Educational Books

While Lombardo's other recent book, Contemporary Futurist Thought, includes the realm of science fiction under its umbrella, this realm and the futures practitioners and scholars considered by Lombardo are relatively familiar to those involved in the foresight universe. In The Evolution of Future Consciousness, the author moves to consider those collateral fields which may have an influence on futures thinking (and vice versa), including psychology, anthropology, theology, sociology, political science and philosophy. While this creative undertaking illustrates the truly `Renaissance' nature of Dr. Lombardo's thinking, it is not clear that every reader, including this reviewer, can match his understanding of so many disparate fields. Accordingly, some may find themselves unable to fairly assess the accuracy of all of his conclusions about the role of `future consciousness' in the evolution of the human condition over the entire history of humanity (such is the breadth of his vision).

Given that caveat, it is easy admire the undertaking and to offer comment in the more familiar areas. The uniting of future awareness to the fundamental `temporal awareness' of humans is a bold move, as it places the future at the very center of most human activity. Hope, motivation, memory, language, ethics, self-consciousness and even basic cognition now seemed shaped by a questing after the future. This bold supposition thus explains the depth of the discussion that follows and why of the two volumes, this is the longer book.

This is not a complaint, but more a statement of awe. The ensuing discussion is cogent, enlightening, entertaining, and at points transformational in its insights. One of the influences on this volume is the work of Leonard Shlain, a leading neurosurgeon who has also found time to write extensively on human cultural evolution and Shlain's breadth of vision clearly matches Lombardo's own, which challenges the reader at each turn in the discussion. Moving from the author's assertion that, "Acting on the future proactively alters one's self identity" to "Changes in human psychology and mental health affect economics and vice versa. Biological and medical advances affect society and social growth" gives just a small sense of the width of the author's reach in this volume.

At points, the benefits of future consciousness begin to approach the feel of a patent medicine show, as it is undoubtedly "improves imagination, creativity and flexibility...facilitates the development of courage and wisdom (and) energizes, enriches and benefits the total human mind." The most impressive aspect of this potential overdose of admiration for the study of the future is that the author then proceeds to systematically illustrate and convincingly support these points. For example, he convincingly aligns future thinking with adaptive learning and anticipatory behavior, a strong ingredient in species and individual success.

Dr. Lombardo then proceeds to weave in the `discovery of death,' the evolution of family and human love, the development of agriculture, etc., weaving each into a context with future consciousness. The conflicting impulses toward conquest and cooperation and other central dualistic concepts are well explored, as is the power of myth and story and the development of human religions. The author argues that reciprocity is one of the central concepts of cultural development and that foresight is a central element as well. The continuing conflicts between the doctrines of destiny and free will are traced and explicated, setting the stage for the modern world and the struggle between authoritarianism and individuality (with future consciousness displaying a strong affinity for the latter).

Lombardo closes the book with a review of modernist scientific and philosophical thought. Darwinism, pragmatism, and even psychotherapy have been productive partners in the more recent and ongoing development of future consciousness and this is certain to continue. The term `holistic' is used in the book to describe the connection between futures thinking and the rest of human experience and it is a testament to the author that by the end of the book, the reader is likely to be sympathetic to his closing assertion that "Clearly, future consciousness has been of pivotal importance in defining the meaning and purpose of human existence for people around the world."

THE EVOLUTION OF FUTURE CONSCIOUSNESS is an engaging, readable and informative tour through major themes of human evolution, from myth and early religions through several schools of psychology and fields of science. To me it represents a maturing of future studies, placing it solidly within the larger frameworks of human thought, and I would recommend it to anyone practicing or teaching in that field.

Being able to be "conscious" of the future is perhaps, as Dr. Lombardo suggests, the most unique and adaptable feature of the human mind. Here, in "The Evolution of Future Consciousness", Lombardo takes on one of the most pressing yet heretofore unarticulated matters of our time: how individuals adapt to change of unprecedented speed and scale.

Lombardo's grasp on philosophy, psychology, and the study of time is simply incredible - making this book quite a tour de force. This would be an excellent companion to Thomas Friedman's "The World is Flat" - as this book outlines the underpinnings of strategies for dealing with the monumental global changes rearranging social, economic, and technological interactions that Friedman explores.

The pursuit of Future Consciousness is a cornerstone of our species and of our planet's survival.

Read This Book.

Rarely does an author cover an area of knowledge so comprehensively that there is little more to say about it. But that is what Thomas Lombardo has done with his two recently published books about humanity's relationship to the future. THE EVOLUTION OF FUTURE CONSCIOUSNESS focuses on the psychology of the phenomenon he calls future consciousness and the history of its development in many cultures, from ancient times through the 19th century. CONTEMPORARY FUTURIST THOUGHT focuses on the various expressions of future consciousness in the 20th and early 21st centuries.

THE EVOLUTION OF FUTURE CONSCIOUSNESS is devoted to giving the reader a sense of what Lombardo means by future consciousness. His short definition is that future consciousness is "the total integrative set of psychological abilities, processes, and experiences humans use in understanding and dealing with the future." Among these are

* the perceptual awareness of time;

* emotional feelings about the future and ingrained attitudes coming out of them such as hope, fear, despair, goals, purposes, motivations, etc.;

* thoughts about the future; and

* higher cognitive skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, planning, decision making, ethical thinking, and (ideally) wisdom.

The remainder of the book is devoted to outlining the evolution and complexification of future consciousness. Lombardo begins by discussing its origins in prehistoric times. He then discusses the effect on future consciousness of the many mythic, religious, and philosophical developments that occurred in East and West from about 3000 BCE to roughly 1000 AD. He concludes with a discussion of modernism, the scientific revolution, the Enlightenment, the theory of secular progress, and important 19th-century theories such as those of Marx and Darwin.

If you are interested in our complex relationship to the future and would like to know more about it, you will find this book and its companion volume to be highly informative and satisfying reads.

EZ 101 Calc has been very useful for me. It is very informative, and presents the information clearly and concisely. I have started reviewing for the upcoming AP test, and I feel confident that my understanding of calculus has increased. The only substitute I can think of would be having the author, Martin Rudolph, personally teach me calculus.

EZ-101 Calculus is the perfect comprehensive review book for calculus students. I am currently taking pre-calculus, and finding this book very useful for the course. the book blends the right amount of theories and explinations, although it has no review questions for students. however that is notthe problem as the book contains all the basics of calculus, that once i went over it, i found myself understanding calculus concepts that had confused me earlier. This book is perfect for brushing up on my basic calculus skills, and is easily comprehensible. I find myself using it constantly with my course. Overall, this book is the foundation to your understanding of calculus. i highly recommend this book to anyone taking a pre-calculus or calculus course.

This review book was completely different from any of the dozens of books I have purchased to prepare for subjects. The book is not as much a review for a specific test (as most review are); it is instead a review of Calculus as a subject. It approaches the subject from the "how" and "why" angles. This means that beginning Calculus students can fully understand the math they are doing, rather than just going through the motions, and more advanced and college Calculus students (like myself) can have a legitimate foundation from which they can explore the more difficult areas of Calculus. I know that I'll have Rudolph's book by my side when I take math at Cornell next year.

From the looks of it, this seems like one of the most exciting Calc I review books you'll find. It is insightful and contains many examples and diagrams that guide you toward calculus proficiency. If I had enough money, I'd buy a second one just to frame.

Just out in 2006, Rick Wormeli's FAIR ISN'T ALWAYS EQUAL has the latest research on teaching (especially middle and high school) pulled together nicely in one 200-page package. For me, a lot of it was necessary review and reaffirmation of differentiated instruction, standards-based instruction, and various strategies I've read about but haven't gotten around to using. For beginning teachers or veteran teachers whose schools are converting to the standards-based and/or differentiated instruction mode of instructing, it is a terrific primer and source of discussion.

That's all well and good (and a terrific learning tool for teachers), but what really appeals is how Wormeli wades into some hot-button topics like grading (he calls it the "elephant in the room" we don't want to discuss). In addition to issues of assessment, fairness, and mastery teaching, Wormeli brings up whether or not we should grade participation, effort, behavior, and attendance. My school has been debating this very topic of late, and Wormeli not only provides both points of view, he dives into the debate fearlessly by taking a stand and giving a well-reasoned defense of his view.

In addition, there's loads of practical stuff on how to teach students of various abilities, how to keep a grade book, how to structure report cards, and how to create fair tests.

This would be a great professional reading "book group" choice for teachers to read, annotate, then discuss. As it uses the "See Inside" feature here at amazon, I recommend you check out the Table of Contents for a look at what's inside. It won't disappoint.

This is a good read for all teachers. It will make you think as well as give strategies for differentiating.

Excellent book. This book covers alot of different perspectives on how to "grade" or evaluate student progress. I recommend it.

Wormeli provides guidlelines which should be adopted by all educators and schools as the gold standards for assessment. He is practical with his suggestions and shares wisdom from many educators on a wide variety of assessment topics. This book should be on every educator's desk.

I found this coloring book to have wonderful pictures of the Antebellum period to color in my own way and use my imagination as to how they would appear. The information at the bottom of each page was a fun lesson in style history.

Beautiufl coloring book. I bought these for my daughter who is interested in fashion and likes to color. Never a disappointment for the price.

I just purchased these Dover COloring Books for my mother and she loves them. The detail is out of this world and the variety of colors you can use are only limited by your inagination. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

For someone like me who loves to study historical fahsions, Tom Tierney has given me more to look at. Its a wonderful & thoughtful book cover to cover, and the detail impressive. Enjoy!

I enjoyed this book very much. It was a great story of a shy little boy named Robert. I'm shy too sometimes so I can relate to him. And who hasn't been bullied at school? I'm glad he finally stood up for himself. It was a sad ending but it felt right. People live, people die. That's just the way things are.

Awesome book, reminiscent of David Almond's Skellig. Robert becomes a hero when he faces the room at the top of Chance House. Not only does he rescue Edith Sorrel from death, if only briefly, but he saves himself from the frightened boy who is bullied by others. There is a magical quality to the writing that transports the reader to the places so hauntingly described in the book.

My gradmother gave this book to me for my last birthday. When I read the back of the book, I pretty well made up my mind that this isn't the kind of book for me. When I was getting to the end of my book pile this summer, I figured that it was about time to read it. And now, I'm very glad that I did! This book inspired me to follow my dreams, and not many novels have done this. It says in the last chapter, it says that luck is something that you have to make for yourself, which I found a very interesting perspective. I would recommend this book to anyone who is feeling left-out or under any strong emotion. This book truly lifts your spirits, and makes you feel like you can fly.

Not much is more cruel than the way young people may treat the one they consider to be the "class nerd." Such is the case with Robert Nobel, often called "Norbert" by his primary bully, Jonathan Niker.

Like every other youngster Roberts wants to have friends, to be recognized as a person of value. It seems this will not happen until he takes part in what is called the Elders Project, an endeavor in which members of his class visit the elderly residents of a rest home. Jonathan considers these older folks "vegetables," but Robert sees something more and this is a vision that changes his life.

Edith, thought to be quite a bit off, becomes Robert's friend and it is through her story that he eventually finds himself.

Director/actor Philip Franks invests understanding and suspense into this unforgettably moving tale.

- Gail Cooke

I read this book in a few days which is fast for me. What is intriguing about the book is the "in your face" assertions about controversial topics in education. I found Glass' style refreshing in comparison to overly politically correct styles found in so many books on education.

My intent would be to use this book in a graduate seminar course and have students produce evidence that either challenges or supports many of the book's claims. The reader who is familiar with these topics may question the accuracy of some claims but in the end, the book does what it is supposed to do - it leaves the reader thinking about and wanting to discuss the book with others.

Glass's "Fertilizers, Pills and Magnetic Strips" is an extremely well conceived publication. The situation of education in the United States has been carefully analyzed and documented, as well as carefully argued with both data and personal opinion. It is a book that every parent, teacher, and education professor should be reading, studying, and acting on. I will be recommending it to all of my former graduate students, education colleagues, and personal friends.

~ Dale Lange
Professor Emeritus
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

The analyses and projections Glass presents are spot on in my view. That the US will become older and browner is evident from US Census data. But Occam's razor could well be applied to "fertilizers, pills, and magnetic strips." These are metonyms for technologies that have indeed had wide-ranging consequences, but they are very distal determinants of the present status or likely future of US pre-collegiate education.

The sub-title is also problematic. The book deals with the politics and economics of education in the US. Accepting the five projections in Chapter 10 in no way defines the 'fate' of public education in the US. That will be what 'we' make it. Glass' analyses of current belief systems regarding education are scathing. But belief systems can be changed (per George Lakoff's work). And overriding beliefs is Boulding's wisdom: "We make our tools and then they shape us." Combine this with the wisdom of Josiah Royce, emblazoned over the stage at Royce Hall, UCLA, (when I was a student. They remodeled the building and I don't know what's there now): "Education is learning to use the tools humanity (Royce said 'the race' but 'humanity' would be the term used today) has found indispensable" and you have a pretty good two-sentence guide.

Ironically, in the end Glass goes soft-headed, " The only reform [sic] that stands any chance of making our public schools better is the investment on teachers--to aide them in their quest to understand, to learn. Go become more compassionate, caring, and competent persons." (p. 249) That's a fool's errand--well-intentioned, but foolish in the sense that it hasn't had the intended consequences in the past and offers little for the future. If Ray Kurzweil's projections in "Singularity" are even half-right, it's going to be a different future for instruction.

My story of how US schooling got to where it is currently is simpler than Glass' story. As Glass states, prior to the mid-50s the aspiration was to enroll all kids in high school. Prior to that time, schools handled instructional failures by tossing kids out or counseling them out. With "full access," weaknesses started to show.

Historically, all media information regarding schooling was local, focusing on athletics and 'human interest' anecdotes. Even today, only a handful of newspapers cover schooling nationally. That gain is an important consequence of NCLB, but even there the accounts largely swallow whole governmental news releases.

The move that began in 1965 to make schooling a matter of national interest was important. The subsequent history could be titled "Bureaucrats, academics, and publishers." The small number of individuals who constituted the Beltway Consensus bought, and still buy, Jim Coleman's contention (based on shoddy "research") that "families matter more than schooling," "education spending is unrelated to educational achievement," and "school integration across socioeconomic lines (and hence across racial lines) will increase Negro achievement, and they throw serious doubt upon the effectiveness of policies designed to increase non-personal resources in the school." (The self-serving interests Glass exposes are evident.)

By the mid-1980s it was all-too-clear that "school integration" was not getting the job done. "High standards "was the answer, culminating in the "Goals 2000" legislation. Of course 2000 came with none of the goals met. No one recognized that the "standards" were rhetoric masked as "content." The consensus was that "accountability" via standardized achievement tests is the answer. Hence NCLB. (Same self-serving interests.)

What has the academy been doing? Not much. Glass tells that story. What he doesn't explain is why those who understand the flaws in NAEP and all standardized achievement tests have sat with their thumbs in their mouths.

Publishers are culpable in that they provide the tools that define schooling instruction. The publisher line is that they "only respond to market demands." This means they're unaccountable and unregulated. Their 'offerings' are junk, but bureaucrats and academics give them a free ride.

So what to do? Again it's a simple story. Borrow from the corporate world the notion of "business intelligence" and "key performance indicators." Also borrow from the IT sector and several large corporations the notion of structured "certification of capability." This "gets a handle" on schooling and permits real cost-benefit analysis of instructional accomplishments. Further, recognize that schools today provide important societal services (e.g. health screening and nutrition provision) in addition to instruction. Ironically, instruction is the weakest benefit of schooling and the other benefits go unrecognized.

A few final reactions: "Appendix A: Notes on Theory, Research, and Policy" alone is worth the price of the book. If it were read by every student as a freshman, every legislator, and anyone remotely concerned with schooling, the future of education would be a good deal brighter.

The practice of documenting with footnotes on the relevant page as well as references and indexes at the end of the book is welcome and should be standard practice. The use of footnotes is judicious and the occasional accompanying elaboration makes the communication more interactive.

The exposition is a model of 'good writing.' Strunk and White, where ever they are, are no doubt exchanging high-fives. someone followed their advice. I didn't always buy what Glass was saying, but there was never any doubt about the substance of the communication. The communication warrants consideration by anyone in any way concerned with US schooling.

Fertilizers, Pills and Magnetic Strips, The Fate of Public Education in America.
Gene Glass
Information Age Publishing, 311 pages
ISBN: 13 978-1-59311-892-1 (paperback)

Personal acquisitiveness, corporate greed and a lack of government regulatory supervision combined in the 21st century to create a toxic mix of personal debt, unprecedented lack of personal savings, historically high public debt, creeping poverty rates and a disturbing public reluctance to invest in indispensable public needs like schooling.
Gene Glass in Fertilizers, Pills and Magnetic Strips, The Fate of Public Education in America has finally exposed in a brilliant analysis the ugly truths that Americans have been living beyond their means, that credit card companies, hiding behind layers of anonymity, have been gouging citizens, and that Congress is in bed with the banking industry. He has not only thought outside the education box in this book, he has created new geometries to demonstrate the relationships with domestic social and economic issues and the deleterious influence of misguided government policies.
Glass has raised the intellectual bar for the discourse on schools and educational policy. This is a thoughtful book, reflective of decades of his study of policy research patterns, and now ingeniously aligned with the shifts in government policies and the dynamics of economics. I stand in admiration and ask rhetorically, as Huxley did after reading Darwin, "How stupid not to have thought of that myself."

I bought this book about 3 years ago, and I still use it every chance I get. The stories are easy to present, with lots of teacher helps, perfect for the beginner Sunday School teacher. The kids go crazy for the stuff too, they really enjoy it. I use both this book and it's companion, Volume 2. I found the lessons appropriate for ages from 3 up to about 7, which is good if you are teaching a lot of different ages in the same class. My favorite lesson is Creation, which uses white cheese to make moons, apples to make stars, and oranges to represent the sun. The lessons require a little bit of planning but the results are well worth it. Highly recommended.

I teach "toddler church" for 2 and 3 year olds. I have tried various kinds of lessons--things found on the internet, lessons from other books I've checked out from the library, etc. I finally found this book and it is absolutely fantastic. It is one of the few "preschool" lesson books that is actually age-appropriate. The activities are simple and fun, and the kids love them.

What makes this book really special is every part of each lesson is focused on the lesson topic. For example, for the story of David and Goliath, you have a song (set to the tune of "The Muffin Man"), the story, told with a wonderful fingerplay, a fun craft (making shields out of grocery bags), a game, and much more. Even the snack holds meaning (make "stone" cookies)!

Don't worry about a lot of preparation time for the lessons. They are simple to prepare for, they don't require expensive materials, and the directions are clear. This book is truly inspired....the authors have been given a blessed gift by God, and I'm so glad they shared it with the rest of us.

I purchased this book along with some others for quick and easy ideas for our preschool class during church services. Although this book doesn't have pictures, it does involve the kids during the story. The book contains a craft suggestion, songs and snacks. The craft with each lesson isn't elaborate nor does it require hard to obtain items. Of the four books I purchased for the class, this one is my favorite.

I bought this book about 3 years ago, and I still use it every chance I get. The stories are easy to present, with lots of teacher helps, perfect for the beginner Sunday School teacher. The kids go crazy for the stuff too, they really enjoy it. I use both this book and it's companion, Volume 2. I found the lessons appropriate for ages from 3 up to about 7, which is good if you are teaching a lot of different ages in the same class. Highly recommended.

Do you want to learn Italian? If you want to begin to master this beautiful language, then I suggest that you acquire this fun approach. This book is for kids, but anyone who is studying a new language needs graphics to see what the words are. This book is a perfect way to visualize Italian nouns ( persons, places, or things) in the home (kitchen,bathroom, bedroom living room stairs, etc.) in the yard, in the workshop and garage, on the street ( anything you can think of), in the toy store (OH, no!), in the park, at the zoo, at the airport, in the country, on the farm, at the ocean, in school ( a scuola) in the hospital ( il gesso e le grucce ), at a party (la festa), in the grocery store ( il negozio ), food to put on the table, parts of the body, clothes, occupations, family members (zio ?) then action words, opposites, story characters, pet favorites, weather ( il tempo ), seasons (le stagioni), sports ( il calcio), colors (verde e bianco), shapes and numbers, the circus, and an amusement park. This book also teaches the masculilne, feminine, plural, and singular form of nouns, aids pronunciation, and has a large list of other useful words. In addition, the picture words are indexed in the back of the book with a pronunciation guide for each book. A must for your Italian language library!

This book is bright and cheerful. It is loaded with pictures to capture the attention of the young person interested in Italian language. It's a fun book for the entire family. Full of photographs labeled in Italian and with a glossary that gives the English word, Italian word AND Italian pronunciation. For a children's book we were impressed with the details and tips on pronunciation. Our friend who speaks fluent Italian was so impressed, she purchased it for her American-born children.

This is a great book, great pictures, great for object recognition. The only drawback is that the pronunciation guide is at the back of the book. So for each word you have to look through the list of words till you find the word and it's pronunciation. It would have been better if they had done it like they did in, I believe the Russian book, where they put the pronunciation under the word.

My daughter enjoys learning italian through this book! It is very colorful, funny and interactive. This is a great guide for my 2 year old daughter who is learning three languages.I also bought one for my niece and she is 5! Highly recommended.

This book is great - an array of fun and memorable science lessons.

When I found Flash! Bang! Pop! Fizz! I was finally impressed with a children's book of science experiments. My judgment was validated when a friend told me the following story that showed its magic.

Clients of hers recently moved into a new home. Their oldest boy was to do a science fair project in school and the family, still partially unpacked, could not put their hands on any books or materials that might prove helpful. A trip to the library left the young student totally bored and disinterested.

My friend offered her own copy of Flash! Bang! Pop! Fizz! to the distraught mother. The mother called the next day, incredulous and excited. Her son loved the books and picked out a project. The situation turned from grim to enthusiastic.

The boy is the oldest of three children and the ecstatic mother said she was going to go out and buy three copies of the book since they would be needing them for the next seven years of science!

I recommend the book to all!

To keep it brief: Flash, Bang, Pop, Fiz! is a genuine improvement over virtually ever other science book directed at kids under, say, age 16. This is because it focuses on the scientific process and the discipline of science rather than just "activities." While the experiments are certainly entertaining and worthwhile in their own right, they actually earn the name "experiment." This book is ideal for any parent or teacher who hopes to interest their kids in doing "serious" science down the line. It also happens to be a ton of fun.

If Janet Chahrour's, "Flash! Bang! Pop! Fizz!" had been around when I was a kid in school, I'm sure my chemistry and physics grades would have been much higher. Who knows? I may have been the next Einstein!

This is a wonderful book for students to learn how to appreciate the physical sciences and have a whole lot of fun while doing so. Chahrour drew from her many years experience as a science teacher to compile 25 different activities and experiments that children can perform using everyday household items.

With amusing titles such as "Whirligig Rocketry," "Pop Can Pedestal," "Portable Alarm," "Fabulous Play Goop," and "Your Dear Friend, Egbert," children learn the basics about air pressure, density, chemical reactions, liquids, gases, gravity, motion and many other scientific concepts. In addition to clear, step-by-step instructions for each experiment, the book provides vocabulary lists and easy to understand explanations of the scientific principle under study.

The book is an easy to read large format paperback, profusely illustrated in color, and contains guidelines for parents and teachers.

Even though, I've been out of school much longer than I care to admit, I found Chahrour's book to be fascinating and fun. Although written for children from grades 5 to 9, it definitely appeals to children of all ages.

I won't repeat what the others have said. I agree with it all.

I will instead say that I bought this book/DVD combo with the express purpose of learning how to do flogging safely, sanely, and with maximum enjoyment. My submissive loves a good flogging and I knew nothing about the techniques or practices. So I got this set.

WOW. Not only was it informative in both safety issues and technique, it was entertaining, funny, and erotic. By the time I finished it (and watched it a couple more times) I felt I was ready to proceed.

I bought a nice flogger and practiced on some stationary objects to get my aim and style down. Then I surprised my submissive with his first flogging at my hand. He was VERY impressed with my skills, and he's something of a connoisseur of the art. I have nothing but this book/DVD set and a bit of practice to thank for his compliments.

If you want to add flogging to your playtime, this is an EXCELLENT place to start!

In what promises to be a very exciting series, noted lifestyle presenter Joseph W. Bean has been enlisted to launch a series of instructional DVD/Book combinations that will provide safe and easy to follow instructions in BDSM play. The concept is simple: videotape a presentation in front of a studio audience, giving thorough and uncomplicated directions, and then transcribe the affair in a book that you can follow along while viewing the DVD in the privacy of your own home. The second volume in the DemLab series is "Flogging: The Basics and Beyond."

Mr. Bean is an expert presenter and more than an expert when it comes to flogging. Having already written a book on the topic ("Flogging" published in 2000 and also locatable on Amazon), standing in front of an audience and a trio of cameramen is an obvious (and for Mr. Bean, casual) progression. His two attractive subjects allow him to demonstrate the fine art of wailing on your friends. The DVD itself is better than an hour in length, and the book is well apportioned with color pictures. In addition to the transcript of the demonstration itself, there are additional notations.

Where this DemLab volume really stands out is the DVD presentation. The final 15 minutes during the flogging of Adam show that, when the chemistry is right, even "The Basics" can go farther and into deeper territory that you plan on. Suffice to say that things between Mr. Bean and Adam get intense, and the crowd certainly got more than it came for.

With a Volume One utilizing Mr. Bean's skills in the mummification arena already available and future releases promising ropeplay, fireplay, spanking and more, the DemLab series already looks like an essential series in the making. All in all, Volumes One and Two are a great way to introduce yourself to some spicier aspects of interpersonal play, and good for the adult entertainment value.

I really enjoyed this DVD/Book combo. In my opinion, it's one of the better flogging information and how-to books out there because it's not like a boring instruction manual that uses big words and is hard to understand. Joseph W. Bean talks to you (the studio audience) in a way anyone can understand. He jokes around a bit, and is very detailed and informative. The book is basically a read-along for the DVD, but I suggest you read the book too, because it has a little more information than what Joseph says in the DVD.

In the beginning, there is an introduction about Joseph W. Bean and safety tips about no-strike zones, ankles, bleeding, etc. On the DVD, it begins with Joseph going through what you need to know about flogging: What You're Doing (the scene you are creating, from painful punishment to sensual massage), The Body Itself (how the body reacts to stimuli), The Person Inside (knowing that bottoms can lie about their pain tolerance), The Tools At Hand (from novelty floggers to vests, spatulas, belts or pipe insulation), and Techniques (*demonstrations*).

When Joseph gets into the Technique part of the DVD, he then brings out a [female] "willing victim" named Elorin. He explains the muscles in the back, and then begins to do a Soft flogging demonstration on her. He explains what he is doing throughout the demo. Then brings in a male volunteer named Adam, who has never been flogged before. Joseph then preceeds to "take him the whole way". There are many still frame photos in the book of the flogging from the DVD. After the demonstrations, there is a Q&A section that the studio audience is allowed to ask questions, that are also answered in the book. It also has a section in the book that explains the Tools used in the flogging demo.

Overall, I think this is a great combo. I recommend this DVD/Book to everyone, from tops to bottoms, beginners to experts and everyone in between that is in the leat bit interested in the art of FLOGGING.

I purchased this book in hopes of finding something that will educate new comers to the world of SM; Even in today's open world of information, this book/DVD is a rare find.

When I recieved the book and DVD (if it is not clear this is a Book and DVD SET) I instant put in the DVD and sat down expecting a very dry tutorial; This was so far from the reality though. J.W. Bean is definately entertaining while getting across crusial information and safety tips. There is even a bit of world history (that I cross checked for accuracy) of where some of the flogging traditions origionate from I would recomend this set to anyone who is interested in flogging no matter their experience level.

The book is a quick read but is really an over view of the DVD, which is nice to have, but do not just look at one or the other. However, I strongly suggest reviewing both the book and DVD.

Play Safe.