Q Books

Earning my living from numismatics, I can't afford to miss reading just about any book from the field of numismatics. So, I set myself down for some boring reading since I just hate Morgan dollars. But I was engrossed. Mr Bowers is a capable author as well as a famous numismatist. The history of all U.S. dollars is covered in brief, and then the history of why the Morgan dollar was even minted in the first place. Continues with how the original dies were made and includes portions of letters and notes from the people actually involved. There's intrigue, double-crossing, mystery, and so forth -- all in a reference book about one particular coin. You'd just never expect it. Of course, the remainder of the book deals with minting the coins and then a blow-by-blow for each date and mint in the series.

The best information and historical reference of the Morgan series I have read in years!

As someone new to the world of numismatics (but interested in Morgans) I was a bit confused by all the varieties, mintmarks, etc. This book explained everything to me. The history is quite fascinating. I am looking forward to getting my first "CC". Overall, a very heplful and well written book.

This book gives a concise desription of both the historical development of Morgan Silver Dollars as well as pratical information in determining the highlights of each Morgan Silver Dollar according to the chronological year. The book is informative and descriptive in its interpretation of the Morgan Silver Dollar. Most important the reading isn't dry but keeps you intrigued, especially the historical data associated with the Morgan Silver Dollar Series. The book is well written and definitely an addition to any numismatic literary collection.

Cormier has always written wonderful characters. His books have always been invitations to walk with them through their personal torment. This is not a happy book, his books never are. You get a sense of strength having gone through the same tragedies as the main character. Its a warm embrace into a cold world.

Eleven-year-old Darcy Webster, caught between girlhood and adolescence during World War II, makes her first friend ever when she meets Kathleen Mary O'Hara, and their relationship blossoms until Kathleen Mary mysteriously disappears. At the same time, Darcy's father is reported missing in action. All this, plus Kathleen Mary's "baptizing" Darcy, brings her to a painful spiritual crisis.

Other Bells for Us to Ring is beautifully written but it raises many issues about God, miracles, growing up and alcoholism.

There are some beautiful passages where Cormier has blended words into a lovely picture.

It had wonderful characters. I felt like I was walking with Darcy through her personal tragedy. This is not a happy book, but I got a sense of strength feeling like I had gone through the same tragedies as the main character.

The most moving part in the entire story was when Darcy looked to an old nun, Sister Angela for help and wisdom, who explained the beauty of life and faith to her. I found this part amazing and extremely moving. I really got something out of it. Sister Angela's words were inspirational to me they really explained God to me. I knew who he was and everything. But I have never really understood things until I read what she said to Darcy.

I thought there would be a happy ending. I really did. It was happy at first, when I learned that Darcy's father was safe and sound, but in the next chapter when I learned what happened to Kathleen Mary, all my expectations came down with a great and glorious crash. It was powerful when John Francis showed up and gave Darcy the news. I thought that the giving of the doll gave me closure. It was a sad ending but yet it wasn't. It is quite hard to explain.

Overall this is a powerful book. It is truly exceptional.

As her father moves the family to an army town Darcy makes a new friend in an otherwise strange setting. She and Kathleen Mary become inseparable, best friends forever, and begin a journey of friendship that exposes Darcy to the Catholic faith. One day Kathleen Mary is gone and Darcy's father is missing in action. Darcy seeks out the help and wisdom of an old nun who explains the beauty of life and faith to her. As Darcy struggles with the loss of friend and father her newly discovered knowledge helps her through. This is a beautifully written story, one that is probably best suited for ages 11 and up. There are some beautiful passages where Cormier has blended words and imagery into a lovely picture.

I am not religious and I'd rather stay away from religion. When I read the back of 'Other Bells for Us to Ring' I thought: oh know, a sappy religious novel. But I read it anyway, because I trusted Robert Cormier not to disappoint me with a sappy religious novel. Religious it was, sappy it was not! I've never been particularly interested in Catholicism and never knew much about it, but I learned a lot from this book and feel all the better doing so. Both Darcy and Kathleen Mary O'Hara are exceedingly likeable characters, particularly Kathleen Mary, who was in my eyes a younger version of Amy Hertz from Robert Cormier's novel 'I am the Cheese.' I thought there would be a happy ending. I really did. It was happy at first, when I learned that Darcy's father was safe and sound, but in the next chapter when I learned what happened to Kathleen Mary, all my expectations came down with a great and glorious crash. My father, when he saw me weeping, muttered about an 'adolescent mood swing.' I just kept sobbing. Why do good people have to die? Why?

Although I am not an expert, I am a scholar, and I found this book of poems by Sappho who lived in 700 BC Greece a pleasure to read. I liked the design and layout, and the translation is geared to today's readers.

This polished translation brilliantly reflects those spare but sparkling lines from the winsome poet of a lonely isle and heart. I find it still superb after many readings. Highly recommended.

"To Eros: You crush me." The tenderness and splendor of Sappho's poetry has never been so lusciously rendered as in this translation. Every little word sings with love and warmth. Thank you, Willis Barnstone, for omitting the cumbersone ellipses and brackets of translations past. Now we can enjoy Sappho's passion undisturbed.

More or less 150 years after Homer's Iliad, Sappho lived on the island of Lesbos west off the coast what is present Turkey. (Due to political upheavel she went two times in exile, the second time to Sicily for a short time ).

Sappho takes a special place among the poets of Antiquity. She was already famous in her own time. Plato said that she was the tenth Muse and someone called her poetry " as refreshing as a morning breeze ". Her poems are vivid and she needs only a few words to describe essential human feelings. She calls solitude for instance " this icy numbness of being alone ".
( Nice to know: from Sappho's poems remain about 500 lines. All Tragedies by Aeschylus have a total of 8144 lines. Conclusion: What's left of Sappho's poems is next to nothing. )

" Wedding of Andromache " is one of the most vivid descriptions in the poetry of Antiquity. It gives an almost journalistic account of the homecoming of Hector and Andromache. A fragment of Barnstone's translation:
" ...
and all set out for Troy
in a confusion of sweet-voiced flutes, citharas,
and small crashing cymbals
and young girls sang a loud heavenly song
..."

Sappho excels also in describing landscapes and nature ( something you don't find often in Ancient literature ). A fragment of " Aphrodite of the flowers ",
"...
Here ice water babbles through the apple branches
and roses leave shadow on the ground
..."

This translation was published in 1998 but as a work of art in itself, it's by no means outdated.

A fantastic book! It was published just as I had finished collecting all the journal articles I could find on statistical intervals. (Years ago, Meeker told me that he and Gerry were thinking of writing a second edition, but apparently it didn't happen.) I did find an error: On p.131, expression 7.7, the first inequality is incorrect. I believe that it should read m/(y+1)>= (n|x)F... for the lower bound.

There is FREE software for calculating some of these intervals. See the index page http://www.public.iastate.edu/~wqmeeker/StInt/

My one disappointment about the book is that it omits some equations/algorithms for estimating some statistical intervals, offering instead graphs and tables. In these cases, if one wishes to extend or modify a result, one must either find the original source article or derive the missing equations/algorithms oneself, using the tables and graphs to check one's work.

Finally, note that for many intervals, use of results based on an assumption of normality (or other underlying distribution) will yield poorer estimates (less tight statistical bound estimates) than will the use of distribution-free methods. This is true even if one's data appears to be normally distributed and tests for non-normality do not reject the normality assumption.

-Stephen B. Cohen, Ph.D.

Gerald Hahn has spent many years in industry working for the General Electric Company. He and Bill Meeker have written this very unique book that provides an up-to-date treatment of statistical methods for interval estimation.
In most introductory courses students are taught about statistical confidence intervals. However, there are many other types of statistical intervals that are appropriate for particular applications. Most students, particularly engineering students, only learn about confidence intervals and hence they apply them whenever they need a statistical interval. But often they are wrong because the problem really calls for a prediction interval or a tolerance interval. This circumstance is what motivated these authors to write this book.

The techniques are standard and are covered in other statistical texts. However, this is the only book with statistical intervals as its theme. It provides the methods and the context for using the various intervals and more importantly makes the distinctions that help the students overcome possible confusion. This is an excellent practical reference. Its many tables make it a great reference book. On many occasions I have needed Gaussian tolerance intervals or sometimes nonparametric tolerance intervals. I go to the tables in this book first. It also includes some discussion of bootstrap confidence intervals and other asymptotic approaches in Chapter 12 where Bayesian intervals are also introduced. Chapter 13 concentrates on 9 case studies and the appropriate intervals to be used in each case. Other practical issues such as determining the sample size requirements for precise statistical intervals are also discussed in various chapters.

Gerald Hahn has spent many years in industry working for the General Electric Company. He and Bill Meeker have written this very unique book that provides an up-to-date treatment of statistical methods for interval estimation.

In most introductory courses students are taught about statistical confidence intervals. However, there are many other types of statistical intervals that are appropriate for particular applications. Most students, particularly engineering students, only learn about confidence intervals and hence they apply them whenever they need a statistical interval. But often they are wrong because the problem really calls for a prediction interval or a tolerance interval. This circumstance is what motivated these authors to write this book.

The techniques are standard and are covered in other statistical texts. However, this is the only book with statistical intervals as its theme. It provides the methods and the context for using the various intervals and more importantly makes the distinctions that help the students overcome possible confusion. This is an excellent practical reference. Its many tables make it a great reference book. On many occasions I have needed Gaussian tolerance intervals or sometimes nonparametric tolerance intervals. I go to the tables in this book first. It also includes some discussion of bootstrap confidence intervals and other asymptotic approaches in Chapter 12 where Bayesian intervals are also introduced. Chapter 13 concentrates on 9 case studies and the appropriate intervals to be used in each case. Other practical issues such as determining the sample size requirements for precise statistical intervals are also discussed in various chapters.

"Statistical Intervals" has for years been a valuable tool in my professional work, which focuses on environmental statistics. Hahn & Meeker's discussion of how to interpret various intervals--confidence, tolerance, prediction--first opened my eyes to the ubiquity and utility of these techniques. I since have found it worthwhile to have a working knowledge of them all; that would scarcely have been possible without having such a handy reference.

The tables are getting dog-eared and gray from use, especially A-12 (factors for computing Normal distribution one-sided tolerance bounds), in testimony to the frequency I refer to them. The book also contains extensive graphics for estimating intervals and for determining sample sizes: these typically obviate any need to refer to tables or do the computations. There are some neat formulas, clearly described, that one can easily implement in a spreadsheet. These all appear in other texts and journal articles, but having them all in one place, well organized, makes them particularly worthwhile.

This is, indeed, a reference: a statistical "cookbook" if you will (intended in a positive sense, not perjoratively!). This means you will find little theoretical justification for any of the material. For each technique expect to find a clear definition, lucid descriptions, discussions of how to use any supporting formulas, graphs, or tables, all followed by a clear worked example. Of course there's an extensive bibliography if your theoretical curiosity is piqued.

One common technique you will not find (although it is mentioned and references provided) is computing statistical intervals for linear regression analysis. This subject, however, is covered well in other books (such as Draper and Smith's Applied Regression Analysis), so the omission does no harm and helps keep the book to a manageable 400 pages or so.

There are some obscure applications you will not find, in part because they were only under development at the time this book was written. For instance, there is a specialized (but widely applied) theory of "k best of m" prediction limits that is used in groundwater monitoring. For such specialized applications you will have to go elsewhere (such as Robert Gibbons' book on "Statistical Methods for Groundwater Monitoring"). Nevertheless, Hahn and Meeker do a very good job of covering the most widely used applications of statistical intervals.

I do not recollect ever finding a mathematical error or even a typographical error. Over the years I have also checked, and completely verified, the entries in several of the key tables. All in all, this book is remarkably clean and error free.

(This review is based on the 1991 edition; I do not know whether there have been further editions.)

I was in first grade in the late 80's and we were doing a unit on the nutcracker. We went to go see the play and did a lot of music, art and english activities related to it. I was enjoying it so much that my mom bought me a copy of this book, same cover and all. I really loved the illustrations in it, from the christmas decorations to the land of sweets to all the snow. I've misplaced my copy but if I ever do find it it's a keeper!

Although many versions of the ballet call the girl Clara, she is called Marie Stahlbaum in the original E.T.A. Hoffmann story and in some versions of the ballet. This retelling is lovely. The name "Marie" is not incorrect; it just refers back to an earlier version of the story.

In reference to the next review, Marie and Clara are not the same character. Marie is the little girl, and Clara is her doll.

This book is beautifully illustrated and the story is an abreviated version of the origional which is nice for young children. My only complaint is that the character "Clara" is called "Marie" which is very confusing to children (and adults).

Written by youth and adult leadership trainer Debra J. Slover, U.N.I.Q.U.E: Growing the Leader Within is a self-help guide to cultivating purpose, aim, and leadership skills within oneself. Chapters discuss how to balance the four key behavioral attributes a leader needs (visualization, organization, harmonization, and energization), how to practice and attain the key traits needed for leadership, tips, tricks, and techniques for expressing the voice of the leader spirit within, and much more. Accessible to readers of all ages and backgrounds, and drawing upon vignettes and the occasional gardening metaphor to illustrate its point, U.N.I.Q.U.E. is an excellent heart, mind, and spirit self-help guide, whether preparing to lead a business, a sports team, a coalition, a few friends, or simply oneself.

What a fantastic experience to read and feel. With the multitude of books out there with themes that touch the soul, this book clearly stands above the rest. As I read the book, I found myself touched but the hidden lessons all thought this beautiful 147 page experience. U.N.I.Q.U.E. Growing the Leader Within does not only transport you to a simpler time in your life by placing you within the pages, but I found that for myself, that it re-stimulated a part of the soul where learning and remembering was easy and not clouded by everyday pressures. To me that is the natural way to learn, and the natural progression into your Leader within.

The main character Huge represents a part of all of us that transfigures the beginning of everyday thought, every experience and every endeavor. You cannot begin anything without starting at Hugh! This book by the author Debra J. Slover, reminded me where I have been and where I will be going. The journey is never ending but full of light. That is what this book is for me. Pure light.

My mom gave me a copy of U.N.I.Q.U.E. when it was first coming onto the market. Leadership Studies are an area of research for me and I am also an avid gardener, so she felt the metaphor of a Leadership Garden was a natural fit. She was right in many ways. After getting into the book, I realized there may be some potential for use in a leadership class. Along same time, my church was proposing a Community Garden to grow produce for the local food bank. Likewise, the university where I am getting my doctorate from and where I instruct was interested in enhancing Service Learning opportunities. A class was soon born using this book as a text that provides a focused journaling exercise for the students. This is coupled with coursework in global food issues such as water scarcity, climate change, Genetically Modified foods, and other topics. These are matched with exposure to local activists in each of these areas like organic farmers, farmer's market associations, and hunger activists. It seeks to make the "think globally, act locally" notion in a very real way with the personal empowerment to make a difference. I highly recommend Debra's book because of its readability and its multiple applications both within and outside the classroom.

Can a lost sheep really become a leader? Why, yes! Of course! We all can!

At first, I thought the book was going to be just another tired lesson plan for finding your way in the world: but Deborah J. Slover's book, U.N.I.Q.U.E.: Growing the Leader Within, goes beyond the traditional self help doctrines to actively explain the ideas behind cultivating an individual leadership spirit.

Funny as it may seem, I followed Hugh the wayward sheep through the book's incredible Leadership Farm Fable where we learned the essential principles and behaviors needed to cultivate our leader spirit through a tour of the metaphorical Leadership Garden.

The first time I read the book I glossed over the actual exercises provided at the end of Hugh's stops on the Leadership Farm tour. But I was drawn by the author's honesty and compassion and by the intricate, beautiful illustrations that adorn the Fable. I reached for the book again and again. Each time I sat down to examine the Fable I found new depth in the story as well as in the author's commentary and soon found myself sitting at the kitchen table carefully completing each lesson. There I was, enthusiastically weeding out my negative tendencies and planting the positive behaviors needed to lead a more fulfilling life.

My absolute favorite concept presented by Deborah J. Slover is that Hugh and I and anyone else can develop into a leader that does not require commanding a following. Good leadership, the type taught in the lessons, allows everyone to become a great leader of their own lives with a unique purpose, aim and love: a type of leadership that means a workable, imaginative co-existence where everyone is a leader.

After reading the book, I imagined all sorts of people using the book to replace counter productive, self-victimization with new direction. I especially could visualize people in positions of authority using the book to understand how their role could be more empowering that overpowering.

I recommend the book to individuals looking for a private experience for self emancipation and to all types of groups looking for common instruction on developing a thriving, cooperative mission.

It is clear that the author of this clever book has loads of experience with young school aged children. The rhymes are clever and not forced and the illustrations complement them well. This was a big hit with our nieces and nephews this holiday season.

This delightful little story teaches letter concepts in a cute way. My two year old made me read it three times in a row and bedtime was the only thing that held her back from more. She loved the rhyming words and enjoyed pointing to all of the QU words and having me read them aloud. The Wedding of Q and U is a great addition to a child's library.

My daughter is not quite two and already loves learning about Q and U thanks to this book. She is used to board books with only one or two sentences per page and generally doesn't have the patience to sit through longer paragraphs - this book is an exception. It must be the catchy iambic pentameter and the cute illustrations. I also like how the illustrations are framed like photos in a wedding album. Very cute.

This book is the perfect gift for Valentine's Day for the young reader or your child's teacher. We always perform the wedding and then have our Valentine's party as the reception. Children aren't invited to weddings as frequently as they once were so it is really fun for them to act it out and learn the phonetic concept at the same time.

This book is great....and sporatically go over through it again and again taking the quizzes to see how i have changed since the last time i took them.

It had 6 different sections. the first section is called all about guys, love, & dating. The second one is called all about friendship. The third one is all about the inner you. The fourth is all about the outer you. The fifth is all about school and the sixth is all about your family and home.

Titles of some select quizzes are 'Are you fun to hang out with?'; 'What's your body type?'; 'What's your guy type?'; 'What does your locker say about you?' and lots, lots more....

I recommend this book to teenagers everywhere who have a little spare time. It's also something fun to do with friends.

Are you a quiz fanatic. Do you love taking quizes out of magazines, books, etc. Well if you are then this book is for you. If you think you know yourself really well then think again. There are ton of quizes to help reveal who you really are. And you don't just have to take quizes on yourself you can also quiz your friends and family; and learn more about them. In this book there are more than 25 cool quizes on a bunch of varied subjects.There are six different chapters/sections on different subjects. Here are the 6 different chapters/sections
*all about guys,love & dating
*all about friendship
*all about the inner you
*all about the outer you
*all about school
*all about your family and home
Well those are the six different chapters/sections. They all have great quizes. You can really learn more about yourself. By the way this is book would be for a girl.

I love it!! It has a bunch of quizzes. Its not the same old boring ones you see all the time in magazines. It has more than that! It has more than you think. Its not just quizzes on guys. It also has quizzes on family, friends, and other things. It is so much fun to read! I couldn't put it down. Quiz yourself and your friends.

I loved it! The quizzes are cool and fresh, not like the same ones you see again and again in the magazines. I couldn't put it down! Beth Mayall is brilliant!

I heard these guys on the radio and saw them on TV talking about this book and they seemed real interesting and knowledgeable about music. The book proves it. It's full of tons of trivia questions about hiphop and r&b, but the best part is the funny and informative lists they have, like Top 5 Posse Records and Top 5 Blue-Eyed Soul records. I don't agree with their choice for the best Duet ("The Closer I Get To You" by Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack). I would have picked Donny and Roberta's "I Who Have Nothing". But anyway they got some good choices all over the book. You'll enjoy this book if you love music and you love trivia. It's like a hiphop version of "Jeopardy."

This book is an awesome example of fun and education working in tangient. I would highly recommend What's Your Hi-Fi Q ? for summer outings as well as a tool for black music education. Scott and Smokey has done a phenomenal job in using their expertise of black music to create an outstanding product. It's definitely a book I would want to have if I were even remotely interested in black music history.

I always enjoy Books as these they are fun for cook-Outs&things where you can ask questions&things on different Musical Artists.it covers a Wide Range.it truly has a Family Affari Vibe at how it covers so many different time periods but yet combines&brings them as one.

I love trivia books, especially whent he authors actually know more than I do about the subject area. Scott and Smokey are journalists and music lovers. I used the book at a BBQ I had and everyone from my niece to my mother-in-law got into the action. People were singing hooks to remember answers and recalling where they were when a specific song was playing. I think I have found a great Christmas gift too! I can't wait until the second edition comes out. Where's the boardgame?

This is a fun read-a-long book for use with the very young. The pictures are bright, the text is simple. Baby Bop has lost her shoes and goes through the normal search any child would through the house to find them. The little ones enjoy this one and that is what is most important in a child's book. Recommend this one highly.

This is a super cute book. In this book Baby Bop looses her shoes. She trys getting the cat to help her look for them, but the cat kept finding the wrong shoes. I think this is adorable because of the kinds of shoes they find for her.

This was my first real lesson in children's books. I was picking the hip, educational books that I thought that I should pick for my young toddler. But she was drawn to different books. She loved the repetitive nature of "Where Are My Shoes?". She asked for it over and over again for a couple of months. It was the first book that she "read" to me. And, of course, she was drawn to those Barney characters (Baby Bop) who were featured in it. I've learned my lesson -- now I pick books that appeal to her. After all, the idea is to foster a love of books.

I loved this book and truly enjoyed reading it to my grandchildren. Baby Bop cannot find her shoes!
She goes through the house looking for them and trying on many different pairs, from high heels to cowboy boots. Does she find her shoes?
The illustrations are colorful and the pictures large bringing the story truly to life.
It is simple reading and also teaches young children about different shoes. A really fun book for young and old to share.
Shirley Johnson