Humanities Books

Hello. I have used this book as a textbook for two courses at the University of California. It proved to be the most 'edutaining' of texts I've so far read. Tierney and his co-author do a brilliant job of retelling Medieval history as it happened in Western Europe. The first chapter of the book delivers a romantic summary of Europe under the hegemony of Greece and Rome up until Late Antiquity. The authors then take the reader through early Medieval France, Germany, northern Italy, and England. The chapters can be read by themselves and are not organized chronologically, but by themes and places. The only issue I have with the book is that it focuses sharply on Franco-English history. Germany is center but not part of the core in the book, so the reader is not submerged in the same depth as France and England run. Tierney devotes some subchapters to the periphery of Western Europe, but what is lacking is the same in-depth coverage as France and England. If the reader wants to find only introductory knowledge to Byzantium, Spain, Central, and Eastern Europe he/she will be satisfied with the light coverage Tierney gives: the important details of people and places. The periphary of Europe has not heavily influenced Western civilization, but should never be overlooked; Spain is only mentioned during the Inquisition and Moorish conquest. It is more worthy of note than what Tierney says of it. The book is still a pleasure to read and understand even with its emphasis on France and Britain.

Salutations all. I have used this book as a text for two courses covering the Early and Late Middle Ages while as a student at UC Riverside. Tierney and his co-author do a laudable job of presenting Western Medieval Europe to readers. The book is organized thematically and in each theme the material is presented chonologically. The reader may choose any chapter and read with little prior knowledege. That said, it starts by summarizing Classical Antiquity and moves onto Frankish history. Indeed, Franco-British history is the core of the book and that makes reading somewhat frustrating: gobs of legal and parliamentary history are scattered throughout the pages. However, dry as it is, Tierney makes the history and conception of the Western nation-state interesting and provocative with his theories of English parliament and monarchial constitution. And the papal monarchy illustrates the shrewdness and Machiavellian politics of the period: Medieval Europeans were highly civilized and intelligent as the Papacy shows. Those bonuses come at the expense of he periphery of Europe: Byzantium, Spain, and the Frontier East. To be sure, Tierney does not neglect them, but the pages he devotes serve as springboards for the reader to investigate by him/herself. And for its even-handedness, the book is worth reading for pleasure or academic learning.

This was a great, if at times slightly overwhelming read. It served as a central textbook for a medieval history class at my school and I found it acessible, enjoyable and orderly. At times approached chronologically, other times thematically, I found it to be a useful and insightful tool.

the book is a wonderful primer for those just delving into the world of medieval history for the first time such as myself...
Tierney has given many humorous accounts of the characters and events which i did not feel took anything away from the credibility of the facts.

I couldn't help but laugh when envisioning King Edward climbing up a windmill to watch the fighting at the Battle of Crecy. During one raid of a castle, the Frech mined a hole under the defensive wall. The English found out, started a hole on the other side, and the two eventually met...The hole was too small for heavy fighting so "two men poked swords at one another. As it was impossible for knights to in armor to hurt each other in this way, it was a thoroughly enjoyable affair."

His irony and humor well emphasize the degragation of some of leaders during the middle ages....I had a feeling that this time period was filled with much intrigue, murder, rape, plunder, and complete ludicrousy....the book did not fail in conveying that...Most topics were lightly breezed over: the crusades, pilgrimages, chivaly, the plague, the art and architecture, heresy, troubadours, and peasant society.......but not too much was needed to whet my interest...from there, i'm off buying books that are more detailed on these topics.....

the book is layed out in general sections: end of the roman empire, the beginning, middle, and late middle ages. within each section it's further broken down into to the main topics of each period: politics, economy, society, religion...these topics are repeated in each section; however there is often a gap of 100 pages or so between the same topic in different periods. (ex. religion in the 10th century and religion in 13th century)...

for me, at least, it was hard to remember all that went on in religion 100 pages ago.....there's just such an onslaught of information in between ...it's impossible to keep it all straight....so maybe it would have been better for him to keep all the topics together--seperate sections on religion, culture, politics, etc...or maybe i just have short term memory.....Tierney's point undoubtedly was for the reader to get a "feel" for each period and all that it incompased.....it was just hard to remember
everything from one period to the next....but ok.....it was a fine book overall......and it would be wise to jot down notes on the subjects that interest you so can pursue them once you exit this jam-packed cornicopia of information....

Whole Person Healthcare [Three Volumes]

In a society that values physical perfection and youth, people with illnesses have psychological as well as physical challenges. Tobi Zausner, whose background is both in art and psychology, has showed us how to use illness as a source of inspiration and creativity by reviewing the lives of both historical and contemporary artists. For healthcare professionals working in medical settings, for students learning about the meaning of illness, and for the lay person who has an illness, this beautiful new book is a must!

This remarkable book by Tobi Zausner, artist and psychologist, is principally a compendium of people whose lives have been transformed by illness or injury, from one of adversity to one of productivity and fulfillment through art. It includes psychological insight and some autobiographical elements. Besides introducing us to some remarkable people, and stimulating our empathy for them, it tantalizes the reader to explore their art (Googling makes it easy. Visits to real museums and exhibits are, of course, more rewarding). For those of us who may not be as creative as her artists, is may give us the courage to become more creative and fulfilled. Thank you, Tobi. You've created a book that, like your art, is truly great.

Of course, I had to flip right over to the chapter about Vincent van Gogh - having attended one of Dr. Zausner's lectures on the subject, which is so fascinating to me! Vincent seems to always be THE ARTIST we run to when we think of overcoming terrible odds and "combating [his] sickness with creativity."

Tobi's empathy for these suffering artists is evident on every page, for this book is a very personal elucidation, which absolutely goes hand-in-hand with her own masterfully transcendent paintings. It's easy to feel her deep and soulful compassion with every word and brushstroke.

You'll be so inspired with each anecdote, and all the carefully researched data, and understand the creative process more profoundly than ever... and all at once you'll discover she offers not only the problems but the solutions. Artists, by nature, CREATE - they making something out of nothing. But herein Tobi teaches you how the depth of the human spirit truly glows in the countless examples she has found to flesh out her thesis.

Her cover of Vincent's 'Wheatfield and Cypress Trees' is so appropriate for this wonderful book because it is filled with all the juxtapositions of serenity and conflict, harmony and pain... I can't wait to read her next book!

This book is inspiring and, also, well-researched. Dr. Zausner is both an artist herself, and an art-historian/psychologist. Here are stories and vignettes about artists, both well-known, and not so well-known, for whom illness has brought unsuspected gifts and opportunities. This occured for them in part through good fortune but also by their ability to seize and transform a situation or a life. What makes this possible? Here is the challenge. We can learn from these accounts ourselves as we face our own life trials. Many categories of illness and disability are covered. I just gave this book as a gift to a friend with her own serious illness, to give her new hope. It adds to the power of this book that Dr. Zausner, herself, has had transforming illnesses, and she shares these as well with the reader.

This is a wonderful book that gives the reader a feel for all social levels during the medieval times. I especially enjoyed The Wife of Bath's Tale. I recommend this book to anyone. It is interesting while being entertaining at the same time.

It was so lovely

Chaucer has given me a greater insight into life in the 14th century. We see the hypocrisy of the "genteel" people of the time. He has also transcended the boundaries of time for we can still see evidence of this hypocrisy in todays society. The Wife is a strong female character and the reader can not be certain if she is feminist or anti-feminist nor can they be certain if Chaucer is laughing at her or with her. This was a very crafty device by Chaucer's and he must be commended for it. This device is shown in how long Chaucer allows the Wife to speak about herself, it is the longest prologue in the book except of course for the General Prologue. The Wife's views and issues can also be seen in her choice of tale but her voice seems somewhat more subdued here and we can distinctly see Chaucer's own views and ideas coming out in the tale.The very poetic style in which it is written also intices the reader to read on. Altogether quite an insightful piece of literature.

There is no poet in any language of more extravagant wit and wisdom than old Geoffrey Chaucer, and no more universal, but for the challenge of the language. Like Homer in Greek, Dante in Italian, Chaucer set the bar too high for anyone ever to exceed him. And how fundamentally English he was, as if all the "personality" of our literature flowed from the same cultural spring!

My generation may have been almost the last to memorize the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales and to learn the few easy rules of pronunciation and syntax we needed to enjoy Chaucer. Helas! The times, they are a-changing. Still, a few years ago I had an irrational lust to revive my ability to read Middle English, just for fun. I discovered that there were audio-books of many of the Canterbury Tales, including the Wife of Bath's salacious masterpiece. Of all Chaucer's dramatis personae, the Wife of Bath is surely the most humanly convincing, the randy old dame! "Why, I'm probably just the right age to be husband number six," thought I. So I ordered this CD. By the time the CD reached me, I'd forgotten my urge to make use of it. In fact, I forgot I had it until yesterday, when it somehow popped out of the shelf at me.

Elizabeth Salter and her unnamed male foil speak the poetry of Chaucer with enough 'naturalness' to persuade me, particularly since recording technology was still rather crude in the 1300s. With the ability to pause the disk by remote, I find that I can follow the most familiar parts of the Wife's narrative comfortably. For most of the tale, however, I have to keep my eyes on the text. I wouldn't mind if Salter had delivered her words just a trifle slower, but then perhaps the rollicking cadences wouldn't have frolicked so mirthfully. There are lots of editions of the Canterbury Tales available with old and new English on facing pages, making the effort much easier.

This is probably not everyone's idea of fun, what with movies of Beowulf starring naked babes as Grendel's Mother and such. But Chaucer is too good to be lost. If YOU the parents of America no longer have the willpower to compel your teenagers to labor through the Canterbury Tales, then it's YOUR obligation to do so yourselves!

I never read it but I read The Witch Of Blackbird Pond which is a good book, but I never read this.

Purchased this item to help out my 12 year old with a summer reading assignment. Personally, I think summer should be a break from school work, and I was hoping this item would be more like a Cliff Notes, listing character reviews and chapter summaries, however, it's more like a series of worksheets that a teacher would use in her class. Of course all the answers are in the back of the book which is where the REAL HELP is located. Turns out that this is really better than a Cliff Notes, as it helps her test her reading comprehension before seeing the answers. We are happy with it-- I'll be selling this book when my daughter is done with it, so if you're interested in it keep an eye out for the used copy.

The book had many study questions and different perspectives to look at the story through, making it easy to use with both my 8 yr old and my 12 yr old. I would buy other products from this line.

The study guide is very helpful. The vocabulary work and the questions are thought provoking. Relative scripture references help to give the lessons relevance. I plan to try some other study guides by progeny press.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the effects of globalization on women. Delia Aguilar and Anne Lacsamana's book is essentially a compilation of articles written by various people concerned with exposing the horrendous conditions women face due to globalization's neoliberal policies. The essays explore a wide range of issues affecting Third World women, including the effects of structural adjustment programs, the conditions in sweatshops, sex trafficking, etc. While some of the articles can be a bit lengthy and dry, the book contains a wealth of invaluable information--this is a must read for anyone who doubts the negative effects of globalization!

The collection of articles in Women and Globalization is important for activists, scholars, and concerned human beings looking to understand how corporate globalization relies on the exploited labor of women (from around the world) to generate profits. The diverse writings discuss the concrete conditions of women who are working in such places as Mexico, the Philippines, and South Africa. Furthermore, the writings congeal to provide a clear, explanatory, and absolutely critical analysis of a global economic system that is seeping with contradictions. I highly recommend this book! It is an important read with a great balance of case study material and theory.

This book offers an unfiltered analysis and critique of the effects of globalization, past and present, on nations in the developing world. The contributors of the book account for the neoliberal policies implemented by international financial institutions and governments, and how those policies deeply affect peoples' labor and migratory patterns. Additionally, "Women and Globalization" pays particular attention to culture, society, race, economics, the environment, and politics and how they are all interrelated within the circumstances of women's lives, as women are the majority of the world's laborers.

The book is accessible to non-academic readers and perfect for college courses in ethnic studies, women's studies, cultural studies, political science, and others. Its primary goal is to expose and analyze globalization's exploitation of poor women, mostly in labor and migration; a secondary goal is to expose and analyze most academics' misunderstandings of this exploitation, a misunderstanding that, according to the closing argument by editor Aguilar, practically re-colonizes the already exploited. Exploitation on all continents and several island nations is covered. But the tone is not desperate and resigned. Rather, the writers here advocate a committed and informed urgency. One contributor argues that "international solidarity is necessary" in the work of ending the exploitation of impoverished women, but she insists that her "global vision" is realizable.

Great book, We have all noticed a big improvement. The TV is off less and he reading without being asked to.

This is a good book. Many interesting examples and short articles. Some questions for short articles are fairly challenging for a 3rd grader. I think this is a better book than the "week-by-week homework for building comprehension and fluency", which is much easier.
I bought a wordly wise 3000 book B last summer and it had a crossword for each lesson. It was more interesting. But this book has more lessons for almost the same price. I can not complain.

I bought this workbook for my precocious 9-year old, and she jumped right into the first chapter and enjoyed it immensely. Each chapter begins with a list of about 20 vocabulary words, which are defined. Several forms of the word are offered as well as different meanings.

Then the student is asked to perform various multiple choice and sentence completion activities using the words in context. Finally a passage using the words is introduced, after which the student is asked to answer questions that require an understanding of the vocabulary words and the passage.

This book is just the right level for my fourh-grader, but is probably intended for use in grades 5-6.

My only criticism is that not all definitions are given for a vocabulary word. For example, the word "pedestrian" is defined as a noun, but the meaning of the adjective is not provided. Perhaps the author felt this was too advanced for the level, but I disagree.

All-in-all, this is an effective tool for building your child's vocabulary. It's certainly enjoyable for those children who love to learn new words.

In my school Book 2 is fifth grade material. We do the exercises for one reason, to learn. Wordly Wise Book 2, is a book based on vocabulary. it is divided into chapters, which are divided into exactly 30 lessons. Exersice A would be multiple choice, ex: to intercept a letter (a)plan to write(b)write in code(c)deliver(d)seize on its way Exersice B would be multiple choice as to which sentence states or uses the word wrongly. Exercise C is a sentence that synonoms to replace the word, and you would write the word that on the list would replaceit. Exersise D is a crossword puzzel. At the end of this workbook, there is a glossary, which has all vocabulary words in all of the lessons. I recomend this book because I believe it has really helped me this year, I have thrived as a student and as a person.

This outstanding book is perfect for both novice and veteran teachers. It provides an organized and creative approach to implementing a writer's workshop. Within the book you'll find lesson ideas, reproducables, assessment criteria, workshop format, tips, and just about everything you need to create a successful writing program within your classroom. I use this book in my classroom as the foundation for my writing program. My collegues were so impressed with the results and ease with which it can be used, that the rest of the school will be adopting the approach and using this book as the corner stone! I can not say enough good things about this book. It is a must buy.

In Writing Like Writers: Guiding Elementary Children Through A Writer's Workshop, Kathryn Johnson (who teaches Language Arts Methods and supervises student teachers at the University of Rhode Island) has teamed up with Pamela Westkott (who has been teaching third grade for most of her career in a suburban Rhode Island seaside town) to provide frontline elementary school classroom teachers with a complete and comprehensive instruction manual on instilling creative writing skills in their students through the forum of a writing workshop. Writing Like Writers takes the instructor step-by-step through the process of creating an engaging and productive young writer's workshop in any ordinary classroom and integrated into any standard curriculum. The instructional text is enhanced with illustrative real-life experience-based anecdotes and stories that will inspire the classroom teacher with respect to suggested changes in their approaches to teaching writing to young students. Fully covered are such basic issues as preparing classroom materials for an effective writing environment; utilizing scaffolding techniques to guide the student through the process of writing; strategies and crafts allowing young writers to clearly and descriptively express their ideas. There are even reproducible workshops and helpful websites. Writing Like Writers is commended to the attention of classroom teachers, school curriculum developers, and would prove immensely useful to dedicated homeschooling parents for their use as well.

As a novice teacher, I have embraced Writing Like Writers: Guiding Elementary Children Through a Writer's Workshop as my primary source for understanding and teaching the writing process. The book has an easy to use format. It provides step by step models for teachers to use to demonstrate the crafts, skills and strategies of writing. I wanted to set up a Writer's Workshop in my classroom that would address the reality that my students are often at different stages of the writing process. This book provided me with the structure and the content to do just that. It's helping me to become a more effective teacher of writing and therefore my students to become better writers.

Writing Like Writers guides students through the writing process in a step-by-step fashion that's interesting, and full of different ideas for different writers. Students try each step along the way, and can work out the writing process that suits them best.

Writing Like Writers is complete, with samples and reproducible worksheets throughout. Every aspect of writing is covered: characters, plot, setting, point of view, theme, dialogue, and much more. But far more important than the definition of each aspect, are the examples for teachers to share with their writers. Writing styles and details from repeated words, precise language, onomatopoeia, and more are discussed and tried. Techniques are discussed for use in both fiction and nonfiction writing.

By the time they finish this book, your students will be interested and experienced writers, with many great tools at their fingertips. For teachers, Writing Like Writers provides assesment tools for both teacher- and self-assessment of students' writing. Finally, the book includes "Teaching Children to Write" - a conceptual framework for writing instruction, or how to encourage all the kids in your class to be writers.

Writing Like Writers says that it's for elementary children, but many middle school students who would benefit just as much from this great guide.

For the time being, this is the best (and one of the only) English language translations of Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakosabhasyam, one of the most important works in Buddhist literature. A forthcoming work in English may render this volume less important, but it is not clear when that translation is going to be published. Thus, for the time being, this is the edition to refer to for those who are not able to read in Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese or Japanese.

An important note: although this work is indeed a translation based on the French translation of Louis de Vallee Poussin, Leo Pruden himself is a Buddhist scholar who knows Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese. So it is not a case of this work merely being a translation from French into English. Pruden has checked the work against the Sanskrit text (which was not available in most instances to Poussin at the time of his translation) to examine it for accuracy. So although the translation is not likely to be 100% faithful to the Sanskrit, it is probably pretty good. In fact, one could argue that since it is based also on an understanding of the Chinese and Japanese translations and traditions, it may be (possibly?) even richer than a translation by a scholar of Sanskrit who translates straight from Sanskrit to English without knowledge of Chinese or Japanese. This is because, unlike some translation jobs, the translation of Buddhist texts is very much dependent upon interpretation, and therefore a knowledge of the commentarial traditions that have emerged in living Buddhist societies.

That being said, this, along with Asanga's Abhidharmasamuccaya, is the most important work on the "Abhidharma"-- a crucial aspect of Buddhist thought. Abhidharma is one of the five main topics studied in Gelugpa Tibetan monasteries, for example. It examines issues such as the aggregates, perception and cognition, mental states and emotions, the sense faculties, and so forth.

For those with no prior knowledge of Abhidharma, one might be better off beginning with a shorter introductory work before heading straight into this lengthy treatise. Chogyam Trungpa has written a short work on Abhidharma, but unfortunately there are not that many accessible studies written in English to my knowledge.

The Abhidharmakosa is undoubtedly the most widely studied textbook of Buddhism. It forms one of the five basic textbooks of the Tibetan monastic curriculum, and in Japan it is the traditional way to begin the study of Buddhist philosophy. But it is by no means an easy or simple book. Years are devoted to its study in these countries.

Vasubandhu sifted through the whole mass of Buddhist teachings to produce this "treasury" (kosa) of them. Because of its excellence, it soon eclipsed all its rivals in early India, and has remained a classic for fifteen hundred years. This translation includes Vasubandhu's own detailed commentary, "bhasyam," so it forms a self-contained veritable encyclopedia of Buddhism.

Abhidharma Kosa Bhasyam. By Vasubandhu. Leo M. Pruden's landmark translation of
Vasubandhu's encyclopedic treatment of the
Abhidharma from the French of Louis de La
Vallee Poussin is a stunningly meticulous
work of scholarship. In the marvelous
setting of a high-quality hardcover edition,
it displays Professor Pruden's
uncompromising dedication to bringing a
complete, accurate and well-annotated
rendering of the crown jewel of Abhidharma
compilations into English.

For those who are unfamiliar with the
significance of the Abhidharma, it is the
systematic delineation of Buddhist
philosophical tenets. In aggregate, it forms
one of the three collections comprising the
three-fold Buddhist canon known as the
Tripitaka. The importance of this work of
Vasubandhu lies a) in its encyclopedic
completeness; and b) in its exposition of
the common philosophical ground shared by
both the Southern and Northern traditions of
Buddhism. It is a work which, though
dedicated primarily to material most readily
associated with the fundamental teachings of
Southern-tradition Buddhism, has always been
held in the highest esteem in Chinese and
Tibetan traditions as well.

This work is graced by a 60-page
introduction to Abhidharma written by
Professor Pruden entitled The Abhidharma:
The Origins, Growth and Development of a
Literary Tradition. That is then followed by
de La Vallee Poussin's own 50-page
introduction to Vasubandhu's work. Each
volume is preceded by an extremely detailed
table of contents, totaling 30 pages in all.
The final volume includes a carefully
compiled 50-page index to the entire work.
Each chapter includes copious annotation in
the form of end notes. Given this sterling
approach to presentation and annotation,
this four-volume edition constitutes a
veritable encyclopedia of abhidharma tenets.
To help the reader better understand the
construction of Vasubandhu's work, I present
here the basic breakdown of its
construction:

Chapter One: The Dhaatus
Chapter Two: The Indriyas
Chapter Three: The World
Chapter Four: Karma
Chapter Five: The Latent Defilements
Chapter Six: The Path and the Saints
Chapter Seven: The Knowledges
Chapter Eight: The Absorptions
Chapter Nine: Refutation of the Pudgala

Ideally, this work should abide on the shelf
of every serious English-speaking Buddhist
as a counter-weight to the foolish notion
that "just-sitting" will somehow bring about
true liberation. The Buddha himself insisted
that the two provisions of: a) merit; and
b) wisdom are essential to any meaningful
advancement along the path to enlightenment.
This work contributes a solid foundation
stone to the edifice of wisdom which each
practitioner must endeavor to construct. Its
utility as a foundation is equally valuable
whether that construction eventually
expresses a Southern-tradition or Northern-
tradition architecture.

The expense of this work ($300), while not
at all unreasonable given the extravagance
of the meticulous four-volume hard-cover
edition, may place this work beyond the
grasp of many struggling Dharma students.
At the very least, however, every Dharma
center could acquire a single copy as a non-
circulating library reference. It is
difficult to overestimate the value of this
work in clarifying the meaning of
fundamental Buddhist philosophical tenets.
For the translator, it is an invaluable
reference work which serves well in the
correct translation of abstruse technical
terms which might otherwise be distorted by
over-reliance upon the Tibetan- or Chinese-
language renderings of such terms.

In short, the presence of this marvelous
compendium of Abhidharma in such a fine
English edition is a cause for celebration
in every tradition of Western Buddhism.

This book is a "must read" for working actors, drama teachers and students. This book explains acting's essence; all else is mere technique!

This is a quite marvelous new acting text that provides a wealth of exercises meant to focus the acting task squarely on the actor's intellect. Miller defines good acting as being believable and telling the best possible story (hence the title). His focus is on the actor taking circumstances and situations into account and then rendering acting choices that will be interesting and compelling. This is a liberating approach, in that it gives beginning students a bench mark from which to evaluate thier work. As a devotee of Robert Cohen's Acting One for many years, I am impressed how this book takes that bare bones approach (Goal, Obstacle, Tactic, Expectation) and really expands upon it. Students are not just responsible for determining goal, but they must tell a story as well. This places an enormous responsiblity on the actor (some HS teachers might think too much), but it is eminantly workable and pragmatic within the context of scene and character work. To his credit, Miller is taking his technique on the road. He is currently holding workshops, sponsored by the Educational Theater Association, where he spends a weekend with interested High School acting teachers actually working on the exercises in the book. Having just attended the one in Atlanta this past September, I can say that what may seem too simple on the page, comes to vibrant life in the workshop. I highly recommend it to HS teachers. Since the workshop I have been able to meld the best of Cohen, with many of the exercises that Miller provides. My students have never been more engaged and challenged with the acting process. Even if you don't adopt the book for your classroom, this is a must read for every HS acting teacher (and college profs would do well by it, as well). It also includes valuable information about the audition process and how to succeed as a professional actor.

As he promises Miller delivers an "articulation of craft that is simple, direct, immediate and broadly applicable." What he doesn't state is just how refreshing and relieving it is to finally have a clear and practical textbook on acting. Miller punctures the mystique surrounding actors and what they do and how they do it. He reaffirms that acting is indeed a craft with a learnable set of skills. Acting then becomes possible for anyone willing to devote the time and effort into mastering its skills. Good acting is no longer the domain of an elite few who magically possess talent. The biggest obstacle I find facing my students is not a lack of talent but a confusion about and an unwillingness to pursue mastery of the skills of craft. I find most textbooks on acting either too theoretical or confusing in their attempts to articulate craft. By clearly defining the skills and suggesting practical exercises to master them, Miller has given the student some solid footing for their journey toward mastery. Another strength of Miller's book is its enpowerment of the actor. Too often the model I see in production is the actor who comes to rehearsal and waits for the director to tell her what to do and how to do it. This totally undermines the potential strength of the collaborative process. Miller's dictum that it is the actor's responsibility to help tell the story in the most potent way possible re-establishes the potential strength of the collaborative relationship. Actors can then offer the director several choices for a moment or a scene. This enriches the production and makes the actor's job much more exciting and creative. Students will appreciate Miller's detailed guidance on audtioning and rehearsing.Again he offers very clear and practical models for these processes. His closing chapters on the "business" are honest and wise. I am using THE ACTOR AS STORYTELLER as a required text in all my acting classes. It combines good solid acting values and techniques and presents them with a simplicity and clarity that will heighten the skill of any actor who practices them. I highly recommend this text.

The art of writing is a learned skill honed through practice. Now in an extensively updated and significantly expanded second edition, "ACTS Of Teaching: How To Teach Writing" by academicians Joyce Armstrong Carroll and Edward E. Wilson (both of whom are Co-Directors of Abydos Learning International) is a 501-page compendium of instruction on all aspects of the art and craft of teaching aspiring authors how to write effectively regardless of the genre or discipline they are writing in or for. After an informed and informative introduction, "ACTS Of Teaching: How To Teach Writing" is dived into two primary sections dealing with 'Process' and 'The Theory and Pedagogy'. An overview of writing as a process beings with 'Prewriting: More Than the Beginning', continues on with 'Writing and Organizing', 'Writing as a Social Act', 'Grammar and Correcting', 'Grammar through Revision', Grammar through Reformulation', 'Postwriting and Publishing', and 'Assessment'. "ACTS Of Teaching: How To Teach Writing" continues with a major and detailed chapter on the way the brain works in the writing process, before going on to address such issues as 'Learning How to Learn', 'Early Literacy', 'Research', and 'Writing as a Mode of Learning. Enhanced with an extensive and extended bibliography, "ACTS Of Teaching: How To Teach Writing" also features nine highly relevant appendices (note especially the first one offering a List of Genres), and a comprehensive index. "ACTS Of Teaching: How To Teach Writing" is note only very highly recommended as an educational curriculum guide and supplement for the teaching of writing in a college or university level course, it is also invaluable reading for any aspiring writer seeking to become as effective as they can be within the demands of any scientific discipline, literary genre, or commercial enterprise they might find themselves working in.

I have had the opportunity to meet each author in their New Jersey Writing Project in Texas Institute, and I must say this book is an absolute in the instruction of writing. Instead of forcing unreal formulaic writing upon our students, Carroll and Wilson are staunch advocates of voice in writing. If you are looking for a formula or gimmick to teach your students writing, this is NOT the book for you. Instead, Carroll and Wilson use tried and true techniques focusing on the reading-writing connection, pre-writing, and revision that work for students of all grade levels. As a new teacher, this book in conjunction with their Institute has been the most useful tool I have encountered.

Authors Carroll and Wilson focus on students AND teachers as writers. This text is critical to those who teach writing. It includes specific activities and strategies for prewriting,conferencing,revision,publishing. Included are many helpful journal articles. It is the most successful tool I've used in over 20 years of teaching students of all grade and ability levels. It is a MUST HAVE. In an empty classroom beseiged by flames, this is THE text I'd grab !