Projects Books

This is a handy little reference for a variety of time-saving tips and tricks. You'll definitely be able to economize your daily activities if you keep this book near you when building your reports and analyses. Don't be surprised if you dog-ear quite a few pages.

JR

An Excel User doesn't need to spend years in learning Excel, thus to get the most of it. An Excel User needs to know how to "kill the time" through Excel's Abilities. An Excel User just needs a book as "This isn't Excel it's Magic". It is a friendly Piece of Advise submitted in a gracious manner by the Excel Magician Bob Umlas,Microsoft Most Valuable Professional.This book will become "A Daily Excel Encyclopedia" to everyone who looks for Excel proficiency in job accomplishment.
A 21 century Excel User deserves this book. Do not miss Bob's Excel CLEVERNESS!!!
Pavlina

This book is full of quick hints that can save you time and frustration when working with Microsoft Excel. Many functions were identified that I never knew existed. This book is definitely worth the price. Enjoy!!!

What a handy little book chuck full of hints, tips and techniques by Bob Umlas. Bob Umlas is a Microsoft MVP and has held that honor since 1995 for his dedication to various online groups

The book is organized into 6 categorizing chapters: Features, Formulas, Keyboard Shortcuts, Printing, Miscellaneous, and VBA. It contains 142 pages with 84 tricks, tips and manipulative techniques, some of which are quite useful.

Some of the techniques covered are ones that you probably learned at some point but have forgotten. Others will be old tricks applied differently that will give you a new perspective. Plus there are many advanced features that are explained to stretch your skills. What impresses me the most is the practicality of what is presented in the book. The majority of the techniques are useful hints that can be put into practice rather easily.

This isn't Excel, It's Magic! is a fantastic book. I thought I knew a lot about Excel; but I now realize how little I did know. It is hard to pick a favorite because there are so many great head spinning, jaw dropping tips & tricks.

The book is well written with easy to follow examples. It makes unlocking the power of Excel an amazing experience. 85 great topics ranging from using advance filters to using vba bookmarks. A must have for beginning and expert users everywhere.

Thanks for a great time saving book, Mr. Umlas. You are a true magician!!

I remember that day in the library when I spotted this book. I had read the front cover and thought I might have interest in it. When I finally had read it, it was Extraordinary! The book can make you cry and laugh. I think a novel should have both these characteristics. I can read this book over and over again and I have the same emotion when I first read it. One person in my camp asked me what I was laughing at and I quote my exact words, "This book. I am reading this one part over and over again, and still I'm laughing." He said, "That's ridiculous! How can you keep laughing at the same thing?" I guess he had no idea. Well, it's not exactly his fault, he hadn't read the book. I'm not looking forward to returning this book because I think that I can read it over and over again especially when it's on the top of my bookshelf.

By: Cheri W.

I haven't come across a book that I couldn't let go until I finished it.

That last one was Harry Potter The Sorcerer's Stone many years ago.

True Blue is worth reading. I highly recommend it!

True Blue is a very emotional book. It was written by Jeffrey Lee. Molly is the new girl at school. Two girls are mean to her. Especially a boy named J.T who makes fun of Molly and her dad.

Right before this book began, in the prologue Molly and her dad were in an accident. That changed her dad's life forever. Now he has trouble eating and speaking. Molly meets a boy named Chrys. But she thinks he is very weird. When Molly saw Chys's secret, she stares in awe. But when she does see him she is on the roof and she fell off. Luckily Chrys saves her.
I loved how Molly found out about Chrys's butterfly wings. I also enjoy how Molly and Chrys became friends. I thought this book was very emotional how Molly had to take care of her Dad's injury from the accident. I dislike how Courtney and Vanessa were mean to Molly. I also dislike that J.T makes fun of Molly's dad and Chrys.


There were many main events in this book. Here are a few. One is that Molly and her dad were in an accident. Also when Molly and Chrys were in a science competition and right before they go on their presentation is ruined.


I thought this book was very outstanding. I enjoyed it a lot. I would recommend it to anyone who like reading realistic fiction books and sad ones too. Will Molly and Chrys win the science competition? If you want to find out read True Blue!

I'm going to tell you about the book True Blue. The author is Jeffrey Lee. The main
characters in the story are Chrys, Molly, Molly`s parents, and Chrys's parents. Chrys and Molly both have secrets. This story takes place at Molly's new school which is Chrys's regular school. It also takes place at Molly's house and Chrys's house.

True Blue is about Molly's life, meeting new friends, and sharing secrets. Molly's dad has been in an accident. He is now in a wheelchair. Molly soon feels guilty because she thinks she caused the accident. At her new school, she meets a boy named Chrys. They are similar and alike in ways. They eventually become best friends. At first they were both lonely. Now they have each other. They share secrets, but Molly still cares about her dad. Her mom does too.

I loved this book. I thought that it was interesting because I could not put it down. True Blue is one of my favorite books because it left a cliff hanger at the end of every chapter, and I like fiction books. The author of this book made me feel like I was in it. I wanted to keep reading on and on because I wanted to find out what happened next. I would definitely recommend this book. I would recommend this book to kids who are in 4th and 5th grade. This book is the best. If you want to find out what happens next in the story, you should read it. You'll love it. Girls and boys will like it.

Jeffrey Lee's True Blue tells of two outsiders: Molly the new kid, Chrys the weird kid. The two form a bond because of a science competition, only to find other links which go beyond coincidence in this story of friendship.

Mr. Stark takes all the guesswork out of those wonderful arrangements you see in magazines and on television and shows you how you can create marvelous displays for yourself. A must have for those who entertain as well as those who just love to be creative and enjoy surrounding themselves with beauty.

Great ideas for innovative party giving. Everything here can be done easily to create a true impact. A definite MUST HAVE for your next event.

It seems as though Mr. Stark has a lot of experience in hosting creative parties at economical prices. His style is fun, not flashy. While flipping through the pages of this most interesting book it is obvious that the author has a talent for turning everyday household items into something that can be used to entertain. The vase idea especially was ingenious!! With the publication of this book, Mr. Stark and his associates will definitely give Martha Stewart a run for her money.

This is a book that is fun to read and to look at. There are beautiful and amazing pictures of what you can do with everyday items around your house, or, with things you can purchase for very little money. At the same time, the book is full of great ideas to copy or get you started creating your own wild decorations next time you entertain. I can't wait to put water tubes with fresh flowers in my lawn this summer !!

I can honestly say I have never read a book more informative, helpfull, and fun to read as Wild Flowers. After reading the book, my mind was filled with great ideas for my next special occasion. In my opinion this book is more helpful and creative then any "do it yourself" book or video I've ever had and believe me I've had a lot of them. Mr. Stark has an ingenious way of being creative and economical at the same time.

This is a very informative quilt history book with fantastic, close-up photos of fabric. This will be a great addition to your Barbara Brackman collection. I had mine laminated and spiral bound!!

An invaluable resource for the quilt historian ,conservator or just an interested quilter. The illustrations helped me to identify fabric by period,style and color. The text gave me invaluable information to help identify a puzzling old quilt which was found stuffed in a chimney undisturbed for 90 years. Barbara Brackman is the author to read when one seeks information about quilts and their history. I enjoyed the chapter identifications allowing me to quickly access the fabric type I was seeking.

This is a good resource for the history of textiles with the purpose of dating quilts or construction of period correct clothing and quilts.

This book gives a very good compressive over view of fabrics in a certain time frame. While I bought it for reference I discovered it is quite enjoyable just to read. I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in fabrics. It would be especially useful to a beginning fabric aficionado.

what a wonderful resource book for anyone who is interested in fabric/fiber arts.
i'm a quilter who likes to create quilts with a flair from yesterday. this book not only helps me to be closed in my interpretation of that time, it does guide me through the decision which colors have been more used than others. the contents/pictures are very clear and the instructions to recreate some of the quilts are outstanding. i would give this book 6 stars!

This book has changed the way I looked at the issues of development, modernisation & morals. An amazing read, beautifully written and with great insights.

I have just returned from a trip to Ladakh and I could really relate to what Ms.Norberg talks about in the book.

Just a couple of side issues. It'd be good to know what exactly went wrong in Ladakh. Here are a people who for 2000 years had lived successfully by the rules of Buddhism. How & why did Buddhism fail these people in the face of global/western economic & cultural imperialism? Does the blame lie with Buddhism- it being too 'compassionate' and allowing a religion? Does the blame lie with the Ladakhis who probably were not as sincere Buddhists as they are made out to be?

After all if they really were such devout Buddhists, how come they fell to the greed that capitalism breeds?

Anyway, these are issues which could have been addressed in the book. Regardless, the book is excellent! A must read.

How does life in a non-industrial society compare to life in our own? In which society are people happier? If life in non-industrial societies compares favorably to life in our own, then why are the barrios of the third world filling up with migrants from remote villages? This book provides surprising insights into these questions. It also provokes reflections on our own society and its influence on the rest of the world. After reading a used copy I picked up for free, I bought seven copies of this book for friends and family!

Rarely have I felt more dispair about the direction of what we know as civilization as I felt halfway through this book. The Ladakh people are described as happy, healthy, and self-reliant. Suddenly, the "real world" happens to them, and they come to see themselves as poor, when before they had no need of money.

The authors do a nice job of weaving a story of hope at the end but I have concern for the future of these people. It helps me understand the decision the government of Bhutan has made to isolate themselves from western-style civilization.

After reading this book, I suddenly realized the root problem of Western Civilization: We have no culture. Where there was once culture, we now have an expanding economic order threatening all life on the planet. Through its mechanism of growth and expansion, the global economy is conquering and converting life's diversity into an ecological and social monoculture of cash crops, Levis, soda pop and movie theatres. Perhaps moonscape would be a better word. Of course, it doesn't have to be this way. Our fast-paced, increasingly technological, capital-intensive, fossil fuel-centered, centralized, highly specialized, travel and commercial-oriented, often stressful society is by no means the end-all-be-all of human history. Murder, child abuse, drug abuse, theft, poverty, hunger, and every other problem that plagues the West are not products of human nature. The pathology of civilization is not natural or inevitable, and the Ladakhi are proof of this. Read this book and rediscover ancient, profound, life-affirmating alternatives to the modern humdrum. Discover another way of living, thinking and feeling. Important, necessary, engaging and masterfully written - this book was a treasure to read. Indeed, it was an awaking.

A MUST READ

The first half of *Ancient Futures* will delight and amaze you; the second half will break your heart.

In the 1970s, the Ladakhis of Little Tibet were a happy people. They had a sustainable traditional economy based on trade and cooperation - not money. One person's gain was not another person's loss. There was plenty of leisure, no hunger or poverty, very little sickness or disease, everyone was valued, there was no pollution and nothing was wasted. They got along fine with their Muslim neighbors and they kept their population stable through marriage customs based on land use. Almost every family had a celibate monk or nun. Buddhist monasteries and people had a mutually beneficial economic, social and spiritual relationship. Ladakhis are a naturally contemplative people with a great deal of spiritual awareness. "Schon chan" (one who angers easily) is about the only insult in the Ladakhi lnaguage. "Lack of pride is a virtue, for pride, born of ego, has nothing to do with self-respect among these Buddhist people." The author says that it took her two years of living among them to realize that the people were genuinely and joyfully HAPPY. Then the world beat a path to their door and all that changed - in fewer than two decades.

It's like a little piece of cultural time-lapse photography. What took western culture more than four centuries to do to the Native-Americans took only twenty years here. Ladakh has become a cautionary tale and a monument to western greed and stupidity.

Now there is poverty and unemployment, stress-related disease, women are devalued, the people are ashamed of their "backward" culture, there is little leisure but a great deal of pollution and waste as well as dispute between Muslims and Buddhists and the population had increased markedly. ("Interestingly, a number of Ladakhis have linked the rise of birth rates to the advent of modern democracy. "Power is a question of votes" is a current slogan, meaning that, in the modern sector, the larger your group, the greater your access to power. Competition for jobs and political representation within the new centralized structures is increasingly dividing Ladakhis.")

Chiildren are trained to become specialists in a technological rather than an ecological society. They no longer have time to learn the superb survival techniques of their families. Western culture is creating artificial scarsity and inducing competition.

Now I understand the mechanism better. A culture that has a heavily subsidized infrastructure invades a traditional self-sustaining culture and creates artificial "needs." So they go to the city to earn money which they never needed before, leaving their farms and women, who are immediately devalued because they're not wage earners. The people are no longer planting, irrigating, spinning wool, gathering seeds, harvesting, playing music and singing and telling stories, having seasonal parties, marriage parties or funeral watches - together.

Time has become a commodity. It has become uneconomical to grow one's own food, make one's own clothes and build one's own house. You have to pay your neighbors for the work that the whole community used to do for free.

The men are in the cities earning money and the women are producing tourist commodities with the wool they used to spin for their own use and the food they used to grow for their own families. Now they grow cash crops for strangers so they can make enough money to buy polyester clothes and walkmans and jeans for their kids and food grown hundreds of miles away and fuel trucked in from afar.

The Yak and the Dzo, uniquely suited for high altitudes of Ladakh gave rich milk but not as much as western cattle. So what did the conquering culture do? They imported cattle that can't make it at such altitudes, so more land has to be relegated to planting crops to feed the cattle, thereby upsetting the balance. And they call this progress.

Why can't we just leave people alone - especially when they're doing FINE without us?

"When one-third of the world's population consumes two-thirds of the world's resources," says Norberg-Hodge, "and then in effect turns around and tells the others to do as they do, it is little short of a hoax. Development is all too often a euphemism for exploitation, a new colonialism."

All this would be a dismal tragedy comparable to Columbus's complete genocide of the Tainos if not for a "counter development" movement generated in part by this author. Since the Ladakhis can't go back, they can at least go forward. Instead of importing expensive fossil fuels (previously they had used yak dung and kept warm) they can have solar houses and greenhouses, which have worked very well and given them one benefit that they have previously not had. That's something. Information is another plus. The people are being made aware that westerners pay more for whole grains, organic vegetables, pure water, natural fibers, and natural building materials - things these people have had for a thousand years without money. This is something so-called third-world people are generally not told about.

Once in a while a book comes along that changes one's perspective forever. *Ancient Futures* is such a book. I haven't been the same since.

One of the reviewers on this site said he ended up buy copies for his friends. So have I. This book is a must-read for every person who is concerned about the preservation of our planet and our species.

pamhan99@aol.com

These are retold fairy tales, but not the funny ones. Still, by exploring the tragedy, warmth, and soulfulness of these tales, deeply talented authors delve into the soul and try to find comfort int hese new flavors of fairy tales.

This anthology is one of the most emotionally wrenching and satisfying collections of stories that I've read-not just from fantasy authors, but from anyone. Dealing with the darker aspects of childhood, including abuse and alienation, the stories and poetry are full of depth and transformation; magic, despair, and ultimately hope. Some exceptional stories are "The Armless Maiden" by Midori Snyder, "The Juniper Tree" by Peter Straub, "The Lion and the Lark" by Patricia McKillip, "The Lily and the Weaver's Heart" by Nancy Etchemendy, "In the House of My Enemy" by Charles De Lint, and "In the Night Country" by Ellen Steiber. The poems are all beautiful. This book is definitely on my desert island list.

This is a short review.

Actually, this is not a review atall, although I should say it, shortly and to the point: The ArmlessMaiden is a gorgeous anthology, one of the best I've ever read.

This is just a message to people who might stumble upon it in a bookstore or library.

The message is: read it.

You will not be disappointed.

This book has a myriad of short stories, poems, & essays about survivors of child abuse. They are all worked around fairy-tale themes but not Disneyified: no handsome prince comes to rescue a child; instead, these children escape through their own courage & perseverance. An AMAZING book. A shame it is out of print--but I've seen copies used & in remainder bins at bookstores so do yourself a favor & keep looking! This book will make you shudder, weep, cringe, but ultimately leaves you w/a feeling of hope. All the pieces are good, but standouts include Terri Windling's, Charles De Lint's, Ellen Steiber's, & Munro Sickafoose's. Another wonderful aspect is that Windling ignores genre boundaries & hence you see authors such as Sharon Olds & Anne Sexton represented as well. Highly recommended!

I love adult fairy tales, but it seems that all too often, writers pump up the sex and violence to render the tales "adult", rather than more deeply exploring the human emotional dramas in the stories. Maybe that's why I love _The Armless Maiden_. The tales and poems here do include sex and violence, yes, but at their heart is the triumph of the human spirit.

If we look carefully at fairy tales, many of them are actually about what we would now call child abuse. Cinderella was neglected. Handel and Gretel were abandoned. Donkeyskin suffered incest. And there are so many more. And in most of the stories, the protagonist rises above the situation somehow--in the old versions, usually by gaining fortune and position. In the stories in _The Armless Maiden_, the triumph is more often psychological. I read once--I think it was in a book by Marina Warner--that the essential theme of the fairy tale is transformation. In these stories, we see victims transformed into survivors.

These are serious fairy tales for our times, and I recommend the book both to abuse survivors and to those who did not suffer abuse (trust me, everyone knows someone who did). My personal favorite contributions are Emma Bull's poem about Cinderella's stepsister regretting the friendship they never had, and Ellen Kushner's "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep", the story of a young girl in the custody of a cold-hearted guardian, and haunted by the ghost of the woman's unhappy daughter.

This is a great book for quilters of all levels. The blocks are relatively easy to piece and the birds are beautiful! The book has so many great ideas of how to use the quilt blocks. I am going to get a lot of use out of these patterns - both for myself and gifts for others.

I am giving this book 5 stars, in part because having picked up the book at the quilt shop I could not put it down. I just had to own this book. The photos of finished projects are varied enough to give you some great ideas of your own. I can't wait to get started on some of these birds!

Having said that, I agree with a previous poster that the instructions for the actual sewing together of the projects are very confusing. I read through the complete instructions for several of the projects and I can see a beginner having a heck of a time with them.

Recently got this book for myself and was very pleased after having a look . The projects in the book are foundation paper piecing which gives very accurate results . The Birds given are just soo beautiful , I am looking forward to complete a sampler quilt with all the birds in it . There are various other projects too. If you are looking for a book with complete instructions and variety of projects , with paper piecing and birds ...this book is for you !!

I really enjoy this book and have shared it with bird loving friends and relatives! My daughter wants crib bumper pads made with these birds on them for her infant daughter. It is a fun book to look at and I can hardly wait to get started making some of the blocks. Only down side is I wish there were MORE birds in the book. I will be looking for vol.2.

The directions for the paper piecing are awesome. That said, the sewing instructions for the projects in the book have a lot to be desired. I sew a lot so I was able to make my way through making a pillow out of a bird block. I started out following the directions in the book but finally gave up and went my own route. Beginner sewers would have a lot more trouble. I gave it four stars because it is mainly a paper piecing book and it does that part well. I would have given it five if the directions for sewing the actual projects would have been better.

This book had a lot of really fun art ideas that my boys loved. It is very hands on, and you can mix in science with your art. My history buff loved the art history, and this book inspired much online investigation and a planned trip to our local art museum. It is a great way to introduce your child to real art- but is also fun and "crafty." My high-energy boys loved this book, and I can not recommend it enough.

I buy these books because my grandkids love them too. They always have age appropriate topica and seem to keep pace with their interests as they grow. They are challenged and they learn as they work through the books. Mom & Dad love them too.

This was a huge hit with my two daughters, ages 6 and 8. They passed many hours going through every project/exercise in the book. Later they devised ways to create their own projects based on ideas form the book. We also discovered which crafts the kids wanted to follow up on, we have ordered materials for metal foil embossing, etc. based on our experiences with this introductory book. I recommend this book highly, your kids WILL enjoy it!

I bought this book for my nephew, who is 10 years old. He opened his present and started looking through it right away, ignoring his other presents waiting to be opened. There is a nice selection of different activities in this book. I would recommend it for older children as it includes activities that require lots of cutting and pasting, and the tempura painting could be messy with younger children.

Crafty people will like this book, and all of klutz other books. This one has lots of fun things to do, and will keep you busy for a long time. You get to play with stickers, do sunburn art, paint with eggs (this sounds strange, but it works!!), and tons of other stuff. It's a cool book.

Have not read the entire book yet, but what I have read has been written very well. Not a big fan of most female authers as I notice a different writing style from that of men, but this woman has done an execellent job of creating a book that is both interesting and factual. It is printed in what I would say is 1 1/2 spaced lines so it makes for an easy and enjoyable read. Just let your imagination go and visualize the future with such possibilities, the potential is enormous! We can already travel in time in a limited way, get up in the morning and relive the afternoon all over again in the same day, but what is suggested may be around the corner is mind blowing. Buy the book!

I have read many books pertaining to time travel and I must say this is one of the best. It is a "must read".

I bought "Breaking The Time Barrier" as a companion to the most excellent "Time Traveler" by Ronald Mallett, and if you are after a good book with time travel science in it, get Mallett's book.

I found Ms. Randles book a disappointment on two levels. First, it's filled with "gee whiz!" statements that upon further reading are discounted. Examples:

p. 102: "He (Frank Tipler) was the first modern scientist to design a time machine that could be constructed in the laboratory ... ". Later, on p.104, Ms. Randles backs away from that stating that, "Tipler's time machine was a worthy effort but is not likely for the foreseeable future ...". Because it would require a super dense cylinder over 60 miles long.

p.107 "The photo of Christ was a fake and the chronovisor did not work - but the device was built and the theory behind it was sound."

Antigravity experiments of Podkletnov are discussed (p. 174- 176). "Tests followed and many further experiments revealed the remarkable truth. Gravity was being reduced in the area above the floating superconductor." Then (p. 176) "But Podkletnov's research proved disappointingly difficult for others to verify."

Secondly, Ms. Randles, although seemingly familiar with modern physics ideas, sometimes misinterprets them. Example:

(pp. 77 - 78) Ms. Randles misunderstands Einstein Rosen bridges to mean that particles themselves travel through the bridges rather than quantum information.

If you do not have a science background and you are interested in time travel ideas then this could be a good starting book. For those who have had exposure to science there are a few jewels in the book such as the (brief) discussion of the delayed choice experiment.

If you're fascinated with the science of light and time travel but not a physicist or mathematician, this book is a great read. It's written in easy to understand language, backed up by appropriate research. Jenny Randles is excellent at writing these kinds of books and I recommend her other recent publications.

I adore books like this, stretching one's concepts beyond their comfort zone to consider new possibilities. At the same time, however, I feel compelled to approach such works as "Breaking the Time Barrier" with a healthy measure of skepticism. Of course, most people believe that crossing boundaries of time is impossible, although from a theoretical perspective it appears possible at the same time that it is unlikely. Jenny Randles, a British science writer, tracks in "Breaking the Time Barrier" efforts beyond science fiction and wishful thinking to crack that barrier. There are enormous challenges, probably insurmountable ones at least for the projected future, in overcoming the speed of light, understanding and moving beyond of three dimensions into higher dimensionality, and navigating the space-time continuum of a black hole.

Recent investigations undertaken by serious scientists may yield answers to at least some of these questions. The result might be a workable time machine in some distant unimaginable era. Then watch out, fascinating possibilities exist. Read and enjoy, but don't rush out and invest money in a company offering time travel vacations immediately. It will be quite a while before we see that.

This is a very colorful book with a wide verity of designs to choose from. I would not recomend it for the beginning sticher or anyone who wants quick simple projects, for everyone else this book is worth the price

The projects are so beautiful, you won't want to stop until you find a place for every project. I found that the charts were easy to follow, and I didn't get "bored" in the middle. I highly recommend for anyone wanting a lot of color and variety.

Despite decades of designing my own needlework patterns, I found Kooler's delightful horses irresistible; and after three years of adapting them into a queen-size bedspread, I still haven't tired of them, but my book's taken a beating! Though intricate enough to satisfy a veteran needleworker, the easy-to-follow charts put these superb designs within reach of newcomers to the craft. Even those of you who don't embroider will enjoy perusing this beautiful collection.

I bought this book over four years ago and have enjoyed it every since. Each of the twelve carousel horses can either be used as a "month" decoration or a "holiday" decoration. What I like the most about this collection is that it shows alternative ways to use small portions of the designs to create new and beautiful gifts. For example, I used a small floral from the "June Bride" carousel horse design to create name place cards for my own wedding. It was beautiful! Opportunities abound in this book!

This is a beautiful book of wonderful carousel horses. the group to which I belong has a tie in to carousel horses and I purchased this book, in fact I purchased two. Twelve ladies each took part in a project to create a quilt which showcased Donna Kooler's horses. The quilt was then raffled off with the proceeds going to breast cancer research. The pictures in the book do not do justice to how beautiful the finished products are--but they come close. I'm already being asked about next year's project!