P Books

I learned about this book while reading another book, "Prime Obsession" and it awoke my curiosity mainly for two reasons: because it was a interesting subject, an apology for being a mathematician, trying to explain the purpose and usufulness of mathematics, and because I wanted to know more about Hardy's life, since I knew a few things about the nice story of this mathematician and Ramanujan. This is a brief book, there is a foreword that serve as a brief biography before enjoying Hardy thoughts, which by the way really grab your attention, even you learn a few lessons of simple mathematics proofs that try to show the beauty of it. I consider this book valuable for everyone.

Hardy was a giant among early 20th century mathematicians. It is difficult to overstate his importance. He was one of the first to show that mathematics is as much art as science without having to have interpretation (such as Dunham's "Journey Through Genius...").

This is what makes this book so poignant. Hardy realizes that he no longer is Hardy. In today's mathematics world that may not have been the case given the immediate communications possible between humans which may have kept him going. However, it may have been that he was suffering from the onset of dementia or Alzheimer's - it is difficult to tell given his admissions of not being up to the task - regardless, this book is overwhelmingly sad.

Anyone who cares about math should read this and thank Hardy for his contributions - plus they should have a copy of "A Course in Pure Mathematics".

This short book has long been one of my favorites. Hardy's philosophical musings may depress some but they ring so very true. Hardy is quite honest about life, art, mathematics, and his failing abilities. For example, his statement, that a very small minority of us are really good at what we do may sound depressing today. But the fact is true.

I can recall when words such as super, excellent, awesome etc. were used judiciously and very rarely to describe truly significant achievement. Today, doing one's job, albeit poorly, is described as excellent.

What I most like about Hardy's book is it's honesty and respect for the reader. A suggestion. Read the book proper BEFORE wading through C.P. Snow's forward. After about the second read tackle the forward.

A must have.

One of the most scholarly books that has been written in the 20th century, G.H. Hardy's thrilling memoir tells a story that other people are too afraid to discuss. Hardy's depressing transition from mathematical genius to near vegetable is a telling example of the archtypical fear of cerebral atrophy that resides among even the most resilient and foolhardy among us. This concise "novel" reads fluidly and especailly so for when written by a mathematician and serves to enlighten the world of the multi-talented nature of a world class mathematician. All in all this book is a rare find and should be read by people of all ages: whether a young aspiring mathematician or an old decrepit intellectual.

As Hardy himself makes clear in the beginning, he would never have written such a book if his mathematical powers had not failed him in old age. I do feel like this book is more an apology for not being a mathematician anymore than for having been one. As for all true loves, the time for judging and summings things up comes only when the joyful days of passion are over. I was hoping this book would give me an inspired first person view of what is higher mathematics and what is like to be a real mathematician. I found that it is not a good book for that, it doesn' t even try it. What it accomplishes instead is giving a precise, objective, cruel, marhematically clear picture of the drive, the ambition, the passion for excellence in any activity, be it a sport or a science that makes the life of the ones who dedicate their life to it so more pure and meaningful. It also poses some tough, fundamental questions regarding how much of your life one can dedicate to one single "abstract" passion without having to go trough some really bitter times and regrets in old age. My personal answer is that what really counts, in the end, is how much you loved and, what was sorely missing in Hardy's life, how much you express that love. But for some people, gifted and cursed at the same time, that is still not enough.

This book literally launched my CG animation career. I later took a class in CG animation and modeling and the tutorials in this book were in that class. Its was an excellent class, since it helped you learn the book's content is covered in 3 weeks instead of 2-3 months of night time after work animation. But this book is $30 not $2k.
What a great book. It does assume you know the basics, so learn the basics first and then dive in head first.

not even worth giving it up to my dog to chew on.

I have read several books about 3D Max but I consider this book one of the best books ! and I have learnt a lot from it ...If you want to make professional media animations logos you have to own one !

I have read several books about 3D Max but I consider this book one of the best books ! and I have learnt a lot from it ...If you want to make professional media animations logos you have to own one !

Finally a book that merges great tutorial writing and impressive content. Going through this book, I was intrigued with every sentence. Not only did I want to read what Chismar had to say but I would learn things at random times. New techniques and tricks sprawl throughout this book, were at times I even felt a little guilty getting all this info for just a few bucks. Don't keep us waiting too long for the next one, John.

If you can't afford the Oxford Edition of Shakespeare's complete works than this is the next best edition you can find.

This was the text for my college Shakespeare classes over 20 years ago (different edition of course) I still have it and still use it. A wonderful book for students and those who want not only the complete works but some well written and authoritative information about Shakespeare and the world in which he lived and wrote.

The texts of the plays are well foot-noted and the type is easy on the eyes. Well worth the investment.

While reading reviews of this edition elsewhere on the Web, I came across this review by David Allen White, professor of English @ the U.S. Naval Academy and editor (with Charles Boyce) of Shakespeare A to Z:

"Re-writing Shakespeare is nothing new. The Nahum Tate version of King Lear--with the happy ending--held the stage for nearly a century and a half. The great actors of the romantic age, Kean and Booth and Macready, not only spotlighted the heroes in the tragedies but felt free to beef up their roles. Directors began more than 50 years ago to monkey with the historical settings of the play, often with imaginative and instructive results. Scholars, critics, and directors have ridden various hobbyhorses through the plays for years, introducing us to Freudian Hamlets and Marxist King Lears and feminist Tamings of the Shrew.

"Recent Shakespeare production and scholarship, however, add a perverse twist to this long tradition. We no longer care what the Bard actually wrote. Years of deconstructionist theorizing have taught us that words are needy and we, readers or actors or scholars, have the right, indeed the obligation, to give them the gift of meaning--our meaning, the more bizarre the better.

"For the 23 years that I've taught Shakespeare at the United States Naval Academy, I have always used the same text, The Complete Works of Shakespeare, edited by David Bevington of the University of Chicago. Professor Bevington is an old-school scholar with a distinguished career. The book he edited had many advantages: large print, full character names before each speech, specific indications of settings, modernized spellings, solid introductions that connected the plays to the students' experience of love and politics, morality and order, passion and faith, and comprehensive but not overwhelming notes. Every few years a new edition would appear, and I would open it with interest and a little apprehension. But the changes would be minor--thinner paper (approaching the substance of tissue, a malady afflicting many recent books), hints here and there of encroaching academic perversity in the notes--nothing sufficient to make me seek another text. The 4th edition's introduction to The Tempest caused me to swallow hard: We learn there that Prospero's authority "is problematic to us because he seems so patriarchal, colonialist, even sexist and racist in his arrogating to himself the right and responsibility to control others in the name of Western and Christian values." But this is an imperfect world, and I soldiered on.

"Notified that a 5th Edition would appear this fall, I took time to examine it closely. Many of the introductions remain the same; but new editors and commentators have significantly altered others. Despite the myth of progress that reigns in all the disciplines of modern academia, "new" is often far from "improved." Apparently, Professor Bevington has either ignored the changes or allowed the young scholar-colts to have a romp. In some of the new introductory essays, especially under the guise of new brief histories of stage performance, questionable judgment, to put it mildly, has crept in. For example, the introduction to Othello ends with the following observation:

'In another recent development, Emilia has stood out in several productions as the raissoneur and heroic figure in the play, speaking as she does on behalf of maltreated women, urging Desdemona to stand up for her rights. One recent Chicago production went so far as to rewrite the ending: Othello and Iago both survive unpunished for what they have done, while Desdemona and Emilia lie dead as their innocent victims. This deliberate and provocative overstatement might seem extreme to some viewers, but unquestionably did signal the direction of recent performance history of the profoundly disturbing play.'

"It may be time to stop buying tickets to that great play.

"The current obsession in academia is "queer theory," and the homoerotic is everywhere, not just in Shakespeare studies. But this particular perversity fills the introductions to the new Bevington, especially the introductions to the comedies. Compare the following passages, the first from the introduction to As You Like It in the 4th Edition, essentially a carry-over from earlier editions:

'Rosalind's disguise name, Ganymede, taken from Jove's amorous cupbearer, has homoerotic connotations that are easily misinterpreted today. Shakespeare delicately acknowledges the suggestion, to be sure, both in Phoebe's pursuit of a young lady (but really a boy actor) in male attire, and in Orlando's courtship of "Ganymede" as though addressed to Rosalind. Yet this innocent titillation, found also in Shakespeare's source, is not meant to hint at homosexual attraction as we understand it. On the contrary, the point is that Orlando can speak frankly and personally to "Ganymede" as to a perfect friend, one to whom he can relate in platonically spiritual terms without the distracting note of sexual interest.'

"These are eminently sane and sensible remarks. Now from the Introduction to As You Like It in the 5th Edition:

'Rosalind's disguise name, Ganymede, has connotations that suggest ways in which human sexuality can be partly understood as socially constructed. If Rosalind in disguise as Ganymede wins the affection and eventually the love of Orlando, while her father and the others are equally taken in by the disguise, are maleness and femaleness chiefly matters of sartorial convention and superficial appearance? When Phoebe falls in love with Ganymede, is not her infatuation a way of showing that the roles of the sexes can be put on and off? Theatrically, the device of having a young male actor play Rosalind who then disguises him/herself as a young man adds to the witty confusion of sexual identities by introducing homoerotic possibilities. Not only can the roles of the sexes be put on and off, sexual desire itself is unstable...'

"This is ideology masquerading as interpretation.

"To be sure, the range of possible interpretations of Shakespeare's work is wide, for he encompasses all of humanity and tells profound and mysterious truths about human life. Such inexhaustible expansiveness invites discussion and dispute and differences. At the end of the Introduction to Richard II in this volume, for example, there is a brief but superb account of various interpretations of that rich role by leading actors. Professor Charles Forker of Indiana University provides that account; another old-school scholar, he knows more about that play than any other living soul. Too many of the revised introductions, however, are more interested in advancing the latest academic-political orthodoxy than in discovering and illuminating the natural and conventional moral order so abundantly on display in Shakespeare's works. Nothing is more orthodox--still--among contemporary literary critics than the alleged truth that there is no truth, that all interpretations are valid except the author's own.

"Thus Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream can be presented as "the denizen of a drug culture, with the love potion as the weed he gleefully distributes. The experience of the forest becomes a drug-induced 'high,' for audiences as for the actors. The fairies, sometimes played by adult and hairy males, can exhibit a streak of cruelty." And, indeed, in a recent production at the Shakespeare Theater in Washington, D.C., the fairies were hairy males who carried something like miners' lights. So much for lightness and charm and magic. This same Dream introduction gives the game away in words that are echoed in many of the other essays: "These modern interpretations are arguably neither more nor less 'true' to Shakespeare's text than earlier or more 'traditional' versions. What they do demonstrate is the play's remarkable permeability and openness to differing views."

"The new Bevington retails for $90; in good conscience, I cannot ask students to fork over such a sum of cash for a book that is now rife with nonsense. So next fall I'll assign The Riverside Shakespeare, which fortunately is still in its 2nd edition. I fervently hope it is not soon updated.

"Of course, the Bevington volume has come to reflect the universities it serves, where young students pay small fortunes to be taught that there is no enduring meaning or beauty to be found in the poetry of Shakespeare, no tradition worth preserving, no "truth" other than personal whim and innovative foolery. If the price of the new Bevington is petty theft, the tuitions charged by these institutions have become, at least for the study of the humanities, highway robbery.

"I know a father who gave his son the equivalent of a year's tuition and told the lad to go to Europe, to travel, to observe, to learn for as long as the money would hold out. The young man came back after two-and-a-half years, mature and educated, and instantly found a good job. The time has come for imaginative, alternative learning. I talked recently with a very intelligent young woman who loves literature; she is completing her sophomore year at Yale, where she had hoped to pursue an English Literature major. She informed me with sorrow that she was abandoning that plan. Her reason was quite simple: she had already sat through too many classes where lunacy prevailed. She mentioned the possibility of looking at traditional Catholic convents. Could this be the first refreshing drop of a wave of the future? It would not be the first time that civilization was preserved in the convents and the monasteries. Nymph, in thy orisons, be all of Academia's sins remembered."

(Allen, David White, "An Unweeded Garden," The Claremont Institute, http://claremont.org/publications/crb/id.959/article_detail.asp [originally published March 22, 2004])

I guess it's safe to say that, based on his review, Professor Allen'd give this edition 1 star...right?

I purchased this book as a birthday present for a graduating high school student who is a big fan of Shakespeare.
This volume has a lot to offer to both students and casual readers. In addition to very readable text of all the plays and sonnets, the fifth edition provides historical and literary context, including drawings and photos, as well as insightful essays on each of the plays. The essays include background, plot summaries and discussion of major themes and would be very useful to anyone seeing a play, especially for the first time. The helpful glossary is extensive, so the reader doesn't have to look up unfamiliar words or feel intimidated by the language. Professor Bevington's fifth edition of the Complete Works is a gem, authoritative and attractive. The birthday girl thinks so, too-- she gives it an A+.

This is truly a great book. Not only does it contain all of Shakespeare's works but it also has an enormous amount of information. There's a little bit on his life and a bit more about the theater during his time. There are also some great drawings in the beginning of the book.

I cannot begin to describe how much I love Weis and Hickman's writing - while I will be first to admit that, on a most basic level, Martin, Jordan and Tolkien definitely outshine them in certain areas, I find Weis' work to be more readable on a base level. I -enjoy- reading her work. At times Martin can become a pure chore, and Jordan's dangling plot threads are a monstrous beast of their own - he even spent an entire, HUGE book going over the happenings of a 24 or 48 hour period. It was disgusting. And Tolkien was amazing, but he's unrefined iron in the face of good steel - he was great for his day and age, and is still great - but these authors have learned from their predecessor's mistakes.

I often see people ranting about Zifnab, and his seemingly out of place remarks and references to the past. While I'm not quite convinced Zifnab IS god, I would deeply believe that he is a very, very old Sartan, perhaps one of the first to be born/imbued with their power after the nuclear war that ended what we know of as contemporary society. Zifnab was undoubtedly one of the first Sartan to challenge the Council, because they found the omniscient being their leaders wanted to deny. When you're thousands of years old, probably living only because the Higher Power wills it, you're allowed to be insane, you're allowed to see the nature and pattern of the Wave, and work to correct it - and you're allowed to make references to the ancient past, like to George Lucas (and the Raistlin remarks just get a chuckle every time!).

An amazing writer, Weis will always be in my top five. Forever and always. I hear the words 'cliche' and 'regurgitated' thrown about in reference to her work - so what if they all follow the same staple characters? I find it makes the books more readable in a leisure sense. The first time I read this series, I started on Book 2, read book 5, book 6, Book 7, then went back and read them all. Years later, I've come back and am rereading them, all over again - and am greatly enjoying myself.

No, there is no doubt in my mind - Weis and Hickman will forever go down as some of the best fantasy authors of our time, even if people wish to deny it.

The finest series this side of Dragonlance Chronicles. However hey never gave the series much credibility and for that I wish they had. Deathgate has the best character development, best storyline and a great mixture of comedy and interaction from other worlds, Got to love Wiess and Hickman. Highly Recomended.

This series like all the works of Wies&Hickman are outstanding. They show a great deal of the characters thought procession. The magic is also ingenious and aslmost entirely different than the magic of Dragonlance. After reading all the Dragonlance Chronicles I was reluctant and wary of many of Fantasy Series, though this one was amzing.

I've read the entire Death Gate Cycle and it was great. The system of magic is complex and powerful. The characters are very well written. Not much else to say except you need to READ THESE BOOKS.

Let me first state that this was the first 'series' of books I've read. Now, on with the review: This really was a great collection of books...too good, in fact. I read them twice just to feel the emotion from them. I was unfamiliar with the works of Weis and Hickman. But, I bought them at my library for 10 cents a piece so I couldn't resist them. I blazed through them; the plot grew with my favoring of the books. The last page was turned a few months later, while propped up in bed. I closed the book, and smiled. No works in literature would ever touch this series...ever. I pondered on the books for a while longer, thinking about the characters, climax (which I never saw coming). And thought the authors deserved a five minute hug and large sums of money to compensate for the sheer greatness of these books. And if you find them for 70 cents altogether, take it.

I started the book and was really wondering how the book got published. The story idea was a good one, but the writing was very cliche and the dialog stilted. I did a bit of research and found it is self-published by one of Amazon's companies.

The book has the standard complement of characters: Amorous boss, reliable motherly secretary, morally loose best friend, good old reliable husband. Another reviewer mentioned the protag. whining all the way through the book. Yes! This woman was miserable, unhappy to be carrying a life, unhappy with her size, her economic status (which as a lawyer driving a BMW is better than most), unhappy with being the breadwinner, yet complained about having to give that up. She treated her husband horribly. Angela was a little hard to like. The book has some fun moments but the humor is too forced and falls flat much of the time.

I loved the idea of the book, but it just didn't really meet my expectations as far as quality of writing. I was looking for something new and didn't find it here.

A novel about a career woman who struggles with balancing a husband, a career, and a baby.

The book takes Angela Moore, the main character, from childless, full-time, high-paid attorney through pregnancy and through the 1st year with baby, detailing the struggles all the way.

For every woman who has had to struggle with the choices that motherhood can bring, you will absolutely adore this book. If you have ever even thought of having a baby, you will enjoy the story.

I simply devoured the pages like a good meal. It was completely entertaining and I found myself completely relating to the main character.

What a joy this book was and reading it was a wonderful escape for this mother of two.

And the ending. . . a perfect ending to a wonderful book. I hope there is a sequel.

G. Pearl Mak is a talented writer and I look forward to reading more from such an entertaining story teller.

A career woman, desperately wanting to make partner in her law firm, finds out her and her husband are unexpectedly pregnant. She is the sole breadwinner in the house while her husband is trying to run a new business.
She has a typical "rich" best friend who doesn't have to work and who fantasizes about her young, good looking trainer to the stars.
Our heroine is not domestic at all and even burns "frozen pancakes". You hope for her sake that she will start feeling some affinity towards being pregnant and appreciate her blossoming body. The only thing she discovers are "fake eyelashes" that make her feel attractive again.
I would have liked to see more support and interaction from her husband, though he was supportive in some places in the book. Overall it has a good story line and the characters are very likable. I finished the book in a few hours; a fast read.
I would recommend this book to anyone that is pregnant, has kids, has been in a situation where there is one working parent or just want a good laugh.

Let me be the voice of dissent here and say the books is not THAT good. Yes, it is entertaining, a beach read, and ok, but it is nothing more than that. The book, written by G. Pearl Mak, is about Angela, an attorney working for what I assume is a high powered law firm. She works a minimum of 60 hours a week, is married to a nice guy starting up a software company (thus maintaining him) and does not have a care in the world, except work that is, where she is on the fast track to being a partner at her law firm. But then, Angela finds herself pregnant and freaking out about the prospect of being a mother. Having a child she doesn't really want, scared about the effects of her pregnancy at work and noticing the effects on her marriage and her body, Angela is confronting quite a bit of stress. Understandably so.

Regardless of the potentially good story (I honestly saw a lot of potential here), this book and its plot remain a cliché. Not only are the situations and the plot something recycled from several other books in the chic lit genre, the writing itself uses cliché phrases and non-original writing. The writing remained simple, no literary breakthroughs here (the perfect beach read). But this book merely seemed like many other books I have read in terms of writing. The books is quite the fast read and quite easy to read. What annoyed me the most was the writer's tendency to go into every single tangent imaginable. The writer would often move on to a tangential subject to explain something. That is ok, normally. The problem here is that she remained in the tangent subject for too long. This made the book a bit boring and she usually diverted us from what was actually going on.

The main character remained throughout the book nothing less than whiny; it was annoying to read her constant whining about every single thing for all 380 pages. Her evolution into motherhood a bit questionable and more questionable even were her decisions at the end. I was rather disappointed by the character, not necessarily her decisions. I think the character herself compromised herself too much and resembled nothing of the character we are presented with at the beginning.

Everything the main character goes through is something women can relate to: motherhood, being a wife, the effect of motherhood on work, jealousy, losing yourself, the hectic work schedule, etc. The problem here I find, is that although relatable, the book was just a big cliché. It was just like any other book.

Although I found the book a bit funny and entertaining, I was disappointed by the end and the general writing of this book. I was not expecting much yet, I was disappointed by what I read. This is nothing more than a book you read at the beach when you are looking for something quick and not that complicated.

Welcome to the nitty gritty mess of motherhood. When you're expecting a child, no one bothers to tell you the mess it makes of your life! This is what Angela Moore, a lawyer on a fast-track to making partner in the next year, found out when she got pregnant. This pregnancy wasn't planned. First morning sickness threw her off course as she found herself in the bathroom more times than in her office. Then her weight ballooned. This wasn't what she bargained for especially since she and her husband, Collin could barely afford the lifestyle they live in ... with massive student loans, a computer business barely taking off the ground and crammed into a tiny house with no room for a child.

Everyone else though was happy for the young couple but Angela just couldn't fake her happiness as she really did not want to have a child ... until after a grueling labor, she meets her daughter. And falls in love ... total, utter love.

This is a hilarious book. The author didn't pull any punches in this book. If you're a first time mother, I would not recommend reading this book until after your child is born. The section on the labor pains is pretty brutal and though I had a c-section with my twins, I can imagine the pain Angela went through. I could nit-pick and ask why that high-price law firm didn't have a day care center there so Angela wouldn't have to drive home three or four times a day to nurse her baby since her baby wouldn't take formula or a bottle. And the stereotypical rich best friend falling for a celebrity trainer ... the husband's hurt pride since the baby rejected his loving advances to take care of her ... and on and on.

The emotions that Angela went through as a first time mother having to leave her child behind while she goes to work and support a family that needs her income ... is definitely relatable. The agony she suffered trying to find a solution to Emma's lack of interest in taking anything but the breast ... is comical but definitely relatable as any first time mom would know. This book, while funny, is definitely a journey that every mother experiences after the birth of her first child and trying to reclaim the center of their lives while juggling all the extra things that they have to do while raising a baby.

I would recommend this book to anyone who just had a baby or for anyone who might want to relive those early days ... and be glad that their pregnancy days are over. It is a fun book and it did make me laugh out loud in places. Pick it up today and enjoy it!

10/4/08

As a former Outward Bound instructor who loves adventure, I found this book riveting. As a business coach I know that learning occurs when we are on the edge, in a little less familiar place. This story supplements the narratives about Shackleton because Perkins takes the story and applies it to leadership. Hence, it becomes contemporary. I liked some of his points so much that I referenced him in my book. I strongly encourage you to read this book. Doug Gray, PCC, author of [ASIN:0975884158 Passionate Action: 5 Steps to Extraordinary Success in Life and Work]]sionate Action.

Perkins uses Shackleton's Antarctic expedition of the early 1900's to identify ten leadership strategies. These stategies have proven useful for me in both military and civilian business settings. Perkins uses real-life examples form the Shackleton expedition in Part One to identify the strategies. In Part Two he uses recent (from when the book was written) business example to demonstrate how these strategies can be applied. This is an easy read and the stories of the Shackleton expedition helped keep my focus on the people that we lead while keeping the ultimate goal in sight. The title of this book applies whether you are leading at the edge of the world, the edge of survival, or at the edge of competition.
"Fortitudine Vincimus"!

This book is a "must read" for everyone aspiring to become a leader. The different life and death situations that Shackleton and his men faced, and how they overcame the obstacles in their way, is an example for all to follow.

The book is written masterfully, allowing the reader to reflect on how different leadership techniques were applied and how to apply the techniques to the situations particular to the reader.

Outstanding Work!

A fantastic text based on an epic journey. The history of Shackleton's ill-fated expedition is a sharp contrast to the modern view which epitomizes personal liberty as the highest virtue.

This book features vignettes from an expedition faced with nearly insurmountable odds that highlight the difficult choices faced by Shackleton and his men. In the face of adversity, they managed to endure, though not without cost. Perhaps the most moving part of the narrative is knowing that, after he and a few of his men made it (barely) to the safety of a remote whaling outpost, he insisted on mounting numerous rescue attempts for his other stranded crew-mates until they were successfully extracted.

I highly recommend this book to anyone, whether or not you are involved in business management. As a father, I found many of the examples and stories inspirational, and I have shared them with my children to teach them the virtues of perseverence and the responsibilities of leadership.

The author, Dennis N. T. Perkins, shows extraordinary insight in leadership with 10 clearly stated principles. Based in strong part on Shackelton's expedition, these 10 principles are not only clearly stated, but truly make a difference. It is obvious that Perkins understands leadership. The book is easy to read, but takes plenty of mental energy. This book should be read by any manager, and should be considered a classic.

is so important to raising empowered, happy and successful children. Taking negativity out of parenting is sometimes difficult because we do it unconsciously because of our own upbringing. This book does a great job in pointing this out. Two other books written by teacher-author and expert on childrearing,Joanne Scaglione, is Bully-Proofing Children: A Practical, Hands-On Guide to Stop Bullying and Living The Secret Everyday: My Secret Workbook... both must-reads for successful parenting.

Do you ever have one of those days (weeks, months) when it seems all you have done all day is get after your child for doing things he knows he is not supposed to do? You have tried yelling, using time-outs, taking toys away, etc., and you feel guilty (and worn out). I have an almost 2 year old and a 3 year old and a ton of parenting books. If I could only recommend one parenting book, this is it. The main idea behind this book is that praising good behavior is much more effective than punishing bad behavior. This seems kind of obvious, but it is very difficult to consciously do this all the time. I liked this book so much because it is sooooo motivating. It makes you see how important it is to minimize negative interactions with your children and maximize positive ones. It gives lots of examples on how to talk to your child and words to use. There were some parts of this book that I did not agree with, but the good parts were so good that I think all parents should have a copy of this book.

This is a book I wish had been around when my kids were young. Thank heavens I found it while they were teenagers. I picked it up on the recommendation of a friend, when my kids were heading for social, educational and emotional disaster. When I hit the page where the author says that insanity is doing the same things you have always done and expecting different results, I decided his concepts were worth a try. My kids responded immediately, just as Dr. Latham predicted, and so positively that I was astounded.

Don't expect to be too entertained by this book. It's repetitive and many of the things the author tells you to do are so counterintuitive you may be tempted (as I was) to think they'll never work. However, don't let the repetitive nature of his instructions put you off. There's a good reason for all the repetition--we don't get it the first time, or the second, or the third, or... Give his principles a try and watch the absolute miracles start to happen.

Everyone should get this book. It gave me so much great useful info. I took tons of notes to go back and keep re-reading. I got so much out of it I am taking the class that goes along with it.

I have spent five years reading parenting books and this is the best one by far. I have read this book probably 5 times...and review it all the time. My husband took a master's level parenting class for a related field and this was his textbook. This book takes the pain out of parenting and the pain out of your children when we try to parent. This is a no-hit, no-yell, effective, kind way to parent. I often have people tell me they can't believe how well behaved my kids are. I tell ya it isn't luck, it is using the information from this book! It is worth every penny you pay and more. You, your kids and your spouse will be happier from reading this. Parenting and family life are fun thanks to this, just as it should be. By the way, this book isn't magic, it isn't always easy to keep your temper down but if you work at it you will love being a parent!

The Blue Djinn of Babylon is mouth-watering continuation of the Children of Lamp series. The twins learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of their djinn powers and discover some fascinating facts about their mom. Not to mention twins get separated by the Blue Djinn and have some wild hair-raising adventures trying to find each other. I'd tell you more, but its more fun to read the book! Let your imagination do the walking.

My daughter is a big fan of the series and really enjoyed this book and the first one as well.

this volume and the one after it kept us all involved till the end

The Blue Djinn of Babylon
By: P.B. KERR

The Blue Djinn of Babylon by P. B. Kerr is a story of magic and adventure that I would recommend to children who like fantasy books. The story begins with two unidentical twins John and Philippa Gaunt go practice there Djinn powers on one of the last warm days of the year. John and Philippa have just recently discovered there djinn powers when there Uncle Nimrod told them in a dream. Djinn also known as genies are made of fire so they can't use there powers to its fullest when it is cold. When Philippa enters a Djinnverso tournament (which is an ancient game only played by djinn) she is disqualified when someone takes over her body and says Philippa cheated. During the tournament the Blue Djinn assistant tells John and Uncle Nimrod that Solomon's Grimoire was stolen by himself accidentally! Now they have to arrange a meeting to get the book back. But little do they know it will put the twins in danger!

The Hanging Palace of Babylon is a enormous structure that the Blue Djinn lives and gets to design. The Blue Djinn is the ruler of all djinn good or evil so she must be beyond good or evil to so that it is fair for all djinn. Only women Djinn are allowed inside. The Blue Djinn has invisible maids to clean her house. The Hanging Palace of Babylon is underground in Baghdad. Outside the palace is guarded by terrible creatures. To get to it you must take a boat because it is a underground island. A Giant Bird guards the island and lets no one except the Blue Djinn past. A wish monster guards everything on the island including the Hanging Palace of Babylon.

You should read this book because this book you on the edge from beginning to the end.

Even though I am definitely not a young teen (unless 65 qualifies) I love the Children of the Lamp series. One of my granddaughters bought the first book at a school book fair; I had run out of my own reading material for relaxation; and, as they say, the rest is history.

After I finished The Akhenaten Adventure, I bought the Blue Djinn and Cobra King of Kathmandu. I am awaiting the next three books as much as my granddaughter.

This a very good book. It is written by two people that together have more than 40 years of experience in project management (PM) and provides with real and usefull examples.
I strongly recommend reading to people that already know PM. Its not a basic book in PM.

This is very good book on project management, i am a member of pmi, but in pmi u learn more about project management in general but this book is for IT guys, esply chapter on project management process is good, allso about tackling issues is well documented.

I have applied methods in this book and a related seminar to a number of real projects and have gotten excellent results. I am not an IT person and was placed in charge of systems. The book helped me to plan and execute a huge IT project from scratch.I have 12 staff who were applications programmers of which 2 were analysts. I divided their tasks and attached them to users per the ideas in the book. The approach was applied to enhancements, new systems for tender evaluation and purchasing, and hardware. Per the methods of the book, all arising matters with management, vendors, and users were seen as issues and not as problems. By the team approach we were able to sack one person and reassign his roles. A 4 year project was finished in 2 years. Hardware and WAN were completed in two months. Right now we are planning a project to reach out to the remotest plantations that we own that is another 170 areas. We are using the book here as well. The key idea here is that the methods in this book are different and WORK.

IT projects are very different from standard projects. This books provides an in-depth approach to managing IT projects. It has some very good specific tips regarding risk analysis, the management critical path (as opposed to the critical path), the use of score cards for project evaluation, how to deal with issues, and how to use lessons learned and experience to get continuous improvement in project management. In addition, the book focuses on templates rather than the traditional work breakdown structure-so it is gives greater flexibility. Another novel approach is use of the team members in participating in project management. Overall, very useful and informative.

Our organization has reviewed over 50 books in IT and general project management from the view of usability and useful methods for a multiple project, complex environment. We found books like Schwabe and Menche somewhat useful, but very limited in dealing with the actual problems faced in projects. There was just too much introductory material. This book, on the other hand, is very useful in that it addresses problems such as scope creep, changing requirements, high management expectations, dealing with vendors and users, and other specific issues. It is also being translated into Chinese. This is the book you should get if you want to address problems in real projects and want specific guidelines.

My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!

In this story, Jack and Annie go to the beach and find a mini-submarine. They explore the ocean and learn about coral reefs. Coral reefs are made of skeletons of tiny sea creatures. Jack and Annie look out the big window of the submarine and see two dolphins. Annie names them Sukie and Sam. When they look at the submarine's computer, they find out that the submarine is cracked. They are being squeezed by an octopus. They start to swim to shore because of the cracks, but when they look back, they see a fin and think that it might be a shark. When they realize they are looking at the dolphins, they ride on the dolphins backs. The dolphins take them safely to shore and they go back home in the magic treehouse.

I liked this book a lot because it has a happy ending. I like dolphins and I wish I could ride on one like Jack and Annie. I recommend this book to kids who like dolphins and who like to read about magic. This book is also good because it teaches you about the coral reef. This is a great book to read during the summer. -by JG.

If anyone is looking for a good book, here's one!
Feel the detail spray into your mind with excitement.

This book is very, very exciting!

Enjoy!

Dolphins at Daybreak takes place at the Magic Treehouse, on an island and out at sea. Morgan le Fay, the master librarian, sends Jack and Annie to an island to look for three riddles. They go there in the Magic Treehouse. The first riddle they found was a pearl inside an oyster. Jack and Annie need to fins the riddles because they want to be master librarians like Morgan. A mini-submarine takes Jack and Annie to find the next riddle. It has cracks init and begins to leak.There are two dolphins nearby that save Jack and Annie from drowning. They also save them from a hungry shark. When they returned to the Treehouse, Jack and Annie found out that the Oyster was the correct riddle that they needed. Jack and Annie were on their way to becoming master librarians. I like the book !



This review is by Maryrose Wintroath

The magic tree house is back, and with it is Morgan le Fay. She has a quest for Jack and Annie, they must solve a strange riddle. And so, the two youngsters are off to a tropical island, where they learn about the sea and its aquatic life.

This book is the ninth in Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House series, and the first in a four-part mini-series. This is a fun book, richly illustrated, and teaching while at the same time entertaining. I think that this is a great book, and a fine addition to a great series. Give your young reader a treat, and get him or her this book!