Guides Books

What was refreshing about this book is the fact that the past tense is immediately introduced. Think about it, how many times do you tell people what you did a day ago, an hour ago, etc? The answer is - often.

In my high school Spanish class I took more than a decade ago, it was unfortunately anchored by slower/uninterested students. We never even got to the past tense. I was stuck in the present with no past and future!

Not anymore!

This book will make one the master of the preterite as well as the present. What I can understand and speak has multiplied tremendously. What I wish this book delved into a bit more is the subjunctive tense. It seemed merely touched upon. Also I really loved doing the exercises. When I was confused about a concept, the exercises would finally make things clear for me. The last two chapters have no exercises, it's only reading. I wish at least an exercise or two appeared in order to cement the rest of the concepts home.

Despite that, this book is wonderful for people like me who need to refresh their high school Spanish and would be great for beginners who wish to have a try at different verb tenses immediately.

My hint- DON'T SKIP ANY OF THE EXERCISES!

Make no mistake, you won't be fluent. But you will have a great Spanish foundation to build upon after finising this book. I ditto what others have said about also getting resources to go along with this book. I found the Michel Thomas Method to be an excellent accompaniment and found his explanations for the preterite as opposed to the imperfect are very similar. He will slam dunk the grammar into your brain without you realizing it!

Also I just started listening to Learning Spanish like Crazy based on recommendations. After doing the book and MT, I feel pretty advanced right now(I am just starting at the beginning so that may change as I progress). But for pronunciation practice it can't be beat!

Also Madrigal's book See it and Say it in Spanish is also a great little book you can use. Small enough to carry around everywhere!

A great improvement to this book would be audio! Publishers are you listening? Still a great learning tool without it. This book was published, I think in the 60's?? It still holds up to this day!

I know the book well enough and it has a good reputation as a Spanish primer. However, the printer should take care of his work. The last copy I received was missing the first 16 pages and had to be sent back to Amazon.

A must have for anyone wanting to learn the Spanish language! It is as the title says, "a creative and proven approach"!

OK, it's not perfect. It is, however, a good book, better than most textbooks, and way, way ahead of Berlitz, for learning Spanish. Most Americans think they can learn a language in like 2-3 weeks. This is not so. It takes consistent practice to learn a language. This book supports that rather well. I'm sure the author is long gone, however, the book lives on. It is cited in The Next Whole Earth Catalog, by way, which is why I got my first copy of it.

This is an excellent book. Its approach to teaching a language is unique in that it gives fourteen patterns of Spanish words relating to English words. Rather than learning one word at a time, I can learn 50 - 100 words. I don't even have to learn individual words. I just have to remember the pattern, e.g. words ending in "ity" in English usually end in "idad" in Spanish. I also have been able to apply some of these patterns to other Latin-based languages such as French and Italian. This has been a great help to me since I sometimes do research work in Europe. Thank you for making this book available to us at such a reasonable price.

I love this book! it has all the positions you can think of, and different ways of doing each one to make them easier or more advanced. I loved how it showed the guy in the book doing yoga poses on cliffs and stuff. It was inspirational (although i won't be doing that anytime soon!) It came in great condition, and quickly.

This book is an excellent way to explore each of the postures of Ashtanga yoga. It has foundational information about the basics such as breath, followed by each posture with variations, and guides for the standing, sitting, and closing sequences. It is a perfect gift for someone beginning a personal yoga practice or for the student looking to move on to second series postures.

It's an amazing book which is also very very user-friendly. Besides clear explanations of all the terminology such as "Ashtanga", "Bandhas" and so on, it's equipped with a spiral binding and a hard cover so that you could read/ watch it by practice the movements. In addition, it will teach a series movements instead of separate movements (like some Yoga books do) so that you could have an idea of the whole "flow" of the movements. It's very useful and practical. I would strongly recommend this book to whoever wants to learn this amazing Ashtanga Yoga.

Ashtanga, even the primary series, is not great for beginners. But if you're an experienced yogi of any type, this book is fabulous.

Excellent book with pictures of poses for ashtanga yoga. Great detail including variations of poses.

By Carlo Gabbi Author of An Amazing Story

The book, Self Publishing Simplified is the most powerful tool for any aspiring authors desiring an innovative breakthrough in their writing career.

The book covers in a simple way all the elements of self publishing in an affordable way, offered by Outskirts Press.

To publish my novel, "An Amazing Story" i used the services of Outskirts Press, and I have nothing but praises for the wonderful service I received from them. I reccomend this book to any new writer, interested in self publishing. A copy of a "Self-Publishing Simplified" published by Outskirts Press is a garantee of succes and from Outskirts you will receive the best service before, during and after publication of your book.

Carlo Gabbi Author of "An Amazing Story"

Great book. I was able to publish my book with the information contained within the pages of this book. Stop dreaming and become a published author now. i did after reading Sel Publishing. Check out my workThe Angry Black Man's Guide to Success: And the Women that Help Them

If you contact OP and express interest in publishing your book, they will send you a copy of this book. SPS (Self-Publishing Simplified) lays out several detailed plans for publishing your book. OP gives you the freedom to customize your publishing pacage so that you get everything you want in your book and nothing else. If you have any doubts about self-publishing, this book will clear those doubts for sure. I think I speak for every OP author when I say that this book, and Outskirts Press, has changed my life.


Jeremy Barandela
Author of United We Stand
(Dawn of Darkness - coming soon!)

Self-Publishing Simplified was a huge help to me when I was trying to get my book, Tonto Yoder, Western Scout published. I would recommend this book to any beginning author.
F. L. Fear
Published Author

I tried standard publishing, with the querry letters and chapter samples. I got rejection letter after rejection letter, mostly because I did not have the credentials the publishing industry was looking for. It seems that you have to have already been published to get published. Outskirst press made the process so easy that even someone like me, with no experience, could get my book published and marketed within weeks. This left me free to get my book, "Joy for the Troubled Heart," into the hands of those that really needede my help. Terri Cruze, author

Wise Child, a spoiled girl orphaned by the death of her grandmother and abandoned by her gorgeous and powerful witch mother, is taken in by the village witch and healer, Juniper. Wise Child quickly overcomes her fears and--despite the hard work--becomes Juniper's protégé. Wise Child is stuck between the pull of the easy life with her powerful mother and the love and satisfaction of life with Juniper. This simple and magical tale is powerful because of the beautiful prose and the well-drawn and fascinating characters. Wise Child's voice is clear and powerful. Grade: A-

Wise Child was one of my favorite books growing up. It is a simple, but powerful story that is really enjoyable for young adults and regular old adults. The characters are very unique and compelling. Monica Furlong has a great writing style that is enjoyable in itself.

Furlong's novel, set in medieval Scotland, is a hidden jewel, well-written and extremely descriptive. Wise Child's narration, though perhaps a little mature for her age, is believable and poignant, and the novel proceeds well from one event to the next. The author's portrayal of magic is unique and genuine, and historical details add credibility to the novel. I would definitely recommend this likable novel for all ages; 10/10.

There aren't any good books anymore; that's what I thought before Wise Child. This is my favorite book, it is so detailed that I could see the village and the white house in my mind.
The book starts off excellent; explaining what is going on.
It gets a tad slow at the very end, but I don't mind.
The cover is so beautiful as well; because you can see Junipers kindness right there.
Wise Child is great and I reccomend it for anyone!!!!!

One of my favorite books from my childhood and still a joy to reread, Wise Child is the story of one magical child's coming of age. Spoiled but abandoned at a young age, Wise Child is taken in my a woman named Juniper. Juniper lives apart from the small, poor Christian village that Wise Child comes from, and she is a fair but tough mentor, making Wise Child work hard and learn much. In her house on a hill, Juniper teaches Wise Child languages, math, and astronomy, how to grow, harvest, and use herbs, and how to heal the sick in the village below. Slowly, Juniper begins to initiate Wise Child into the way of a doran, a class of magical women who live in the rhythm of nature and use their magic to help those around them. Wise Child's powers blossom, but dark shadows hang over her peaceful life with Juniper: her beautiful, powerful, dangerous mother calls to her from afar, and the close-minded town threatens their safety up on the hill. The book is a magical story of the hard work of coming of age and the love and power than can result from it. Wise Child must find confidence in herself, faith in her future and her powers, and love for her others in order to grow, creating a life-affirming, strong, true message. Furlong's writing style is smooth, her characters are easy to identity with and to love, and the magic in her story is both realistic and exciting. I highly recommend this book to readers of all age groups, and I love coming back to it myself.

The best thing that a coming of age story can do is show us not only the trails and tribulations of adolescence but also the good things about it and the wonders that we reap from it. This book does exactly that. In Juniper's house, Wise Child works hard, learns to do things she doesn't necessarily want to do, and is tested, but her abilities and successes are also celebrated. Juniper is perhaps the idea parent-figure: she coaches, supports, loves, but also forces Wise Child to be strong and stand on her own two feet. As such, Wise Child's story is easy to identify with but also uplifting and promising--the reader comes away knowing that they are not alone in their difficulties, but also that there is something to be gained from it all. The balance between sacrifice and gain is perfect, making this a wonderful read for adolescents and the still-maturing of all age.

Not only is the basis of the story a strong one, the actual aspects of it, including characterization, writing style, and details such as the role of magic are all incredibly well done. Juniper is a mysterious, open-hearted, independent woman, a real role model and inspiring character. Wise Child is realistically selfish and doubtful, but also shows realistic growth and strength that the reader can imitate. Wise Child's POV is in character without being limited, aggravating, or immature, and the overall writing style is smooth, clean, and incredibly fluid and easy to read. The role of magic in the story is well thought out: Furlong makes it quite clear, through Juniper, that there are different realms of what it means to be "real," and her conception of magic manages to make sense in the visible world while still containing enough fantasy and originality to sweep the reader away. Truly this is a skillful book, perhaps the most skillful that Furlong as written. In holds up well when reread and works well for any audience.

I highly recommend Wise Child. To the adolescent, it is a story they can identify with and be inspired by; to those chronically out of adolescence, it is a way to look back and reassess our own journeys, and also a reminder than learning, maturity, and increasing strength is a never ending, never easy, entirely worthwhile journey. The book is a quick read, engrossing, and enjoyable. I'm happy to own it and return to reread it every year or two.

Bought this as a gift for my 9yr. old son.
This is a great book for the Star Wars fanatic.

I like this item very much. My husband is a Star Wars fan and I got this book for him. I ordered this book and within a week I received it.

Got it as birthday present for my 5 year old. We all love it. He pours through the photos by himself, we read it together. I am learning all sorts of details (and they are plenty) about all the star wars characters. Who knew! This book could be the movie prop person's notebook/bible it is so complete and thorough.

The only drawback is my son finds the picture of darth sith too scary and we have to rush past that page. Oh well. Get it, great price, worth every penny.

WOW!!! This is the perfect book for anyone interested in knowing their stuff in the Star Wars world. Every character is represented according to chapter so some characters are represented more than once. Anakin is shown as a child in Episode I but is shown older in the next episode, etc. The book is divided by Episodes. Information on star ships, Tie Fighters, Light Sabres and more are also included in this book along with photos for each and every reference. This book is not only for children but adults can learn a thing or two from its contents.

This is a beautifully put-together and remarkably detailed book for hard-core fans of the STAR WARS films. Purporting to be a dictionary, it is really more of a picture guide to the characters, monsters, gadgets and weaponry featured in all six episodes of the series. It also provides a small amount of character backstory not mentioned, or only hinted at, in the movies, but almost completely ignores developments in the "expanded universe", which was fine with me since I personally have little interest in it.

It is organized in chronological order, with one chapter each for each SW episode, beginning with EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE and ending with EPISODE VI: RETURN OF THE JEDI. Each chapter is a self-contained unit, so there are multiple entries and bios for recurring characters like Palpatine, Count Dooku and, Obi-Wan Kenobi and of course, Darth Vader, each one dealing with the character at that particular stage of his life. However, single-movie characters like General Grievous also get their just due. Accoutrements and weapons are explored in equal detail, for example, the lightsaber, the Jedi fighter, the AT-AT walker, etc. In adidtion, there is a great deal of information about stormtroopers (Republican and Imperial) and the battle droids of the Confederation of Independent Systems.

The DICTIONARY is gorgeous but not perfect. The book is of the coffee-table variety, meaning it is too large for the standard bookshelf, and fans of the original series will be annoyed by the fact that the chapters dealing with the original three movies are given short shrift compared to the prequels - the entries for MENACE, CLONES and SITH are twice the length of those for A NEW HOPE, EMPIRE and JEDI. Aside from that, however, the book is enjoyable and probably a must-have for fans.

This Photo book is great for advance reader it gives us many up to date features(Tips) for shooting under various conditions, digital photography has arrived and you can learn on the spot, instead of waiting after your develops return........Thanks......NA

Great book, well documented an illustrated. I recommend this book for beginners and intermediate digital photogs.

Just got this book this afternoon and have already read most of it and skimmed through all of it. It is very informative and well written. TONS of pictures showing examples of different techniques used. Overall a great basic book you can always refer to when you need some extra help. I like that it doesn't go too much into Photoshop. I try to take good photos that don't need to be manipulated later and I have no idea how to use my Photoshop anyway...so this is a great book for me! It will explain all you need to know to start taking some great pictures that are more than just snapshots for the photo album.

This is the kind of book that can help someone learn photography without the help of a camera.

Ofcourse if you have a camera then you're in for a much better ride then I was, but to understand the logic behind exposure, shutter speed, aperture and ISO just reading will do fine.

One other great thing about the book is that you are given assignments to see if you can do what the book tells you. So right there you need a camera. I dont have a camera yet...I wanted to see if I can understand photography before buying a camera and boy did this book do well!

All I can say about the book is "get it!"

I researched many books here on Amazon and with the reviews I had read decided to buy this one.
I am so very pleased with it that I have also recommended it to other photographers. It is in language anyone can understand and the way it flows from each subject to the next is very smooth.
I did the lessons and learned many things and understood even better things I thought I had a good grasp on.
This is a perfect addition to any photographer's tool kit.

I must say this is one of the most light-hearted, hilarious books I have ever read. The story is of a world that one really may not get to see these days.. Go ahead and buy it..

In todays day and age of Steve Erwin and Jeff Corbin who go around hunting for animals, it is easy to forget where it all started. With people like Gerald, and the London zoo. In this book, he collects animals, deals with his demented siblings and his long suffering mother who has to raise four kids and fend off the advances of a really persistent Colonel who gets increasingly vulgar and `grabby' when he drinks. This is a rare story that combines a humorous story with humorous writing and I once caused passengers in a flight to turn around and give me strange looks, so hard was I laughing.

My Family and Other Animals is a bare-bones story in terms of plot. The Durrell family goes to Corfu, lives through what could be termed as a soap opera, and leaves. It's humourous, but not particularly challenging.

However, the older Gerald Durrell utilises vivid vocabulary over and over when describing the setting and people of Corfu. Fifteen-letter words that paint a crystalline picture are used frequently, relieving the never-ending roller coaster that is the life of the Durrells.

Overall, this is a highly entertaining book that will keep you engaged for the week or so that you will spend reading it every spare second you have.

Gerald Durrell was not only a naturalist and a gifted writer about his beloved animals, but a loving brother and son whose descriptions of his family and their foibles will keep you laughing all the way through. This is one of those books which I've reread so many times I've lost count, and which I've given to many friends who needed cheering up. Always works, too!

This book is absolutely, brilliantly funny. The wit and unique characterizations are woven with great descriptions of the animals and plants of Corfu. That Durrell can hold the attention of readers who have no interest in biology simply demonstrates what a fine work this is. Gerald's depiction of a larger-than-life expatriate family on a larger-than-life Greek island is a tremendous celebration of life. The variety of different Greek characters parading through this book rivals the variety of Corfu's flora and fauna. Absolute great read!

This is a must have in practice! The NP that I was practicing with during my clinical rotation actually told me to get this and he was correct, you have everything you need in one book!

I am a pharmacist and carry this book with me everywhere. It is small enough to fit in my purse and it can answer questions on dosing, indications, and much more. It is definitely a lot faster to use than the slow computers at the pharmacy!

I use this pocket guide more often than I use my palm pilot for drug doses. My lab coat is not complete without this book. Even when I am on call, I make sure I have one of my multiple copies at bedside so I can look up meds in the middle of the night. Also, I am a preceptor for PA students, and I recommend each and every one of them purchase some version of this guide (and most of them do).

A fast, keep in your shirt pocket reference for drug name, dosing, available dosing sizes, route of clearance and safety in pregnancy or lactation. It is tiny - a centimeter thick and shirt pocket dimensioned. Really great when a patient comes in with some oddball psych med, is found to be pregnant or you get a braincramp somewhere around your thirtieth patient of the day. I use this little gem regularly.

It's great IF the ONLY info you need is dosing information. If you need more information like SIDE EFFECTS, METHOD OF ACTION, etc, 'Clinician's Pocket Drug Reference' from Scut Monkey is far more useful/helpful. At least it was (and is) to me during med school and now in residency.

How I missed this classic growing up, I'll never know. But my son has discovered the Ramona books, and they are wonderful and very true to life. Ramona's thought-processes and antics are so real, I now know that my son has been behaving like a normal kid! Cleary is so accurate in rendering the child's perspective and writing about it in a way that young children can identify with, that this book can't fail to appeal to everyone, now and for years to come. It hasn't dated, and the humor holds up well. Don't miss this series--your little reader will be eager to pick up the entire series.

Although it was first published in the 1960s, "Ramona The Pest" still speaks to the lives of children today, as a five-year old Ramona Quimby enters the world of "big kids" and goes off to kindergarten. Funny, heartfelt and honest, this book centers on Ramona's eagerness to please her new teacher, Miss Binney, and the difficulties of a headstrong little girl trying to mind her temper and get along with other kids in a complex social situation. This was the first solo Ramona book (Henry Huggins and Ramona's older sister Beezus make appearances, but they are not central to the story) and was the start of a series of Ramonacentric adventures. It includes some classic Cleary gags, such as Ramona getting the words to the "Star Spangled Banner" wrong ("by the dawnzer lee light...") and Ramona's brief career as a "kindergarten dropout". Great stuff - still holds up today. (ReadThatAgain children's book reviews)

I really loved this book. It was a lot of fun to read! It is great for kids of all ages, as it can remind everyone of their struggles as an elementary student.

Five-year-old Ramona Quimby is tired of being called a pest. It's not her fault she doesn't know as much as her big sister Beezus, or that she's always so eager to get things done, is it?

This year, Ramona is finally starting kindergarten. After what felt like years of waiting, she's excited at the idea of learning to read and write like Beezus.

But kindergarten is full of its own problems. As much as Ramona loves her teacher, she isn't always sure that Miss Binney loves her back -- or what she's done to make her unhappy. Ramona also quibbles with Howie, a neighborhood boy who alternates between being her friend and being so exasperating he makes her furious; longs to pull the curls of her classmate Susan, and to kiss shy little Davy.

As always, Ramona is a believable character, likeable and just like any other child readers might hope to meet. After becoming introduced to Ramona, young readers will clamor for the other books, eager to find out what happens to the irrepressible girl next.

Beverly Clearly is one of those rare children's authors who knows how to see the world through the eyes of her characters. There's a reason for all those rave reviews from readers over the years.

Ramona the Pest provides an opportunity for the child in your life to see how Romana's world is much like his own, and learn from Ramona as she makes mistakes.

Ramona the Pest is certain to be a favorite of yours, as well.

I think that this book can be very helpful to any writer that wants to sell his/her book. I am using several of the ideas that I recieved in the book to sell my book 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques and collectibles. it has increased my sales. Daryle

I've never read a more informative book. It not only points out what you should do to promote, it actually gives you the tools to do it. Both phone numbers and websites that will really help you. It is the first self help book that doesn't tell you what it is going to tell you, IT JUST TELLS YOU. How novel. It will take me weeks to implement all the information, but each step is clearly presented. If you write to sell you need this book as flowers need rain.

The position of a first-time self-published author is not an enviable one; you've already written your manuscript, invested money in typesetting, cover design and an initial print run, you've purchased an ISBN number and your book is in Ingram's database, so it can be ordered in stores. You wait a week, and then another, for book sales to start coming in. Finally, realization begins to set in - just because it is possible for someone to walk into a book store and order your book, it isn't very likely that it will happen, because nobody knows about it.

Marilyn and Tom Ross have written an excellent resource for self-published authors and small publishers who want to get their book sales going, and their techniques are considerate of the budgets that most self-published authors are constrained by.

If you successfully self-publish your book, there are three steps for you to follow:

1. Write a solid, clear and engaging book that people will enjoy reading. Refer to books about clear and effective writing.

2. Work your way through the publishing process. Refer to Dan Poynter's "Self-Publishing Manual".

3. Get the word out about your recently published work - this is exactly what the Marilyn and Tom Ross show you how to do in "Jump-Start Your Book Sales".

In short, if you are a self-published author, are considering self-publishing, are a small publisher, or even if you're a traditionally published author who wants to take a more active role in the promotion of your book (which most publishers will expect you to do anyway), you should read this book.

Danny Iny
Author of "Ordinary Miracles - Harness the power of writing and get your point across!" (ISBN 1-4116-7252-6)

through the self publishing process of my new book. More than a notion, self publishing is very rewarding but extremely time consuming, and SUPER hard work. I thought writing the book was hard. Ha! That was the easy part!!! Thank goodness I bought this book, as its given me many great ideas for marketing and promotion. It's wonderful to have written the best book in the world, but it doesn't mean anything if no one knows about it! Thanks Marilyn!!!!

Do you know when you should start marketing your book? Marilyn Ross does, and in "Jump Start Your Book Sales" she reveals the answer. (Hint: It's before you start writing it!)

Before, during, and after -- in fact. Regardless of where you are in the writing and publishing process, book marketing should be at the forefront of your thinking. Is your book even marketable? What is the market? What length of book are those people used to buying? Why would they buy yours instead of (or in addition to) all the other similar books on the market? What will differentiate yours? These are the kind of questions you should be asking yourself even before you put pen to paper, or fingers to keys, as the case may be.

These strategic concepts are the bread and butter of the pages comprising "Jump Start." Don't be surprised if you find meat in the middle that you can really sink your teeth into. This isn't another rehash of duplicative information available for free from countless websites. This is the real deal, written by the co-founder of the Small Publishers Association of North America. Highly recommended reading before you start writing, before you start publishing, and after you think you've marketed it all. - Brent Sampson, author of Self-Publishing Simplified