Works Books

a most wonderful and pleasant reading throughout...i borrowed the book from the library first and while reading it decided that i have to have a copy near me so that i can pick it up any time i want. the only slight is that the dust jecket has a different photo of the author, the one on the older edition is much better. a great book.

This book has it all. If you are an Oscar fan, than it is a must for your collection.

I'm very pleased with the book. All of Wilde's wit is right there at my fingertips. It's a handsome book, too. Thank you.

This particular compilation is not only complete, but is a well printed, well packaged addition to the books you would want in your top 10!

Though the print is small for those of us over 40, it's worth it - if not, it would weigh about 10 pounds! As it is, it's a tome, but worth reading, and re-reading time and again. It has everything - everything! - that you'll ever hear mentioned - his stories, his novels, his essay's.
It would make a great gift for a young writer, as well.

This well-written book introduces some of the most elementary concepts in math in a very simple language. The text is quite engaging and interesting, so even the more knowledgeable people will enjoy reading the book.

Very well written, and reads almost like a good novel. Quite an achievement for a maths book!

This book is by far the best book on mathematics I have ever read. It teaches the concepts in an intuitive, exciting way, and yet it is able to remain fun and engaging throughout. Technical material is tackled, in depth, without there seeming to be any work done. There are no exercises to be done, you simply follow Stewart along for a tour through modern mathematics. Ian Stewart's writing is flawless and almost turns this book into a thriller. I read this book in one night- I could not put it down! I stayed up until 4 in the morning reading and rereading passages; it is truly a masterpiece. The chapters are as follows:

Chapter 1- Mathematics in General: Here Stewart describes certain aspects of mathematics, and discusses their purpose and implications. He talks about abstractness and generality, intuition vs. formalism, and pure vs. applied mathematics. He tells the reader the importance of understanding WHY a theorem is true, not simply that it is. He ends with a collection of anecdotes.

Chapter 2- Motion without Motion: This is an example of thinking a bit outside the box. The chapter is devoted to overturning Euclid's proof that the base angles are congruent, and making a new one based on rigid motions. It doesn't sound too engaging, but, somehow, Stewart manages to make it quite exciting!

Chapter 3- Short Cuts in the Higher Arithmetic: A basic introduction to number theory- prime numbers, moduli, congruences, etc. The informal tone makes this the easiest and most understandable read on number theory I've yet encountered.

Chapter 4- The Language of Sets: Throughout the rest of the book, Stewart uses the language of set theory, so he introduces that here in an easy to understand way (using some imagery like bags of items, etc).

Chapter 5- What is a function?: Here Stewart addresses some of the historical problems of defining a function, and then uses the set theory from the previous chapter to define a general function, and the different types of functions.

Chapter 6- The Beginnings of Abstract Algebra: An introduction to groups, fields, rings, etc. Stewart uses the rigid motions from Ch. 2 as an example of the group concept, and then goes on to make a proof about the game solitaire (the British version) using groups. Also an explanation of the proofs about constructibility (trisecting an angle, etc) are given here.

Chapter 7- Symmetry: The Group Concept: This is where we begin to see that Ian Stewart may have a bit of a bias towards abstract algebra and group theory, as that is his specialty. That is perfectly fine, but definitely something to be aware of. The chapter on Real Analysis is certainly less in-depth than this one, but there are many hundreds of books on that you can use to fill the gaps. (Also, Real Analysis is difficult to make accessible to those without a background in calculus, whereas algebrais concepts are fairly natural). In this chapter Stewart discusses groups, subgroups, and isomorphisms with great passion.

Chapter 8- Axiomatics: This is one of my favorite chapters, and it centers on Euclidean geometry and the importance of axiomatics. It discusses models, the parallel postulate, alternate geometries, consistency, and completeness.

Chapter 9- Counting: Finite and Infinite: This is the standard treatment of Cantor and his amazing discovery. I mostly skimmed this chapter, because I had just completed a book specializing in the subject.

Chapter 10- Topology: From Mobius strips, to Klein Bottles, to orientability, to the Hairy Ball Theorem. This chapter keeps to its title. I especially love the last line about the Hairy Ball Theorem (which is a theorem that seems entirely useless at face value). "It has one application in algebra: it can be used to prove that every polynomial equation has solutions in complex numbers (the so-called 'fundamental theorem of algebra')."

Chapter 11- The Power of Indirect Thinking: This is a foray into graph theory and Euler's Formula. A lovely discussion at the end about coloring, as well.

Chapter 12- Topological Invariants: Continues the discussion of topology and proves Euler's generalized formula. Also classifies surfaces, and proves some more coloring theorems.

Chapter 13- Algebraic Topology: You can see that topology is an incredibly important tool in modern mathematics. Here he discusses Holes, Paths, and Loops.

Chapter 14- Into Hyperspace: A short treatment of polytopes and higher dimensions.

Chapter 15- Linear Algebra: A bit on the geometrical, set-theoretic, and matrix views of solving simultaneous linear equations.

Chapter 16- Real Analysis: A light treatment of infinite series, limits, completeness, continuity, and proving analytical theorems.

Chapter 17- The Theory of Probability: Random walks, binomial distibution, etc. Treated informally.

Chapter 18- Computers and Their Uses: Programming and how it works on a mathematical level.

Chapter 19- Applications of Modern Mathematics: A very interesting read about optimization and catastrophe theory.

Chapter 20- Foundations: The best treatment of Godel's proof I have yet to see. It is surprisingly rigorous, but easy to follow.

Appendix- And still it moves...: This was added 5 years after the book was written, and is an absolute gem! Stewart addresses the proof of the four-color theorem, he talks about polynomials and primes, he talks about chaos and attractors, and he ends with a reflection on real mathematics. A great end to a masterpiece.

This book is for everyone and anyone- a modest background in high school algebra and an appreciation for mathematics is all you need. Buy this book! Give it to your friends!

I picked up this book partially from the reviews and partially from "Justin Bond"'s listmania who wisely advised to read it slow but don't get bogged down.

I have been stuck in this very uncomfortable stage between lower division and upper division math. I knew that I want to take more math but I had no idea what I wanted and where it led. Who's going to sit you down and explain in practical terms what 'topology' is so you know what it's about and whether or not it will do you any good? The syllabus won't tell you. Wikipedia won't tell you.

In this context, this book was very useful to me. It provides a very casual and friendly overview of upper-division math. It gives you a taste and a place to start from, some inkling of the topic, its relevance, and connections to other fields of math.

Between the fact that I'm not a native math speaker and that the material had to be simplified, there were definitely a few times where I was a bit lost, but I, and you, should not read it to learn specific concepts, so it did not phase me at all. Yet on the other hand, he provides some insights that I had gone for many years without realizing. Even if a particular part may not be interesting, the overall presentation has a lot to offer.

If you are interested in learning some advanced mathematical concepts, this is a great book. Even if you are not interested in mathematics, this book has additional rewards beyond the mathematical concepts: it will provide you with insight into approaching non-mathematical problems -you will be able to use most of the mathematical concepts contained in it, for unrelated but analogous problems. I especially enjoyed the simple explanation of modularity. You don't have to be mathematically inclined to enjoy and gain from the reading of this book. It is excellent. It should be in the collection of any person who is interested in learning how to think better and more rigorously.

This book is original and thought provoking especially coming from a women with a conservative and traditional Christian past. If more of us Christians could love as Christ loves without judgement or preachiness, it would revolutionize our Church and our ministries. It could, as Kay dreams of, Change The World.

I was skeptical about this book at first. I thought it would be more fluff than substance, but I was thankfully wrong all the way around. This book was both easy and very hard to read. Kay did a great job writing in style that is easily understood, however the words are hard to read in the way they convict you in so many ways.

If your walk with the Lord has grown stagnant or you don't see have passion or drive in your life I strongly recommend you read this book. I think this book is needed for all Americans, as we live out our comfortable safe lives relative to most everybody else in the world.

I promise if you give this book a chance you will not be disappointed and will certainly walk away with more than a few topics to think about.

This is a wonderful book yet also disturbing in a way. It had a big impact on me and challenged me to live with focus on helping those in need. If you have a home, food in the fridge, clothes in a closet like me then you have more than most people. I have to stop whining about my meager problems and consider how can I use what I have to help others. Kay is real about her flaws and struggles. She gives light to the problems of poverty, disease, bad leadership, spiritual emptiness and illiteracy that she personally witnessed around the world. She shares her desire to do good and the struggle it actually takes to leave an area of familiarity and safety to fight the wrongs and injustice so many experience around the world.

Although Kay Warren is an Evangelical Christian and I am a Conservative Rabbi, I found her honest, personal portrait inspiring. Her tale reveals that by listening for and responding to the Divine call to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, she expanded her horizons, deepened as a person, and strengthened her relationship with God.

Kay Warren is an extraordinary woman and should be praised for writing this shocking and enlightening book. She reveals how she became "seriously disturbed" after reading a magazine article in 2002 focusing on the AIDS pandemic. She was stunned and distressed that the article stated there were 12 million AIDS orphans in Africa. The statistics were staggering and horrific! She couldn't understand how this could be happening without her knowledge. She wondered why people weren't doing more to stop this pandemic. After much research on HIV/AIDS, she realized she couldn't sit back and ignore these people.

It took courage and self-sacrifice for this pastor's wife to leave her warm, comfortable California home to journey into the midst of the AIDS pandemic in Africa in 2003, and later to other parts of the world plagued with the AIDS pandemic. Her journey took her to areas where young children and adults were dying each day from this insidious disease. In some way, she felt she had to do something to alleviate their suffering by sharing her love with them. She witnessed the social stigma, rejection, persecution, and shame these people faced daily. It would have been easy to simply forget that this tragedy was a reality. Yet, this special woman realized that she couldn't ignore the call from God to "act up" and reach out to those suffering from HIV/AIDS.

While away from home, she discovered that she had breast cancer. Shortly after this battle, she was diagnosed with another form of cancer. This wasn't enough to stop a woman on a mission. She knew her mission in life and had said, "Yes" to God.

This is a brutally honest account of her journey into HIV/AIDS activism. As an AIDS activist myself, I felt so much admiration for Kay Warren. Her activism struck a chord within me. I know how my elderly mother felt when she was battling HIV/AIDS due to a tainted blood transfusion while undergoing heart bypass surgery in 1983. She was one of the first victims of HIV. She kept her illness a secret because she feared rejection. Many of the people Ms. Warren met felt dirty and ashamed of their illness. I know my own mother did even though she was infected through a blood transfusion. It's difficult to imagine that the stigma still exists after 25 years of the AIDS pandemic. Kay Warren teaches us we should not sit idly by while these people suffer in silence. I totally agree with her. Hopefully, others will hear her message and join the fight.

Being the wife of Pastor Rick Warren, of the Saddleback Church in California, she believes that all churches must take an active role in educating people about HIV/AIDS. What a difference this would make.

In "Dangerous Surrender," Ms. Warren teaches us lessons about love, acceptance, courage, compassion and faith. It wasn't always an easy or pleasant experience, but the desire to do the will of God surpassed any hesitancy she might have experienced. I applaud Kay Warren for her generous gift of love and acceptance to those in need of compassion and understanding. This book taught me to say "Yes" to God and not question His ways.

"Dangerous Surrender" was one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. If more people were like Kay Warren this world would be a better place. We all have a choice in life. We can sit and simply watch the pain and evil in the world or we can make a decision to ease the suffering of those in need by surrendering to God's will as Kay Warren did. I highly recommend this outstanding book.

A Burden of Silence: My Mother's Battle with AIDS

This is an excellent study guide to help the reader understand symbols and imagery in the Bible.

This is a very good reference book. I have a couple of seminary graduates that recommended it to me.

a tremendous work of explaining the imagery found in the bible. The range of subjects are vast in scope. A must have reference resource for serious bible study. Goes a long way towards helping one to understand the various levels and ways that symbolic and picturesque meaning is used and construed in the bible. Deals with individual concepts, broad ranging themes, people, places, books of the bible, events and more. Top notch resource!!!

The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery is an excellent reference for obtaining expanded meanings of the different words and images of the Bible. And even if it's a "dictionary", it is an enjoyable read straight through or even just when you want to hop from one entry to another. And for the price, it's a steal.

Highly recommended!

This book was one of the most unusual presents I have ever received. It was given to me by an individual who had enjoyed my teaching and thought I would find it helpful. It has proven to be an indispensible aid to Bible study and the understanding of deeper underlying themes of the symbolism which are so prevalent in the scriptures if you have the eyes to see them. The reader/researcher will find the material easy to use and well refrenced with historical and theological explanations. Although the Dictionary is written from a Protestant viewpoint, seekers of wisdom from a variety of different experiences will benefit from the insights and cultural revelations which can aid in unfolding deeper meaning through the symbolism, stories and pictures of the Bible.

the ultimate guide, including all cetacean species known to mna, even the elusive beaked whales. Even inlcudes a species or two that had only been discovered by skulls. The illustrations for those species are the artist's impressions. The artist is the amazing marc carwardine. Excellent guide for cetacean lovers

Once again, reading the list of photo-credits at the back of this book is like reading the index in a "Who's Who in the world of Underwater Photography." This is an exciting book with colour photographs (though occasionally a map or diagram) on every single page and the standard of reproduction is as good as it gets.

As with "Sharks & Rays" (a book in the same series), the content is also as good as it gets and, if you only had room to pack a single book on the subject before setting out to discover some of these excellent creatures, then this book will satisfy all your requirements.

Commencing with their customary "Understanding" Whales Dolphins and Porpoises, the reader is then taken on a journey which provides a complete and wide understanding of these incredible creatures - many species of which remain on the brink of extinction. With sections on hunting, captivity, migration and much more plus a page dedicated to each specific species, this book is as complete as it should be and fully lives up to the promise in the title of being an "Ultimate" guide.

Altogether and excellent book and an essential addition to any scuba diver's library.

NM

Once again, reading the list of photo-credits at the back of this book is like reading the index in a "Who's Who in the world of Underwater Photography." This is an exciting book with colour photographs (though occasionally a map or diagram) on every single page and the standard of reproduction is as good as it gets.

As with "Sharks & Rays" (a book in the same series), the content is also as good as it gets and, if you only had room to pack a single book on the subject before setting out to discover some of these excellent creatures, then this book will satisfy all your requirements.

Commencing with their customary "Understanding" Whales Dolphins and Porpoises, the reader is then taken on a journey which provides a complete and wide understanding of these incredible creatures - many species of which remain on the brink of extinction. With sections on hunting, captivity, migration and much more plus a page dedicated to each specific species, this book is as complete as it should be and fully lives up to the promise in the title of being an "Ultimate" guide.

Altogether and excellent book and an essential addition to any scuba diver's library.

NM

This book is extremely useful to both the general reader and to those with a serious interest in cetaceans. The book is well organized for quick reference and beautifully illustrated to aid in species identification in the field. Cetaceans are grouped by family and unique characteristics are clearly defined and illustrated. In addition the book is lightweight and easily carried on a boat trip. Highly recommended.

My main objections to this field guide were the illustrations. Artistic renderings are often beautiful, but fail to portray the animal in question with accuracy. Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius)is a case in point. Although I have not observed this animal at sea myself, I spoke with a number of fellow fishery biologists who have spent time at sea as marine mammal observers and no one has ever observed a bright yellow Ziphius in the field. All observed a base color of grey with this genus, at least in the northeastern Pacific. The Tasmacetus rendering is most likely based on the J. Mammalogy (1976) paper by Watkins wherein an unidentified ziphiid whale (probable Tasmacetus) was observed from a bluff overlooking the sea in New Zealand. Useful plates were those showing all similar cetaceans together; eg. all oceanic dolphins without prominent beaks, all oceanic dolphins WITH prominent beaks etc. The ziphidae plates show male Mesoplodon characteristics, but that is to be expected since solitary female ziphiid whales, especially Mesoplodon sp., could be virtually impossible to identify. My own field guide preferences use photographs rather than artistic renderings. Other problems: The distribution maps to not reflect the full distribution (extralimital observations/strandings) of many species. An example: Psuedorca is shown as a species with a distribution much further south than observations/stranding records indicate. The text does suggest that 'numerous records' exist outside of the more tropical distribution shown in the map. Note also that many of the dolphin renderings are positioned so that the dorsal fin is right where the pages meet. We did get a chuckle over the photograph showing what you should wear when watching whales, but that can be explained by our 'silly scientist' bias. One note for potential whale-watchers: do not allow your binocular strap to lie right on the skin of your neck while at sea as you can wear painful wounds into your neck through a day of whale-watching. Make sure your shirt collar or other clothing lies under that silly strap! Voice of experience!

As an already-successful author (Rewired, Rehired, or Retired? Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer 2002) and sought-after international speaker, Bob Critchley is eminently qualified to speak with authority on the labour market of the future.

Whilst not alone in ringing the warning bells, Critchley has much more to offer than an alarmist message ... and he couldn't make it easier for us. He goes beyond illuminating the impending labour crisis, he has the strategies and solutions too.

Company Directors, CEO's, Management and especially HR advisers need to have this book on the top of their "must read" list!

So how does an organization maintain and maximise a multi-generational workforce, remain flexible yet successful and also be seen as an employer of choice? Critchley's answer is clear ... "Doing nothing is Not an option!".

Exactly what to do is made abundantly clear in this eminently sensible and readable book from someone who has impeccable credentials and vast experience. Carolyne Burns, MD, Influence InterPersonal Profiling, Sydney Australia

We all know the importance of trusted and experienced people in successful businesses......why then are they often overlooked in favour of the "new model" or the "grass is greener" scenario? Critchley really brings home the message that these people are key and will be absolutely key for organisations to main tain their position and advantage.The book is a must not only for HR professionals but also for all managers and company directors....from an author with extensive practiocal knowledge and successful experience of practising what he preaches.

Bob Critchley has produced an outstanding people management guide. The author's deep practical experience is evident as he shares his insights into effective management of people in all age groups. At a time when there is a growing shortage of talent in most developed economies, knowledge from this book can help put results on the bottom line in most business organisations. This book is easy to read and hard to put down! Colin Durand, The Insight Executive Search Group, Sydney Australia.

Bob Critchley's book provides a powerful and compelling argument for "thinking outside the box".

The population demographics are inevitable and organisations ignore them at their own peril.

Unless organisations adopt flexible ways of engaging employees and think laterally about how to maximise the contribution of every single employee, they are doomed to become victims of the demographic reality.

Critchley's book not only provides the evidence and demonstrates the inevitibility - but he also provides a compendium of ideas about how to respond.

An invaluable guide to any forward thinking HR professional.

Time marches slowly on and we all tend get caught up in our day to day and short term activities. Just like when global warming incidents started to occur. In isolation they meant little and then a pattern and explanation emerged. Critchley pulls together the signs in our demographic and employment changes. Dramatic shortages in skilled labour arise; a lack of investment in infrastructure becomes apparent; retirement and aged care issues start to be reported in the media; the funding of retirees becomes a federal budget issue; government start to create incentives to get people back to work. For those who run businesses other symptoms become apparent. So often the employer has to convince the prospective employee why to join them; the employer becomes aware of impending skill losses as older employees approach retirement age; people talk about not wanting to fully retire and having flexible arrangements; the employer can't find the right people.
Critchley's book suddenly pulls all these incidents and changes in attitude together into one easy flowing cohesive read. He paints a picture of why things are happening and what is likely to continue to happen. More importantly he canvasses what needs to be done for organisations to be successful in this environment. Many organisations pay lip service to people being their most important asset and often they have a short term focus. Critchley really sets down some ideas and a framework that organisations, who really do value people, will need to adopt to be successful in the long term. A must read.

Classical dressage explained in a clear manner to help rider and horse be their best. Excellent read! 5 stars!

I have bought many dressage books by various authors, and this is by far my favorite book. I have a young horse that I have been training and this is the reference manual that I continually turn to. He teaches in the true classical sense where the welfare of the horse is most important. He explains in detail how the various exercises, such as shoulder-in, should be executed and what purpose they serve. He stresses the importance of timing of the aids which is essential in creating a soft, relaxed, properly muscled horse. I have attended clinics by him and he is a true master. If any of my friends show interest in learning dressage I buy them this book immediately. They all love it and find it very helpful and easy to understand. Yes, it does go over many basics, but more riders need a firmer grip on the basics before they can go on to compete and ride at the high levels successfully.

Dressage in Harmony: From Basic to Grand Prix (The Masters of Horsemanship Series, Bk. 4)
Excellent Book. A must have for all Dressage riders. This book has helped me improve my understanding of the proper aids!

Provides great detail, wonderful theory and terrific practical advice. There are some spots where the translation may not have been so good; but, overall this book is fabulous!

I believe that Dressage In Harmony is a must have for anyone who is seriously interested in dressage. Mr. Zettl starts with a green horse beginning in dressage to the Grand Prix level in clear, understandable language plus good illustrations. I hope to have the good fortune to attend one of Walter Zettl's clinics now that I have "discovered" him.

Whether your are an entrepreneur, VC or lawyer, THIS is the book that you must read. It's really everything that you need to navigate the entire startup ecosystem. I've been in the industry for over a decade and I still use it as a reference and encourage both entrepreneurs and lawyers to read alike. I also think it's a great resource for VCs sitting on boards to make sure they are complying with all the latest and greatest regulations.

Includes all important areas of law for the entrepreneur. Was most helpful for our incorporation. Good, short, to-the-point, comparisons of S-corp, C-corp, LLC, partnership, and sole proprietorship. Still covered all issues and is updated to late 2007. This is important because the tax-code changes frequently (last major update was in 2003), and small changes to corporate structure and court pratices happen every year. Better than "Structuring Venture Capital, Private Equity, and Entrepreneurial Transactions." Better than "Starting Your Own Business" by Stephen C. Harper. Better than searching for piecemeal information on websites like news.YCombinator.

Other important areas covered are Contracts & Lease, Operational Liability, and Intellectual Property. I will be using this book heavily for those areas as well.

A book that every entrepreneur should read. Read it before you start the company, it will help you a lot.

This book goes into great detail about all aspects of Business Law. Anyone who currently owns a business or is thinking about opening a business needs to read this book, or at least have it near by as a reference guide.

However, the book is certainly aimed at Corporate USA and those who are looking to start up a BIG business. If you are looking to open or currently own a Small Business, then there are better books on the market that are tailored more to your needs.

This book deserves to be on the shelf of every entrepreneur. The Entrepreneur's Guide to Business Law will take you on a virtual tour of the start-up process, and beyond, from the legal perspective. As experienced entrepreneurs understand, any business is a web of relationships, many of which are detailed in legal documents. This is the case for the relationship (establishment) of the entity with the state, relationships between co-founders, relationships between employees and the company, relationship between the company and its investors, suppliers, customers, etc. The legal foundation for all of these is clearly explained, and this book includes a wealth of practical information that will help any entrepreneur to work more efficiently and effectively with their legal counsel.

Steven K. Gold
Author, Entrepreneur's Notebook: Practical Advice for Starting a New Business Venture

Reading all the praise here, I was pretty anxious to receive this book, EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT CARTOONING BUT WERE AFRAID TO DRAW. I expected to get inspired and learn techniques in writing and drawing I had not perhaps even considered before. In this respect, I can't hide my disappointment. I had not read for long before I realized that what this book had to offer would not be of much use to me. I am a self-taught cartoonist, I've been doing comic strips my entire life and all the advice this book provided I found to be completely obvious; not without relevance, certainly, but I didn't purchase this book to be told that "monsters get more effective if colorized green," or to study the contrast between a happy face and a sad face. Also, the drawings used to represent the points in the text are just about as stereotypical as they can get; I'm not saying I expected it to do the process of creating original characters and ideas for me, but in a book of this kind I find it of invaluable importance that the author is able to really inspire the reader to go ahead and make something good. After all, we've got HI AND LOIS and U.S. ACRES already, or what?

However, if you have just discovered that you got a knack for drawing and want to try it out as a cartoonist, but need guidance in the (very) main rules, this is a good book. If you have been part of this medium for a while and seek new opportunities to get inspired or learn new tricks, try elsewhere. Your own mind for instance.

I love how Christopher Hart really delves into the hard things to draw. Like hands and feet and expressions. This is a wonderful art resource. The pictures are fun and will help you generate many of your own ideas.

This would make a great gift!

I have never done any kind of drawing other than when I was 8yrs old for fun. I wanted to learn how to draw cartoons and this book was my first purchase on my road to drawing.

I thought the instruction was simplified for the beginning artist like me. I am very visual and so I was pleased with the tremendous amount of examples included. I also thought that the lay-out of instruction was helpful, step by step.

Over all this book was very helpful, to the point, and interesting to read. Christopher Hart kept my attention while teaching me the basics of cartooning.

thanks

Before I finished my third book I decided it needed cartoons to visually explain some ideas (a picture is worth 1000 words) and provide humor to a tough subject. I started checking with hiring a professional artist (or student artist) to do the work. It quickly became clear the task would be time consuming, expensive and I may not get what I wanted in the end.

First, it would be difficult to find someone who would be able to take what was in my mind and transfer it to a cartoon

Second, it became painfully clear it would be expensive (even with a student artist). I wanted around twenty five cartoons drawn.

Third, some individuals wanted to discuss contracts and usage.

My best option was to learn how to draw cartoons myself. I figured it would be less expensive (only the cost of books and art supplies), and frustrating and I would get exactly what was in my brain. It would take some time to become proficient, but it sounded like a fun project. I was fortunately right.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Cartooning but Were Afraid to Ask by Christopher Hart and a couple other books helped me learn how to draw cartoons good enough to put in my latest book.

Christopher Hart has done several books on drawing comics. He provides excellent common sense content, and teaches the skill very well though his words and cartoons.

Some the sections that I found especially helpful were: Expressions, How to Draw Hands, The Art of Character Design, Body Types, Principles of Layout, Layouts from a Distance, The Special Effects Lab, Explosions and more.

After finishing my sketches, I used Adobe Elements software to polish up the work. I was very pleased with the final cartoons that went into my book..and there have been many positive comments about them from people who have the book!

Overall, this is a great resource for learning to draw cartoons!

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

Drawing on the Funny Side of the Brain : How to Come Up With Jokes for Cartoons and Comic Strips

The Cartoonist's Workbook Drawing, Writing Gags, Selling

Far more detailed than the How to Draw Cartoons book by this author. There are examples of heads, eyes, noses, mouth, hands, and many other elements in good detail.

This is written in a more story-telling way. THe graphics weren't as professional as I had hoped, but overall it was/is still a decent book for Shelling information.

I have purchased many shell books over the years. After finding this book at the public library, I had to have a copy for myself. It is by far the most informative book on Florida and Gulf Coast shells I have run across. If you just like shells, love finding your own, or are just curious about the sea creatures of the region, this is the book for you!

I was completely surprised when this book arrived at the size of it. For the price, I expected a small book, but it's quite large and full of beautiful pictures. My kids are crazy about the beach and we have amassed a large collection of shells over the years, so it was a lot of fun identifying the ones that we already had. We also took it on our last trip to the beach, which made shell collecting a lot of fun! This is also a very beautiful book even if you aren't going to the beach. If you are a beach goer or a beach lover (or both) you should pick this book up!

This great book is packed with trivia, great photos, humor and education. The kids in our family love looking at the pictures and I love the color photos identifying not only many of Florida's seashells but also other mysterious matter that you may happen to find on the beach. I've read it over and over and still find something new each time I read it. There's a section on cleaning shells, how shells reproduce (this is mind-blowing!). What is so interesting is many shells are shown with their inhabitants inside so you now know exactly what kind of animal made that beautiful shell you now have in your hand. The book covers areas in Florida such as the famous Sanibel, as well as other beaches on the West Coast, the Keys and South Florida. You'll discover which shell is worth thousands of dollars, which lump of stuff found on the beach is more valuable than gold and so much more. I've ordered extra books for my nieces and nephews because it is so rich in knowledge.

This book has beautiful full color photos of seashells which can be
found in the state of Florida. The descriptions of the shells are
excellent and if you are a collector, you will gain a lot of knowledge
from reading this book. Whether you are a native of Florida or a snowbird,
you will start to recognize the pictured shells as you explore the sandy
beaches on your own. A very enjoyable book for anyone interested in sea-
shells.