Works Books

You CAN let your kids read it TOO! I'm an engineer and this book is full of stuff I now use at work - really. My eight year old doesn't have the attention span to get through a section, YET.

My husband loves to learn about how things work. The title of the book told me this was just the book for him.

*Keep It Short and Simple.

If you doubt that technical information can be short and simple, read this book. It was written for anyone old enough to read well, and especially designed for those who find technology intimidating. It not only provides comprehensive descriptions of the way hundreds of machines and devices work, but also gives explanations of the scientific principles behind each. The book makes liberal, effective use of graphic diagrams, and describes most of the machines and devices in 200 to 300 words on 1 or 2 pages.

This is a great book. It breaks down complicated concepts into simple principles that a child can understand. A good start for budding engineers.

Put these four things together--ingenuity, imagination, depictions, diagrams-- and you have a double ID toward understanding how things work. David Macaulay and Neil Ardley put together a magnificent volume for children and children at heart containing a way of understanding the laws of physics and mechanics.

The first illustration even shows God busy creating the rotation of the earth. Then they go to the earth where wooly mammoths lived and pick up one to take us through the history of mechanics, machines, and the like. Dozens of movements in five sections: waves, electricity, automation, digital domain, and machines show us just how easy these things are to understand done in drawerings.

Just as in child's play, there is no seeming order to the arrangement of items in the book. For example here are a few pages next to each other: vacuum cleaners, aqualungs or oxygen tanks, the toilet tank, the water meter, dishwasher, spray nozzle, fire extinguisher. Are you seeing an order? Yes, so am I.

Flipping over a hundred pages, I find the jet engine, rocket engines, nuclear power, nuclear weapons, fallout, nuclear reactor. OK, a definite pattern. Another hundred pages show these topics: movie camera, movie projector, printing, paper making, printing plate, printing press, bookbinding. More discernible order and logical arrangement.

One last check: scanner, bits and bytes, flash memory, magnetic storage, microchip, processor, software. We know where we are and recognize the order--a computer and its parts.

This reviewer has a suggestion for the reader. Once you have this book in hand, take it home, take it out every night and read a comfortable number of pages. If you have a child, read one page, discuss it, put this one away and take out a night-night book to read. If this is just your book, read several pages. By the time you have finished the book, you will have added dozens of operating systems to the computer banks in your own brain, making your child and/or yourself an expert in the way things work.

Wade Davis is a lyrical writer and an accomplished scientist. This account of enthobotanists studying the amazing properties of plants and the way they are used by indigenous people is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. Into the already-dense tapestry of medicinal, psychotropic, and industrial uses of plants he weaves fascinating details about the lives of several other brilliant and eccentric botanists, the administrative debacle of the U.S. government's rubber policy during WWII, the extraordinary lifestyles, religion and mythology of the tribes he encounters, the history of the missionaries, the cultural and nutritional significance of coca and the saga of its commercial exploitation, and the brutal history of the Spanish conquest. Add to this the sheer logistical difficulties of working in the remote rain forest -- the washed out roads, unusual diseases and parasites, harrowing plane rides, etc. -- that he, and especially his predecessors endured, and the book reads like a nail-biter adventure story. Left me with an overwhelming sense of awe as well as regret for the wonders that exist and those that have been lost.

It was in better condition than I expected (it was used). The cover isn't bent at all - it doesn't look like it's been read.

'One River' is full of great stories and anecdotes as well as a sense of place and time that are unforgettable. I'm giving it four stars for reasons stated below and so won't focus on the positives which have already been so well covered by many reviewers. These are fairly minor quibbles in an otherwise good book.

Stylistically, the narrative doesn't always flow well. Wade presents the life of the books central character, Richard Schultes, in some sort of chronological order, but interjects anecdotal stories out of order requiring the reader to have a good memory to keep everything straight. This is a long detail-rich book with 1000s of people and place names covering about a 150 year timespan from the Amazon Jungle, to the Andes to Central America and the American West.

The amount of detail is at times excessive, in particular with place names and locations, Wade sometimes spends as much time describing where a place is (a 50 person village in the jungle) as he does about the place itself before moving on to the next place - it feels like a rote travel log at times, probably because he used Schultes private botany journals as one source. There is so much detail it sometimes crowds out the big picture, lost in the trees. I think the book could have been edited back 100 pages or so, there is just a lot of material that is pure anecdote or trivia.

Finally and probably most importantly, as a life of Richard Schultes, this is pure hagiography. He is the hero of the story in all respects. Perhaps hagiography is helpful in motivating students to become scientists, but it is not a balanced objective biography, it is a tribute by one of his admiring students, Wade plays up Schultes accomplishments but does not question or examine his failures. For example, Schultes spent the majority of his career in the Amazon studying the rubber tree and became the world expert, yet he never did complete a book about it, what a tragic loss. I don't mean to disparage Schultes, but given his stature and reputation, the lack of any criticism naturally draws the question Wade never asks. The book was written in 1996 and Shultes died in 2001 so with time we may see a more balanced perspective.

This amazing book tracks the young career of National Geographic Researcher in Residence Wade Davis as well as the life of Prof. Richard Schulties, who was probably the best ethnobotanist the world has ever seen. Davis' task was difficult because Schulties kept no journals or logs of his travels. When he could, Davis interviewed Schulties whose failing mind made the process difficult. Davis also examined data and locality labels on herbarium (plant) specimens Schulties collected during his long career at Harvard University. What emerges is an in-depth look at Schulties' 12 years of exploration along remote rivers of South America in search of new and improved rubber-producing trees. This book provides a fascinating view of the scientific career of Schulties, from undergraduate student to career end, as well as vivid descriptions of travels in interior S. America. It is the most interesting book of explorations in South America that I have read. It also describes the lives of peoples untouched by western civilization; the health benefits of chewing coca leaves; the plague of aids; and the fragility of the world's rubber industry. Great book!

I actually teared up at the end of this book, not something I expected from a book about ethnobotany. At the end of the reading I had learned about the lives of researchers in such exquisit detail that I lived along side of them. This book is nearly perfect, much better than even the rave recommendation from some very respected friends. It's possible that there will never be anyone who will have the knowledge from experience that Richard Shultes had aquired in South America and that alone makes this book very rich, yet added to his story are the experiences of Davis and Dr. Plowman two researchers that also immerse themselves deeply into the Andes, the llanos, and the Amazon to learn about the forests, the people and the use of medicinal and psychoactive plants.

This is a long book, nearly 500 pages and is a serious commitment but well worth it as you will not experience anything quite like it unless Davis's other book is better (I have not read it yet). I only have a few complaints about the book and those are regarding omissions in some available photographs that Davis mentions in the end and a lack of maps for much of the area covered in the book. There is one small map on page 125 that shows the route of travels but it is too small and difficult to use. I resorted to a copy of International Travel Maps - South America North West to see the detail that I needed as I followed the travels of Schutes, Davis and Plowman.

Davis is an excellent writer and he has a way of conveying a sensitivity to the lives of all that he encounters. That along with his insight into the cultures that he experiences and the knowledge and history that he brings into this makes it a unique, rich read.

There are prayers for everything you could possible face in your life! I, first, received this book as a gift from my mother when I was facing an illness. I let my friend borrow mine, who was facing loneliness, and she loved the many other prayers so I bought her the book. My husband and I are expecting a baby and we pray the prayer for our unborn child very often. This is a great gift to give and receive!

This book has beautiful prayers for every area of life. I find this book a great help in meeting my specific prayer needs. These prayers help usher you into the presence of God. A great prayer book.

This book is very helpful in learning how to pray. Actually praying is just speaking to God and then I find it very helpful to actually go to the Bible in the Psalms and find a Psalm that is a praise & worship prayer to our Father in heaven. By the way, this is the 3rd book that I have purchased and given away to friends in need of prayer - they do not know how to pray. I like this book very much. It is a great help to get started with prayer. I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I do.

This books shows you how to pray God's word over any situation you are going through. I always felt God's presence when I reminded Him of what His word said about the sitatuation. I have learned to pray more boldly and with confidence when I learned to pray according to His Word.

My friend let me borrow hers because I was going through some things at work. I want to buy my whole family one now.

This is an incredible story about following Jesus and seeking to reach tribal people for Him. This book contains extensive journal entries from the five men involved, so provides a rich amount of detail. Most of the book is comprised of these entries, with Elliot mostly providing background information and transitions between entires. She doesn't fully express herself until the Epilogues, which are very powerful. This book is sure to have a profound impact on all who read it. Highly recommended.

I loved this book, it is definitely one to keep in my collection. Although I noticed that the type is very small and therefore a bit difficult to read ( and I have good eyesight ). Also I think something should be mentioned co: the pictures in the book, I knew it was tribal but I was not aware that there were photos. I still would have bought the book but I would definitely give it a PG rating.

If you are a Christian - this is a must read. If you are not a Christian - this is a must read.

This book should be a part of every Christian's library. I had heard Elizabeth Elliot talk on the radio and had known the story of "the five missionaries" but reading the book gave me great insight to the lives of these families- devoted to ministering to the unsaved. They gave definition to 'the purpose driven life!'

Great book. Poor presentation in this current printing. Words and pictures are small. Paper and physical book itself is low quality.

A wonderful book to aid anyone in the process of discovering who they are and how to find a path to their dreams. Barbara gives lots of positive reinforcement, but is surprisingly practical. By the time I had filtered through numerous chapters of discovery exercises, I was exhausted. I wasn't sure I would really find the focus I needed to define myself and articulate the next phase of my life. However, when I got to the chapter on defining "touchstones" the homework paid off and I found something at my core that defined everything I wanted in my life. Hats off to Barbara for her humor, style, and wisdom to make the process so enjoyable. Bravo!

I thought this book offered some different ways in the effort to learn more about myself. The exercises are thought provoking and easy to do and provide a good insight into my own thoughts, habits and self. I don't think it is ground breaking or the answer to the million dollar question "Who am I?" but it does offer exercises to learn more about self and I think it is an excellent read and book.

I had heard really good reviews of this book from many people I respect for their life vision and general success. It was a quick read, and while I'm not usually a big consumer of the self-help genre, I found it had a lot of very practical applications that helped me get a bit closer to discovering just what it is that I can contribute to this planet. I was reading Erckhart Tolle's A New Earth, which was a great primer in basic Buddhist concepts, but which I found didn't quite deliver on the promise of its subtitle: Awakening to your life's purpose. It did perhaps help to prepare me and make me more open to finding Wishcraft, which did a pretty good job of digging deep and really directing me toward the discovery and acceptance of myself as a creative person, and in turn, that creativity is a gift to share with the world and not stuff down in favor of more "practical," "useful," work. I found the emphasis on childhood and over bearing parents to be a bit much -- maybe because I come from the apparently rare position of having been encouraged to pursue my creative side from a very young age, but decided independently that it was too frivolous and self-indulgent to make my life's goal. I am grateful for my personal journey beyond my talents and into worlds that have only served to reinforce that I am indeed supposed to exercise my creativity. Wishcraft has some great tools that helped me take this realization to the next step, to decide exactly what it is I need to do to make my creative side an active part of my everyday life.

This was Barbara Sher's first book, but until now I'd only read (and loved) her follow-up books. I've read alot of other books on positive affirmations and projecting to the Universe what you want and was stunned to see that this "oldie, but goody" was really one of the most simple and straight-forward approaches to that concept.

Even if you've read lots of other self-help books, this classic is still one everyone should read.

I got the 1979 copy of this book about 4 years ago on a recommendation from a therapist who saw that I was drifting along with no real goals. I had tried college twice before (by this time I was in my late 30's) and each time quit because I didn't know what I wanted to do or to be. The "college career center" was no help whatsoever. The test I took there had me taking courses for industrial engineering, which I had zero interest in, but I figured maybe the test saw some hidden talent that I didn't know I had. Wrong. I started reading this book and doing the exercises and slowly discovered what it was that I wanted to be....an interior designer! I would have never thought of it in a million years without this book changing my way of thinking. I felt like it was a huge revelation! It was a relief to finally know, at the age of 38, what it was that I wanted to do! I started college again and had to quit after a year and a half due to a pay cut at my job. The old me, the pre-Wishcraft-reading me, would have just given up right then. Actually, I DID freak out for about a week. But the new me sat down and brainstormed like in the book and thought long and hard about what needed to be done to be able to stay in school and follow my dream. I'm happy to say that I only took a year off of school and am actually now in a better school. I've also been so inspired by the other reviews for this book. I have recommended this book to friends and will always keep my copy no matter where I go in life.

I have just received this big bunch and I think it is worthwhile for such a low price. But I do doubt why didn't the editor include Shakespeare's two long poems composed during his youthhood, so that it can brand itself the honorable title "Complete Works of William Shakespeare"...

Great editions with helpful annotations. Portable with individual editions as opposed to the giant single edition. Only down side: the long poems aren't included.

Like many people who commented on this collection, I watched the price fluctuate before I finally pulled the trigger at about $60. I have a big, beautiful complete works of Shakespeare bound in leather that mostly sits on my shelf because it is such a burden to take down and actually read. If you actually want a durable set of plays and poems that does not involve heavy weightlifting, this is the set for you. They fit nicely in the hand, the text is pleasing to the eye, and they do not look dirt cheap.

I have absolutely no regrets about buying these volumes - they are bound in navy cloth, embossed in silver, and each includes a ribbon bookmark. I know others have complained about this not being a "complete" set in every sense of the word, but for most of us out there, this collection should be sufficient and I dare say will impress your friends.

Very good collection of Shakespeare. All his plays and sonnets together in a hardcover, easy to read, beautiful collection. Of course may be not suitable for book collectors but perfect for almost every other reader. The very low price of this product (at least the time this review was written) makes this collection a "must" for every serious reader of Shakespeare.

When I purchased the set it was on sale for 80% off. so with shipping included I was able to get all these books for roughly $63. As I said the set is not flashy but for shakespeare's work all that matters is what is written not the presentation. If you are a fan of shakespeare and there is a massive discount on this set dont hesitate to buy it. It is worth the money. The individual volumes are easier to handle than a giant anthology of works.

It's Easier Than You Think is one my favorite books. It's short, sweet, easy to read, and will make you feel better. I reread or dip into it from time to time. I highly recommend it whether you have any interest in Buddhism or not.

best explanation of Buddism for the American reader -- just bought another copy for a friend

Exceeded my expectations, this was my first purchase! Book was new, arrived quickly, & was a great price!

Although the book never dives too deeply into the history of Buddhism, Sylvia's personal stories, accompanied by her thoughts on Buddhist practices, provides more insight into the teachings of Buddha than I could have absorbed in any straight forward text. Since this was my first book on Buddhism, I really appreciated the down to earth method of writing she employs and the honesty with which she shares her experiences. Knowledge is a river flowing through time, and Sylvia Boorstein is a wonderful voice for this modern day and age.

I really enjoyed this book. It simplified and de-mystified Buddhism and protrayed it as a viable lifestyle/worldview for Westerners (and all people, for that matter). Reading this book genuinely brought me happiness.

Our recent trip to Mexico City was greatly enhanced by our reading of "An Opinionated Guide for the Curious Traveler". Its perspectives on Mexican culture, art, architecture and food are presented with humor, perceptiveness and intelligence by Jim Johnston. The "Guide" made our visit to a city which can seem overwhelming and frightening to the first time visitor more manageable. It focused our sight and attention on aspects of DF we otherwise would have missed. Post trip, I find myself re-reading sections to better appreciate aspects of the city and to plan for a return visit. We also purchased National Geographic's "Traveler Mexico" which I also liked very much.

Jim Johnston's book gives you the personal approach you would get from a friend who moved to Mexico City years ago and is willing to take you around to his favorite spots. It's not comprehensive, nor does it try to be. But - first time or multiple-time visitors who want to get a feel for the unique cacophony, artistry and paradox that is Mexico City will find a helpful guide that addresses practical issues and throws in some quirky delights, too. My husband and I fell in love with Mexico City 7 months ago and just returned to get another fix, using Mr. Johnston's book as our primary reference. We were also pleased to see that he updates information on his web site, so we checked for closings, openings, etc. before the trip. Maybe most important is that the ethic and personality of the author come through, revealing him as someone you would like to know - and you will, with this book.

Jim Johnston's guide to Mexico City took us off the usual tourist path and led to parts of the Centro Historico we would have missed. The walking tours are easy to follow and include some not so heavily visited sites. We followed #3 in the Centro and had a great time finding the places mentioned and finding other interesting places along the way. This guide will be a permanent part of the Mexico City bookshelf. And now we know what "pb" means in the elevator!

We travel to Mexico twice a year for business and pleasure (shouldn't travel always be a pleasure?), and we are always looking to explore more deeply this great world-city. I would recommend this book for both novices as well as experienced visitors, as Mexico City has so much and is so vibrant, that you take away something new each time. Jim's arrival tips and hotel listings are great, and I cannot wait to check out the walking tour and dining insights on our upcoming trip. The size is great as it is easy to carry around without looking like too much of a tourist. It is also a great book to use to take off the intimidating edge for a first-time visitor.

I began planning an upcoming trip to Mexico City and went looking for some current information about the city. The mainstream guidebooks are fine, but seldom up to date. I came across a positive reference about this book on [...] and checked it out on Amazon. Luckily, I bought it.
The author apparently knows and loves his city, and shares it the way a friend would. The level of detail is great, from how to get "there" (landmark, restaurant, museum, etc.), to what to expect, to what you might want to look for around the corner afterwards. I've explored Mexico City several times and thanks to this book I have many new intriguing options to augment my old favorites. This is the guidebook I'll take with me on my upcoming trip, and one I'll recommend to anyone I know who might be planning visit the City, and to some who haven't considered Mexico City as a destination - yet.
As a bonus, the author has a website where he posts updates: [...] . A revised walking tour of the area behind the cathedral (revised due to the exit of the throngs of street vendors) is already posted there.
Great book. Buy it.

I'm at a loss for words on this prayer book. You have to read these prayers in the Holy Spirit. If you have doubt, this prayer book is useless to you - and God, Jesus, Holy Spirit will be that much farther away from you.

Thank God and you Germaine Copeland. :)

This is a beautiful book that will change your life. It comes boxed and is a leather volume which would make a great gift. The prayer on page37 called "to be God inside minded" has, I believe, been a continual source of personal growth and understanding.
There are 155 situational prayers in this comfortable leather volume.Buy for yourself and a friend!!

After having a more than difficult time with my marriage, our Pastors recommended this as we reconcile, forgive and fulfill the call that God has on our lives. We just got this yester and it is just amazing. We tend to have difficulties coming up with the words to explain our feelings and ask for help, this solves it. We look forward to getting all of the Prayers that Avail Much (women, men, workplace, etc) This has already become invaluable. Yes, if you just sit back and read the book it's just that...a book. BUT...if you have the Holy Spirit and you read these whole-heartedly as you approch the thrown room of the Almighty God you will undoubtedly feel the power of these prayers. MORE GREAT NEWS!!!If you DON'T have the Holy Spirit overflowing in you there are prayers/guidance for that as well. Get the book, stay grounded in the Word of God, get yourself grounded in a Bible-Based Church (ex. not catholocism, lutheran, protestant etc...) just a church that truly teaches out of the bible with no sugar coating. You and all yu come in contact with will prosper. Enjoy, and Stay Blessed.
By the way..my husband and I now fully enjoy each other and are more in love than ever =)

This leather bound edition is beautiful and compact. It's a great book to have at your fingertips with prayers for just about any subject. They're all written with scripture as a guide and the verse references are attached to the end so as not to break up the text. A perfect gift, too.

If you want to know how to pray according to God's will (to get answers), then you must pray scriptural prayers. This is a tremendously important book to Christians who want to see results from their prayers. God always honors His Word. If you don't pray according to God's will, you won't get results. If you do, you will. Simple as that.

This book was excellent. It gave me some very good insight into what our older adopted daughter might be thinking. I would recommend it to anyone that is considering adopting an older child.

I'll preface this review by saying that I am a young man that does not normally cry, and although I managed to avoid tears, my throat has never felt so compressed as I held them back. On a hot summer day I visited a non-profit organization named CASA, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. CASA seeks volunteers, then thoroughly trains those volunteers to track and advocate for children under the care of the state. All of the children that are in custody of the government are referred to a Child Protective Services agency that is overwhelmed and understaffed. Thus, CPS agents routinely end up with dozens of children to watch out for and they often end up doing a poor job. CASA is there to make sure that these children do not fall through the cracks.

Anyway, while at CASA, a lady asked me what I knew about the organization and more importantly, the thousands of children in foster care and orphanages in the country. I admitted that I knew little, if anything. She then grabbed a copy of "Three Little Words" from the book shelf and gave me a copy with the challenge that I read it at once. I did. Since, I have paid visits to all of the CASA chapters in my region and donate funds to them whenever possible.

"Three Little Words" follows the plight of Ashley & Luke, siblings whose parents are in and out of trouble throughout their childhood. These kids spend time in horrible and average foster homes as well as orphanages for the next decade. Ashley does a wonderful job of highlighting the difficulty that a child has in grasping the changes in the world around her. How can a five year old child understand that her parents aren't fit to take care of them? How do they understand that adults are not meant to be feared when they are routinely abused and not looked after? As mentioned, this should be a MUST-READ for any foster parents-to-be, CPS personnel and prospective adoptive parents. It is a recommended read for everyone else.

I can't say enough good things about this young woman. I inhaled this book and loved every page. Her story was inspiring and completely heart felt! A must read for anyone wanting to learn more about foster care, anyone that loves a good memoir or anyone who appreciates great writing.

I read this book a few months ago. It was very inspring to me. I had a pretty great childhood minus my father drinking a little too heavily but he was never a bother. But this book has completely opened my eyes to the horrible things children sometimes face. I hate that most children have been failed by the system. I have read many memoirs lately about child abuse and it has sparked an interest in me to go back to school for social work or even abnormal child psychology. I want to help stamp out child abuse of every kind. I have a two year old little girl who is my absolute life. I would never in my wildest dreams think about ever hurting her in anyway. Three Little Words is very well written and is very heartbreaking. I am glad that Ashley was able to rise from a horrible childhood and become a healing tool for children and adults who have and are still going through the same ordeal. I very highly recommend this book. It will change your life!

Ashley Rhodes was only three when she was taken from her mother and put into the foster system. No one bothered to explain the whats and whys as the little girl and her year-old brother Luke were passed from home to home over the next decade.

In some homes, Ashley was merely neglected; many of her "parents" were intent on merely making money off the system, and had way too many children to manage. But in other places - most notably the Mosses' - Ashley, Luke and over a dozen other children were actually abused. In the court trial that followed, the Mosses' former charges testified of horrors ranging from having hot sauce poured down their throats to being forced to squat for hours at a time.

At 12, young Ashley had gone through more families than she could remember, and was actually relieved to have landed at a children's home, where she could retain some semblance of routine and normalcy. Then Gay and Phil Courter came into her life, wanting to adopt her.

Even after the adolescent had made her home with the Courters, she was still unsettled. Adoption meant nothing to her; after all, she had seen countless other children, including her own brother, get adopted and eventually returned to the children's home. So Ashley continued to test her new parents, daring them to send her back. How much would it take? Where was the line? She felt sure there had to be one.

Now in her early twenties, Rhodes-Courter strives to educate others about the realities of foster care -- one of her chief reasons for writing her memoir. She is an inspiration to all, and her book is an engrossing, witty read not to be forgotten.