Art Books

This book is simply fantastic. Yes, there are some old or simplified opinions, but as for tool for explaining how the airplane flies, invaluable.

I remember reading and re-reading this text as a young boy--fascinated by everything and anything related to airplanes--flying imaginary airplanes in my head with the admonition to always 'watch my angle of attack'. When I finally got my pilot's license years later, I credit this book with doing the most to make me a safe and confident pilot (second only to my great instructor.) It dispels the popular belief in the general public that the rudder turns the plane and the throttle makes it go faster, and explains to pilots the reality of flight: the elevator controls angle of attack and hence airspeed, the ailerons control the turn, and the rudder is primarily a means of correcting for physical phenomenon such as adverse yaw. Even today the largest killer of pilots is the stall/spin, the result of hoping that pulling back on the stick will make the ground go away, or that more inside rudder will fix that overshoot on final. Yes, Mr. Langewiesche repeats the point again and again, but it's worth repeating: the stick controls the angle of attack, and if you don't exceed the critical angle of attack, the plane won't stall. If the plane doesn't stall, it doesn't spin either. It's that simple, and that profound.

Yes, the physics and writing style are outdated (read Smith's "Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics" for a more complete yet still readable explanation of the physics of lift, and why Bernoulli's 'suction' and Langewiesche's 'downwash' are just two different ways of looking at the same phenomenon.) And if you're flying a modern unstable fighter or fly-by-wire jumbo jet Langewiesche's simple concepts break down. For today's modern GA aircraft, however, this is still the most readable text there is for explaining not how an airplane flies, but how to fly them.

To begin, the entire Amazon experience was great. The product itself was the icing on the cake. Any aspiring pilots, or veterans, should consider this a "must read" publication. It clarifies many misled bits of advice, about flight, and makes knowledge of aircraft easily understood.

This is a wonderful book, it's written for the Student pilot. But, it's a great read for all pilots. It covers the big picture and the little things that you may not think of, or may have forgotten. This book may help the new CFI to teach different techniques to the student pilot.

This book is entertaining in many ways: like, if you consider some of the olde-worlde wisdom quaintly phrased, and the author's convictions, sometimes quite erroneous, confidently stated.

It is somewhat useful, as it does give some solid pointers about what to look out for (avoid) and what to do (technique) and what common pilot errors are, including some home-grown practical remedies and prevention.

When the author is writing based on his experience he is insightful, and you will gain a lot from his experience. When the author is trying to educate you on theory he evidently does not understand, he is not dangerous, but may leave you with the wrong idea about how things fly. For example, his vigorous dismissal of the fact that pressure differential between top and bottom surfaces wing causes lift, and his counter assertion that the wing stays up because it pushes the air down, is plain bull. The wings would then need to be at 45 degrees to the plane's longitudinal axis, and the airspeed would need to be humongous if that were true. Also, such a plane would never stall except at low speeds, and would be impossible to stall at high speed :)

The book is cheap. So, as long as you know enough physics to determine that the author does not, you will find value in anecdotal and experienced wisdom.

And, after all, you will own a classic that has fooled generations of pilots into buying it. I did.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2Y03BJL9F4KDX

I can't live without this... I have my LeRobert & Collins unabridged and my Larousse mini dictionary and this. And now my American friends in France stole my French Verbs - even so well worn that there was no front cover and the pages were all folded (lol!). So I have to get ANOTHER one.

Everyone with whom I ever took any French class had this book, and when they didn't they used mine - tattered and torn and thoroughly marked up - and eventually bought one.

I lived in France 5+ years and you just have to have it. They pull the subjunctive on you and you can't figure out what verb they are using - so you go home and pull this out. ALL the tenses are right there on one page.

It's a must for someone who really wants to learn to speak the most beautiful langue du monde!

I purchased this book years ago when I first undertook my study of the French language. One of the difficult parts about learning French and other Romantic languages is the verb conjugations that one must learn that correspond to the different tenses. This book simplifies the conjugation learning process for some of the most commonly used French verbs. I can truly say that this book was one of the essential tools (along with a dictionary and actual real world practice) in learning French. Definitely would recommend it.

This was my first purchase in the 501 series. It will definitely not be my last. If this volume is any indication of the scrupulous yet extremely accessible nature of the Kendris' work, then this series is a must for any foreign language student or lover.

This is an invaluable book because if you speak another language (i.e Spanish, Italian, Portuguese) it will allow you to see patterns in French that are common--to see that you are saying it right. Further, that the verb you have known all your life does exist in the French language as well (or that it does not) and your vocabulary and understanding of grammar will grow by leaps and bounds as well.

Now I'm convinced.

After reading this book, my main concern was "can I do this". After reading, I'm not only excited, but truly convinced that almost anyone with a brain can do what the book reveals.

Thank you Amazon and thank you Ray West.

JC

I just finished reading the book and I'm beyond stunned! It's undoubtedly the most actionable, simple, surefire program I have ever seen. You could not pay me 10 times to give it back!

I read so many books on breaking into the adult film business...I even spent $1,297 on this course from www.adultfilmmaking.com, the "only" online adult film school, which was a total rip off. This book by Ray West and one other one that I downloaded off the internet for $80 have been the ONLY two books I've read that actually give legitimate, usable information on how make money in this business. I don't understand the negative reviews on this book. Yes, the book has grammical and spelling errors but if readers aren't able to overlook that for the information it offers then they probably should stick to their 9 to 5 job anyway. If you're interested in getting into the adult business profitably and successfully, you need all the resources you can get. This book is one valuable resource to get you started. If you're a bible-thumper looking for ways to condemn this industry then you're probably the ones who are degrading the content of this book. Why waste your time? Get this book if you want to make money in this business.

The book was great to read and very informative. the speed of Delivery was also a plus. It was at my door with in a week. can't complain about that. GOOD JOB!

This book was a blast to read. I heard about Ray West from a forum as being a guru to adult film making. After reading, I know why! Eventhough his book is 2001, I am going after his new stuff. I just can't imagine as a film maker how much fun this book has brought to my life. Ray West, you are a true genius.

I really love this book. I read The Bad Girl's Guide to Getting What You Want first, because based on the title it had more to do with my situation than the other books in the series. I enjoyed it, but I have to say this book is better. Even if, like me, you have no real desire to go on a road trip, this book is hilarious inspiring. It quickly had me excited to pee outdoors, lie about my name, and sneak into empty motel rooms to take a free shower (this coming from a girl who normally obeys speedlimits, pays bills promptly, and is always so polite and tragically walked all over by authority figures). If you're looking for something to inspire your inner wild woman burried under layers and layers of social niceties, and rules about ladylikeness, this is the book.

My freshman year of college I took a trip to New Orleans with my roommate. Her mom lent us her minivan and left this book and a bag of marshmallows on the floor of the car. Six hours in a car had never passed so quickly! This book makes long drives of monotonous highway FUN. I wouldn't say it's a cover-to-cover read. Just pack it with your car snacks and flip through the pages to have some fun. Next time, I'll be sure to add a couple squirt guns to my supplies list.

Funny yet practical ideas on making the most of your trip trip when you just want to get away from the everyday stuff. Where to park overnight to sleep if you have to. How to get out of stuff, like speeding tickets. Where to take a shower or clean up while on the road.

Some stuff I would never be brave enough to try, like egging on a policeman by swigging a NA beer in front of them while you're driving! Why take that chance? We can get ourselves in trouble in lots of other ways besides having to interact with the cops on purpose! Good advise on where to bring your car if you're having car trouble. Funny dress up ideas if you want to exhibit a "road persona". Think Thelma and Louise. Now, if only I had that classic muscle car...

My girlfriend and I saw this book at Borders and had to sit down and check it out. We laughed so hard we nearly got kicked out of the cafe. People were staring. The smart ones came up and asked what we were reading and got their own copy. If you have a wacky sense of humor, this is your book!

A friend lent me this small, vinyl-covered pink book, and I read it in about two days. It's a fun, comedic chick guide for the all-American road trip, packing one-liners and humorous drawings in side-by-side with suggestions for trip destinations and crazy traveling advice. The book encourages girls to get out of the ruts in their lives and hit the highway with their favorite tunes. Packing light, eating junk, picking up cute hitchikers, and taking wild friends are must-dos, according to Tuttle. While most of the book's suggestions (such as using marshmallows to plug a muffler hole or jam a parking meter) are totally implausible, they do provide a few laughs. Not on my must-read list, but a nice, quick little book if you need a light pick-me-up.

I received this book in 1959 from my Aunt and Uncle when I turned 4. The illustrations are beautiful and seem magical. I was surprised and pleased to see it offered on Amazon. This book started my lifelong love of reading and would STILL make a wonderful gift for young and old!

While the whole quality of the book is great -- printed in Italy, good binding, large type, heavy paper -- my favorite aspect is the broad variety of stories in the collection. Fairy tales from all over the world, representing many different cultures (though primarily European and Japanese), gives it a great well-considered "best of" quality to it. No doubt you can think of some stories that have been left out, but whatever might not have been included, this book doesn't suffer because of it.

I have absolutely no complaints about this book.

My daughter is still a bit too young to enjoy this book although she does enjoy the lovely illustrations. I think I really got this book for me : ). I only wish all the illustrations were in full color because the full color pictures are so enchanting. Its really a wonderful book with mesmerizing stories.

This book isn't as well made as the edition I had as a child, but what wonderful pictures! I used to pour over them for hours, finding new details all the time.

I purchased this for a young grandchild, and though the illustrations are lovely and interesting, they are
not interspersed among the text but are on separate pages. It is hard to sustain the interest of a young
child without pictures for them to look at. Too much text grouped together. Traditional story telling
is also lacking.

I purchased the book for my friend's grandchildren in the US, they were delilghted with the book, they enjoyed grandma reading the stories and loved looking at the pictures.

I am fifteen and I LOVE these stories!!! They really are just that good!
Each story makes you wonder what intriguing adventure or silly mishap the next will hold in store for you. Whenever I take out the book or simply look at the cover, I get a comfortable, warm feeling inside; because I know that each story is filled with the timeless, treasured tales of a talented author. I was somewhat surprised (and a little humored), however, in the manner in which the characters sometimes acted and spoke. For example, when Rabbit, Piglet, and Pooh are trying to think of a plan to capture Baby Roo (which is also a little disturbing), Rabbit "gently" tells Pooh that he "has no Brain" and Piglet "no Pluck." Why must he be so harsh? Eeyore, though, surprised me the most. The most I knew of Eeyore from Disney's viewpoint was that he was a poor, sad, and mostly forgotten creature. I always felt sad for him. However, after reading the stories, it is very difficult to feel bad for him when he is constantly going around throwing insults whenever he gets the chance. For example, when Piglet goes to visit Eeyore to give him some violets, he sees Eeyore staring at three sticks on the ground that are in the shape of the letter "A". Eeyore proceeds to tell Piglet that the "A" represents "Education, it means all the things that you and Pooh haven't got...but to the Educated--mark this, little Piglet--to the Educated, not meaning Poohs and Piglets, it's a great and glorious A." See my point? But overall, it is a very satisfying story that no child (or adult, for that matter) should miss out on. What is also a great plus is that it's a beautiful and durable hardcover edition that also has a ribbon bookmark.

I bought this book years ago for my oldest son when he was only 2 years old. He loved it immediately and still loves it. This is a family favorite. I need to get a new one since the old one has gotten a bit worn.

Okay, first I'm a huge fan of Winnies Hollywood career and I also thought his apperance in the movie Top Gun as Tom Cruise's stunt double was amazing! Also playing Elizabeth Turner in the popular TV series, Pirates of the Mediterranean, was an astonishing role. But was that ever mentioned in the book? No! And that is what makes me lie awake in bed at night, hoping to one day claim vengeance on the editor and publisher. If you like this book, I will hunt you down and make you throw the book into a fire, do the tango, sing zip-a-dee-doo-da-zippada-da, then force you to alphabetize my sock drawer! So beware, and always know, I, Fartsy Magee, am always watching you. Right now your scrating your butt like a madman. I'm watching. Watching. Watching. Still watching. Okay, anyway I'm watching you every day. And I'm watching you like a blind man watching his glasses. BEWARE!!!!!!!!! BEWARE!!!!!!!!
But otherwise a great book and the author deserves a lot of credit.

Who doesn't love Winnie The Pooh? Don't answer that. This is an excellent and charming book to use for bedtime stories for children. I grew up with it and I still love it! It endears the simplicity of life and love...and honey.

I bought this book for my daughter who is an early childhood education major. She requested it after reviewing it in class. Great book!

I began to read this book to my daughter when she was two and she loves it! The book is great because it has so many things to look at; there are great illustrations of animals, vehicles, kids, etc.

I also love that Molly Lou Melon has such great self esteem and doesn't resort to pouting or bullying when other kids are mean to her. She just keeps on doin' her own thing and in the end wins over the school bully. This book is now on my list of books to give as gifts to other children!

Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon es a story about a girl named Molly, who is extremly short. Her grandma is encouraging and never gives up on Molly. One day, Molly has to go to a different school and meets a bully. She oddly changes him from a cold-hearted bully to a warm-hearted friend. This book has gorgeous, colorful pictures that go along perfectly with the writing. I recommend this great, well-written book for all ages.

I absolutely love this book. It has such a wonderful message, and the illustrations are awesome. I read it to my sons, but I bought the book for me:)

Molly Lou Melon doesn't give up, and she doesn't get down on herself. In spite of being short, she stands tall no matter what and her self-confidence and fun-loving personality always shine through. She even wins over the boy who tries so hard to hurt her feelings. The illustrations are cute and colorful, and children will adore Molly Lou Melon's silly, but loveable face (buck teeth and all)! This is a great book to teach children lessons about self-confidence, a positive attitude, friendship, love and how what is on the inside matters the most. A great gift... especially from a grandmother since it is the grandmother who gives Molly Lou Melon advice and encourages her to be herself.

I LOVE this book! I had it when I was a child. My favorite word in it is on the kitchen page "Batter Spoon"!!!

This is the only word book I remember reading with my mom back in the early 1980s. I still have my old hardcover edition after more than two decades. Every few years, I dust off the cover and go through the pages to look back fondly at the all-too-familiar pictures. Someday, I hope to pass on this book to my kid/s who will probably enjoy it as much as I did.

I can't forget this book, because of it had several great factors. It covered almost every place a kid may see, with it's name to know what the object is. Each page shows kids different work spaces, lands, city life, even inside a home, room by room.
This would be an excellent book for preschoolers, and even younger as well. Children and their parents may create their own stories with the detailed scenes.

I had this book as a child, although the version I had was longer and more PC. This is a great word learning book. The only drawback is that all the characters are animals, so it has to be for a child who knows the animals are simply playing people roles and doing people things. I would recommend to anyone with kids. You cannot go wrong with this book. The older version is better since it has more pages (20 more pages), but it is hard to find in good condition and at a decent price.

I always purchas this book for baby showers and any gift for very young children. It is wonderful to use for early language development or anyone wishing to learn the English names for nouns. My son wore out three copies and I always kept at least one copy in my classroom as well as my home. Cheryl White

This book is just one more proof of Rosemary's undying devotion to energize writers, stir belief in themselves and evoke the best that lies within their hearts and psyches. She never gives up--always looks for ways to teach and motivate. Thank you many times over.

No more excuses. Whether you are a published author, have never written a word, or just want to get some thoughts on a page, Secrets of the Zona Rosa will change your life if you let it.

The lessons in these pages are are powerful, provocative, and positively practical because they are universal. This book is not just for writers. It is for everyone.

Willing students will learn how to free their trapped, inner demons - as well as angels - through the healing, therapeutic power of words in Rosemary's "Exorcises". These wonderful writing tools will allow you to celebrate yourself by helping you reveal facets of your soul you might not otherwise knew existed.

Rosemary Daniell is not afraid of writing and telling her truths. Neither should you be! A marvelous follow-up to The Woman Who Spilled Words All Over Herself, Secrets of the Zona Rosa will make you laugh. Sometimes, it will make you cringe - with a smile. Most of all, it will make you write. Read it, apply it, and gain the power to tell your story!

My hand reached for this book as if it were a divining rod to grab onto something to help me find the way out of the darkness I was in...
Reading other women's stories of finding their true ALPHA voice gave me courage, confidence and broke the isolation of going it alone...
Rosemary recounts stories or events that are sometimes disturbing, painfully truthful, colorful and full of the true paths that many women have been on. Sometimes, the passages I read would haunt me through the day, but motivated me to read on to gain wisdom and life lessons.
You will not be disappointed in this book...it is worth it's weight in gold...!

Rosemary Daniell is a fascinating woman with wild and unbroken energy in terms of her life and her writing. This energy along with a sharp focus for writing is establishing an example for women around the world to follow. Essentially, she is (and has been for years) writing her way through what, in part, seems to be the unconscious shadow of a civilization who for hundreds of years has not freely admitted the feminine into it most prized corners of culture and art, particularly in the south.
In her books, as in her teachings at numerous talks and workshops across the country and in Europe, Rosemary Daniell lifts the ordinary of life to the sacred and then she brings the sacred back to the ordinary as she connects writers and ideas from all areas of life.
All in all, her latest book, "Secrets of The Zona Rosa How Writing (and Sisterhood) Can Change Women's Lives" presents not only a way to show up for your writing but for your life as well. Rosemary uses numerous quotes from other writers, such as Georgia O'keefee, Natalie Goldberg, and Menander to support the points of stories and ideas that make up the book.
"Secrets" is huge in terms of information for beginning as well as "old" writers. And there is laughter throughout the book, belly laughter rolling off pages of this book even in the midst of a painful story being told by Rosemary about writers and writing.
Carefully laid into the pages of heart-wrenching truths and the gut-splitting laughter are also guidelines and "exorcises" as well as the most sinful but delicious recipe for Strawberry Cream Cake--the Official Zona Rosa Dessert.
This book is so rich with ideas and stories that it will take years for its contents to settle within our culture but when it does, and as it does, it will take hold and become part of the anchoring force of great writers and great women who create (and a few great men who are willing to wear pink and the ZR tattoed across their hearts).
Every women should have this book as a guide for living; every woman writer should stop what she is doing right now and go out and get this book if she doesn't already have the book. Ryder J Finnegan,Ph.D./Writer/ Fayetteville, Arkansas.

When you pick up a copy of Secrets of the Zona Rosa, better pick up two or three extra notebooks and a box of pens or pencils because you are about to start writing.

It's hard to imagine not getting itchy writing fingers while reading the intriguing titles in the table of contents: "We are all doors until someone slams us," "If I was really wild," and "If I thought like a guy."

Rosemary Daniell is an intriguing and powerful woman. She writes her own truths and invites other women to do the same. No, she doesn't invite; she insists. And insistence is hard to resist.

I first met Rosemary Daniell in the pages of her 1997 book, The Woman Who Spilled Words All Over Herself: Writing and Living the Zona Rosa Way. It headed this fallen-away writer back on the writing road. For several years, I was a member of Rosemary's Atlanta Zona Rosa group. It is with real joy I welcome this book, as will other readers of this author's works. Those who have not had the fun and challenge of working their way through Rosemary's exercises--and exorcises--will soon share our enthusiasm.

Rosemary took the name Zona Rosa for the writing groups and workshops that she leads from the bohemian quarter of Mexico City, but she gives it the additional meaning of the "feminine zone," where women (and not a few men) explore using writing not only as a challenging, creative activity but also "as a tool for healing."

Secrets explains how her mother's suicide inspired her to explore her own life and truths through writing, and how the knowledge of her mother's frustrations and sadness over a lost ambition to write led her to devote her time and talents to helping other women not only fulfill their dreams of writing, but also to hone their skills in practical ways. Rosemary, already a published poet, was leading a writing workshop for women prisoners when she learned of her mother's overdose.

"I felt once more how little she--like the women in the prison--had been able to tell of her own truths. How little permission she had been given--whether by herself or others--to express them.

Although I didn't know it yet, Zona Rosa was born in that moment; an unrealized passion that would lead me to spend much of the rest of my life seeking to help women like Mother and women in prisons of all kinds to achieve their dreams."

Rosemary does not and did not flinch at telling her own truths. She spent the next three years of her life writing a memoir, Fatal Flowers: On Sin, Sex, and Suicide in the Deep South, inspired by her mother's death. Not long afterwards, Rosemary began leading a small group of writing women. Zona Rosa was born.

This book tells Rosemary's story and more. She looks back over the nearly twenty-five years of Zona Rona writers and shares (with their permission) the moving tales of how their writing has changed their lives. There are sad stories and stories of triumph, all of them fascinating.

This is not, though, a book of stories. We find guidance and guidelines that all writers, novice or expert, use with relish.

While the book deals with serious subjects, it is filled with Rosemary's wit and humor. "Pilates on Paper" first appears in Chapter 1, and the reader becomes the writer before she turns the page. (Remember my warning about new notebooks and pens!) "Book Therapy" appears regularly with reading suggestions and guidance. Writing exercises (or exorcises as Zona Rosans call them) appear throughout. Toward the end of the book, Rosemary addresses "The Emotional Tai Chi of Getting Your Work Out There"--excellent advice on finishing and submitting our work when it is ready (and we are ready for it) to be shared with the world.

Attending a Zona Rosa group or workshop is an exhilarating experience, but so is reading and writing from this book. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

by Patricia Nordyke Pando
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Modern, up-to-date dsp info, this second edition is a must have.
The "Tricks" chapter is outstanding.

I wouldn't be adding much to other reviews.

A good teacher can make a challenging subject accessible. This is THE book that proves it. It is a very well written introduction/reference to a field that is generally made scary by those who teach it. Any beginning electrical engineer who feels interested in DSP but doubts whether he/she is cut out for it, should read this book. It will dispel their apprehensions.

I first got hold of the "Chinese copy" of this book in paperback. I liked the book so much that I bought the hardcover real McCoy so I could pay my proper respects to the author and avoid the poor paper and ink bleed-through of the paperback version. It is one of a half dozen books on the subject that I really value.

Unlike some abstract mathematical treatments of the subject, Richard Lyons really connects with the guy who needs to make it happen on the bench. It is loaded with relevant examples and clear figures. I recommend it as a reference for the DSP practitioner and as a first class tutorial.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, to Richard Lyons for "Understanding
Digital Signal Processing", both editions. I had the great pleasure to
use and learn from the 1st edition about 5 years ago. At that time, I
had the overwhelming urge to convey my appreciation for the wonderful
work. Now that the 2nd edition is out, there is even more reason to
express how much I enjoyed and still enjoy those works.

In particular, the topics are spot on (eg, I needed to learn about CIC
Decimation filters), but most importantly, the exposition is so very
clear and so easy to understand: each step in the progression is made
obvious -- no "and then the magic happens" or "left as an exercise to
the reader" for the important stuff.

The result is an EXCELLENT EXPOSITION. The care and the craft of
carefully showing the intermediate steps makes it real and concrete.
And it is done with a beautiful balance of intuition, observation,
analysis, and math. Why sling equations around when a simple graph
makes things clear? The equations are there, but the pictures are the
teaching tools. Other books discuss the topics. Richard Lyons's books
illuminate the topics.

I'm pleased to be able to purchase these books, and happy that Richard
is being rewarded (getting royalties, for he is DSP royalty) for his
achievements.

I purchased this book because I found myself needing to do some digital signal processing and the FFT gives me anxiety. This book was an excellent and clear introduction to the basics and helped me to develop a much better understanding of the analysis. It's written in a clear style and assumes only very basic knowledge, in fact, I think you could understand much of it without even knowing calculus. I found the author's geometric exposition of aliasing to be particularly helpful.

I give the book 5 stars, but the potential reader should be aware that the book is serves as an introduction only. In the course of my analysis I discovered that some other "tricks" were necessary that could only be found in a more advanced DSP book. So, it might be helpful to have a more comprehensive reference at your side when it comes time to actually process your signals.