page is worth the price of the book.

I call the book a "miracle" -- well, here's the miracle: With just two simple rules, she explains how to correctly spell 99-plus percent of English words.

One warning must be given. Though it doesn't pull down my five-star rating, potential buyers need to know that this book is self-published, and it was five weeks after I ordered the (new) book before the book was shipped. So if you have a term paper due in two weeks, buy yourself a used, not new, copy.

In the first three pages, I learned things about English that I never learned in school. Everyone should read this book from cover to cover. They wouldn't need all those huge grammar books (that no one ever uses or learns from). This is all they need.

"English with Ease" was awarded three prizes by the Sacramento Publishers Association - BEST BOOK, BEST REFERENCE and BEST TEXTBOOK. People love it! Find out why!

After all comments i found over internet i concluded that this book must be probably the best way to learn grammar. You are not sure ? If you are really interested as i am, access the URLs below for a consistent revision (i'm not the author). Note: The reason why the text is not copied here is due to text length constraints.

Note: Just to avoid influencing the actual rate i gave it five stars in advance. Be warned that i'm just a buyer and did not read the book until now. Sure i'll correct the rating after reading it...

This little book has everything that anyone needs to really understand how English works. Even spelling! It's worth the purchase price for the spelling section alone!

The publishers in all those other countries that are publishing it obviously know something....

This book provides a very easy step-by-step guide in writing effective essays. It gives an informative insight how to prepare the essay and to properly structure it. The book also provides diagrams and examples. It is simple, straightforward, and easy to understand.

This book sets out the logical path to a successful essay. The examples are engaging and thought-provoking and make you itch to start writing!
Mr Terego speaks directly to the reader, as if he were sitting across the desk, and his tone is full of encouragement.
By the end of this highly readable book a student will have the knowledge to write a good essay and, more importantly, the confidence to do it well.

I found this book very helpful. Some books like this are too long and involved; this one is concise and easy to understand. It has a good explanation of how to write an essay, plus specific tips about SAT, ACT and college admissions essays. It also has suggestions for discovering a point of view to make your essay convincing, and practical tips about grammar.

Reviewer: Jane Airy (Tampa, Florida) - See all my reviews
Welcome to the world of critical thinking and writing. With this accessible text, Terego provides a step-by-step guide for organizing the thinking process, developing ideas, and creating the writer's voice. Detailed explanations and examples illustrate a logical approach to writing the essay. Not only does this book supply graphic organizers that clarify the thinking process, but also it offers student-produced examples that showcase the products from this methodical approach. Both students and teachers of writing will benefit from this practical, stimulating information.

I've used a lot of writing products for our children, and for high school, this seems to work very well, especially to get them to THINK about their writing, ORGANIZE (he is big on the 5 paragraph essay) and churn it out in a timely manner. Excellent practice for the SAT 25 minute essay. To help the teacher, he has a list of over 150 essay topics in the back of the book; something for almost everyone, even the most reluctant freshman writer (though I would use this more toward the year before your student takes the SAT--probably sophomore and work on basic writing skills freshman year). Better than most I've seen or used; not really a remedial handbook though, he assumes you can write an essay, he is helping you to write a very good one.

Patrika Vaughn has written, in a concise and easy-to-read style, an outstanding basic how-to book covering all facets of fiction and non-fiction writing, tied in expertly with marketing and publishing the final work.

The topics in Everything You Need to Know to Write, Publish and Market Your Book include the basics of getting started, the strategies and elements of writing, and she even includes exercises to help the writer sharpen his/her skills.

The chapters on developing plot, characterization, and editing are outstanding, and the sections on marketing and promotion are chocked full of helpful ideas and information.

Ms. Vaughn's section on approaching the markets is an excellent summation of the publishing industry today. I highly recommend this indispensable book for anyone who wants to become an effective writer and published author.
Linda Morelli,
Author of FIERY SURRENDER and SHADOW OF DOUBT
(...)

Patrika Vaughn has written, in a concise and easy-to-read style, an outstanding basic how-to book covering all facets of fiction and non-fiction writing, tied in expertly with marketing and publishing the final work. The topics in "Everything You Need to Know to Write, Publish and Market Your Book" include the basics of getting started, the strategies and elements of writing, and she even includes exercises to help the writer sharpen his/her skills. The chapters on developing plot, characterization, and editing are outstanding, and the sections on marketing and promotion are chocked full of helpful ideas and information. Ms. Vaughn's section on approaching the markets is an excellent summation of the publishing industry today. I highly recommend this indispensable book for anyone who wants to become an effective writer and published author.

Patrika's book inspired me by breaking down the craft of writing into managable, "bite-sized" pieces! She takes a step by step approach, covering all aspects of the craft, from finding a place to sit and write to marketing and publishing. Excellent!

Firstly, I haven't read the book. I rated it five stars because I'm not here to attack the author. I would merely like to point out that Amazon led me to notice that chunks of my own book, Frank's World, are used to amplify the author's points. Okay, I guess...but why not ask me first? I might have said no. A book is a book, and not a collection of paragraphs, and I'm not sure I like my work presented out of context. And, most ironically, I am hardly "successful" in any way shape or form. The book sold poorly, and I haven't been able to find a publisher for it's companion piece, Tiny Bubbles. Together, the two books represent a two-sided coin mirroring the poles of cosmic possibility: good and evil, light and shadow, day and night, male and female, heaven and earth, spirit and matter, life and death. Perhaps the author would be interested in representing or publishing me? :)

My advice to writers would be this: DON'T drop out of college; be practical; have something to fall back on; a starving writer has no money for research and a head full of worries; find a good way to make money and spend half your time doing that; spend the other half of your time writing; hope for the best; pray for riches, prepare for poverty; and don't compromise your vision or integrity; hold onto your pride as you are dragged through the commercial gutter.

good luck to all of you!

I've read a lot of books on how to write & get published. This one told me more, and said it in language I could easily understand. It gets my vote as the best book on these subjects.

"Comprehensive" starts the subtitle, and Comprehensive it is! Too many print-handicapped people are forced to stumble through the multi-layered service system, picking up clues almost by accident until they "strike gold" in the person of a skilled counselor or librarian. Here is a full set of Tools for Learning, along with a user's guide! Important for every visually impaired student and family, vital for every school or school system's Special Education department. No less useful for those with serious learning disorders like dyslexia, or with challenging physical disabilities that prevent the easy handling of printed material. Yes, addresses and phone numbers may change; new organizations may develop; but this is a book that will be USED and that will repay its purchase many times over.

A volunteer at VISION Community Services, A Division of the Massachusetts Association for the Blind, a lovely 85 year old who is legally blind and severely hearing impaired, mentioned that she was interested in the Guide (as the result of reading a review in our newsletter). I loaned her our library copy and here's what she had to say: "Spent several hours with the Field Guide. Every low vision person should have access to it. One bonus I reaped was a comprehensive description of major suppliers, what they supply and differences between them. Also, Leibs gave a useful assessment of assistive devices. This is bewildering to the newcomer to the field. In the end, I copied out several titles of Great Books to improve my mind. Several times I've tried Huckleberry Finn and quit in boredom. On the other hand, the Toni Morrison title caught my attention, I've been meaning to sample her. Don't expect to like it, but I might be surprised." She adds that it was also good to know the approximate cost of having a book reprinted in large print, and the major LP companies. Despite being legally blind, her vision is better than her hearing so she reads large print books. Her vision loss is due to glaucoma, so she retains some decent central vision.

This book is the "needle of a compass" for the blind and dyslexic. Kudos to Leibs for providing the best resource guide for the blind and dyslexic I've read! He's not only gathered countless resources and provided those in an easy to navigate format, but he's added his own personal struggles and discoveries that finally lead him to experience the sheer joy of reading. I've placed this book in a prominent location in my office and will refer to it often as it's truly the work of a research genius. Special attention should be paid to the Introduction as Leibs takes you on a poignant journey to his discovery of reading and shares his excitement as well as disappointment while uncovering the bliss of reading. Additionally, Leibs provides a "suggested reading" list with contact information on how and where to acquire these books. Truly, his passion for reading will no doubt inspire your own, whether you are a fully sighted reader or not. Kudos to Leibs! A gem of a book, and long overdue!

I picked up this book for the first time a few nights ago and was immediately hooked. As a legally blind consumer and as Director of Rehabilitation Services at an agency whose mission is to empower blind and visually impaired individuals, I was immediately moved by the significance of Mr. Leibs' work. I read late into the night, and my last thought before drifting off to sleep that night was that I wished that this book had been around 30 years ago -- it would most certainly have saved me and a lot of others who live with severe vision impairment or blindness a whole lot of struggle and grief!

This book is the only of its kind I've encountered. The information, both concisely and engagingly presented, opens a breathtaking vista of literature and learning to the lives of the visually impaired in providing guidance to independent access of the printed word!

This book is NOT another "how to live with a disability" book. It focuses on a very important aspect of life, the ABILITY to read, to INDEPENDENTLY access the written word. Leibs has put together an extensive listing of resources to empower the visually impaired reader. In addition, the personal experiences he shares in the book brought back a host of memories of my own educational odyssey. Like Leibs, I and many others with low vision have experienced much hit-and-miss in the process of learning what we needed to know to gain the access we desire and need to succeed. Leibs has put together all the pieces of a complex puzzle into a user-friendly guide that paves the way for others to learn the rudiments of what it takes to access our literary world!

In my opinion, this book should be put into the hands of every visually impaired child in this country. Leibs also targets librarians with this work, as their awareness of these resources may enhance their own knowledge and skills in providing support for visually impaired consumers. I would additionally recommend this book to seniors who constitute, by far, the largest population of visually impaired readers.

Many thanks to Mr. Leibs for a significant contribution to the education and quality of life of blind and visually impaired people!

This book should be in the hands of every sight-impaired student no later than age tweleve. Leibs has completely overhauled the orientation for reading among the blind from one of dependence on teachers and organizations to one of connecting INDEPENDENTLY to a really vast array of resources. This hardcover volume is quite easy to navigate - well designed and quite "user friendly".

"Five Stars" deserves five stars.

I read an early edition from Sutro Press, and "Five Stars" is truly a marvelous guide to making your dreams a reality, without any film school snobbery to weigh it down. The book surveys all the stuff you need to know to write credibly about movies, coaches you through the writing process, and even provides excellent tips on how to get your words published.

The author is a web entrepreneur, a seasoned magazine editor, and even a novelist, so he really knows what he's writing about, and that really comes through in the book. Whether you want to pursue film review as a career or even as an occasional hobby, or you just want to go see a lot of new movies and DVDs for free, this book is a fabulous way to start.

I love movies. I love to criticize movies. But I really just want to share my criticism with my friends, and I really don't care to be eloquent about it. Take the movie "Four Brothers" for instance. My review would run something like this: "WTF??? I gotta see that again!"

Now, if Christopher Null had written about how to become a food critic, I'd be all over that. I wonder if it would work to just replace words like "film" and "movie" with "food" and "eats", or "actor" and "actress" with "meat" and "potatoes". But then I would have to come up with all kinds of substitutes, and that would get complicated. Would I pick "flambe" or "brussel sprout" to replace "director", "chef" or "gourmet" for "producer", or "curry" or "whip cream" for "writer"? No I guess it wouldn't work.

Hopefully, Mr. Null has a food critic friend who will write a similarly great book entitled "Five Stars! How to Become a Food Critic, The Galaxy's Greatest Job." Let's face it, film critiquing may be great, but food critiquing, what could be better than eating for a living?

normally, i wouldn't want to be a film critic but christopher null makes you really think about it. a great critic...he's interesting and inventive--and has an appreciation for the out of the ordinary... just check out his wacky website. [...]

Other reviewers have gone into great detail about what's in this book so I won't repeat their efforts. Simply put, this book is written by a critic, Christopher Null, which knows movies and can put that knowledge on paper in an informative and still entertaining way. Each point he makes in this book includes at least one movie as an example and it's obvious by the movie titles he lists that he has watched thousands of them. This is a must buy for anyone that wants to be a film critic (or already believe they are one) and a highly recommended purchase for those of you, like me, that simply love watching movies.

If you're one of the millions who dream of turning your love of cinema into a lifelong vocation, you need to read Five Stars. This is the only book on the market today that tells you, step by step, exactly how to break into this business.

Without weighing you down with a bunch of worthless theory that means nothing in the real world, Five Stars quickly gets down to the nitty gritty. In this book, Christopher Null, one of the most widely published and respected movie critics on the internet, walks you through every phase of your personal development on the path to a successful career.

The tips in Five Stars clearly show you how to:
-Educate yourself about the larger world of cinema
-Become a smarter and more active movie goer
-Communicate your thoughts coherently
-Write lively, entertaining movie reviews
-Find outlets to publish your work

Even with the best guidance in the world, becoming a successful film critic isn't easy. But Five Stars will arm you with the knowledge you need to roll up your sleeves and put your talent to work. Whether you're a young upstart with a passion for movies or an established critic with years of experience, this book is a must-have for your personal library.

I picked up this book to browse, not really knowing what to expect. The title seemed like one of those "secrets-of-writing"-type books that offer nothing new.

In reality, I had just inadvertently picked up the most influential book of my writing career.

This isn't a book about HOW to write, such as character development, writing technique or grammar usage, marketing, etc. This book is about the EMOTIONS that writers must deal with, and ways to cope successfully.

For instance, "Virginia Woolf suffered 'acute nervous tension' whenever she neared the end of a novel."

And...

"One friend of mine has been working on her book for nearly fifteen years. She even went to a therapist to learn why finishing it felt like death."

Still yet...

"Many writers, I suppose, are not 'born writers.' They work. On the other hand, what my sister did not understand is the obsession to create. Writers need to write. That's why you panic at the completion of a play or novel. When you aren't writing you aren't certain you exist."

The text is packed with information about famous writers, their habits, their emotions, how they lived--or sometimes died because of NOT coping successfully with the emotional roller-coaster that is a writer's life.

If all my books were lost in a natural disaster, this is the FIRST one I would replace--because it's the only book that truly discusses what living a "writer's life" REALLY means--'the ecstacy and the agony'.

However, unlike the title suggests, "For Writers Only", this book is essential reading for anyone who LOVES a writer, as it explains what the writer is going through emotionally during the various stages of writing.

Not all writers feel these emotions. As Ms. Burhham notes above, some writers just work. But, for those of us who equate writing with breathing, read this book!

This book is an outstanding source of inspiration and encouragement to writers of any age or at any stage of their writing career. Unlike many 'how to' books I've read, this one does not tell give tips on style, grammar or content. It does provide the reader with the incentive to continue writing and never give up. It makes one realize that we are not alone. Even the greatest of authors has suffered from Writers Block, despair and discouragement. At the age of five I said, "When I grow up, I'm going to be a writer." Well into my teens, I was an avid reader and dabbled in writing every spare moment I had. When it was time for college, I majored in Journalism and was active in writing for the school newspaper. However, as a young adult, I got caught up with 'the real world' and due to lack of inspiration, time constraints, and countless other excuses, I never realized my dream. Finally, in the Autumn of my years my first novel is well underway and I anticipate a completion date by the summer of 2000. Sophy Burnham's book has given me the inspiration to pursue my dream. My highest recommendation to ALL writers regardless of whether they are just beginning their endeavor or are already successful authors.

If you could only read one book on writing, this would be the one. A friend gave this book to me several years ago, and I've used it for inspiration more than any other book on writing that I own... and I own a lot of books on writing.

I'm using it in a workshop this weekend and I'll recommend it to the people there, as I recommend it to every person who thinks they want to write.

I have read others books by the author and throughly enjoyed them. However, when it came to this book I was doubtful. I have read so many books about how to write or about writing; they were either boring, dry, or not helpful. This book was not boring or dry and it was extremely helpful. I could not put this book down; I highly recommend this book to any one who is interested in writing.

Not a how-to book but infinitely satisfying, Ms. Burnham deals with the emotional phases that writers share. She punctuates her experiences (written in brief stand-alone paragraphs, suitable to dipping into on any page) with quotes by other writers and artists. Uplifting, encouraging, helpful, I would recommend this book for every writer at any stage in his/her career.

I attended an intensive course in French language back in 1992 in Bordeaux, France. I purchased this reference book because of the great help the sister publication 501 German Verbs was for me when I studied in Germany in 1984. Barron's did not let me down. This publication can be a bit cumbersome at times because it doesn't really fit in anybody's pocket but it is a real help.

Verbs are listed in alphabetical order and similar words that are not conjugated are listed in the back of the book as a reference. If you are going to study or live abroad in a French speaking country I highly recommending you to purchase this book before you leave your home country.

Even at my beginning/intermediate level, many times I've gone to look up a verb in this book not to find it. I find it's a little too small. Its physical size would be an advantage if one had to carry it around, and it *is* fairly comprehensive if you consider that it has an appendix containing more verbs (which point to entries in the main body of the book that follow the same patterns). But looking up words in an appendix is pretty annoying. So, I'd give it 5 stars if you had to carry it around, and 4 stars if you didn't. Personally, I just have it sitting on my desk, so if I had the choice again, I'd go for the larger 501 Verbs version.

I bought my French verb book while taking French in high school. I used it a lot then. When I minored in French in college, I still used it. In fact, the pages are warped, greasy, and little a torn from years of continuous use. I used to have the Spanish version of this book, but I sold because it wasn't as useful. Both books have the same format, but French verbs are much more difficult to conjugate. Every French student should have a copy of this book. There is also a French verb book called "501 French Verbs," but this one is much easier to carry around.


Brandon Simpson

For those beginning and intermediate French learners, this conjugation book must be in your pocket anywhere anytime. It covers what troubles French learners but the French dictionary editors assume trival, i.e. an extensive list of conjugated verbs. This book comes in handy when doing internet chatting, email and other writing tasks which going over the conjugation process would make you very frustrated. In addition to the size, the price is also a bargain.

Dr. Kendris is one of the most trusted names for me in the language learning field, and I have a number of books by him, including the Spanish verbs version of this book, and the larger 501 Spanish Verbs book. The two most important features are the over 40 pages of grammar related to verbs that Kendris includes in the introduction to the book, which is the best capsule grammar I've seen for French, and the index of 1000 verbs in the appendix which is keyed to the appropriate model in the 301 verbs section, which makes it useful for even more verbs. Overall, another little winner here from Prof. Kendris, and at over 300 pages and just under 6 bucks, a great value at the price.

I had a suggestion for how to use this book. If you're still mastering the verb conjugation patterns, here's an idea. Get a 3x5 card and cover up the table for a verb, then proceed down the page, trying to do the conjugation yourself, then revealing it to see if you were right. Start with the ar-ending verbs and then go on to the er and ir-ending ones, which are similar or the same for many conjugations. Then go on to the irregular ones. Language learning is often a matter of two steps forward, one step back, and this is a great way to drill yourself and put the book to good use.

Condrill's book was fantastic at helping me come up with creative ideas on how to promote my book, Genesis Beach, and how to get folks to host book signings at practically no cost to me. I am still overwhelmed and grateful for the success I'm having. I wouldn't have had a clue without this book.

From Book Signing to Bestseller was okay, not bad. It was a quick-read. But I was hoping for some unique techniques to generate publicity to have a huge response to book signing but it was good to have the general idea of how to do a book signing in one place that was nice. I think the book could be condensed down to 2-3 pages of actual useful knowledge. I was also hoping to see that the authors would have actually made their books bestsellers on NY Times or something to show the credibility that they're techniques works but I am thankful to have this information in one book. I'm not sure there's another book out there like it so for that major kudos.


Jeff Rivera
Author of FOREVER MY LADY on Amazon.com

I'm only a quarter thru this book, Very informitive Ideas's
that I'll use on my next book signing's that I may have.

Please reveiw my web page at http://home.comcast.net/~william.sawyers/
Free children's storie's for the age's of 5 on up.
A children's author of three children books so far.

As the author of three books, I have a keen interest in Jo Condrill's experiences in publicizing her work. She and John Slack have created a wonderful guide for new and experienced authors to use. The litany of details offered will help novices look like professionals during book signings, interviews, and other methods of attracting attention to quality products. I highly recommend this well written guide.

If you want your book to sell- you must do publicity and promotion. Jo and John show you how. This is a great book.
Get it, devour it- use it. Rick Frishman- Pres. Planned TV Arts Co- Author of GUERRILLA PUBLICITY & GUERRILLA MARKETING FOR WRITERS