Education Books

Being in a go club that sees many beginners I feel fairly qualified when I say this book will not help you improve rank until you are 15kyu (AGA/KGS) and really waiting until you are in the single-digit kyu range will give you the best rank improvement per time spent reading... I first read at 13kyu and was stretching. I re-read at 5kyu and got much more out of it. If I had to pick a perfect rank to read it at I'd say 7kyu.

All that said, the writing style is superior to every other go book I've seen and there may be merit in reading this without the goal of rank improvement. I suggest playing games between chapters - I've seen players overdo the styles and corrections the book discusses after reading half or all of it in one sitting. With other intermediate go books (such as Tesuji or Life & Death) it is not damaging to read it all in one sitting.

This book is well known in the GO community and I strongly recommend it.

This book is an endless source of information. As you get better at go, you get more and more out of it. When I first started playing, I learned little from the book but I did learn valueble basic tactics such as the net and the ladder and so forth. Later, I learned useful tesujis and opening strategies. After putting the book down for about 3 months, and as my skill increased, I went over it again and found more useful info including a generaly good attitude towards go.

I suggest this book to anyone who wants to keep playing go. It may not be useful at the time you get it, but keep skimming through and I gaurantee you will find useful information along the way.

I personally find this book very useful (at least for myself, but I believe as well for many of you guys). It is especially true if you read it the second and the third time. When I review my own game, I can find out a lot of mistakes which Kageyama has mentioned in the book. (Like forget to struggle to go ahead) There is a Go competition during summer, and I have just finished this book the third time. Some of the tesuji in the book is very useful.

I guess it will be good to learn the basic rule of the Go game and then play for a while. (may be a hundred game), then start reading this book. Then you can get the most out of it. (I believe Kageyama himself has suggested us to play for many games to get the feeling first. He mentioned player usually meet barrier at around 11-13kyu, 5-6kyu and 1-2kyu. So I guess if one train up to around 15kyu and then start reading this book, it will be very useful. And then review the book once a while. Get the fundamental idea in your mindset. And you will find Go even more interesting

Kageyama packs the book full of useful instruction, given in a chatty style with the occasional self-deprecating humour. While not a book for the absolute beginner, he surprises many readers by starting with ladders. But he shows that they are excellent training for reading (calculating) ability which also builds self-confidence during a game.

The book also covers strategic principles, typical endgame play (and a common mistake by handicap takers), josekis (corner openings).

Of course, in such a game full of complex possibilities, books can't solve everything. For example, I presume it requires experience way beyond his book to know whether a move is "proper" or "slack".

With his no-nonsense style, and quick wit, Toshiro Kageyama takes you thorugh 'the basics' of Good Go. Go, like mathematics, is a language (one of its many names is literally translated as 'handtalk'). Here, Kageyama is teaching us how to spell.

We are provided with easy-to-follow instruction and guided problems in chapters on Life and Death, Ladders (including spiral ladders); Territory and Spheres of Influence; How to study Joseki; Good Shape and Bad; Endgame Pointers; and my favorite, Tesuji (snap-backs and the like).

Kageyama also gives us a general feel for how the stones 'move' on the board, and the direction of play. These Lessons, and his writing style, combine with anecdotes from his professional career and television appearances to make this a wholly enjoyable book.

More on his style: The effect of Kageyama's writing is as if he's right there with you; very conversational. He will encourage and support, but he will also slap your hand if you are not paying attention. Make no mistake, his sole intention is that you express yourself, get better, and have fun along the way.

Beginners around 20 kyu and below:
You may want to concentrate on learning the alphabet, so to speak. But you should know that this book has some very simple 'words'. As soon as you feel comfortable playing on a 19x19 board, then find this book.

The Birth to Five Book: Confident Childrearing Right from the Start

Mr. Rogers was always a soothing voice on TV. My children watched and enjoyed his programs. Now I have the privilege of reading his books. You can almost hear his soothing, calm voice in each passage. I love the insights and candor of this man and recommend this book.

Just a great book to have to thumb through. Just neat thoughts from a great person.

I have been gripped recently, nearly 5 years after his death, with a wave of Mr. Rogers nostalgia. After reading Tim Madigan's wonderful "I'm Proud of You," about his friendship with Fred Rogers, I wanted more. It seems that this 1-CD tribute would do the trick, slaking my thirst for words of wisdom from this warm, sweet man, while perhaps not overdoing it. I was disappointed. The CD consists of a series of short snippets gathered from Fred's writings, read by Lily Tomlin and others. This sounds like a wonderful way to pay tribute to the man, but comes off wrong. Fred had a way of making even the most treacly saying seem profound. Then there was his stance of complete acceptance, non-judgment and kindness that made his words seem salving and utterly non-threatening. In the voices of others, these sayings lose their power and become simply "nice," and even trite.

The best parts of the CD were where Fred himself appeared, in recordings of music from his shows ("I'm Proud of You, "I'm Still Myself Inside") and in his words to the graduating class of his alma mater, Latrobe University. Here, in extended segments, Fred's warmth and humanity had time to take root.

Beautiful as the sentiment may have seemed to the participants, the essence of Fred Rogers cannot be removed from his slow, gentle delivery or his meek and inviting persona. I would NOT recommend this product for anyone who wants to experience the extraordinary person who was Fred Rogers. Madigan's book helps, but as for me, I am still seeking a relatively short volume or CD that lets me experience the affirming and healing grace of God that was Mr. Fred Rogers.

I was a bit apprehensive when I first picked this up at the library because I was afraid that Fred might concentrate more on the religious side of things.actually,he only mentioned god a few times in it and each of those times he mentioned god unforcefully,which was both smart and caring of him.I liked it so much I'm going to buy a copy!it was uncanny to see that his writing style(although compiled by others)in this book was very simmillar to that of david lynch in his "catching the big fish" book--short and to the point/abstract for a purpose:I love books which demand that the reader think things out themselves rather than have it served up american-style on a big silver platter!

Such joy in living simply. Mr. Rogers had a way of bringing people in with his ordinariness. His philosophy is one of love and positive thinking. He separates true happiness from temporary satisfactions. This is a must read.

This book was first introduced to me by Lewis Meyer, a local bookseller in Tulsa, OK who was a local institution and a refreshing change from the lackluster corporate bookstores that are as commonplace as Wal-Marts. I still have my original hardcover edition Meyer sold to me back in the mid 1980's. It was a pleasant surprise to find a book filled with many gems of wisdom or words of encouragement that weren't tinged with a underlying message of condemnation. Though a bit heavy on religion, that is easily overlooked, even for an atheist like myself. I highly recommend this book as a gift for anyone looking for a book that makes attractive, light reading.

I have given approximately 50 of these books as gifts during the last 25 years. Everyone has expressed gratitude and reported that it had become one of their favorite books also. I am so excited that they are available again after not being able to purchase them for many years!

Sal Salyers

Touches your heatbeat,freshens your outlook on Life. This book is a friend by your side 24/7

I love the stories behind the inspirational poems in this book! For example, learning the story of William Ernest Henley author of the poem "Invictus" makes the poem so much more poignant. The author includes poems addressing courage, happiness, faith, confidence, fear, self-discipline, family, peace of mind and the future. This is a keeper and a wonderful gift.

This book has helped me during dark days and helped my mother face the challenges of Parkinson's.

I give this as a gift to anyone I think will be helped by spiritual positive messages found here.

If you are headed for college, this is the pep talk you need! I read it in a single evening, and it got me pumped to do my best in college. It gives you lots of great tips on how to make the most out of college, but it's a quick and enjoyable read! You're investing a great deal of time and money into your college education; its important to get a good return on that investment. Making College Count shows you how. This book has all the good advice of a needed lecture, but it's got a light tone so you want to keep reading! Enjoy!

Making College Count has to be the most realistic, accurate account of college success available to students today. Not only does one encounter all details of college life, but many aspects of life beyond the books. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to strive for the best in their college years, taking skills to last a life time.

Pat O'Brien came to speak to my graduating senior class this year about the reality of college and how to make the best of it. I think it was a good thing to put the end in perspective first and make goals for yourself in order to make your path towards success even more efficient. His Winning Characteristics are not always easy to accomplish, but with discipline and hard work anyone can achieve them. Basic tips on studying, getting to know professors, extracurricular activites, and internships are helpful in envisioning your undergraduate years as challenging, but exciting experiences. Overall, O'Brien offers sufficient and real information that every college freshmen should know, and if he or she utilizes O'Briens advice they will be much more likely to be successful.

This book is about more than just surviving in college, it's about thriving in college. A must have for every student entering college. If you like this book, you'll love "Major in Success," by Patrick Combs. It changed my life.

I read the book during my senior year in high school and then referred to the book often during my first quarter in college. I followed the suggestions in the book, I organized my day and I found that I had enough time to study and also enough time to enjoy college life. Well, the results are in I earned a 4.0!

Whether you have taught for a while or are just starting out, this book is a good resource. It goes through the components of reading and shows how to plan lessons according to what your students need. I found it very helpful in organizing materials and plans.

This book is really good. I saw it in a workshop I was in and definitely recommend it. It has a lot of really good information and for a good price on here.

Debbie Diller shares lots of tips to help you get organized for small group instruction. Also, there are lots of lesson plans and examples of how to teach various skills in small groups. I am an experienced teacher, but still got a lot of very useful information from this book. It is a book that I am sure I will use often.

Couldn't put the book down. This book has a wealth of information. Coupled with Debbie Diller's other book about work stations, this is a must have.

Debbie Diller has written another fantastic resource for reading teachers. This book is full of helpful ideas for teaching each of the five areas of reading and give tips on organizing. Well worth the money--one of the best resources I have seen in 27 years of teaching.

For me this book is a little too heavy- too scientific - I'm teaching children most of the time - This book will enrich our knowledge beyond instructions - I like this book but I think I need to read and read again to catch the idea and use it in my class.

I recently had the opportunity to read one of Lawrence A. Kane's books entitled, "Martial Arts Instruction: Applying Educational Theory and Communication Techniques in the Dojo" and found it to be a fantastic book for anyone involved in the teaching of students and not just those involved in the martial arts. This book is a fantastic source for reference material concerning the art of teaching, and yes, I do feel that teaching is an art form.

The approach Lawrence takes in this book is simple, yet loaded with an abundance of information that shows you various methods that you can easily incorporate into your own particular style of teaching regardless of what the particular subject is. I can almost guarantee you that if you purchase this book and study it for a few weeks, and then start applying the information that you have learned, that you will see a notable improvement in your own teaching ability, while at the same time see a marked improvement in your students.

When I first read this book, I identified with a lot of the mistakes that Lawrence mentioned concerning my own teaching style especially when I first started teaching students a little over 20 years ago. Although it is imperative that we as individuals make our own mistakes, it is not that easy or desirable to make mistakes when you are responsible for the development of another individual. Although Lawrence's focus is on teaching the martial arts, a lot of what he tells you could also be used when teaching your own children. However, you would have to modify your teaching method a bit.

The following is a brief review of each of the six chapters in this book and what there main focus is on.

Chapter One: Understanding Learning Style Differences

In this chapter, Lawrence delves into the different types of personalities that an instructor will undoubtedly find in his students, as well as, how to tailor your teaching style to best suit each individual personality type. He also delves into the use of the five senses in order to enhance your teaching ability so that your students not only retain more information, but also enjoy the lessons being taught.

The five senses are; seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling, and smelling. Although it isn't practical to employ the use of all five in every lesson plan, you should try and devise a few that you could use once every month or so. I used a similar approach once teaching a group of law enforcement officers and the response I received was very encouraging. It works so use it.

Chapter Two: Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Tool to Understand Student Predilections

This particular chapter is quite complex, yet Lawrence makes is all seem rather simple with his easy to understand explanation of the various personality types and how they are best suited to learn and retain information. In this section, Lawrence supplies you with some very good resource material to have your own personality tested in order to determine what type of personality you have and what method of teaching is more conducive to your ability to learn.

Chapter 3: Applications of the Six Teaching Styles to Martial Arts

The six teaching styles discussed in this section are; modeling, lecturing, cooperative performance, independent performance, knowledge capture, and role reversal.

Lawrence describes in detail each one of these teaching styles and provides good examples of when to teach that particular method and how to apply it to the teaching of the martial arts.

Chapter 4: Fostering a Positive Learning Environment

In my humble opinion there is one section in this chapter that perhaps says it all when it comes to the ability to teach another person, and that is the attitude of the teacher.

This was the single most important thing that jumped out at me when I read this book. Although there is tons of useful information provided within the pages of this book, none of it is going to be worth the proverbial hill of beans without the proper attitude being displayed by the teacher.

Etiquette or respect for oneself and others is so vitally important not only to the learning environment, but also the living environment where we have to co-exist with so many different people from a vast array of backgrounds and cultures.

Another great subject that Lawrence brings up in this section is the importance of a solid emotional and physical environment in which to teach your students. The one undeniable single factor that is prevalent in everything that Lawrence discusses is the teacher. He or she is the one who will make or break a class and/or the students in it. You can have the most exciting subject and something that you are hugely passionate about become the most boring and painful experience if the teacher is horrible. Or you can take the most boring subject and make it interesting if the teacher is passionate and knowledgeable about how to get his/her information across to the students.

Along with a lot more information on the role of the teacher, Lawrence also spends some time going over some very solid information on how to find the martial art and martial arts school that is best suited for you.

Chapter 5: Developing and Implementing Lesson Plans for the Dojo

This section covers not only how to devise, refine and implement a lesson plan, but also how to adapt when the plan you have is not working. It also covers a lot of really solid information on the martial arts itself and the various nuances that are prevalent within it.
Lawrence also has a lot of really solid useful information concerning the martial arts and their use in a self-defense situation. He gives a couple of really good examples from his own personal experience that shows what may be a preferable way to handle a situation rather than resorting to physical means. Although one must always keep in mind that no two situations are going to be identical and what may work well in one situation may not work well in another.

Chapter 6: Conclusion/Stages of Teaching

This section is rather brief as I am sure the author intended and merely goes over that which he has discussed in the previous chapters. However, there are some very good tidbits of information included here and in the next 40+ pages.

This book, like all of Lawrence's books, is filled with solid useful information concerning whatever subject he has written about. There is much that can be learned from them and I highly recommend that you purchase them and study the information contained in each one of his books.

Shawn Kovacich, martial artist/author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.

Excellent, Excellent Book. Great insights for using proven teaching methods and applying it to Martial Arts.
Also other cool stuff!!

A good teacher should also be a good student, if they hope to convey and assist the development of correct principles in others. I believe that pertains not only Martial Arts, but to any aspect of life. The challenge, is understanding that not all students learn, process, or retain information the same way (regardless of age).

Lawrence Kane has created a tool for those serious about imparting knowledge to their students in ways they can understand...and excel. The valuable information in this book is essential to those of us who truly care about what (and who) we teach.

A highly recommended book.

Their are many martial arts books outlining the basics of about any martial art you could wish to learn, but Lawrence A. Kane's Martial Arts Instruction: Applying Educational Theory And Communication Techniques In The Dojo is different from the rest. Lawrence A. Kane is a man who has taught and created martial arts classes and business seminars, and who focuses on the teacher of martial arts as much as the technique. Readers will lern just how to motivate and retain students, optimize time, and adjust to individual learning styles and talents using Martial Arts Instruction: is an informatively instructive and very strongly recomended manual.

The book weighs a ton and there's lots packed in it. Have not attempted to use the CD-ROM. Index helped me find specific answers to specific issues, since I don't know the program at all and had to hit the ground running. Have not been able to find answers to more esoteric matters, but the book has been invaluable for my quick-fix situations. Legal-specific and more useful on a daily basis than the "Dummies" book my boss bought. Thank you, Payne Consulting Group!!!

real world advive for anyone interested in applications of word in a business setting

I found the book easy to follow with a lot of useful information in the form of tips and cautions. I purchased the book to prepare for the Word 2002 MOUS exam (and passed). I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Any law firm that uses MS Word has been influenced by the work of Payne Consulting. Payne Consulting was in a conference that went into a committee that worked closely with MS to influence Word and to make it compatible to what law firms got used to with Word Perfect. Interestingly, Word finally has a feature that offers you the opportunity to recover documents if you had not saved it the day before.....wow.....why didn't they do that for corporations.

Well, if you are a Word Perfect user in a law firm today, you will want to open up new vistas by learning MS Word for Law Firms. I recruit in Legal, and this tool is useful to improving your skills and making a transition to a larger law firm possible.

As a forced convert from Word Perfect, I was looking for a resource that would allow me to do two things: (1) learn Microsoft Word; and (2) integrate it into my practice.

Ms. Payne's book helped me with the first task and made Word a much easier program for me to utilize.

I was somewhat disappointed, however, in the second aspect. I would like to automate my litigation documents to a greater extent, but I couldn't fully realize this goal. At the end of the day, I'd like to turn out better, more polished legal documents, but, I think there are some limitations in either my own understanding or the software that prevent me from being as effective as I'd like. At more than 700 pages, Ms. Payne's book certainly contains a good deal of information and suggestions as to how Word can be used in a law firm environment, but I found it to be most helpful as a Microsoft Word resource.

I have experience in college teaching myself. There are some important points that the author brought out regarding study methods. However, I must also say that some studying environment that the author mentioned in the book is too ideal. I know of too many average or poor family who can not effort to provide their kids that kind of luxury in terms of attention and physical environment. However, their kids often end up much tougher and successful. My point is that few things that the book considered important is really secondary in my opinion.

Having taught at the Middle School level, I highly recommend this book for the parents of children in grades 5-8 who are concerned about their children's education. Ms. Hernandez does understand these "unique" developmental years and how not to let the child's education slip through the cracks.

This book should be read by all parents before their children are admitted to school. It is second only to Bad Teachers by Guy Strickland. This books provides not only great tips but includes examples on helping your child reach their potential. It truly gives great insight in finding the best school to meet your child's needs.

I purchased several books from Amazon.com on this topic, and found that this one by Michele Hernandez was the most thorough & helpful. I recommend it if, you too, are seeking to help your child get organized & receive the most from his or her middle school (and beyond) years.

I'm weighing in as a mom of teens, advice columnist for Girls' Life, and author of teen books to say that I think Hernandez has done a great job and that her book can make a difference in your son or daughter's education. I've never met Hernandez, but her tone is friendly, practical, and straightforward, and her tips are not just the same-old-same-old. For instance, rather than urging kids to use a highlighter when reading books they own, she stresses that it's better to use an actual pen to write brief comments and questions in the margins. Here's hoping your kids get the most out of their middle school years. As William Butler Yeats put it: "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."
--Carol Weston, author of GIRLTALK and FOR GIRLS ONLY and the MELANIE MARTIN diaries (...)

Cooper's first two novels (Amnesia and Delirium) are amazing books and deal with very subtle corners of human mind; they left me nightmarish for days, and they are not terror novels, they are just extremely disturbing. I love them both: they are intelligent and strange and rich in every sense.

I ordered Milrose Munce as soon as I realized it was published, and was not dissapointed. It is written by the same witty and inteligent author, although in his playful side...and he certainly has one. If you want to check that out, look into his web page, dysmedia.com.

I'm extremely happy that this book exists, and hope to see it translated into many languages soon.

Do read it!

f you're bored of reading what everybody else is reading then you're
going to be a happy girl when you pick this book up. It's the most
unboring thing I've read this year, actually that's an insult, it's
GUT RIOT HILARIOUS and actually really smart. Thisis the kind of book
Emily the Strange would write if she wrote books, or she'd at least
want someone to write this book about her. Actually there are a lot
of characters which remind me of Emily the Strange, so if you like
that whole thing, or love it like I do you should definitely
DEFINITELY read MM.

Lad, I regret to inform you that your book is wonderful; sweet and weird and irreverent, absurdly light on its feet -- and infectious in timbre. I'm not particularly inclined to be so supportive -- leastways not 'til you come across with a little quid pro quo -- but the goofy good mood engendered by
the book so demands. Consider me a reluctant convert. I'll buy plenty.

Eh, I don't buy much other than graphic novels these days. Not because I'm illiterate, but because they're just BETTER, for the most part. I was pressured to buy Milrose Munce, because a friend of mine - brilliant cartoonist - is in love with the cover. So I bought it, and read it, and... Damn. The novel's EXCELLENT, it's hilarious. (So's the cover, btw - this SHOULD be a graphic novel.) If you haven't heard about it yet, it's an ridiculously wacky Young Adult novel - more like a spoof of YA, for kids who are too self-consciously ironic to read the really sappy stuff. It has THE weirdest love story I've ever encountered (and I've seen some strange ones). Buy it. And frame the cover. Do it now.

A cunningly subversive young-adult novel from one of the only living writers of English who knows how to craft a sentence.

Nearly every sentence in this book is elegantly fashioned. Some examples:

"Milrose did sometimes wonder whether his school produced more dead students than the average."

"No, he had never been the sort of boy to laugh at his own shortcomings, and when the pellets he dramatically swallowed turned out to be not Vitamin C but instead expensive first-class rat poison, he was deeply annoyed."

"Being late for Math was something Milrose occasionally enjoyed, and yesterday had felt like the right kind of day to be irresponsible."

"The dear decayed on the third floor were nothing like the dull dead on the floors below."

"Kelvin bent to sit down, and immediately shattered into ice cubes, which melted mournfully all over the floor."

"On a tedious Monday a few months back Kelvin had been particularly inspired."

"The gigglers became squealers as the skeleton whirled daintily in their direction."

"Mr. Loosten, who affected an insincere, jocular informality with the students, sat partially on the desk, with one foot on the floor and the other swinging."

"She was wearing faded crushed velvet, once something like violet: a dress far too long for her, and whose worn fringe trailed behind her like the train of a weird wedding gown."

"It was a game of chicken, but slow and infinitely strange."

"The hallway itself turned that way, and all they had to do was follow it."

"The words _comfortable_ and _cozy_ seemed to vie with each other for status as the bigger whopping lie with respect to Massimo Natica's den."

"Displayed in various places around the den were singular objects, some propped against the walls, others in glass vitrines---possessions that were clearly dear to the den's proprietor."

"Although he wasn't entirely keen to, Milrose opened one of the drawers. The drawer was clearly teasing him."

"Each had a tiny bulb above the drawer's metal-framed label, and these bulbs all seemed on the verge of winking out completely."

Dennis Anthony Cooper may be his generation's Nabokov.

---Joseph Suglia, the author of WATCH OUT

When my son was three, he made me read this book to him so many times that even now, 22 years later, I know the entire thing by heart.

Kids love this book. Parents do, too, at least the first 10 or 12 thousand times they read it to the kids!

I adored this book as a kid (I'm in my 30s now). I haven't gotten my new copy yet, but I think there is a lesson about temperance at the end, but that's not what I recall: I just remember the sheer joy of more, more, more. With books that use so few and such simple words, it's often hard for an adult to distinguish the adequate from the great. Speaking for my very young self, I can tell you that this book is great.

This is my favorite children's book - it is especially fun to read out loud. It has a cute level of humor and I've even had a class of 3-year-olds laughing at it. A good learn to read book - but also a good story in general.

I love reading this book to my daughter (2 1/2). I got it when i was a small child and have held onto it as one of my favorites. It is quickly becoming her favorite as well...the story flows so well its really fun to read...my daughter likes to see how fast I can read it without messing up.

I love this book. It lends itself to many activities with monkeys or spaghetti.