Humanities Books

Very Good Textbook! The diagnostic assessments were easy to follow. The textbook is written with professionalism and expertise. I had to take a reading diagnostics class for my graduate program. I am so glad that my school decided to use this book! I refuse to sell my book and I will use the text in my future classroom! If you plan on selling your textbooks, I would not sell this one. I would reconsider selling this book because it will become handy in the classroom. I guarantee you will use it again!:)

This is a great diagnostic tool to get a grasp on a student's reading skills and deficits. I like how it gives their frustration, independent, and instructional reading levels.
I would recommend this informal inventory to tutors, teachers, and mentors.

I needed this book for a class I was taking. It was mandatory so I guess it was helpful. I won't know to the full extent until I begin teaching and using it as a helpful resource. Looking through it though, it seemed very helpful for assessing K-8 students with various assessments in order to keep assessing with different tests.

The grade level assessmenta are very concise and easy to administer, enabling users to quickly assess reading comprehension levels and listening comprehension levels. Because it is easy to use, it helps provide a starting point in grouping students for small group instruction, reading groups and guided individual reading.

This reading inventory kit is great for all students from elementary level to adult. The inventories in this book allow us to make instructional decisions according to the results. The format is easy to follow, and the cd-rom gives a clear idea on test administration. The classroom reading inventory is an individual diagnostic test, and this text explains the process, making you feel comfortable in administering it.

This book is FABULOUS!!! All the crafts I have used from this book have been excitedly anticipated and completed by my students from the very young to six years old. It is brightly illustrated and filled with a trove of ideas.

I love this book! I am not a crafty person at all but my kids like to do it. There are so many easy crafts with things you should have around the house. Plus most of them don't make a huge mess!

Exactly what the editorial review and all the reviewers said, bottom line: this book is absolutely amazing. I get most of my material from dollar store or everyday home item. Pictures are vivid and clear even my kids understand what is going on (3 and 4 years old). I'm a very neat, tidy person and these ideas are not messy at all. My kids can do most of these activities

This book is fun and has wonderful, easy projects. The cover says this book is for ages 5-9. I'm currently working on the button jar and pinchushion top with my 3 1/2 granddaughter.

This book makes the perfect family gift. If you exchange gifts to that are meant to be enjoyed by the entire family this is perfect. Plus the extra benefit of being remembered all year for many years to come!

This book has everything for AP Lit and Language students--sample paragraphs, sample papers, strategies for effective paragraph development and a dynamic grammar section, which my students laud for its clarity. I love the editing symbols. With class loads only increasing, Degen provides an answer for grading more quickly but also providing meaningful feedback for students. What more do you want from a reader of the AP exam?

As a parent I have found the first edition enormously useful in helping my son write his English papers. I really appreciate having a text with so many useful samples and checklists. All the teacher's expectations are printed in 175 pages! Boy is that rare!

I teach AP English and regular English and I have my students purchase a copy of this useful text. I no longer have to create and xerox sample paragraphs; sample papers; sample exercises in correcting coherence, style, and elaboration. I also spend less time correcting papers. The students turn to the editing key to intepret the practical symbols. No longer do I have to write out long explanations of sentences that awkwardly incorporate textual support, of paragraphs that lack organization; of topic sentences that are too vague, of sentences that stray off the topic of the paragraph. In addition, my students can follow the checklists for paragraph development and paper development. I appreciate that this text contains what I would have normally had to create myself.

As a first year English teacher, I have found this book to be an invaluable tool for teaching my students to write. The secret to Degen's method lies in his precise insistence on certain basic writing qualities through repitition of a single genre: expository argument. He employs such tools as showing details, solid topic sentences, clear organization of ideas, varied sentence structure, and a simple editing code to make location and correction of common student errors easy.

I love the sample student paragraphs, introductions, conclusions and whole essays--all annotated for students to model. I love the clear steps for constructing organized paragraphs and essays, the checklists for thesis statements, topic sentences, paragraphs, introductions, and conclusions. The students love the examples of how to fix common student errors: awkward textual support, poor transitions, inadequate elaboration, weak verbs, sentences off topic, etc. My principal appreciates the grammar resources and activities, the MLA guidelines, and the glossary of literary terms--he's a utilitarian! What's better is that students can purchase the text for under $15, less than the cost of doing all this by xerox machine.

Shipping came within a week, even with the supersaver shipping. would use them again.

This work is the Gold Standard to which all other Exercise Physiology books are measured. I was introduced to the Second Edition of the book in an entry-level class in Graduate school. To this day I find it a necessary reference from my library.

Personally, the most useful information to me is on Energetics as it pertains to athletics, training adaptations, exercise testing and prescription. I use this information to help me decide how to train athletes from different sports. But, there is so much more than that in this book. Metabolism, Ventilation, Heart and Circulation (including CVD) is all covered thoroughly.

I especially like Brooks' approach to physiology. Brooks, likes to examine physiology by studying the rate-limiting processes. And to a coach, like me, finding weakness and improving that weakness is crucial to winning. Another topic I enjoy is Brooks' take on the misnomer of Anaerobic Threshold and Lactic Acid.

It's an extremely well-organized, well-written text. It's easy to read and a challenge at the same time. Brooks makes you think and delivers difficult information in a way that is easier to understand than other textbooks.

Eric Swannie, MA, ATC, CSCS

I would have to agree with most experts in this field, that Brooks did a smashing job when writing this text. His chapters on bioenergetics are superlatively done. Outstanding graphs, analogies ,coupled with an eazy to understand vennacular. The chapter on bioenergetics is extremly lucid when explaining the esoteric aspects of coupled energy metabolism and muscle performance. Brad Nindl from (Penn State University) and Dr. Paul Arciero (Skidmore College) still utlize his text, and often refere to his chapters on energy metabolism and exercise. Many of our lively discussions and research ideas were spurred by Brooks text. Not only does this text service as an outstanding learning tool, when learning the basic concepts of exercie physiology, but acts as a catalyst for innovative ideas for new research. The references are all up to date, providing eazy access to "cutting-edge" researchers. His chapters on cardiovascular physiology are well organized and follow the same lucid format of the previous chapters, however, i wish he included information on the newer developments in cardiovascular physiology and exercise, such as the work being currently conducted on signial transduction and on the dysregualtion of the sacroplasmic reticulum during CHF etc.. Overall i would recommand this textbook to any serious student, scholar, physician or allied health professional who is wishing to futher their understanding of this fastinating subject. I am currently using his text as a major ref. for preparing for part I of the USMLE!! Yours In Great Learning

There's no other quite like it - Brooks' is the best there is...

I received both my B.S., and M.S. in Exercise Biochemistry from Univ. of Mass, and Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, respectively. My former advisor studied under Brooks at Berkely (He received his Doctorate there). In any event the approach our department undertook towards exercise biochemistry/physiology was at the cell and molecular level. Brooks text was central to the program. What is great about the book, is that it explains complicated biochemical processes in easy to understand language and places it in the context of applied physiology. The book stacks up to classic texts like Molecular Biology of the Cell (Albert, Bray, Lewis), and many of the classic biochemistry texts. In my opinion it is far superior to texts by McArdle & Katch, or Textbook of Work Physiology (author escapes me, for now).

I don't know much about extraterrestrials. Not alot. Somebody recommend this book and I bought it. Well well well ...hot stuff! I was confused at the begining but afterwards I began to understand what the author was talking about. I don't know folks but let me tell you this book is putting ideas in my head. Strange book but I have not read anything like it in my entire life. Man! this is something!!!!!!!!!I am enjoying every word of it...

The meticulous details of the agenda of aliens will scare the hell out of you. You might not take the subject very seriously, until you start to read the chapters on the aliens' plans for humanity. Are we safe? Is extraterrestrials threat REAL? There are plenty of evidence,and affidavits, also................statements by top American scientists and militarymen! Something really bizarre is happening at NASA, the Pentagon and the underground world of the CIA! I hope I am wrong. This book explains the hidden reality of the intentions of the aliens...frightening scenario, but it could happen. Already 4 well-known scientists admited that one alien race is constantly threatening the United States. Dr. Jacobs wrote a great book on this subject. I had to read Mr. DE LAFAYETTE's book because I know that he is well-connected and knows lots lots lots of things we still question...and are real...

A book will seize you attention when it delivers astonishing findings and you learn something new from its contents. This book fits the bill. It is loaded with great amount of informations you could not find elsewhere. Also I liked the analogy and presentation of several theories. I am a great admirer of Mr. De Lafayette. I collect all his books. This man is a genius.

The perfect book on the subject. Right on!!!Blew up my mind. I could not put it down. All the information you needed. In brief, buy it right away and see for yourself what the big brothers are planning behind our backs. Do you think you are safe in America? Think again. Nobody is safe. Read this book! You will never regret it. The best of the best. I give it 5 stars.

Two authors are the leading authorities on aliens agenda: Dr. David Jacobs and Professor Maximillien de Lafayette. They might have unusual interpretations of these phenomena, but usually they hit the target. The present work of Prof. Lafayette is the major study and the conclusive findings of aliens abduction, hidden plan for humanity and how to deal with this problem. You will find plenty of cases study, serious analyses of bizarre situations, you read about the personal experiences of abductees, the hybrids, the frightening labs experiments, and secret deals and treaties between the United States Government and the Grays. All are clearly explained and exposed in this book.

I had this book for a Film History class, and it was great. I've used it every semester since and plan to keep it forever and sleep with it under my pillow.

Even though it isn't aimed at teaching film theory or basics, it's better at explaining the basics than Film Art by miles. It also makes theory more interesting and topical to learn since it goes chronologically and highlights films that were actually influential, instead of the ones that Film Art just happened to get the rights to print pictures of.

Highly recommend.

Due to a change of plans I didn't use this book this quarter. However, hearing from my follow film students this book details well about the history of film and not just North American film. All film. A must for a film student.

here's a short comparison I made between the following 3 film history books:

A History of the Cinema from Its Origins to 1970 (Eric Rhode)
A Short History of the Movies (Gerald Mast)
Film History: An Introduction, (Thompson-Bordwell)

I was looking for a technical/historical overview of the development of cinema, without idiosyncratic criticism and with emphasis on the origins of film techniques, genealogy of influences of filmmakers, relevant references to history, literature and other arts, and impartial accounts of filmmakers' careers.

Instead of a verdict, I will simply quote passages about two greats:

Rhode: [about Fellini] "Fellini's greatest works are inevitably works of laughter and tears. [...] Fellini gets into trouble when he deserts feeling for thought. La Dolce vita (1959) is a sterile thematic exercise [...] In the film's first sequence, a helicopter [...] The film, intellectualy, is over. Christ has been petrified into wood; he is the tool of modern machinery [...] Although the film has nothing more to say, Fellini continues for two hours, contrasting sensual things [...] Juliet of the Spirits [...] suffers from a similar over-schematization."

Mast: [about Antonioni] "Antonioni sometimes has trouble in allowing his images to accrete meaning [...] His failure to generalize experience was to be total in La notte (1960). Lacking any understanding of how writers think and feel, his portrait of the author, [...] is so unconvincing that the spectator may be tempted to think that Giovanni's crisis of conscience is no more than a rationalization of his inability to escape from his wife's purse-strings."

Thompson-Bordwell: [about Antonioni] "From the start of his career Antonioni demonstrated a mastery of deep focus (Fig. 19.30) and the long take with camera movement (pp. 427-429). The early works also pioneered [...] Antonioni's muted dramatization of shallow or paralyzed characters found a sympathetic response in an era that also welcomed Existentialism. [...] Juan Bardem, Miklos Jansco, and Theo Angelopoulos learned from his distinctive style. Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation (1974) and Brian De Palma's Blow-Out (1981) derive directly from Blow-Up."


nuff said...

I used this book in a film studies class about four years ago and I kept it because of the wealth of information. For the first time I understood the different epochs of film not only in the U.S. but also around the world. I was introduced to a wider variety of international film and the work of Eisenstein, Renoir, Kurosawa, and others. I highly recommend this book for the concise language, easy explanations, and beautiful black and white and color reproductions from many films. This book is a page turner.

If you are interested in film history on the whole, please, give yourself a treat by purchasing this book. It is not cheap but it is worth every penny. I had it after a course in film history and despite being someone who usually sell or dump away my texts after graduation, I find it very hard to give this one away. Boy, am I glad I did not. As one's scope and experience in world cinema grows, so too does one's interest in this book. Bordwell and Thomas's style is academic but always enthusiastic, and theirs is the most comprehensive account of world cinema in English (pre-war Japanese cinema, anyone?). I have not found another general film book on world cinema history to match, and I will certainly be purchasing its third edition (what I have is the first) if that ever comes by.

Izzy's Fire: Finding Humanity In The Holocaust is the triumphant true story of a holocaust survivor and members of her family escaped the Kovno Ghetto in Lithuania, survived trials and successfully hid until the war's end in a hiding places granted them by a Catholic farmer. She, her husband, and other refugees dug a hole between two potato cellars, and with the unselfish aid of that selfless, risk taking Catholic family, miraculously survived the Holocaust. Afterward she and her husband emigrated to America and encountered a joyful reunion decades later. Izzy's Fire gives voice to those who survived the Holocaust in hiding, and is a welcome addition to Holocaust studies shelves.

Rebeccasreads highly recommends IZZY'S FIRE as a compelling account of how a Lithuanian Jewish couple & their son survived the Nazi occupation, & hide for 3 years in a Catholic farmer's root cellar. & then surviving the Communist "liberation" of their homeland.

Beasley draws from personal interviews, research & numerous memoirs, including those from Israel "Izzy" Ipson, who helped his family escape from Kovno Ghetto, one of the most notorious killing fields for Jews in Lithuania. The Ipps, as they were known then, relocated to Richmond following their liberation and later changed their name to Ipson. Their story has been re-created at the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, Virginia.

IZZY'S FIRE is Eta's answer to those who say the Holocaust never happened, & is a tribute to personal bravery & the unquenchable resources of compassion, quick-wittedness & sheer determination to live, with a lot of luck thrown in.

Complete with maps & photos, IZZY'S FIRE is a story for all time.

There are many people today that feel "entitled" due to race, relegion or the condition of the home in which they were born. This is a story about a family who's life was turned upside down by war; who lived in barns, potato holes and lived in fear of being murdered as was the fate of many of their family members. Through perserverance and a strong faith in God, they were able to get to America and lived the "american story" of pulling themselves up from poverty to owning a successful business. All young people need to read this story.

Izzy's Fire is by far one of the best books I've ever read. I cannot imagine the pain and suffering of this family in the ghetto in Lithuania. The book was extremely well written and was very hard to put down once I started it. Kudos to Ms. Beasley on a job well done! I can't wait until her next book. This is a must read.

In all honesty, I had never read a book about holocaust survivors. Sure, I learned about the brutal, senseless mass murder of millions of Jews and seen those horrid, deplorable images of dead bodies of Jews lying around strewn while German soldiers looked on in glee in History class. But NEVER have I read a personal account, and it was far more devastating to my sense of humanity than I could ever imagine.
From the first pages of Izzy's Fire, by Nancy Wright Beasley, I was enthralled with Izzy Ipson and his family's story as well as those of their friends and family. Ms. Beasley did an awesome job of bringing their story to life for me, but more so making their story, their journey through hell, mine. I connected with these people because I am a wife and mother. I thought and later asked myself after I had read the story, would we have survived something like this? Would my husband have risked his life day in and day out, like Izzy, to save my son, and me and to provide safety and food for us? Would my son have endured as Jay did?

Edna lost two babies, one during the roundup in Lithuania and one after their escape to the United States. How did she keep her sanity? Was she made of steel? No! Ms. Beasley brilliantly displayed Edna's moments of fear, happiness, and extreme stress, like when her step-father, mother, her sister Minnie and their sons Fievel and Chaim were put on board the truck heading for certain death. It was only the knowing that Izzy would surely not live without them that made Edna not board that train with her son, and of course, Jay's stubborn desire to live to see his father. No one was without pain in this story; not even the reader.
I left the reading knowing the Ipson's persevered because of their faith and strength in God and one another. Even when faced with the knowledge that their families were executed, they still had one another to get them through, and that's what they needed. Not even hiding out in a make-shift shelter in a potato patch with 7 other people could break their spirit and resolve.
I cannot tell you exactly how many heroes are in this story. From the German and Jewish Ghetto soldiers who risked their lives to give information and ways to escape to not only Izzy but to others as well to the Gentiles (non-Jews) who risked their lives to hide their fellow human beings. In short, Ms. Beasley is by far one of the most powerful and genuine storytellers whose best gift, I believe, is letting the voice of the characters tell their own story. In no way does her voice intrude upon the essence of Izzy's story.
I recommend Izzy's Fire without abandon to anyone who wants to read about real people, real life, and real issues. It should be required reading in the public schools across America to help not only put a face and name to the horror's of the evil that man can do, but to also demonstrate the resilience of man to overcome when the odds are stacked against him. This book sent me running to the Holocaust Museum; it brought History alive for me, and it will do the same to you.

The book is EXCELLENT by Catedra which analyzes the 'obra' in detail. Excellent book and great story by Rojas and his crtizers.

A classic Spanish literature story written in the Old Style Spanish by fernando De Rojas. Excellent reading and an excellent story with modern applications.

Celestina is amusing, ironic, and while the prose and dialogue is long and descriptive, it is never boring- I really enjoyed this play. A note to the person who claims to be the author: Celestina was written in 1499, and it is widely assumed the author lived circa the same time. So, congratultions on your 500th birthday. :)

Celestina is amusing, ironic, and while the prose and dialogue is long and descriptive, it is never boring- I really enjoyed this play.

Ante todo resulta incómodo ver valoradas con estrellitas (de 1 a 5) las obras maestras de la literatura universal.
La Celestina forma parte de esa veintena de obras maestras que forman lo más destacado de la literatura en cualquier idioma y de cualquier época. Sin lugar a dudas, la más fascinante, moderna, entretenida y asequible de su época. Una auténtica novela (dialogada) moderna.

Entre sus mejores momentos: la comida en casa de Celestina con los criados y prostitutas, el primer encuentro de Celestina y Melibea, Melibea esperando a Calixto en el jardín, y un final que te deja un nudo en la garganta. Ah!, y por supuesto la sabiduría popular de Celestina.

La comparación con Romeo and Juliet de Shakespeare no tiene sentido. Las dos obras son opuestas. Por otra parte no cabe duda de que La Celestina es muy superior (más compleja, densa, apasionada, humana, personajes más solidos y destacados...)

Cito a Riquer en su extraordinaria Historia de La Literatura Universal:

Cuando Calixto llega al jardín de Melibea por vez primera persiguiendo un halcón y queda herido por la belleza de la joven (escena de caza frecuente en las novelas cortesanas medievales, por ejemplo en el Cliges de Troyes), se levanta un vendaval que lo arrasará todo, lo bajo y lo elevado, el afecto más gratuito y la codicia más interesada. Y el lector tras tanta belleza, tantos primores, tanta poesía, tanto realismo y tras una tan bien conducida historia de unas almas en desasosiego, ve que la tragicomedia de Rojas, a pesar de su declarada intencion moralizadora, cae en el vacío, como Melibea al arrojarse de la torre, porque después de la muerte de los dos jóvenes Rojas sólo deja entrever un "infierno de enamorados"

THIS BOOK IS POWERFUL, ITS SHOCKING, AND IT IS ASPIRING. THERE IS NOTHING ON CHANNEL 11 THAT BRINGS THE HONEST, INSIGHTFUL, VERY REAL ACCOUNT THAT MR.DOUGLASS DOES IN HIS BOOK. FROM SLAVE TO FREE-MAN, THIS IS TRUELY AN AMERICAN SUCCESS. SKIP THE INTRO, AND JUMP INTO IT.

Douglass's second, and lengthier, narrative fills in many of the gaps left in his first autobiography: we learn about his mother, his siblings, and more details about his psychological transformation from brute to man. It's quite insightful, as Douglass is careful to relate each of his personal experiences to the innate evil of the peculiar instituition, for both the slave and the slave holder.

What are your impressions of Frederick Douglass? What would you say about Douglass observation that "conscience cannot stand much violence? Do you think it was possible to be a good slave owner?Why or why not? Why does Douglass view slaveholders as well as slaves as victims of slavery? Why is education incompatible with slavery? Why do you think the white children's attitude toward slavery is different from that of their parents? How would you describe Douglass attitude towards Mrs. Auld?

Having read a biography of Douglass many years ago, I thought I knew his story. Hearing through his pen was an entirely different matter. What a master of the language and insighful set of observations on human nature.

I am a man of many words, but words fail me in my endorsement of this book. The letter to his former master in the appendix is worth the price of the book by itself.

Standing in line at the Lincoln Memorial, a book beckoned to me that I previously hadn't seen before. The face of Frederick Douglas grabbed my attention; a man that I've respected for many years, encountering him mainly through my study of Abraham Lincoln. On the spur of the moment, I snatched up a copy of "My Bondage and My Freedom", and within a few days, my admiration in Frederick Douglass was transformed from interest to awe.

Frederick Douglass orginially penned his book as a response to people's accusations that someone as articulate and composed as he couldn't possibly be a former slave. With that goal in mind, Douglass wrote his memoirs, in a straight forward, powerful way. In the book, he painfully and honestly documents the path his early life took; the memories of being owned, how slaves coped during these times, and how he managed to pull himself out of it all.

While Douglass' life in itself is amazing, (as he describes the amazing process he undertook to learn how to read), what amazed me even more are Douglass' discourses that he sprinkles through the book, discussing relevant issues during the time. In one instance, he addresses the concern about why slaves simply didn't run away from their oppressive situations. It's almost as if you can actually hear the people talking to Douglass and he responding to them.

This book does not only tell the tale of a truly amazing American, but gives us a unique insight to the times. This book should be required reading in every high school in this country.

9 Famous Artists Your Children Will Love takes a user friendly approach to introducing children to concepts of 20th century art. This book is easy to understand and enjoyable to read. It is a great buy for your family or as a gift!

Mr. Napoliello's recent title "Nine Famous Artists..." was an incredibly inspiring read for me. Not only did I enjoy the stories and great colorful artwork, but I actually took my kids to the museum and an art gallery shortly afterwards. My head exploded watching how much fun and interest the kids had. I thought baseball and TV was the way to go, Mr. Napoliello has genuinely inspired me to try harder. I did try harder and the results were staggering. I plan to make galleries and museums a regular part of my kids life.

This book is a wonderful read! It should serve as a "blueprint" for parents to introduce their children to art. Napoliello captivates his audience from the beginning. I strongly recommend this book to anyone.

Written in collaboration with the Pasadena Museum of California Art, Michael Napoliello's Nine Famous Artists Your Children Will Love: An Art Discovery Primer & Handbook For Parents And Their Children is an engaging and informed introduction to appreciating wonderful abstract and modern artworks by distinguished creators. The nine artists presented are Alexander Calder, Red Grooms, Wassily Kandinsky, Fernand Leger, Roy Lichtenstein, Joan Miro, Claes Oldenburg, Jackson Pollock, and David Smith. Full-color photographs of memorable pieces are presented with biographical notes on the artists, ideas for activities to share with children, questions to ask and discuss, insights into the heart and soul of the creations, and more. An excellent art appreciation guide, Nine Famous Artists Your Children Will Love is most especially commended to the attention of parents and grandparents wanting to instill an appreciation of modern art into the minds and lives of their children and grandchildren.

Without a doubt, children that grow up appreciating art with their parents, turn out to be brighter, happier and healthier human beings. Recent studies even indciate much higher SAT scores from young adults who had an early and extensive exposure to art. This book is one of the most entertaing and fascinating tools that I've ever read to help parents set their children on a life long love of learning. Two thumbs up. ...