References Books

I really enjoy this book as our office as mandated to use this product. We thank you for your service and prompt delivery.

I have used Gregg Reference Manual for over 25 years. It is great for business letters and for writing formal papers in school. It is required for school again now that I am back in school.

I use this reference on the job. The focus on business writing helps when I have trouble determining what style is best to use for composing email, proposals, and similar business writing requirements.

I also use the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) as a cross reference.

Recommended.

This manual has everything you need to ensure you are grammatically correct. My office uses it daily as a reference. I would definitely recommend that every office keep a Gregg Reference Manual on hand.

Have a question about colons, semicolons or commas? It's all here. Whether writing a term paper or business document, the Gregg Manual is a must-have. I had not heard of it until I was hired to edit reports and it has proved invaluable. Everything is covered, from how to write numbers to proper phraseology. Worth the money.

I recently moved to L.A. and bought a used, earlier edition of this wonderful book. When it arrived, the small print and heft of it was intimidating- I was reminded of another famous book, written thousands of years ago?... The paragraph on "positive" stories changed my mindset in meetings and two agents offered to sign me the day after I read it. I am convinced this comprehensive guide will shave years off my journey to success. Contacts galore, lists of resources and interviews with everyone you can imagine. I look forward to meeting the author so I can thank her in person.

I decided not to become an actor in Los Angeles, or aspire to. But I did buy and read this book. It's a great resource for the aspiring actor in Los Angeles. It explains, in detail, pretty much anything and everything you need to know about pursuing a career in acting. It can be overwhelming when you first move to LA. This book helps a lot. I can definitely recommend it if you are serious about becoming an actor.

"Thank You so much for your book. It is an essential tool that every actor in Los Angeles MUST HAVE. You have graciously offered all the information in one place that would take an actor years to figure it all out on their own. THANK YOU.

-Guy D. Wells"

I started reading this book thinking I could jot down a couple useful pieces of information and quickly advance to another book on acting. Boy was I wrong!

This book is overflowing with so many sources that you may as well toss out the Yellowpages. Judy Kerr did a flawless job of providing step-by-step instructions regarding the business-side of acting and how you can get started.

Sure, there are useful quotes from all kinds of big names and experienced veterans about the technique, but Judy was very wise to simply refer readers to all types of classes, coaches and workshops rather than attempt to write a book on how to act. Experience is the only way you truly learn, not by reading about others who experience it.

I'm currently saving up to take the 2-week trip to Los Angeles to research the city which is mentioned in the book with detailed stops to make.

If you're wondering whether or not this book should be on your bookshelf at home, buy it now. No, don't continue reading my review!! You're not listening and I feel disrespected. You could've been entering your shipping address and credit card info by now you lazy bum! Ya wanna act? Okay, your character is shopping for a book by Judy Kerr... ACTION!!!

There is no greater source book out there. For actors and other industry professionals, "Acting Is Everything" is a magnificent compendium of information covering all aspects of pursuing your acting career - from arriving in LA, to agents and managers, to your pictures - and it's wrapped up with motivational and inspiring advice. I have been recommending this book to not only actors but all entertainment professionals that I speak to including seminar attendees, my UCLA Extension students, and my own clients. Owning this book is like having a professional adviser at home with you 24/7.

My best friend told me this morning that they're getting married after 20 years, and the first thing I did after congratulating her was run to the computer and order this for her.

I leaned on this book SO heavily while planning our wedding. It's a total sanity-saver, and always managed to make me laugh. I wasn't a first time or young bride, but the pressures from the family to conform to traditional ways were powerful and stressed me out. Ariel's common-sense wisdom and great sense of humor was so reassuring, and she gave great advice about how to deal with certain situations. I love you Ariel!!!!!!!!

This is an excellent book that reassures the newly engaged Offbeat Bride that she is NOT alone in her visions. The personal anecdotes are all charming and funny, and the book stresses creating a ceremony and party that is meaningful to the couple, rather than being "shocking" OR "traditional," simply for the sake of either.

The ongoing glory, though, is the Offbeat Bride blog ([...]), full of examples of real Offbeat Brides and their weddings, and the forum/blog community Offbeat Bride Tribe ([...]) where engaged offbeats post requests for advice, inspiration, DIY tips, and, of course, more gorgeous pictures of offbeat weddings.

I was expecting a lot of tips and suggestions for brides who would like to buck tradition. There were a few, but really they were not worth the purchase price of the book. Most of the book was a no-brainer account of one person's wedding. It would have been improved if the author herself was a more engaging writer. Really, if you're looking for a decent bridal story, go ahead, buy it. But, if you want some tangible information for planning your wedding, don't waste your time.

Ariel Meadow Stallings, you are a goddess.

My partner and I are planning our wedding and throwing 99% of tradition out the window. For starters, there isn't going to be a groom (thanks, inclusive Canadian laws!!). Planning a same-sex wedding seemed like a daunting task, especially for two girls who don't fit into any lesbian stereotypes of gender. We both love music and spending time with our large families, with people ranging from wee little babies to feisty women in their nineties. How to bring them all together, unite them with our love of music and each other, and minimize the risk of bodily injury to all present?

Ariel's book is part to-do list, part heartwarming memoir, and 100% fun to read. I feel so much more validated in the choices I'm making for the wedding (gourmet sandwich bar instead of fancy catered meal!) and we are so excited to throw the party of our lifetimes. Thanks, Ariel. You're invited to the wedding.

As soon as I discovered Ariel's blog, I knew I had to read her book. I was recently engaged and hadn't put much thought into what I wanted in my wedding, but I knew that I wanted it to be awesome, fun, unique, and as low-budget as possible. I didn't know where to start, and Ariel's book seemed like the best jumping-off point.

It was perfect. Ariel's writing style is fun, accessible, and peppered with moments of humor and insight that kept me reading straight through until I reached the last page.

For those who complain that this book is mostly a personal memoir: yes, it is. If you are looking for an advanced handbook on postmodern weddings, look elsewhere - but good luck finding it. The very definition of "offbeat" makes it difficult to come up with ideas that will work for everyone. It's best to just present a series of stories and ideas and let the reader take from it what they will. This is exactly what Ariel has done. Yes, it's a memoir - but it's a very good one.

Offbeat Bride will probably appeal more to people like me, who are not already steeped in a counter-cultural lifestyle and don't even know where to begin planning a wedding that reflects their personal sense of style. If you already know what you want, and don't need any validation or reassurance, then you can skip it. (But it's still a very fun read.)

Invariably, people like Ariel will fall under criticism for being "too offbeat" or "not offbeat enough." Hair in buns? Outrageous! No suggestion of brides wearing pants? SCANDALOUS! One bride's offbeat is another bride's ho-hum, certainly - but that's just the nature of being offbeat in the first place. Offbeat Bride is the story of one bride, interwoven with many others, and the things that they did to make their weddings special. Their choices shouldn't be seen as the be-all end-all of offbeat - in fact, they're just the beginning.

I purchased this for my 8 year old daughter as a birthday gift per her repeated requests. She already had Farmer Boy, and chose this as her next Little House CD. She and her 12 year old sister both love these. We've read Little House books as a family, but now they can listen over and over.

This is a good CD. Cherry Jones' performance is excellent, and the fiddle music adds a wonderful touch for those who wish they could have heard Pa's fiddle.

As for the story, who doesn't like Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic stories of pioneer life in America? She brings it to life like nothing I've ever read, and I read everything I can get my hands on about American History. Laura give us such a detailed picture of her family, Pa's leadership, Ma's gentle manners, their work ethic, life in the 1800's, old-fashioned morals, and so much more. If my kids listen to this over and over, I know they'll gain so much that TV or movies cannot begin to give them.

The Little House series are great read aloud books.

Our daughter is five and this series is perfectly age appropriate, even though an older child would enjoy them equally as well. For younger ones (three or so), there is a great picture book series called "My first little house books," or something like that. One of these is a story based of a chapter in this book and is called "Christmas in the Big Woods."

These CD's are great for long trips in the car. The narrator's voice is wonderful. The adults will find themselves enjoying listening themselves.

"One the Banks of Plum Creek" is the best of the series. It is the one where Mary and Laura go to school and where the character of Nellie Olson is introduced. Her brand of spoiled rotten meanness is nothing short of tantalizing to a five year old. Also, there are the wonderful Christmas chapters.

Just excellent, all around. I highly recommend the books to read alound and the CD's.

Whether you have read the Little House books or have never heard of them, this book on tape is wonderful for everyone from small children to adults. The narrator who reads it does an amazing job of capturing the childhood wonderment and emotions Laura was trying to convey. It is also so interesting to hear the way families lived back in the 1800's. I could listen to this book on tape over and over again.

Laura Ingalls is now eight-years-old, her sister Mary is nine, and Carrie is still just a tiny tot. While they are all still quite young, they are expected to help out with the chores around the house - from sweeping to dusting, cooking and setting the table. But this year, the girls are in a strange new place. Looking to settle in an area where a school and church are close by, and the Ingalls' have a chance to grow a wonderful crop that will provide quite a profit, the family heads to Walnut Grove, Minnesota. Traveling by covered wagon, the family, along with all of their belongings, travels all the way through Indian Territory, across Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa, stopping at their destination in Minnesota. There, they are surrounded by Norwegian's who speak very little English. However, they are good neighbors who assist them in times of trouble. Trading their horses for a home located under the ground, Laura's family begins to call Minnesota their home. And, before long, Pa has built a lovely home by the banks of Plum Creek. He believes that his wheat crop will provide enough funds to pay off their debts when the time comes. But when locusts invade in cloud-like swarms, eating everything in their sight, the family must endure hardships that were unexpected.

But things are not all bad. Having never attended school before, Laura and Mary are finally near enough a schoolhouse where they can attend daily lessons that help them develop reading, writing, and arithmetic skills. It is at this particular school where the two older Ingalls girls are exposed to children - both male and female - who are close to their age. Some of whom title Mary and Laura "country girls." But the label does not affect how the two sisters view themselves, or their family; and only gives them the courage to befriend various girls who love to spend time with them. It is at school, however, that Laura encounters the spoiled, yet oh-so-pretty, Nellie Oleson, who goes out of her way to give both Laura and Mary a hard time. But Laura isn't having any of it, and resolves to get even with the vicious Nellie, even if it upsets her Ma and Pa. Luckily, with Ms. Beadle - the schoolteacher - around, Laura and Mary have the confidence to stand up for themselves, and receive the education that their Ma always wanted them to have; while getting the socialization they deserve. But even attending school doesn't excuse them from having to assist their family when the going gets tough.

Up until last year, I had been a diehard fan of the LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE TV series, but had never had the opportunity to delve into the wonderful tales told by Laura Ingalls Wilder herself. Upon reading the introduction novel, LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, I quickly fell in love with the Ingalls family all over again; and, since then, they have taken up residence in my heart, and kept me fascinated with the various adventures they experienced throughout their lives. Laura is such a lively, brave, fun-loving character; whose ambition, kindness, and, oft-times, naughtiness, make her appealing from start to finish. Her relationship with her family is hard to resist, as she manages to please and displease them on a daily basis, all to the jovial laughter of her father. I believe that Pa (Charles) is one of the most important characters in the series, as he is such a kind, loyal man; who rarely scolds, and spends his downtime entertaining his family with music from his fiddle, and stories that leave you chuckling. The family, as a whole, are the type of people you would absolutely love to have the chance to know. They are kind to strangers, helpful to neighbors, and both Ma and Pa are two of the most selfless people in literature. The information regarding Rocky Mountain locusts was both interesting, and frightening; but truly provides a wonderful history lesson for the young reader. While the introduction of the devilish Nellie Oleson provides quite a bit of humor, as she and Laura trade insults with one another at almost every meeting between the two. Ingalls did a marvelous job of penning such a cheerful addition to the series; and, thus far, ON THE BANKS OF PLUM CREEK has become my favorite LITTLE HOUSE book yet. A can't-miss addition to the series!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

ON THE BANKS OF PLUM CREEK -- Who could forget the plague of grasshoppers, or spoiled Nellie's encounter with the crab, or Pa's sojourn in the blizzard, among other adventures?

We -- my three homeschooled grandchildren and I -- are going through the Laura Ingalls Wilder series of books for the second time. We read them aloud during story time, and love every minute. These are books written about an American pioneer family in the 1800s with a strong moral compass. In an unsentimental style, the author writes simply of the day-to-day life she experienced firsthand growing up. As the title of this review suggests, a central theme, not only of this book, but the entire series, is that "Pa loves Ma, and Ma loves Pa, and all's right with the world," including in the face of all kinds of adversity and opportunity alike.

I enrich this time for my grandchildren by stopping occasionally to explain and discuss what we are reading about, be it an unusual word usage, a custom no longer practiced, how to do something by hand, historical facts... We have even stopped to do some research and measure out the height of a bear. Our family tradition is that the eldest grandchild (now 11) reads the last page of these books. Otherwise, I usually do the reading. We also try to get started right away on the next book in the series, the same day as we finish the one before, so as not to lose our momentum.

After going through the series the first time, we discovered (almost by accident at the local library) several other series of books, written by other authors, about Laura's great-grandmother Martha in Scotland, her grandmother Charlotte in Boston, and her mother Caroline in Wisconsin, so we decided to start over with the first of those books and carry on through. There is also a series about Laura's daughter Rose which we have not gotten to yet.

Reading through the other series in order has been time well invested. Like Laura, we have strong family roots in Scotland. We have four generations of our family living within close proximity, so my grandchildren know my father, their beloved great-grandfather, quite well, and this series helps them gain a feel of family and historical continuity, generation to generation. (Check for related book series under: Martha Years, Charlotte Years, Caroline Years, Rose Years).

I am investing in and building our own set of all these books in hardcover, having told my grandchildren that I plan to be around to read them to *their* grandchildren!

This is a classic, and an important work in quality control/6 Sigma. The material is getting somewhat dated as far as examples, but the princples are timeless, and as valid today as they were 25 years ago when the book was first written. Deming's no nonsense approach is both easy to read and easy to understand. Strongly recommend for any manager - particulraly one where there is a Six Sigma environment.

This book is excellently written by the late Dr. W. Edward Deming who was "heckled" out of America post-World War II by the American management leaders for his less-then-conventional managerial practices. After being heckled in America he was invited to Japan where that countries business leaders were re-building their nation. Dr. Deming's 14 Point Program was an instant success and he was soon heralded as the "Father" of modern Japanese Industrial Revolution. Japan honored him annually with the awarding of the Deming Award of Excellence. He was eventually called back to his native America where he continued to lecture until his untimely death in 1993. He was an icon of American management practices.

Written in 1982, this book was the author's attempt to help America out of its crisis. You may recall that under his tutelage, Japan underwent a significant turn-around in the manufacturing sector and began whooping the collective American butt. What was the cause of the crisis? According to Deming, it was top management's inability to manage.

Deming offers a solution to the crisis. His aim is to help "transform the style of American management." Deming lists 14 points, which are the basis for the transformation. Check them out. A couple of them may surprise you.

Deming stresses the value of statistics. A couple of the chapters are tough for those not familiar with the discipline (a reason for the crisis). Those familiar with Six Sigma will notice the similarities with Deming's teachings.

It's been 26 years. Is America out of the crisis? If Deming were alive today, he'd probably say that some have heeded his advice, but too many have not, and that much of the issues we've seen with American corporations in recent years are evidence of that. Fortunately, his book is still available to help.

If you have not read Deming, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this one. If you happen to have already read it, read it again. Pick up some of Deming's recommended readings as well. There is a lot to learn, and re-learn in this one.

-- Nick McCormick, Author, Lead Well and Prosper: 15 Successful Strategies for Becoming a Good Manager

Edwards Deming's powerful book Out of the Crisis outlines a way to improve American manufacturing by encouraging management to plan for the future and foresee problems to eliminate waste of manpower, of materials and of machine time. Quality must be designed in.

Timeless ideas permeate this book. One of the major themes in the book is that quality must be built in at the design phase. I have seen numbers as high as 80% of the cost is driven in during the design phase.

Deming's 14 points and other ideas have permeated and morphed into many companies in the United States. Lean manufacturing, six-sigma, robust design and more can trace their roots to the work of Edwards Deming.

This book is extremely valuable to understand the historical roots of quality and lean thinking. It is equally valuable as a guide for any design and manufacturing company looking to improve in today's competitive world.

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

As the title says, if you are a manager you MUST read this book. Read it even if you aren't a manager.

Deming knows quality, bottom line.

This is the best of the pilates books I own. The explainations and illustrations make the moves easy to understand and do properly. There are several one page charts for beginner, intermediate and advanced. I found these valuable for learning to flow through the routines without having to turn a page in the book for the next move. This is a great book for a beginner or an advanced user who wants to learn the proper form and get great results quickly.Pilates: Body in Motion

This is a well-illustrated, well-written book that explains the Pilates method and the origin of Palates. The pictures and captions make learning the basics very easy. I'm now ready to take a Palates class without feeling awkward and uncomfortable. I recommend it for anyone interested in training in Palates. A must book to read before taking a class.

Great tool for travel or when you miss the studio. I am just a pilates student, so having something to hold my hand and direct me is needed, so just flipping through the deck in the suggested order has been great. I don't think its a beginners tool because the descriptions somewhat assume you already know the basics IMHO. I had a cheat sheet I made myself with little drawings and notes, but this is so much easier.

This basic manual for Pilates is especially helpful because of the cautions about avoiding poor form while you're doing the exercises. The limitations of any book attempting to teach you how to do physical movements is offset by the authors' knowledge of what mistakes typical beginners make.

I'm training for a certain activity and was told that Pilates would be great to do because many people in the sport do it. I knew _absolutely nothing_ about Pilates. I asked around at local fitness clubs but couldn't find any instructors. Lacking local instruction, I bought this book based on the recommendations here.

The many pictures and instructions for the actual exercises were very easy to follow. However, the information in the introduction (including an explanation of the 6 basic principles) left me so very frustrated and confused! The book says to flatten your lower spine against the mat ('neutral spine') by 'lengthening' your spine without moving your hips or other body parts...but that's physiologically impossible! Does she not understand the basic mechanics of the body? And 'scooping' is described as feeling like a corset being tightened around your waist...which is only helpful if you've worn a corset before. Since the book implies that the exercises do little good if you don't have these principles right, the good, clear instructions on the actual exercises are probably useless to me because I don't clearly understand most of the basic principles.

I also doubt some of the claims of Pilates now that I've learned more about the system. I'm sure the system works fairly well at 'core' strength training for most people who use it, but some of the other claims seem a bit mystical in nature. If you love this method, that's great. If you understand the basic principles of Pilates, then this is probably a great book for you. Otherwise, I just can't recommend this book. I'll stick with "Straighter, Stronger, Leaner, Longer" by Renee Daniels which works the 'core' muscles as well as every last bit of the rest of your body.

I love this book. I had been keeping my room messy to hide my stuff. Only problem was that my brothers always found my stuff and i couldent. Now that i am using the book, my room is clesn. My brothers and even my girlfriend cant find it.

I bought the book about a year ago, when my cousin would sneak into my room and take money. I made a video vault and a hollow book to hide it in. My brother made a decoy with a whole bunch of fake paper bills and a mouse trap under it all. My cousin got that bright lightbulb of an idea and tip-toed into my room. He saw the 'money' ane must have taken two fistfuls when SNAP!!! It wasn't pretty, my cousin broke his finger, but I thought the book was awesome.

I got this book in 4th grade; I now have no less than 11 vaults/stashes in my room. No one knows all of them! I even stumped my sticky - fingered friend (and considering how many people he's hoodwinked, that's saying a lot).

It is a perfect book, with everything you need to know about keeping your private things exactly that. Private!

I have a sister who can't keep her hands off my things. I have really tried hard to be nice but my parents think I'm picking on her if I complain because she is smaller. So when I saw this in the book store I figured it had to be for me. I am so glad I found this book. It is filled with great ideas about hiding what you own and about making great projects too. You will be able to turn any little place into a secret hide out. I wish there was a part about how to hide myself in a game or when my dad is calling me but I guess the writer doesn't know my house anyway! The book even has a great idea by making itself invisible if you use the pretend names of CDS and tape them on the side of the book. That way no one will know if you have a book or a CD on the shelf. This book is really, really, really good.

This book does not only tell the history of art, at the same time, the history of architecture, since the two are so much interrelated. Therefore, as an architecture student, I recommend you guys to read this book to gain the knowledge of how art and architecture evolve throughout history.

This is a beautiful book with comprehensive text. It is written in common English that anyone should understand. I already have a copy I received as a gift and bought this copy for my grandaughter who will enter college this year to study Art History.

That may sound a bit strange, but this is a great book to take on the plane or train with you -- or even to the beach.

It is a compact volume (though about 1 1/2 inches thick). Because of this compact format the text is in front (thin paper) with the plates in back. Phaidon provides two ribbon bookmarks. That also means that it is easiest to read using both hands.

That said, Gombrich leads the reader along with a style somewhere between a conversation and a lecture -- more like what you might expect from a learned uncle or family friend. Pleasant delivery, but leaving you no doubts about the value of the information that is to be passed along.

There may even be an advantage to having the plates in the back. I found myself dwelling on them perhaps a little longer than if they had been in with the text -- and the text calling for my attention.

You can read this book in long sessions, or in little bits. It doesn't matter, because the information is always there, and in the case of this book, the journey itself is important.

Enjoy.

For somebody interested in art, a book with many pictures is easy to read and enjoy.

An excellent book in an easy to read formatt. My professor used it for my art history class. Beautirul illistrations. Highly recommended. Great reference book as well.

This is not a detailed surgical text, but it is the book you will go to every night to read up before tomorrow's surgeries. Incredibly high- yield, focused book. It will teach you most of the basics your preceptors will pimp you on. I like the question/answer format... these "pearls" seemed to stick with me better than when you have to dig through pages of standard text. Quite a bit of overlap with others in the series, like ER Recall, but still worth it!

Great book, great series. good to test what you know and some hit points that you might not find anywhere else.

This book is in short, Q&A style, and is excellent for quick review, especially when you have 10 minutes before a case starts. During surgeries, I got asked a lot of questions straight out of the book. A more thorough book is needed for in-depth info, but this book is great to carry around with you and read in those rare spare minutes.

Great for surgery because it goes over anatomy (perfect for OR days) and different diseases/pathophysiology (great for rounding). Must-have for surgery clerkship.

This book is great! You can carry it around with you to quickly review before cases, or even in the clinic. Almost every pimp question I have gotten was in this book!!

I have always needed one of these now I have one. I am so glad I really needed it.

The product was delivered as promised in new/as new condition. The book is very informational for machinists and engineers alike.

I AM A DESIGNER/ DRAFTER AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS BOOK HAS ADVANCED MY KNOWLEDGE GREATLY IN MECHANICAL DESIGN.

I got the handbook because it was required for one of my classes, and I am glad i got it because we can use it on tests and and while we are doing assignments.

It is hard to describe how indispensable this book becomes once you own it. Extremely rich reference for all things mechanical. Not only tables, very interesting reading material too.
I've been reading it as a bedside book for a month, and the knowledge within seems endless.
I got the small print version, no complaints about that. Maybe in 20 years it will make a difference, though.
The only issue are units: some info in metric system, other imperial. But A++ still.