Projects Books

This wonderful novel resounded with me in many ways. Reading it was like revisiting my high school years. Those years full of teen-aged angst, rebellion, and confusion.
Minniti writes in a fresh, crisp, witty style. As one who has been "in the trenches," she offers her reader much "teacherly wisdom" and great insights into this most challenging of professions.
You feel the earnestness of Jenna Bianchi, the young teacher faced with dealing with an unruly student, new to her school, Michael Tayler. He's trouble from the time he enters her classroom. But as Ms. Bianchi examines his school records, she notes that while his grades have been abysmal, Michael possesses high test scores and an above-average I.Q.
This information ignites her curiosity into the reasons behind his defiant attitude, and his lack of motivation for his studies. Jenna begins to wonder if Michael could possibly have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. (ADHD). She begins researching the subject on the Internet, coming across an article titled "Helping the ADD/ADHD Student in the Classroom." She decides right then to do her best to help Michael Tayler.
After giving the class an assignment to write a cinquain poem, Jenna is further intrigued and touched by Michael's response:
My thoughts
Scattered, restless,
Bouncing, spinning, whirling,
Their static buzzes in my brain.
Mind-bits.
Suddenly, she sees that behind his surly behavior, lies a desperate child, crying out for help. It's heartwarming to see how Michael's attitude slowly turns around as Jenna tries various strategies to help him. A simple gesture such as a tap on the shoulder, when she sees his attention wandering in class, begins to make a difference.
After reading his poem, and noticing his writing talent, Jenna steers him toward working on the newspaper staff. Reluctantly agreeing, Michael soon begins to relax, make friends and start making the most of his abilities.
Unfortunately, Michael's wealthy father, resents Jenna's interest in his son. Yet she finds ways to deal with him too.
Jenna's romance with math teacher Chris, is endearing and entertaining, and her pet parrot Brutus, is literally, a scream. This novel will appeal to parents, students, teachers, and anyone in the helping professions. We've come a long way from the days when students, unknowingly afflicted with ADD or ADHD, were labeled lazy or stupid.
We can only hope the students of today will be fortunate enough to cross paths with a teacher such as Jenna Bianchi. I'd like to clone her. She's smart, compassionate, motivated, brave, and caring. While reading this, it hit me, in hindsight, that my own son had exhibited all the signs of ADHD, yet no one picked up on it. If he'd had a teacher like Ms. Bianchi, perhaps his life would have been easier.
The title refers to a term coined by a teacher, describing a student who bugs a teacher so much, the teacher prays for June. Minniti tackles a serious subject and makes it a pleasurable ride. Read it, enjoy and learn. Great book!

If you have ADHD -- or if you're a parent, teacher, or friend of someone who has ADHD -- you will most likely enjoy Project June Bug, a new novel by Jackie Minniti. Jackie is a former teacher who worked extensively with ADHD students. She has used her classroom experiences as the basis for Project June Bug, a book that combines the elements of a self-help book with the readability of a novel.

Jenna Bianchi, the young teacher who is the novel's main character, is sympathetic. She loves being a teacher, works hard, and cares about the kids. Teachers will appreciate the validation, and some parents will be helped to better empathize with a teacher's situation. This parent-teacher partnership is vital when it comes to helping the ADHD student, and Project June Bug helps foster that connection. I admired Jenna's commitment and integrity to her first charge, educating her students, even risking her career to do so.

I also liked the way Minniti presented the interplay between the teacher and parents, with the student caught in the middle. Given that ADHD is 76 percent heritable, chances are good that at least one parent of a child with ADHD has ADHD him or herself. Chances are also good that this parent is in denial and can become, for the teacher (and the child, too) a real "problem parent."

Like the father in the book, the parent might over-identify with their child's challenges but refuse to pursue treatment, instead blaming all the child's problems on the school or teacher. Or the parent might simply be incapable of seeing the problem or giving their child enough structure -- mainly because they lack it themselves. Trying to help a child in this situation can place the teacher in a very tough position, and Minniti does a great job of portraying this complex dynamic as Jenna tries to help her student, while at the same time attempting to diplomatically break through to his father.

I especially appreciated how Jenna delicately reached out to the student's mother, a woman trying to walk the thin line between her son's problems and her husband's reluctance to acknowledge them. The public is grossly unaware of the difficulties associated with Adult ADHD, particularly for the partners of adults with unrecognized ADHD. These individuals see and feel the full brunt of the behaviors, and are often depressed and isolated as a result. They know something's wrong, but they don't know what. And, sometimes, they have been convinced by their ADHD partner that they are the problem. Jenna's efforts in reaching out to this conflicted parent was crucial in breaking through that isolation and helping this family to heal.

In Project June Bug, readers get a realistic picture of a teacher's life with all its rewards and frustrations. And as they follow Jenna in her quest to make a difference in the life her student, they'll also learn some common-sense strategies that can help any student with ADHD.

If you scan the reader comments posted to Internet articles on ADHD, you'll see the widely repeated myth that "schools just want to diagnose kids with ADHD and give them drugs so they don't have to teach or manage them." The story behind why these myths persist is complicated.

in reality, though, I've heard just the opposite for years: parents whose children are flunking out of college or unemployable in their early twenties (or older) lament that the school never mentioned the possibility that their child might have ADHD. They did their best to prop them up for years, but with high school graduation ends that ability. So many opportunities were lost, and when these folks realize that real help was available all along, they are often grief-stricken by the idea that they've failed their children.
I wish these parents had been able to read Project June Bug years ago.

ADHD is not a "controversial" diagnosis. It is accepted as a valid medical diagnosis by every major medical body in at least 53 countries. But nothing gets across "fact" better than a good story, and Project June Bug does just that.

Gina Pera, author
Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.? Stopping the Roller Coaster When Someone You Love Has Attention Deficit Disorder

I absoultely LOVED this book!! Not only is it educational for the reader, but it has a great story line that is fun and easy to follow. It is so well written-I could actually put myself in the shoes of the characters and feel the emotions they experienced throughout the book. I walked away learning something as well, which I think is another great quality of the book. I recommend this to everyone and anyone!

If you want to get serious about project management then get this book first and foremost.

Dennis Lock has strong opinions throughout the book however, this just gives the material a more personalised one-to-one tutorial feel.

His examples are clear and practical, and he draws from extensive experience and theory. It covers all areas that are required, even purchasing and estimating.

Invaluable for any project manager - any level.

THis Product has saved my life as most people are using eighth edition and mine is ninth edition. basically i am ahed of them. It has more content that i am busy going through.

This is the best book I ever bought! It taught me everything I needed to know about project management! It will for you too! BUY IT

Unlike many other project management "how to" books this book is for real. The contents are laid out in a logical sequence with practical and useful tools. The exercises and templates are realistic and applicable to what training project managers need. This is one book we never have to take off the shelf because it never makes it to the shelf!

Project Management for Trainers is an outstanding book. It provides clear and concise information on developing and managing a successful learning event.
Lou's book provides real-world answers to the complex challenges we learning professionals face on a daily basis.
The diagrams and checklists make the book a very practical tool that I turn to again and again. I bought a copy for everyone on my staff, and I always see their copy out on their desk--not on the shelf.

For trainers and learning professional, this is indispensable reading as it helps systemize and organize any training and learning project in a manner that ensures delivery on time and stakeholders' satisfaction: two things that I previously thought were almost impossible to achieve simultaneously!

This book assumes a basic knowledge of project management and helps focus the reader's attention on how to apply and customize this knowledge to learning and training projects. Beginning with defining the project and communicating it to stakeholders to the final evaluation stages; no aspect of the project has been ignored. Lou Russell liberally provides tools, templates, and ideas that can help organize the whole project from A - Z as well as practical exercises and activities at the end of every chapter that "do the work for you" should you have picked the book to help you through a particular project. In fact, I highly recommend using it while in the process of planning and delivering a training program.

Russell takes you through the project management process in nine chapters:

1: Beginning the project - an introduction to key concepts and ideas.
2: Defining the Project - From business objectives to issues and constraints, this is the initial stage of the project.
3: Panning the project - Help for building the project plan, calculating schedules and finalizing learning objectives.
4: A Course Development Template - Lou Russell relies on the Accelerated Learning framework for developing training, but I found his approach equally effective with the ISD model as well.
5: Managing the project - I found this chapter extremely useful as it focuses on elements that trainers might not think of like risk, monitoring criteria, and constraints.
6: Reviewing the project - The evaluation stage of any training implementation project.
7: Managing Performance Consulting Projects - Using the project management framework for performance consulting.
8: A Template for Managing external Suppliers - An ultra useful chapter on identifying the optimum supplier for your learning needs.
9: The Project begins - Summary and checklists for the start-up.

I've said this before in my blog, but these Project X books are the kind of books I wished I'd studied in business school: As case studies in product design, as primers on the business culture differences between the US and Japan, as studies in how far people will go to succeed--the Project X books are simply fascinating.

While I'm not a Datsun fan myself, I am certainly more informed about the car now. But more importantly, what I found most appealing about this book, was how the creators manage to make the reader feel the importance of what's happening.

Put it this way: To the outside observer, watching some middle managers try to make a business venture work probably sounds as fun as reading a Powerpoint presentation--but Akira Yokoyama is able to make the reader feel like they're watching something epic and monumental, conveying exactly how the business people in this tale are feeling as they work hard to make their shared dream a reality.

I got this book not knowing what it was. A comic book read backwards, and right to left to boot. I thought I was getting a history book on Nissan and the Z car development.
It was a Great Book! It had a lot of early drawings of Datsun products and really told a great story and put all the Datsun characters and history into place. It was a light reading book and can be read in one evening. It will be in my Datsun book collection forever!

This manga tells the story of the development of the Datsun 240Z. It depicts the challenges faced by the designers and proponents of the vehicle, both from within the company and from market forces. It depicts the businessmen involved properly, as heroic individuals, who overcome obstacle after obstacle in their pursuit of success. The manga demonstrates the virtues necessary for businesspeople to succeed.

wow! what a book! it is so helpful. especially with the pictures and, it shows you how to make fantastic quilts in an easy step-by-step guide. i can't recommend it enough! buy it!!!!

jeezuz, mc creezuz. this is possibly the greatest book ever. move over tolstoy and jeffrey archer, abigails in town. heres a little synopsis- the book enables you to make beautiful quilts for all uses whether it be your clothing or your wall drapes take your pick.
god praise abigail for giving us the blessing of the quilt blessing

From the second I opened this book, I knew I was in for a treat.
The author has clearly put a lot of effort into this book, and it shows with superb diagrams and beautiful examples of traditional and modern quilts. After completing the first project I was so pleased that I immediatly began the next one. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

This book is a testament to the importance of textiles and the power of dreams. In 1994, Esther Bryan (who is not a quilter) went to Slovakia with her father who was returning to the village where he grew up for the first time since WWII. This trip profoundly affected her art, and she created an exhibition entitled "Return" made up of the stories and of the textiles that she and her father were given while they were there. The response to her exhibit by other immigrant families led her to realize the universal nature of her family's story, and she conceived of the Quilt of Belonging as a way to express her concept that every person is "an equally valued part of the tapestry of life." I had the privilege of seeing this 10 foot tall by 120 foot long quilt at the International Quilt Festival in Houston last year, and it was both incredibly beautiful and incredibly moving. Containing 263 squares representing 71 aboriginal groups and the 192 nations of the world, this quilt contains an incredible parade of textile gifts. The book describes the story of the making of the Quilt of Belonging, completely through volunteer efforts, and then devotes a page to each of the squares, telling the story of the maker of each one and the symbolism of the textile techniques that were used to represent that nation's people. It is an amazing project. Sales of the book support the travels of the Quilt so that more people can experience it in person.

I saw this actual quilt at the Houston Internation Quilt Show. When you see it you can't possibly read all the stuff on each peace, so I was really glad to find out that I could purchase this book through Amazon. It was also less costly and I did not have to carry it back all the way from Houston. I also bought this book for my mother.

I had the joy of seeing this 120-foot long quilt in Houston last week and I got to meet and speak with the artist/author. I bought the book. The book is wonderful. The story of how this project began and the many amazing things that happened along the way will touch your heart. The idea that we all come from some place and that place is deserving of honor is expressed in quiet dignity within each block of the quilt. In the book you see the faces of the people who created the quilt. Just Wonderful.
Catherine

I would like to make 10 of the 15 quilts that are in this book. Each one of them is unique and special. Little surprise pockets, curves, petals, poems - I haven't found any other book that shows so many special quilts. I can't decide which one to start with.

There is truly nothing else out there quite like this book. I was looking for a book that breaks away from traditional quilting, expecially one that uses lots of curves in the design. And what a treat I found in this book! The authors use discarded clothing for fabric and buttons, and they delight in incorporating hidden elements, poetry, Chinese fortunes, removeable or repositionable parts and even game boards. Their method of sewing curves is super-easy, unlike other books in my collection. The result ? funky, creative, playful quilts that are great for, but certainly not limited to, kids. These are NOT your Grandmother's quilts! I would love to see more books by these innovative authors. If you have avoided learning to quilt because it looks complicated and boring, get this book NOW.

I've been looking for a book like Quilt Sensations since I started quilting. The projects are fun colorful and incredibly creative. Most of them are "playable" with hidden pockets and surprise messages and all of the quilts are a pleasure to look at. The authors focus mostly on texture and tend to avoid anything where you have to have a perfect stich and they give a lot of lee way in the instructions so the quilt can be made truly unique. The projects vary from super easy to more challanging. My only complaints were that a couple of the instructions weren't the best and I had to read them a over before my mind went "Oh!" and that some of the fabric the authors used can be rather expensive. All told this is one of my favorite quilt books ever and I wish there were more books like it out there.

This is not just another quilt book, but one with beautiful presentations. Each person who opens this book will enjoy the pictures and the great instructions. Just don't eat the recipe results on the quilts.

Jane Quinn's QUILTING IN THE COUNTRY: PROJECTS AND RECIPES TO CELEBRATE LIFE'S SPECIAL MOMENTS presents some sixteen projects from wall and lap quilts to ornaments and table decorations, and is a theme-oriented pick for any who would create unique quilts. Accompanying the quilt design suggestions are tips for parties and holiday celebrations and how to display and use the quilts for maximum advantage.

A quilt book that has recipes, shower and other types of party ideas is a great idea. I do so love a book with more than one purpose and Quilting In The Country is that type of book. Each quilt brings another recipe for some wonderful food or party idea.

The first quilt shows a quick way to make the Bow Tie Block while the next quilt incorporates handprints! Farther on is a quilt out of Yo-Yo's and buttons. A felted tea caddy, a table runner, a memory quilt, a log cabin square with leaf printing, appliqué fall leaves, trip around the world, and Christmas Ornaments are all in this book to keep your interest going. So no matter what time of year you purchase this book, you will have a quilt and recipe or party idea for that season.

Each quilt is shown on a full page in color and the instructions are clearly written. There are graphics to help visualize what is being explained. There is a materials and cutting list as well. Six pages give you basic quilting instructions if you need a review and there is a resource list in the back if you are having trouble finding a certain supply.

There is no excuse one can give on why not to buy this book. It is appropriate no matter what the season and any quilter will enjoy making the quilts shown.

This is a good book for beginners and beyond. The quilts are lovely and the instructions are detailed with pictures to help you. There are several that I want to make. This is a good one to add to your quilt library collection.

Darlene Zimmerman is a major contributor in the quilting industry. I bought this book because I know this veteran will always teach me something new. And her color combinations are divine.

This book has a chapter for each month of the year, and most chapters include a simple recipe, motivating quotation, or household tip. There is nothing too complicated here, and color schemes range from 2-tone to too fabulously floral.

You might be familiar with Ms. Zimmerman's name from some quilting tools she has developed (the Tri Tool and the Recs Tool) and these tools, along with The Easy Angle and The Companion Angle) are featured in the very helpful last section entitled "Tool Tutorials". You might be able to make the patterns without these tools, using some you already have, but they do indeed help trim up and size those triangles and rectangles.

My favorite design is the month of June's "Wild Roses", not only for the color combo, but also for the peaceful photograph of two Adirondack chairs looking over fields and hills. This could almost become a coffee table book if it ever left my sewing room!!

I have been waiting for the release of this book for awhile,it has some fantastic projects in it, both for just starting and more experienced quilters, the photos are great and the instructions clear, I would recomend this to all quilters, do yourself a favour and get a copy, you wont be disappointed.

Return to Civility: A Speed of Laughter Project


This book will surprise and amaze you. Every page has kind and thoughtful surprises that will make the people you encounter smile and be glad for the moment you've shared. I bought one for my granddaughter and 8 other friends. This is Minnesota Nice in an inspirational little book which I love!

Too often in public spaces our co-inhabitants are not thinking but reacting. The reaction lacks consideration for all of us around the offender. I wish I had a copy of this book with me every time the cell phone addict attempts to check out of a retail store while carrying on at least two conversations. I gave copies to all my friends for entertainment and immediately one of them purchased ten more to give to his in-laws!

Jim-Western Bloomington

Anyone that's got a clue in Minneapolis knows the Brave New Workshop and what they do so well - improv and sketch comedy about the funny observations in everyday life. I've been a fan for years (the Holiday Show is a must-do) and even hired John Sweeney in 2004 to present at our annual conference.

I picked up this book in December 2007 (when I ran into the BNW to pick up their new bootleg DVDs) and I love it. It speaks the truth about the respect and civility that is draining from our everyday life, and that so many children are not being taught today. I am going back to buy 6 more copies, to give one to each of my nieces and nephews, as they graduate from high school and go out into the real world. A little common courtesy goes a long, long way in life.

Thank you to John and the BNW stafff for speaking about it! See you at the next show!