Resources Books

It seems to be a fair book. I didn't like the fact that it was in black and white only. I also thought it was a little outdated.

From my hands-on-perusal at the book seller's, I would say that ALL the iPod books are worth buying, but I chose Miller's IPODPEDIA over the others for the following reasons: 1) It is never out of date: Scanning the opening pages in the bookstore, I learned that Miller has a website for his book which he updates in sync with new iPod models and developments, so I put my purchase on hold for that moment with the intention of visiting Miller's website and then making a decision to purchase from the on-shelf possibilities when I next visited the store. I went to ipodpediatheblog.blogspot.com per Miller's instructions. One finds there an ongoing dated history of his evaluations/commentary/tips, not to mention the links to other sites on which he is a significant iPod presence. 2) He shows that the iPod's simplicity is real for the let's-get-going-user, but he also shows that there is a depth to the menus which might not be realized by this user. He supplies a useful chart of the of the menus, model by model. 3) Unlike the other iPod authors, he shows that commercial DVD's can be converted to iPod format, and then he directs the user to the resources. No other authors that I saw on the shelf deal with this possibility.
4) Like the other iPod authors he describes accessories of all kinds, but he gives an opinion about the quality or usability of many of these accessories as well--most useful stuff. 5) Miller lets us know in the opening pages that his book is "Safari Enabled" for those in need of an electronic reference resource. 6) Miller accesses the iPod from a ubiquitous Windows world, though he makes all the necessary concessions to Mac users. Mac or Windows OS? It makes no difference in the usability of this book. Nutshell opinion: The iPodpedia is a most helpful book for beginner AND beyond.

iPodpedia was a Christmas gift I bought for my brother who purchased his iPod in 2006. I bought myself an iPod 80GB Classic and my six-year-old son a iPod Shuffle for Christmas this year and was confident that my brother would share his iPod knowledge with me. Needless to say, the iPodpedia has become the CHRISTMAS GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING.

My brother has been reading it like a book and shares all the great tips and tidbits he has found in the well-written book by Michael Miller. I'll receive phone calls from brother so excited, "Hey, did you know that your iPod can do this?"

I'm not certain, but I may have to buy another copy just for myself. What if I can't reach my brother one day and I have a question?

I purchased this book for my Dad because he is always asking me questions about his Ipod. I learned more by reading three pages from the chapter labeled secrets then all of the lookups I have done on my own. I was so impressed with the book that I purchased one for myself. If you own an Ipod or know someone that does, you must purchase this book.

This was the perfect gift for my dad who is not the most computer savvy. It has helped him figure out how to work his IPod so he can listen to his favorite music. It's great b/c it gives step by step w/photos.

I have not found any other good keynote book. This is informative, has lots of good information and more.Well done. Lots of good ideas, tips and tricks.

I have gone over this book from front to back and find that there is nothing that I found wanting in the book. I learned things I could use in every chapter.

If you don't own the book, use Keynote or want to use Keynote, this is the book for you.

Tom Negrino's book is all you will need to become a expert user of Keynote. Each process is broken down into easy-to-follow steps, including exactly which keystrokes are necessary. Especially useful are the many Tips and Screenshots that are included every chapter. I will be heartily recommending "Keynote for Mac OS X: Visual QuickStart Guide" to all of our Mac Users Group next week when I do a presentation on Keynote.

An excellent book for a beginner to Keynote or a seasoned veteran. Very easy to understand and very well written. The book flows seamlessly form one topic to the next. Great book!

Forget the manual, get this book instead, especially if you want to learn how Themes and Master slides are constructed. I run KeynoteUser.com and I was the tech editor on this book (I read every page, cover to cover). I also wrote the first draft of the chapter on building custom themes...all that to say I STILL learned things from this book while I was reading through it. There's stuff in there you just won't find anywhere else. And no, I don't get any royalties from the sale of the book (that all goes to Tom for his hard work), I just think it's something every Keynote user should own.

I purchased this entertaining and well-written book a couple of years ago. It has served as a step-by-step guide as I have made the transition from the traditional classroom to online learning.

From basic learning principals and definitions to specific "how to" examples and checklists, this book has it all and delivers it with a sense of humor that will have you chuckling aloud and keep you engaged, interested, and wanting to learn more. I continue to use this book as a resource, returning to it again and again, whether in need of a reminder or looking for inspiration to help me move forward.

If you are considering making the journey to online learning, this book will provide the light to help you along your way.

In 150 pages, the authors lay out the key information both HR/training practitioners and web-geeks need to work together successfully.

Written for the non-technical HR practitioner who needs to understand both the training concepts and the technology choices she will be faced with, this book also provides a technical reader (me) with the language and central concepts used by training professionals to develop their courses.

I could see this text being used as the starting point for an project team comprised of HR professionals, trainers, and web designers to build on -- each member of the team required to read it to establish a common framework and language. A few hours spent reading this up front would save countless hours of 'churn' later on in the project.

Very few of us have the time or the patience to read a non-fiction book front to back. We want current information, solutions to the problems we are experiencing today, and answers to questions we can not answer ourselves. We want to find these golden nuggets of information quickly and easily and, we do not want a lot of theoretical or academic fluff.

"Making Sense of Online Learning" meets those requirements. The Shank and Sitze book and companion website are perfect "just-in-time" resources for anyone involved in online learning. Whatever your level of experience and expertise with online learning, I am sure you will find lots of useful and insightful information in the book and the website. While I have designed, developed, and taught various online courses, I still found the book and the website valuable. I know it will help me, my clients, and my students. Thanks, Patti and Amy!

Jackie Dobrovolny, Ph.D.
Instructional technology consultant & IT faculty at University of Colorado at Denver.

The audience for this book is the person who wants to take their first step into traditional online learning. And by traditional, I mean self-contained courses and the management systems that support them (as opposed to deeper simulations or integration with knowledge management or ERP or CRM systems, etc., etc.,) For these people, the tone, the content, and the sympathy are dead on. Before going to a conference, or reading any deeper books, or subscribing to any of the current magazines, or meeting with your boss or advisor, this should be required reading.

Like many instructional design professionals, I struggle to stay abreast of the lighting-fast developments in online learning. Replacing the comfortable and relatively stable vocabularies and design considerations of yesteryear are rapidly evolving media, terms, technologies, and standards.

Both veterans and novices alike may now know a great deal about some things and very little about others. We need resources that can help us fill the gaps in our understanding and enable us to speak intelligently to our clients, colleagues, and employers. We also need simplified ways of explaining these topics to our audiences.

Patti and Amy have provided just such a resource. By peeling away the jargon and complexity in an even-handed and measured way, they have clarified many mind-numbing subjects. Along the way, they have taken care to point out universal considerations, such as the importance of designing for usability and building training around real-world challenges. They have also provided excellent checklists to use when considering the acquisition of expensive technologies, such as learning management and content management systems. These tools alone can help organizations avoid costly and frustrating blunders.

Patti and Amy have successfully blended sensible guidance; classic learning theories; online learning terms, definitions, and applications; and many excellent resources into a "must read" book and companion Web site. Readers will hardly realize the plane has left the ground by the time they touch down gently but firmly at the end of a smooth and delightful journey.

This is one of many books that I own by Mark Minasi. Every book of his is well written and easy to comprehend. I've gotten several atta boys from my various individuals within my company due to his books. If I need an answer to an issue, I CAN FIND IT in one of his books.

Bottom line, I highly recommend Mark's books for IT Professionals and novices alike. If ya don't know it.... You will!!

This is a "So far" rating. "So Far" I've read the W2K Professional Book and about 1/4 through W2K Server. Like ctboone said "These books are MASSIVE". If I recall the introduction says that these books are NOT intended for study for MCSE exams, however some people used these as a tool for MCSE, and "so far" I strongly agree. I wanted to get some spoon-fed type info, since my NT4.0 background is very limited. And that's what this is, I think. I find myself almost in a "conversation" with the text, like Mark Minasi and the other authors are standing there talking to me. There have been helpful comparisons of W2K topics to every-day life scenarios. There are many print screens of install/config processes. I think the books are ideal for getting familiar with W2K and or using as a "how to" resource. Sometimes while reading I find I get a little lost when the books says "click on Start, then programs, then click on accessories, then click on ...and so on". That type of info would be more valuable if I were actually doing it at the PC. Which is why I wish the info in these books were setup with a self-study system with actual training demo's on CD. I plan to purchase Alan R. Carter’s Windows 2000 MCSE Study Guide System to maybe get more of a "classroom approach" in pursuit of my MCSE/all around knowledge quest and use these books (Minasi's) to explain what other self-study books may not cover or explain very well. And "So Far", Minasi's Resource Kit may be matched but definitely NOT beat for this. No Certs, 1/2 A+ , Master's in "Wanna Be". ...

I am somewhere in the middle of my prep for 70-240 and eating up this Resource Kit as if it were choice chocholates instead of four volumes. When I learned that a sixteen-pound package had been shipped via UPS, I ought to have had a clue. These four books are MASSIVE. And better yet - Minsai writes coherently. Very coherently. He is the first person I have come across who could explain unattended installs, answer files, etc. in something that approximates the English language. Minsai not only does an excellent job of explaining the Windows 2000 o/s, he very clearly dileneates the changes and the reasons Microsoft has for making the changes from earler versions of Windows NT and Windows 9.x. The Server volume alone is over 1500 pages. The print is small. It is slow-going to read - not because Minsai is difficult to understand (quite the opposite) but because he packs so much information into every page. Microsoft should hire this guy to write all of their technical documentation. Even when Examcram comes out with a quick cram review for 70-240 (or the four sequenced tests if you are new to Windows enterprise networking, EVERYONE who wants to be certified ought to purchase this 4-volume set and read it and read it and read it again. A cleaner, clearer more exhaustively complete compilation on Windows 2000 (complete with a review of the differences between NT 3.5x, Windows 9.x and Windows 2000)will never be written. In fact, amongst technical volumes, a more coherent more exhaustive series will probably never be written. At last, a technical writer who can and has proofread his work and who has complete and total mastery of the subject matter! If you want to learn Windows 2000 enterprise, buy these four books. Buy these four books if you buy absolutely nothing else. Yeah - they may represent an absolutely monumental amount of work just to read and digest. But believe you me, they are worth their weight (16 pounds) in gold. Probably platinum. CThomasBoone, CNE, MCSE, MCP+I, ctboone1@hotmail.com

Mark does it again. This guy made me cancel my windows 2000 training classes. I have read his articles in Windows 2000/NT magazine for a few years now.

This set takes you inside the innerworkings of windows 2000. Mark shows you how to get things done in win2k, but also gives you a peak at how the simple tasks are performed.

This kit is best read by those familiar with windows 2000 and is perfect if you want to become an expert.

This Resource Kit is the Resource Kit of resource kits. Don't bother with the Microsoft kit. Mark has a way with disseminating information to humans in a way that most authors can't. The four volumes are packed with tips, hints and solutions for anyone who administers a Windows 2000 network. It's an excellent reference kit as well. Highly recommended! Thanks Mark for your humorous, witty way of teaching!

This truth about how to learn still stands, while so many notions have drifted away and died. As someone who adores children and has mentored many, I've observed again and again the demonstration of Papert's points. And because he's such an odd duck -- having expertise in both technology and learning/development -- the book can offer practical examples of how this understanding can be actually applied. I'm so grateful that people are still seeing the value of this landmark book.

Mindstorms is not just about the programming language called Logo. It is about Turtle Graphics and it's application to education. The author explains Turtle Graphics which is combination of programming and geometry. He then puts Turtle Graphics to use explaining how to do draw complicated shapes with it. Finally the author explains the theory behind his insights which is built on the contributions of Piaget a important researcher into the way children understand the world. I greatly enjoyed this book. Papert explains how to combine the process of programming with the process of learning. He shows how to make what is cerebral into a concrete process that children can understand.

This is a book that anyone interested in present-day education of children everywhere should find time to read. For a few weeks, in the summer of 2001, I introduced teenagers in the W. E. B. DuBois Scholars' Program, held on the campus of Princeton University, to the Logo computer programming language invented by the author of this book, MIT professor, Seymour Papert. A leader in the DuBois program sought me out to congratulate me and quoted the students as having repeated over and over that they were ecstatic about what they were learning in my class and that it alone was worth their live-in participation. Indeed, I saw the glow in their eyes and a strong desire to be explorers with Turtle Graphics. Ditto for when I joined fellow volunteers from the MIT Alumni Club of New York City to employ Lego to guide the learning of robotics at Hunter College Elementary School for gifted students in upper Manhattan.

There is something engaging about the constructivist learning philosophy advocated in Professor Papert's books, beginning with the first edition of this book, [1980]. The open secret was that these students directed their collaboration with the computer in their own journey to discover knowledge and this book explains the confluence of ideas from science, mathematics and modeling that brings about this immersion. When a child can learn, in one week, how recursion works in mathematics, a topic normally taught in graduate courses in computer science, someone has donated a gift!

The challenge to teachers looking for traditional instructions for students in this setting is that this approach is relatively rule-agnostic and that makes some people feel uncomfortable. There is a chapter titled "Instructionism versus Constructionism" in a book, The Children's Machine, Papert's follow-up progress report on learning, after more than three million computers had been employed in American elementary schools, thirteen years after the ideas in Mindstorms were first published. For more adventurous K-12 students, opportunities to use legions of turtles, acting simultaneously, to model and simulate complex, dynamic systems like traffic jams are provided within a related language, StarLogo, and the results are startling and sometimes paradoxical.

At the risk of being immodest, I volunteer that one of my sons started his education in an atmosphere implementing Papert's ideas -- MIT's Tech Child Care Center -- in 1977 and went on to graduate from Stanford University in 1996. This environment galvanizes and sustains the curiosity, creativity and imagination of children - preach it to all who would listen!

This book provides an introduction to Papert's thinking concerning the learning and teaching of math. Prior to developing the LOGO language described in this book, Papert worked closely with Piaget in Switzerland for 5 years. While in Switzerland, Papert observed many of Piaget's experiments with children and the development of their understanding of mathematical concepts. Following Piaget, Papert believed that the math learning that the child comes to know best and that stays with the child always comes from experience and cognition, not from explicit teaching or rote practice. He noted, however, that there were certain mathematical concepts that children should come to know, but that they wouldn't ordinarily learn from experience alone because they might not come across these ideas in ordinary life. This is why he invented the programming language LOGO--a toy that children could play with, experiment with, manipulate, and through doing so, gradually come to call their own the mathematical concepts needed for their games.

To make LOGO attractive to kids, he included a "turtle" as the central figure of the language. The turtle carried a pen that could be used to trace the turtle's movement through the play area or on a computer screen. The challenge was for kids to write programs in LOGO that would instruct the turtle how to move and when to use the pen so that it would draw shapes in the forms that they wanted. When the turtle didn't make the shapes they wanted, they were instructed to "be the turtle," in order to understand the turtle's perspective, and to figure out how they needed to adjust their programs. According to Papert, even kids who showed no interest in math in the regular classroom began showing dramatic improvements in their math skills when given a chance to play with the turtle. Unfortunately, when turtle math was first introduced, many teachers tried teaching a turtle math class the same way they taught regular math class, with lectures and assignments. In doing so, they lost the playful aspects of the program, and kids didn't relate to it as well as they might have if the teachers had followed Papert's guidelines.

When turtle math was first invented, Papert's team created a small robot turtle that kids could play with and program. In the years that followed, the programmable turtle eventually developed into the Lego Mindstorms programmable brick, which doesn't quite sound as cute and fuzzy, but actually allows even more creative play than the turtle, since kids can choose what kinds of forms the robot should take. One of the more fascinating aspects of this book is the historical documentation it provides of Papert's thinking at the time, and his reasoning behind LOGO and turtle math. When an idea for a revolution in teaching methodology goes from just an idea, to a system that is being used for teaching engineering and science in classrooms around that world, and is even being sold successfully in regular commercial channels as a toy, it's worth getting to know better, as can be done through reading this book. Teachers in classrooms using Lego or other robots could benefit greatly from reading this classic book detailing the early history behind programmable robots and the way Papert envisioned them being used for learning.

This is the best book I have ever read on how to assist people to learn for themselves. Papert began his work by collaborating with Jean Piaget, and then applied those perspectives in a self-programming language designed to help children learn math and physics.

Papert explains Piaget's work and provides case studies of how the programming language, LOGO, can help. He provides a wonderful contrasting explanation of the weaknesses of how math and physics are usually taught in schools.

I learned quite a few things from this that I did not know before. People are very good at developing theories about why things work the way they do. I knew that these theories are almost always wrong. What I did not realize is that if you give the person a way to test their theory, the person will keep devising new theories until they hit on one that works. What is usually missing in education is the means to allow that testing to occur.

An especially imaginative part of this book were the discussions of how to create theory testing solutions that are much simpler and easier to apply than any school problem you ever saw in these subjects. Papert works from a very fundamental and deep understanding of math and physics to reach the heart of the most useful thought processes for applying these subjects. It is thrilling to read about what you have known for many years, and to suddenly see it in a totally different and improved perspective.

Another benefit I got from this book were plenty of ideas for how to help my teenage daughter with her math. She is very verbal, and Papert points out that math seldom teaches a vocabulary for talking about math. As a result, she memorizes a lot and gets dissociated from the subject. I got a lot of ideas for how to encourage her to personalize the concepts and problems by moving her own body. From that I realized that I often solve the same kinds of problems by recalling physical situations I have been in. But I have failed to help her make that connection because I was unaware of it on a conscious level.

If you want to improve as a learner, help others learn better and faster, or simply want to understand more about different ways to think, this is a great book. I hope that all teachers get a chance to read and apply it.

Enjoy learning more!

Outstanding book. It shows us how we let our environment get downgraded and is an important weapon for preventing further damage. Amazon price was good and service great.

Mirage is a work of science and passion. The writer has focused on that most important, scarce, and necessary resource: fresh water. She explores the political decisions and the business decisions that have affected the water supply in Florida and the rest of the East Coast of the United States. Her research is extensive; her prose is crisp; and her cause is sanity in the management of growth. I recommend this book for any reader who has an interest in science, nature, or business.

A very thoughtful, well-written book that delves into the science, history and politics of water in Florida and manages to do so in an interesting and readable manner. Cynthia Barnett clearly indentifies the problems and offers reasonable solutions without becoming judgemental or dogmatic. A must read for anyone living in the State of Florida or planning to do so and highly recommended for everyone else!

Discussions of America's water problems usually are limited to the West, so it's eye-opening to view a title which is the first to call attention to the disappearance of fresh water from Florida to the Great Lakes. From the high demands of newly-sprawling Florida subdivisions to freshwater aquifers which are disappearing elsewhere, MIRAGE blends investigative journalism with environmental and science history to prove an essential survey of problems and solutions. A 'must' not just for Eastern U.S. libraries, but for any collection on environmental issues and challenges.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Perhaps you're like me. You live in a water rich region of the U.S., on top of one of the nation's most productive aquifers and a stone's throw from the Great Lakes -- one of the world's great reservoirs of fresh water.

Water scarcity is not your problem, right? Let all those fools moving to Florida, Texas, California and Nevada worry whether FEMA will have to roll into towns during the next drought and pass out bottled water. You can still turn on your grass sprinkler and catch fish in the local pond without worry.

If that's where you are when it comes to water, Cynthia Barnett has news for you -- someday Las Vegas and Miami will be coming for your water, too. And they'll set their sights on draining your fish pond dry.

If you're already in Florida and can't understand why water bills are going up in a subdivision surrounded by water-soaked scenery, Barnett has some tough love for you, too.

Reading Mirage will open your eyes. Barnett's writing is so (pardon the pun) fluid that even the most unsophisticated novice will come away with the ability to confidently explain why bottled "spring" water may actually be less safe to drink than what comes out of your kitchen tap.

The book is a must read for Floridians. It uses the state -- an extreme example of water policy gone bad -- to instruct readers in the basics tenents of environmental protection and why it matters to everyone. Why should Floridians care if Atlanta suburbanites water their lawns? Because in a drought the rivers that begin in Georgia won't have enough water to feed Florida's bays down stream. And without the perfect freshwater/saltwater balance at the outlet to the Gulf of Mexico, valuable shellfish are completely wiped out. Suddenly there's an economic problem, too.

The most important lesson of Mirage is that water scarcity is a national problem. Consider the water wealthy Great Lakes. Even residents of the upper Midwest can't relax. Barnett shows how southern lawmakers, becoming more powerful by the day thanks to population shifts and redistricting, have been plotting to pipe, truck and barge Lakes region freshwater south. Others have already tried to export it beyond the U.S. You'd think the Lakes have plenty of water to share, but as Florida has proven, even the most water-rich region can see its eco-system wrecked once the water starts getting pumped out.

The most instructive chapter in the book is called "Priceless." Barnett demonstrates that perhaps the best strategy to protect water is to price it right, to make it really worth something to us. But Americans so far refuse to accept the notion of drinking water for anything but a dirt cheap price. Consider the story of Tuscon, Ariz. After a drought, the city council tried to add the cost of finding future water reserves into consumers' bills. Within a year every council member was voted out of office.

But as Barnett shows, Americans can't pretend forever that water is a right and should be nearly free. We have to be taught to conserve. We're doing better in some ways. But Mirage proves we still have a lot of work to do.

Another classic from Rosemary Wells! Here, youngest sibling of four, Morris, is not permitted to play with his older siblings' exciting Christmas presents, and no one wants anything to do with Morris's babyish teddy bear until Morris discovers a magic disappearing bag and everyone wants to play with his toy. Any younger sibling -- or even just a young child who feels powerless sometimes -- will relate. I like how Morris gets to live the fantasy of making his siblings "disappear" and getting to play with all their stuff in a gentle, non-violent way. The Christmas aspect of this story makes it extra fun around the holidays, but we read it all year long.

As a kid this (along with Noisy Nora) was my favourite book and I still think it's one of my all time greats. It has moved house and country with me innumerable times.
It's a sweet story about Christmas, feeling left out by older kids, triumphing by winning attention and causing trouble, and learning to love a bear, but it's never saccharine or preachy.
It's a must have for every house that ever has a small child visit (and also for those who like to see bears triumph over more gimmicky gifts).

Ok so i was sitting in my kid's pediatricians office waiting (as usual) and reading one of the books in the room to my child. it was one of the Max books by Rosemary Wells. So, i'm sitting there looking at the book thinking...gosh! this art work looks soooo familiar! what it is about this book...then an old story comes to mind that i can barely recall. but it kept bugging me and in moments I recall this book i had as a kid about a bunny or something (looked a lot like the Max charactor in the authors more recent books) that got a magic bag for xmas. I couldn't rmember the title though. it's been on my mind on and off since then and I just found the authors name a minute ago on amazon while looking for kids books and decided i was going to investigate and surely find out if she is connected to that old favorite of mine. i could have whooped out loud when I finally spotted "morrie's Disappearing bag" on the list! i'd found it! now I HAVE to buy it for my two littlw ones! I love this book! it's so cute! funny thing is...my little boys name is max! not that this book is about max the bunny.....anyway, i highly recommend this cute book!

Now a quick note: In the original publication of "Morris's Disappearing Bag", Morris is a little white bunny. He has now been colored brown. Very interesting choice on the part of the publisher.

I hereby nominate Rosemary Wells the winner of the Cute But Never Saccharine Picture Book Award printed between the years of 1800-2589. You are familiar with her work, even if you have never read it. Best known for her early board books starring the irascible Max and his patient elder sibling, the author also did slightly older fare. In every book, however, Wells takes the side of the underdog. The littlest sibling. The one most prone to feeling left out. In "Morris's Disappearing Bag" this theme has become all encompassing. Here is a story that truly captures what it feels like to be ignored and unwanted by your siblings.

It is Christmas Day and Morris is delighted. As he and his three elder siblings open their presents, each rabbit (for so they are) is enraptured by their gift. Victor gets a hockey outfit, Rose a beauty kit, and Betty (just to smash a couple stereotypes while we're at it) a chemistry set. Morris gets a lovely bear, but it soon occurs to him that his siblings don't appreciate his present. While they switch one another's gifts and experiment with them, Morris is left all alone. No one wants to play with his bear. It isn't until Morris locates an extra unwrapped present containing a bag of invisibility that Morris finally has a gift cool enough to lure his elder sibs with.

Is there a moral to be learned here? I dunno. If there was it would probably be something along the lines of "Get a better toy and win the love of your fellow man". I don't buy it, personally. I think this is just a fun adorable tale illustrated with Rosemary Wells's fantastic pictures. No one draws adorable bunnies like this woman. Or so perfectly evokes a child feeling sorry for himself. Morris sitting all by himself with his ears at half mast is so simultaneously cute and pitiful, you just want to give his roly-poly little body a big big hug. All in all, this is a fantastic book (the older brother applying make-up to his face is worth the price of admission alone). A great story for Christmas, and a wonderful tale for all the year round. Grab yourself a copy.

What if you were the youngest rabbit in the family and nobody wanted to play with your Christmas bear because it was too babyish? Would you feel left out if your sisters and brother said you were too little to play with THEIR presents? Would you sit in the corner with your ears drooping in sadness?

If that tugs at your heartstrings, meet Morris. He's the dearest little bunny you ever saw, and SO sad on Christmas morning. He loves his new bear but he's too little to play with Rose's beauty kit, Victor's hockey stick, and Betty's chemistry set. While they are having fun, Morris crawls under the tree and finds ONE FORGOTTEN PRESENT, a bag. He pulls himself into the bag and -- DISAPPEARS!

Oho! Now the other bunnies are singing a different song. They all want to share their presents with Morris while they try out his disappearing bag. Who can blame them? Wouldn't we all like a disappearing bag from time to time? Such a fine present. Morris generously gives turns with his bag and has a go with the other presents. He's got the most coveted Christmas gift of all, but all he wants is a little consideration, to be part of the crowd, to be included.

Rosemary Wells writes a terrific story and her illustrations are sheer delight. Little droopy bunny ears, puffy cotton tails sticking out of the bag, hilarious bunny play with the chemicals, the makeup, the hockey kit -- and precious little Morris with all his feelings worn on his sleeve.

I've had this book since my sons were little, and given it to a number of children. I always buy a new copy for myself, just in case I need it. My favorite!

Linda Bulger, 2008

This unique and fascinating book by Dr. Cox has important implications for development practitioners and academics interested in political ecology as well as ethnobotanists. The challenges faced by the people of Falealupo village in choosing between preserving their forest or building a school for their children are typical of the environmental trade-offs that many people in developing countries feel compelled to make simply to achieve, by our standards, a minimally acceptable standard of living. The solution presented by Dr. Cox, in which social networks are built such that people willing to invest in the preservation of ecosystems are put into direct contact with those people overseeing these ecosystems (without government or NGO intervention) has important lessons for people interested in promoting "Conservation-with-Development" approaches to economic development. This text also illustrates the complex ways that the human imprint on ecosystems is embedded in power-laden social networks and that change involves contestation and negotiation of power within these networks. This book thus holds important insights for those interested in political ecology. (For those interested in these topics, Dr. Cox's contribution to People, Plants and Justice - Charles Zerner, ed., Cambridge University Press, 2000 - makes an informative companion-piece to Nafanua.)

Finally, as a person who has lived in Samoa for several years as a volunteer teacher and as someone who conducts ecological research there, I find Dr. Cox's presentation of the people of Samoa, shown from a more personalized perspective rather than an academic one, to be open, honest and fair. He avoids falling into the trap of romanticizing or essentializing the people as "ecologically noble savages" that live in perfect harmony with their environment that has become so common in depictions of indigenous peoples in the popular media. When I read the book, I often saw the Samoa that I knew from my own personal experience.

First I must say that I am not saying that ethnobotany is boring. I am just saying it seems boring to me and it might to others, but even if you know nothing of botany and have little interest in it you will find great interest in this book. It is a fascinating narrative and Paul brings you into the Samoan world as well as a palagi really can.

I had a chance to hear Paul Cox speak and he talked about how the rainforest became his mother. The book starts with the death of his mother by cancer. He travels to Samoa to search for a possible cure in the rain forest, his quest however becomes to save the rainforest from the forces of globalization. I think the most compelling issue of this book is the positive and negative aspects of western scholarship when it comes in touch with another land and culture.

Paul is a very good storyteller and makes you want to continue reading.

This was an outstanding work. I am a palagi who has been married to a Samoan woman for 9 years and have had extensive dealings with Samoans for 14 years. We visited Western Samoa in 1988, so I have seen the culture first-hand, as well as my state-side exposure with Samoan American organizations. I could almost see myself interacting with the people as he related his accounts... although my 50 or so word Samoan vocabulary can't be compared with the author. He truly captures the essence of Samoa and its people.

This is a most interesting book, the story of how the author came to live in Samoa,and fell in love with the people and their tropical forest environment. When faced with a seemingly hopeless situation, namely the destruction of a huge area of tropical forest, the author recounts his experience in helping to save these sacred lands--through purchasing the logging rights from the outsiders who were beginning to bulldoze the forests, and turning the control of the forests over to the local community. The book is filled with fascinating stories, and the people and their forests come alive in its pages. I was particularly moved by Cox's account of living through a typhoon and barely managing to save his family and Samoan friends as the waves continued to pound apart each of the shelters that they took refuge in. A wonderful narrative of live on this remote Pacific Island, of botanical studies, conservation and committment to a cause. Truely this book will be an inspiration for people who are looking for real life heroes--in this case the lineage of elderly healers who have been the guardians of their sacred traditions for thousands of years, who worked with Paul Cox to ensure that their plants, many with profoundly important uses, would be preserved for future generations. I gave this book to several friends. It is, quite simply, a wonderful read.

This is a most interesting book, the stody of how the author came to live in Samoa,and fell in love with the people and their tropical forest environment. When faced with a seemingly hopeless situation, namely the destruction of a huge area of tropical forest, the author recounts his experience in helping to save these sacred lands--through purchasing the logging rights from the outsiders who were beginning to bulldoze the forests, and turning the control of the forests over to the local community. The book is filled with fascinating stories, and the people and their forests come alive in its pages. I was particularly moved by Cox's account of living through a typhoon and barely managing to save his family and Samoan friends as the waves continued to pound apart each of the shelters that they took refuge in. A wonderful narrative of live on this remote Pacific Island, of botanical studies, conservation and committment to a cause. Truely this book will be an inspiration for people who are looking for real life heroes--in this case the lineage of elderly healers who have been the guardians of their sacred traditions for thousands of years, who worked with Paul Cox to ensure that their plants, many with profoundly important uses, would be preserved for future generations. I gave this book to several friends. It is, quite simply, a wonderful read.

This book is wonderful. I paid full price for it and would gladly do so again in order to give it as a gift to others. I highly recomend it.

I have owned this book for several years and read it cover to cover, most parts more than once. It is a good read and I like the way it is set up, and the author's enthusiasm is appreciated. There is much good information inside, but unfortunately, there is misinformation to a degree that I think is inexcusable. For example, the drawings of "evening primrose" actually show primrose, which is a totally different plant in an entirely different family. But the text clearly describes eating the root of evening primrose. So it seems like he didn't even know what evening primrose was, had never tried it, but copied his information on how to use it, even the description of its flavor, from another book. The text sure makes it sound like he's had experience from the plant. I think its disingenuous and a disservice to the reader. This is the most glaring example of many errors. Otherwise, it is a good book.

I was amazed at all the information this book gave me. I have learned so many things, to see all the bounty we can have in our own backyard! Practical and easy to read. I recommend this book to all nature and food lovers.

I haven't met many people who can point out at least ten different plants in the average yard and can tell you how to cook them. Mr. Henderson does an outstanding job of identifying wild, and not-so-wild, edibles common to almost every neighborhood. His recipes are easy to follow and delicious.

Even if you are not planning to run right out to the nearest shrub and harvest its leaves for dinner, I recommend this book. Mr. Henderson's prose is worth reading, whatever the content. His witty, humorous style enlivens a book full of excellent information.

The Neighborhood Forager is a very informative and enjoyable book. It not only tells about the plants in our backyards and by-ways but gives historical information, recipes, warnings and dyer's tips.

Mr. Henderson writes with humor and personal anecdotes which makes the book a good read even if you're not into foraging.

I worked with Brad together in Asia and found his book to be something that the HR community, as well as, clients of HR have been waiting for for a long time. His book brings together his wealth of experience and knowledge into practical tips and guides that everyone can use. While a lot of other HR practitioner books are based on theories, I know from reading this book that the case studies and guides provided in this brilliant book are based on real business problems.

Basically, I highly recommend this book for those looking for implement-able and practical guides for building up your organization.

While not only an invaluable tool for the HR leader, it is also a must read for the Sales & Operations Leaders as well.

In a prior career, I worked for Brad Hall as his Training Director and we put this model to the test and saw excellent results within six months.

Hall's book provides a blue print for success in measuring and managing human capital with the same rigor as measuring and managing financial capital.

All leaders of the business that map and execute a similar plan will absolutely increase results as well as maintaining a stellar workforce!

Hall's book is the best written on human capital development. Hall
provides a practical and compelling methodology for measuring year over year improvement in human capital. The book is well-researched and includes numerous charts and graphs that make a complex topic accessible to managers outside of human resources. I recommend this book to any manager looking to improve the performance of his/her people.

Brad Hall's book, The new Human Capital Strategy, brings a much needed level of structure and discipline to managing Human Resources and People. While most companies claim that people are their most important asset, Hall correctly points out, that most companies don't have HR management programs that are consistent with that claim.

The brilliance of Hall's book is the way he distills this broad subject down to the few specific dimensions that truly need attention.

- Separating HR as a strategic function, and thus a source of competitive advantage, from HR as an administrative function.

- A focus on business results - Not activities or HR programs

- The importance of defining and measuring business results to gauge the true effectiveness of HR programs.

- Year over year improvement in the real return companies get from their investment in people.

From here, Hall goes on to address some of the barriers and keys to success in the practical implementation of the principles he discusses - executive engagement, organizational structure issues, team structure, measurement techniques, and many real life examples.

This book is a great read for any business leader (not just HR professionals) who seriously believes that people are an important asset for their success.

As an HR practitioner, this book has become my symbol of hope for the profession. I've always known there was "something wrong" with how HR is being practiced in organizations today, but never clearly identified the root of the problem, much less offered a method for addressing it. Brad Hall's book provides that insight.

Through current research and his industry experience, Hall provides ample evidence that despite decades of seeking and gaining "a seat at the table," HR overall has not progressed beyond the traditional administrative "personnel" function. Accordingly, Hall argues it's time to "blow up today's model and replace it with a fundamentally new Human Capital Strategy."

Hall begins with thought-provoking questions such as "has your human capital improved year over year?" which demonstrate that HR has not delivered on its responsibility to ensure human capital is managed as a business asset. He builds towards his human capital approach which centers around four key elements; building effective executive teams, building leaders who deliver sustained business results, ensuring employees in key positions outperform their peers in competitor organizations, and a fourth, designing a disciplined approach for improving workforce performance, which serves as the structure and environment within which the first three can flourish.

The model challenges fundamental elements of current HR practice, such as the focus on supporting "internal customers" (management and employees), arguing instead for a focus on meeting the expectations of external clients and stakeholders. At a more granular level, it challenges the merit of current practices (e.g., forced ranking of employees, aggressive "performance management", and annual performance reviews) and offers a method to meet the objectives of these practices through a roadmap for building high performance organizations.

This is a fresh read and I highly recommend it to all professionals who have a stake in improving their organization's performance.