Texas Books

This is a very good book for reviewing for the EC-4 Generalist exam. I graduated with a B.S. in Elementary Ed. 15 years ago and am Lifetime certified 1-8. I have taught K in private and 1st in public and am seeking early childhood certification so that I can teach K again in public. I feel confident that this book will be all that I need in order to study for the EC-4 Generalist exam.

I bought this book to study for the EC-4 Texes exam. The test had some of the same study questions that were in this book! So glad I studied! And I passed! :)

THis has been very helpful in preparing me for the TExES test. I recommend it to all

Janice Nath's book is the first textbook I actually read cover to cover. I not only passed the test on my first attempt with a 284 but I learned things I hope to use in my future classroom. The book is set up in sections based on the content areas covered in the test and gives an excellent review of the overwhelming amount of information a grade school teacher needs to know to be an effective teacher. I was really at a loss to know where to start studying for this test as the subject matter was so diverse. This textbook gave me direction. I got it only two weeks prior to taking the test and read every page. If you choose to purchase the book I hope you enjoy it just as much and good luck on the test. In fact I liked it so much I just wrote my first review on Amazon so others nervous about taking the test will get the help they need. :)

This is an excellent, thorough guide to help you prepare for the EC-4 TExES. I looked at several books, but felt like this one had the best information. Though there is not a full practice test, there are practice questions throughout, which are just as (if not more)helpful. Each answer is explained fully (not only why answer A is correct, but why B, C, and D are incorrect).

Several professors contributed to the text, and I know that many others choose it as required reading for their courses.

I made a very high score on the exam, and I owe that score in part to this guide.

I am a speech therapist and have used this book with Spanish speaking parents and siblings. Everyone loves this book. I am going to buy the other book in this series. I also recommend Atravesando las Puertas de Autismo by Temple Grandin.

It's great to see a story about a sibling wanting to play with his brother, especially when his brother has a special need. This is such a good lesson in understanding autism and special needs, and on how to create theraputic fun. What a great way to teach families ways they can interact with children in situations like this. The writing is fantastic and the illustrations are beautiful and very friendly. Well done!

Author Marvie Ellis, pediatric speech-language pathologist, founded Speech Kids Texas Press in 2005 for to publish children's storybooks on communication needs. Tacos Anyone? is the second book in her series of bilingual storybooks in which English and Spanish text appear simultaneously on the same page. This technique reinforces to children and adults alike the multicultural nature of the modern world we live in, and seeing other languages on the same page may encourage children to explore secondary languages. I think this technique is superior to the alternative of publishing two separate translations. Children's brains easily learn multiple languages, so why not give them as much exposure as possible?

The plot in this well-illustrated children's book focuses on Thomas's difficulties playing with his younger brother Michael, who has autism. 4-year-old Michael is prone to fits and doesn't relate in the ways his brother expects him to. A therapist teaches Thomas to looks for clues in Michael's response to activities and to adapt his playing style (Michael dislikes wet paint on his hands, for example, but he likes playing with puzzles). In the end, Thomas learns to play with Michael using his favorite tactile sensations, and the faces of the brothers radiate off the pages of the book.

Every library should invest in a copy of this book, and every child should read it at least once, because you don't have to have an autistic sibling to know that you should look for clues and adapt to the play styles of your friends.

There are many difficulties with having an autistic child (and many joys, by the way). Perhaps one of the difficulties that is sometimes overlooked by those without firsthand experience is the effect of an autistic child on siblings.

Marvie Ellis's "Tacos Anyone?" is a children's book that subtlety addresses this problem. It is delightfully written by Ellis and charmingly illustrated by Jenny Loehr, as though by a child in crayon. In coming up with the "taco" motif and illustration, perhaps Ellis took a cue from Temple Grandin who was the autistic subject of Oliver Sacks' An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales (1995).

To explain: Temple Grandin is famous for being a professor of animal studies at Colorado State University who has completely integrated herself into mainstream society yet remains autistic. One of the things she has tried to do is to show that autistic people may like things that seem to others a bit strange. For example Grandin reported that she loved to be snugly enclosed in some enveloping substance, a bit like we neurotypicals might like to snuggle inside a sleeping bag. So the "taco" in the title of Ellis's children's story is Michael becoming a play taco as he is delightfully nestled in the middle of some sofa pillows, provided by his older brother Thomas.

The point of Ellis's didactic tale is to help the non-autistic brother understand and appreciate his brother's differences and to help parents explain why the autistic child has different needs, and why the child seems to get special attention (which may make the neurotypical child jealous), and why the autistic child sometimes screams or strikes out in frustration at the world.

The text is in both English and Spanish and the book is the recipient of the Barbara Jordan Media Award.

By the way, Ellis has another award-winning children's book called "Keisha's Doors" that looks at this type of family situation from the point of view of two sisters.

Maybe you're looking at this book and wondering what tacos could possibly have to do with autism. A taco's a taco, right? And what do you do with a taco? You eat it. It couldn't be simpler. You don't even have to think about it. It turns out, however, that you've got it all wrong; no one can eat the kind of tacos referred to in this book. I haven't even gotten to the story yet, but this little exercise alone does a great job of showing you what this book is all about. Tacos Anyone? is all about describing some of the characteristics of the autistic child and helping his/her loved ones (especially young siblings) relate to his/her special needs. And to understand the autistic child, you have to step back and change your way of thinking (just like your conception of tacos will change as you get into this story), and it takes a conscious effort to do that each and every time.

Young Thomas already knows that his little brother Michael has autism. He doesn't know what that means exactly, but he does know that he isn't very successful when he tries to get Michael to play with him. He's also bothered by some of the things Michael does for no apparent reason. That's when Michael's therapist comes into the story. First, we see some of the exercises and activities she does with Michael, but then we see her bring Thomas in as well and show him how to better communicate with his little brother. This kind of family involvement is vital in the life of the autistic child, and author Marvie Ellis really succeeds at showing how therapy is for the family as well as the autistic child. An autistic child can have the greatest therapist in the world, but he/she will never reach his/her true potential without the love, support, and assistance of loved ones.

Just like Keisha's Doors, this second book in the Autism Story Book series communicates a wonderful, heart-warming message and would surely benefit anyone who deals directly or indirectly with an autistic child. It is especially good at helping the brothers and sisters of autistic children understand and better relate to their special siblings. The book's dual language format (English and Spanish), along with the wonderfully expressive illustrations of Jenny Loehr, give it a broad, intercultural appeal. Tacos Anyone? truly conveys a most inspirational message and spirit.

Sad to think this book is already out of print. This one is the third installment of the Hap/Leonard series and picks up where Mucho Mojo left off. The pair rush off to the aid of a friend, but pay the price for their outsize egos as they find themselves in a part of the South where the calendars seem to be set 30 years behind schedule. There are no quick, easy resolutions to be found and the Hap and Leonard at the end of the book are markedly different from the two at the beginning. As always, Mr. Lansdale's keen ability to understand and describe human nature is evident. Highly recommended!

Books like these are what everyone should be reading. It's damn near a crime that they aren't, but I guess it makes those of us who ARE fans a special little group.

Lansdale is completely unafraid to do what he has to do to further his stories. That means people you like will die, or turn out to be bad folks. It means you can't get too comfortable and think you know what's going to happen when you settle down with one of Lansdale's masterpieces.

"Two-Bear Mambo" continues the Hap & Leonard friendship: a white heterosexual Democrat and a black homosexual Republican, respectively. The story begins on Christmas Eve, where Leonard is burning down the crackhouse next door for the third time. The two friends are approached by their police buddies and sent on a mission to track down their friend: Florida Grange - Hap's old flame and Leonard's lawyer. Grange was last seen in Grovetown, a real, live throwback to the heavily segregated racist '60's.

Of course, they leave right away, and once again start stirring up trouble and townfolk in the flooded little town. As previously mentioned, no one is ever who you think they are, and things are never what they seem.

Bravo, Lansdale.

Lansdale delivers another fine novel featuring Hap Collins and Leonard Pine, one of the oddest (and toughest) couples in mystery fiction. Hap, straight and white, and Leonard, gay and black, travel to Grovetown, Texas, a city that makes Johannesburg look like a bastion of racial unity. They are searching for Hap's ex-girlfriend Florida Grange, last seen there. Wisecracking all the way (even when they're getting the s**t kicked out of `em), the boys stir up a hornet's nest, and in the process learn some hard lessons about themselves and the nature of their friendship.

Two Bear evoked memories of the best of Robert B. Parker and John D. MacDonald. Parker, because of the dialogue, and MacDonald because of the characterization. Lansdale's characters are real people who can get hurt, even killed-- he really puts them through the wringer. Their adversaries aren't cardboard villains, twirling handlebar mustaches. Menacing and memorable, driven by hate, greed, prejudice, lust and ignorance, these folks are scary because you might meet them in real life.

In short, The Two Bear Mambo is classic Lansdale--a good, tough thoroughly enjoyable book that you will remember long after finishing.

THE TWO-BEAR MAMBO by Joe R. Lansdale continues the saga of Hap Collins and Leonard Pine where MUCHO MOJO left off. It starts out with Hap arriving at Leonard's house on Christmas Eve night. Blasting out of his friend's home is the music to "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" and Leonard is next door, kicking righteous butt and burning down the neighborhood crack house once again. The police pull Hap and Leonard in, but Lieutenant Marvin Hanson gets them off the hook, provided they do him a small favor. It seems that Hap's old girlfriend, Florida Grange (the one who left him for Hanson) took off to Grovetown, Texas to do an article on a black musician who supposedly hung himself while in the custody of the local police. Florida has suddenly vanished, and Hanson wants Hap and Leonard to pay a visit to Grovetown to see if they can find out anything. The only problem is that this particular Texas town is right out of the fifties and sixties. It's a viper's nest filled with Klansmen, led by Jackson Brown, who enjoy murdering the black folks and seem to be getting away with it. Both Hap and Leonard know that they're going to have their hands full just trying to stay alive as they attempt to investigate Florida's disappearance. Even together, as tough as they are, both men are going to find out that they've bitten off more than they can chew when they take on the populace of Grovetown. They'll find themselves in the middle of free-for-all that would put Billy Jack to shame and come very close to getting beaten to death. Both men will discover true fear for the first time in their lives and have to find a way of dealing with it as their injuries heal, if they want to be able to face each other again, as well as solve the mystery of what happened to Florida when they eventually return to Grovetown to face the evil of its people. THE TWO-BEAR MAMBO will give you a slightly different perspective of our two heroes this time around, making them more flawed and human. As tough as Hap and Leonard are, they're not invincible, and both of them come very close to death as they seek to right a wrong. They will find out things about themselves that will at first be difficult to face; yet, in the long run will make them stronger. Though a part of me knows that these two characters are fictional, the writing is so good that another part of me almost believes that they're real. These are guys that I'd simply love to hang out with, and it's a tribute to the talent of Joe R. Lansdale that he's created such believable characters...characters who are funny, skilled martial artists, almost always unemployed, who have the same kinds of problems with relationships that real people do, and who have a strong sense of honor and justice that gets them into trouble more often than not. Mr. Lansdale is able to do this because he has a unique skill in writing that comes off as being natural and down to earth, but is actually a master craftsman at work. He knows how to make each and every character in the novel come alive in ways I wish other authors could emulate. I never know how each book is going to end; and, quite often, I find myself stunned by who gets killed off. As you can probably tell, the "Hap Collins/Leonard Pine" series has swept me off of my feet in a way that few other books have, and it's one I can highly recommend to any reader who loves novels filled with action, humor, self-reflection, and characters that make you truly believe. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do after I read SAVAGE SEASON and then CAPTAINS OUTRAGEOUS. I wish I could sit down with Hap and Leonard, have a beer, and talk about this particular problem. Of course, I wouldn't get any sympathy from them. In fact, I'd probably have to spend an hour or more listening to their problems!!

Hap and Leonard just can't seem to keep themselves out of trouble. At the beginning of The Two-Bear Mambo, Leonard is yet again setting fire to the drug dealers' house next door. Their friend Lt. Hanson has to take them in just because, but when Hap's ex-girlfriend -- and Hanson's current squeeze -- Florida Grange goes missing, Hanson agrees to drop the charges if Hap and Leonard will go look for her in Grovetown, a burg in East Texas known for its violent Klan members, and where Florida was last seen.

The Two-Bear Mambo is so far the most unflinching in its portrayal of Southern racism. Grovetown is even worse than I could have imagined and Lansdale does not look away for a moment. Leonard is the obvious target, but Hap's association with him brings him into the fray of violence as well. And as for Florida: well, no one as yet has admitted to even seeing her...

My white Southern guilt was intensified while reading The Two-Bear Mambo; the characters, their ideas, and their violence are all-too familiar from my upbringing. So much so that I could barely even bring myself to read it in public, afraid of what the people around me -- seeing the N-word on nearly every page -- would think I was reading (as if the barely euphemistic title weren't embarrassing enough).

But the trademark Lansdale humor abounds in sarcastic remarks and in the first-person narration of Hap -- whose difference from the author himself seems to be getting less and less. Lansdale has said that he is very comfortable with the voice of Hap and the easy-going prose makes that obvious. Despite my emotional reaction to the book, I look forward to continuing the adventures of Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. I'm glad they can't keep away from trouble; if they did, I'd be reading some other book that isn't nearly as fun.

This book is just wonderful. I hate to say much about books here, because I hate spoilers. This one really hits home and if you have a heart you won't want to miss it!

Simolke, Duane. "The Acorn Stories", iUniverse, 2003.

Living in a Small Town

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

Acorn, Texas--population 21. 001 is the setting for Duane Simolke's wonderful "The Acorn Stories". The town of Acorn is full of stories and if you have lived in a small town you know exactly what I mean. Each of Simolke's stories lets us look into the lives of some of the most interesting characters I have ever read about. As you read each story, you seem to make new friends and when I closed the book I felt as if I actually knew many in the town. Just as the stories are all separate, they eventually tie together. There is just the right amount of detail to let the reader feel he knows the people of Acorn.
Even more interesting is that Simolke wrote this book in a very difficult style of writing--the stream of consciousness. This allows the reader to feel as if he is one of the characters and as the stories come together, we get a picture of Acorn, Texas in quite a unique way. The 16 stories in the book, although separate, are all related and this is not an easy way to write. As the characters merge, the imaginary (at least I think it is imaginary0 town seems to be very real.
The residents of Acorn are very real people--or so they seemed to me as I met them. And as the stores come together the town of Acorn is laid bare reminding me of what is left of a turkey after Thanksgiving dinner. As we meet the townsfolk, we dig below the outside appearance and go deep into the characters. The characters are quite a menagerie of folk all of whom have challenges and problem (just like we all do). It is the personalities and actions of the members of Acorn that make the stories live. In fact, I am not really sure that this is a collection of short stories because of the interactions between the stories and when they all come together it is like reading a novel.
Acorn is located in west Texas and there, under the Texas sun and the majestic oak trees (so unlike Texas) is a mixture of Hispanics and Anglos as well as a few Afro-Americans. Some were born in Acorn and some are hiding in Acorn. Newlyweds Becky and Kyle are very much in love and they are starting a life together. We meet the [...] art dealer and gallery owner who is being blackmailed by the [....] mayor of the town. There is also a famous writer hiding in Acorn because he stages his own fake suicide. There is the high school teacher who favors sports over academics and the young kid who is keeping a secret, a young man looking for a sugar momma to pay his rent, a widow ad her cat, Regina, an overbearing sister, a widow, Mae, who remembers how life was once and so on.
I must say that I loved this book and have reread several of the stories. It is a rare treat and one that will have you laughing, crying, commiserating and identifying. I have not had this much fun in a long time.

Duane Simolke's, "The Acorn Stories," is set in the fictional West Texas town of Acorn, so named because it's the only town in the entire region that has trees, thanks to the foresight of its founders. The stories are a compilation of vignettes that give the reader a glimpse into the everyday happenings of a group of residents whose lives, we learn as the chapters unfold, interconnect in fascinating and unexpected ways. With each new story, or chapter, the reader is introduced to a new character. The stories and lives of the citizens of Acorn interweave, turning "The Acorn Stories" into what is essentially a novel...quite a feat for the author to accomplish in a relatively short book.

Simolke allows the reader peeks into the thoughts of diverse characters, from a policeman's recollection of his abusive childhood, to the befuddled thoughts of a senile old man. We see events from the points of view of a deaf man who manages to do a good job as the high school's English teacher, an esteemed best selling author desperately trying to escape life's travails, and a young couple who find love and, like it or not, become parents at a most unexpected time and place...the opening of an Art Gallery that happens to be owned by the teacher's boyfriend. A small example of how the stories go around.

"The Acorn Stories" allows the reader an understanding of the human condition. We learn what makes each individual's personality tick. Simolke's characters are male and female, young and old, black and white, rich and poor, gay and straight, handicapped and gifted, happy and sad, satisfied and searching, hypocritical and fair-minded. The ability to depict such a wide cross section of humanity, including details of each character's breadth of knowledge and experience, takes a talented, insightful author, and Duane Simolke is such a writer.

I dislike giving ratings to books...they are too subjective...but The Acorn Stories deserves 5 stars as a very intelligently written book. Don't miss it.

Duane Simolke's offering of his sixteen short stories, many with overlapping characters and plot-lines, all set within or around the fictitious west-Texas small town of Acorn, provides its readers an insightful and literate look at what goes on in the hinderlands beyond the boundaries of this country's big cities.

Not as salaciously rendered as was Peyton Place (which, if you remember, was a small town taken on by Grace Metalious), Simolke's Acorn, Texas, still turns out to be rife with some of the same angst-ridden problems, thereby, once again, exploding the myth that rural "out there" is actually more idyllic (even Edenesque), as compared to big-city "in here".

From the who-will-have-control-of-this-relationship "dueling" of Regina Thibodeaux and Dirk Palmer in Simolke's lead-off story "Acorn", to the not-always-that-pleasant reminisces of town maven Aragon Carsons in the book's concluding "Acorn Pie", Simolke puts rural America under a microscope to unveil all of its acne, sores, scars, and festering wounds.

THE ACORN STORIES isn't for any reader out to preserve his or her unrealistic nostaligic notion that rural-America is the place "to be" "to get away from it all". On the other hand, for those of us not put off by realism and always interested in a literate writer who can provide us a peek beneath the veneer, Simolke provides some very enjoyable reading moments.

The Acorn Stories
Duane Simolke

Review by Mountman

Picture a small town in West Texas. Acorn. The reason it's called Acorn is that it is the only town in West Texas that has a lot of trees. Yes, Acorn is a fictional town but after reading The Acorn Stories, I wanted to visit the place, just to check it out.

" "Welcome to Acorn, population 21,001, the Texas town with a little name and a big heart" - Sign marking city limits of Acorn" (taken from the book.)

Like the branches of the Main Street Oak tree, the town has just as many histories and legends. Each story gives you a glimpse into lives of the people of Acorn. Also how their lives are intertwined.

There are stories about the founding family, newcomers, the rich, the poor and in between. When I first started reading it I felt like I was left hanging. Just then, in Simolke unique clever style, things began to connect. Growing up in a small town I could relate to some of the characters. Duane gives you just enough details that you get a feel for where each of the characters are coming from. There are people that you like, some that you can't wait to see if they get theirs. Big cheers for when they do!

Ones that really grabbed me are Survival and Dead Enough. Survival is about a gay, deaf teacher. Dead Enough is about a writer of murder mysteries. I'm not going to give you any details because you will have to find out for yourself.

Whether you are an avid short story reader, or a novel reader this is a must read! So check it out.

The life - project of Pessoa in his making of multiple poetic alter egos, reminds of the life - project of Kierkegaard who explored various aspects of the religious life through use of alter egos often representing different faculties, approaches and moods of life. But if Kierkegaard's aim is to bring the reader to realization of what it might be to be in true connection with God, Pessoa's seems to be more to dissipate the notion of unique identity completely out of existence. Thus the fragments he shores around his own ruin and attributes to alter ego , heteronym Bernard Soares have within them a strong nihilistic self- and - world denying element.
Yet and here is the contradiction and the deeper truth they also reveal a kind of beauty both in perception and in the varied motion of the mental life itself. Lonely solitary lost fragmented Pessoa knows no human sacrifice like that of Kierkegaard with Regina, knows no dedication to his father's task of doing God's duty in the most ultimate way. He instead seems to reveal hidden realities as he conceals that beyond them all may well lie an eternal nothing. Kierkegaard is the many- selved servant of God, and Pessoa the many - selved servant of nothing more holy than human poetry.

Poetry often speaks to us; we see something in it, something recognizable, and it's like we are shown a piece of ourselves that had been hidden for a lifetime before. Finding Pessoa's *Book of Disquiet* was like finding a piece of myself. In the pages of this poetic novel you will find honesty, often self-disparaging, and you will find beauty in the smallest observation. However, be forewarned, this is not a book that should be picked up with the idea of light reading in mind. In fact, you may find that you have to put it down, repeatedly, to get away from it, to think, but you will always, always come back to it. Keep it close to hand.

"If i think, it all seems absurd to me; if i feel, it all seems strange; if i desire, he who desires is something inside of me."
Sums up the book perfectly. Pessoa explores one of his many personalities. "The Book of Disquiet" explains, in complete depth and faith, the beauty of a lonely, existential, moment by moment life. He explains the beauty that people forget. He explains the world, his perception, as if every moment were the last.
"The book of disquiet" is one of the most insightful books a person can read, but only if one has imagination and an ability to let go. Bernardo Soars, Pessoa's personality who wrote the book, is extreme and eccentric. It isn't easy reading, and it won't affect you if you can't overlook the fact that life doesn't go on like Soars'; that there is more in thinking, dreaming, and desiring than Soars admits. What makes the book so special is how Soars can forget everything but the thought and the moment, and how he can analyze and critique and put into words something that most of us forget to remember. "The book of disquiet" reminds me, at least, of how to appreciate my own mind. It is the only philosophy-like book that i enjoy (as yet) because it is the real thing and encompasses a forgotten part of real life.

Fernando Pesoa's genius lies within who Pesoa was as nil and not. He wasn't anyone. Only somene who continually writes in "disquiet" his persona's variable exegesis. The writing is in the book but the author who wrote it, Fernando Pesoa does not "feel himself" as actually being who he is. So, maybe he's actually a different author, with a different name who begins to write a different book. There's all of the writing there, its genius evident in the mystery of the writing itself. All the writing invested with absolute revelation of numinous absence. The absence is that of the author's presence. Magic? Truly. The author is not there. But he must be "there" because he has no choice but to write. What's the answer for the author who is finds himself as absent? He must undertake the creation of the abent author's presence. How? By literally creating a utterly unique form of literature. A literature whose grammar is of being literal by making it possible to write of the absence of an author to himself into a presence to be known as the once absent identity. Writing through a textual hermeticism capable of transmutation through written words of the emanation of an author as "logos," or the Word. "In the beginning there was the Word." Through the Word as logos, all identity is created in the appearance, ex nilho, of the writer mediated solely through himself in this the new logos of writing itself. Pesoa is not himself. He's a man who achieves glimpses of a unmanifest self-referential identity only through his books. In the work of writing these books, this identity is made manifest as the author's anamnesis. Seemingly he finds out (remembers) he is, and always was, a certain author he now "remembers" as himself as a manifested presence. An absolute genius manifested as the author himself being (repeatedly) annihilated through radical self-doubt. Only later remembering who he was as absolute presence never to be lost again. Until this is accomplished all of the laborious, literal negotiations must of necessity begin anew, and are written as literature whose search arises from absence's discontent becomes the new discourse as the art and improvisation of real identity forged in the alchemy of narrative. This peculiar narative reaveals itself as a lived experience of self-discovery. One man of many parts dismembered in his own identity become self-inflicted and religious. Pesoa's own holy inquisition seeking and finding the indentity he is spurious, a phantasm of derealized personality perpetually guilty of having a persona found lacking, Wriiten out in texts as being found guilty of the "heresy" of having an identity. Never before Pesoa has an identity crisis of infinite magnitude been witnessed in Pesoa absence made real presence in some of the 2OTH century's finest writing and poetry. of the 20TH century in The writing of a man named Fernando Pesoa. A man lost to himself, in search of the "person" underneath the name. Personality and identity as reality grounded in a mystery only to be known by itself: self found through words that are the artifacts of the self discovered. A genius lost to himself and calling his absent identity into gradual existence by a person's absence fading into a personality that's presented in multiple, shifting Heteronyms, or cases of terminal identity lost and regained.

there are few poets able to assume so many diferent personalites as Fernando Pessoa. But Bernardo Soares is not a diferent personality, is just the other side of his personnal mirror, an escape to his tortured soul. Probably that is why The Book of Disquiet is so universal, a portait of the human fears, an example of a lonely man,travelling across his own mind, looking at the world through the most ironic eyes. Fernando Pessoa was able to understand dissapointment and regreat in a intemporal way, as a natural part of human nature. So, this book has the ability to make you look inside yourself, guide by one of the best poets of all times!

A great 1st book by the author filled with suspense & humor. The story keeps you glued to the pages wanting to know what happens next. Can't wait for the next book from Kiki Curry!

There is never a dull moment in this fast-paced thriller. Mysteries are
my favorite genre, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Curry kept my
attention with several humorous subplots going on, woven into the death
of a girl in Marble Falls, Texas.
I don't believe in coincidences, like the story suggests and to follow
your intuition. Today, after reading Crows Calling, I found and bought
a piece of art named, "Yellow Bird Ascending." It has the Kachina gods
representing the animal totems. The bird representing the soul.
In this book, the story told of the Indian lore of the crow medicine
being the avenger of truth. It was interesting how the plot captured
the Native American ways of seeing nature as a way Spirit speaks to us
if we have the eyes to see and the ears to hear in a very believable
way.
Crows Calling would make an excellent movie because of the nonstop
action, and humor. I loved the characters and would like to see them
continued in her Curry's future books. By the way, if it is ever made
into a movie, I see David Leach as a character, or maybe Billy Bob
Thornton as one of the thugs.
I can't wait for her next novel to come out. I read her bio on her
website and noticed she was a standup comic. This really was apparent
reading this entertaining book!

As a screenwriter living in Texas, I found this book to be very interesting. Set in the Texas hill country, it is rich with local color. Kiki Curry gives us a new age spiritual woman's point of view of events concerning the death of a young woman in Marble Falls, Texas. The book contains lots of humor and suspense. Curry's narration is very visual and filled with Texan idioms and cultural references. In addition to a fun supspense story, it is an interesting cultural study.

Fun story that as a new Texan, I was able to recognize many landmarks! (Like Stephen King always made me feel about New England). The characters in the story were memorable and endearing. Quite a few sounded like people that would be fun to meet (if they exsisted of course!)
I would recommend this as a entertaining, easy read and I hope to see more from Kiki in the future!

I could not put this book down once I started to read it. Not only does Kiki keep you guessing she keep you thinking. The book was original, engrossing, and endlessly inventive; my only problem with the book was that it ended way too soon. To the Author - Please write a follow-up book very soon.

This is an excellent book for the novice or the expert. Everything you need to know about making stone tools the way neolithic man did is easily explained using simple very clear language. The author has done an excellent job explaining the methods, history and reasons behind a very fascinating, little known subject. Those who are interested in the history of technology will love this book.

This book is without a doubt, one of the best books I have ever read on flintknapping! The black and white photos and drawings show the exact methods of making stone tools, and how they were probably used by Native Americans.

I bought this as a gift for my husband who is an avid arrowhead collector. He was very impressed!!!

This is another five star pick, a must have if you are learning to flintknap or just studying primitive skills. Full of information for the beginner to expert.

Pick this book up and you'll be able to start flintknapping immediately. This guide is entertaining while being informative.

Even though I have read a number of books about ancient Mesopotamia, many of which are focussed on political and economic history rather than on beliefs and religious practices, I am was still very confused about who were the principal gods and goddesses, during what period of time and where they became prominent, and why they were worshipped. The uniformly positive customer reviews of this 192 page book were what persuaded me to buy it , and I was not disappointed.

When I buy a book, however, I do prefer to read it from start to finish, so reading a dictionary in this way is somewhat difficult and it is probably not the best way to read this one. The "gods and goddesses " entry in this dictionary indicate that more than 3000 names have been recovered, and while the book doesn't attempt to describe all of these, it does provide a significant amount of interesting reference material about the beliefs and religious practices of the peoples of Ancient Mesopotamia. Perhaps it would be better to use the term "ruler" or "the elite" rather than the term "peoples" since it is clear that nearly all the available information about the gods, demons, and symbols comes from inscriptions which were either from the rulers or from the priests of the religious institutions.

At the beginning of the book there is a useful author's note on the variant spellings of ancient names which explains the scholarly consensus on the probable pronunciation of the Akkadian and Sumerian languages. This is followed, by a concise introduction which provides summaries on the places and peoples of Mesopotamia, their mythology and legends, their art and iconography and the periods of the various dynasties and a helpful one page chronological table. At the end of the book there is also a short bibliography listing books recommended for further reading.

The bulk of the book consists of about a thousand entries (I didn't count them) on the different deities, religious objects, icons, symbols, and practices, of the peoples of ancient Mesopotamia. Most of these are quite short, although there are a few which run to three or four pages. At least half of them refer to one or more illustrations which are liberally sprinkled throughout the book, and this approach definitely enhanced my understanding of what I was reading. I did get the impression, though, that much of the information about the earlier period comes from the Assyrian kings of the 1st millennium, and while they were heirs to the Sumerian and Akkadian traditions, it is still not clear to me how much of a bias they brought into their inscriptions in order to better serve their own interests

There are 159 illustrations in all, which are a mixture of drawings and very clear black and white photographs. The drawings by Tessa Rickards, the illustrator, are beautifully done, elegantly simple, and in my opinion, bring out the essence of the object of the illustration. While most illustrations are embedded in the text close to the most relevant entry, there are a number which are referred to by several different entries. I found it was quite time consuming to flip around the book to find the references of those which were not close by, so I ended up by using book markers to speed up my search for the most important, which were the groups of illustrations on demons, monsters, and symbols for the gods, and the genealogical table of gods and goddesses. Perhaps there is no way around this, but I think it would have been helpful if there had been an index of the illustrations referenced by time period and page number. It may also have been easier to refer to them if they were included one place, perhaps at the back of the book.

Notwithstanding these minor quibbles about the organization and content of the book, I found that reading it the way I did, was an effective and time efficient way of increasing my depth of knowledge about this aspect of ancient Mesopotamia. It will serve as a useful reference tool for my other books on the civilizations and dynasties of Mesopotamia, and I certainly recommend it to other students who are focussing their studies on this particular subject.

This illustrated dictionary is excellant, and informative. The authors have a knack for noting out of the ordinary tidbits, which enhance their profiles. Unfortunately, they do not recognize that Mythology is 95%
Propaganda. Thus, Ea, called "favorable to man", is in fact the Ultimate
Architect of Evil, who along with his "two-faced" minister Usmu, and the
scribe Nabu, propagated a Revisionist Mythology, that has subjugated and
subverted the 5% Truth, ever since.

"Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia" (An Illustrated Dictionary) is the best resource on the Gods of the different cultures from that region that exists. Though they call it a dictionary, Jeremy Black and Anthony Green (editors) have put together an encyclopedia of knowledge on the subject. They cover Sumerian, Akkadian, Assyrian, Babylonian, and Hurrian mythologies, and touch on several more as well. This review is based off of the fifth edition of the book, which was published in 2003 by the University of Texas Press.

There is a lot of material here, and it would be easy to give this book five stars based on what it does provide. However, as I use this resource I often think about what more they could have done to make it more useful. One big thing would have been more visual resources. I would have liked to see a map section where it shows the various eras and empires and the extent of their control. There is one map near the front of the book, but it provides only a limited view.

A big area of improvement would have been to provide sections instead of including all the material together from A to Z. For example the maps mentioned above could have gone into a geography section which could have also shown the evolution of the city names as they spanned eras, including the modern names for those which still exist. Another section could have covered the kings, queens, and heroes for each of the empires. The section on deities could have covered the evolution of deities as they were adopted by the later empires, as well as the new deities which arose during the passage of time. You will find that some of this material is scattered throughout the resource, but it is not complete, and it is difficult to find unless you already know where to look.

Despite all the things I would have liked to have, I still think this is a very good reference, and one which anyone who studies the ancient history of that region will want to have in their library. It is easy to come up with ideas of ways to improve things, but the work that was done in putting together this reference was exceptional, and as with most things which whet one's appetite, it leaves the reader wanting more.

Excellent resource listing much more than the title would suggest. Black really knows his stuff and generously shares his knowledge. Much better than I thought it would be. Includes all kinds of definitions in great detail. Well written. Highly recommend.

I am saddened to see that this is no longer available. If you are interested in ancient Mesopotamian religion, then this book is needed. It is a perfect resource to get quick information, and provides enough information to conduct further research in the areas. If you are a student taking a class on Mesopotamia, a religious historian, or a Reconstructionist, then this will give you the facts you need at your fingertips.

This is another wonderful tool given to us by the author Marvie Ellis and the illustrator/artist, Jenny Loehr. The author uses a little girl, the older sister of an autistic child, Keisha. This is very effective! The author certainly has a way of taking a very complex subject, and through her use of words, bringing that subject to the level that a child is able to understand. I loved her concept of "closed doors" and "opening doors." This is quite understandable to a child, and indeed, an adult faced with this devastating condition. Well done! The author takes us step by step through the process of identifying the condition, its treatment and, again, does it in a way that a young person can well understand.

I was delighted, and in fact thrilled, to see this work presented in both Spanish and English, together between two covers. Over the past five years our area of the country has gone through a change with the influx of Spanish speaking people. Our resources were, and are quite thin, and I am sorry to say, quite limited. Books such as this go along way in correcting this situation. My daughter, a first grade teacher, is faced with this language (and indeed, autistic children) problem each and every year, and works such as this are most helpful.

I personally found the illustrations in this book, by artist Jenny Loehr, quite pleasing as I like her method and style. She has the ability to capture so much with her simple facial expressions. The color choices certainly appeal to children and are quite eye catching in a subdued way. The illustrations go perfectly with the text and each, the text and the art work, complement each other perfectly.

Children have as much of a struggle understanding this devastating condition, even more than most adults. The author has done a wonderful job, in the way of explanation, at their level. I might add that any adult will also find this work quite informative. This is another valuable tool and should be included in any school program or home library were applicable. I, as a fully retired individual, do a tremendous amount of substitute teaching at our local schools. I fully intend to read these books to my younger classes. Ignorance is a horrible thing, and this book and the author's other book, Tacos Anyone?, go a long way in stamping it, the ignorance, out. Well done Ms Ellis! I highly recommend this one!

This book is a great tool to help siblings, other family members and non-relatives (including teachers and students) to understand some of the world of kids with autism. This is a very touching story deserving of the acclaim it has received and more. Schools systems would do well to include this book in their libraries. Great story and illustrations! Great work!

Author Marvie Ellis, pediatric speech-language pathologist, founded Speech Kids Texas Press in 2005 for to publish children's storybooks on communication needs. Kiesha's Doors is a bilingual storybook in which English and Spanish text appear simultaneously on the same page. This technique reinforces to children and adults alike the multicultural nature of the modern world we live in, and seeing other languages on the same page may encourage children to explore secondary languages. I think this technique is superior to the alternative of publishing two separate translations. Children's brains easily learn multiple languages, so why not give them as much exposure as possible?

In Kiesha's Doors (Las Puertas de Keisha), 2 year-old Kiesha has stopped communicating with her family, become a picky eater, and taken to a favorite rocking chair. Kiesha parents and her older sister Monica (age 9) learn that she has autism, and they must adapt their communication style to reach Kiesha (to "open her doors"). The story is not just about Monica's adjustment to life with Kiesha, but about the Mom and Dad's journey to get a diagnosis and learn how to relate to their child. It is truly a family story, and it raises important diagnosis questions as well as coping skills. The illustrations are vibrant crayon-style (I loved the way the eyes and faces glow!).

Every library should invest in a copy of this book, and every child and parent should read it at least once, to learn about dealing with people who communicate differently from ourselves.

I have a son w/autism and I purchased this book because I haven't seen any af/am profiled in autism related childrens books before. I enjoyed the book very much. Kudos to the author!

Marvie Ellis is providing a great service to a significant number of people with her Autism Story Books. If you're like me, you know less about autism than you think you do - unless and until someone in your life is born autistic. And if we adults don't really understand what autism is and is not, imagine how hard it would be for a young child to understand it all. Keisha's Doors is told from the perspective of just such a child, a nine-year-old girl who doesn't understand why her three-year-old sister Keisha won't play with her or speak when spoken to. When Keisha is diagnosed with autism, we are there with her family as the doctor and therapist explain what this means and begin to teach them techniques for establishing better communication with the little girl.

The conventional, knee-jerk reaction to a diagnosis of autism would probably be one of alarm and grief, and I'm sure one of the author's purposes in writing this book is to dispel such notions. Here, Keisha's condition is described in terms even her nine-year-old sister can understand: Keisha has certain mental "doors" that are closing her off from some of the people and things around her, and she just needs help opening up some of those closed doors. Rather than tearing the family apart, the situation actually brings them closer together. Now, even Keisha's sister understands why Keisha is different - she even knows a little bit about how to go about helping her expand her awareness.

This is a very positive, heart-warming look at a family caring in the proper way for an autistic child. The story itself is printed in both English and Spanish, while Jenny Loehr's beautiful illustrations speak volumes in and of themselves. Put it all together, and you have a wonderful book - perhaps the only one of its kind - designed to reach as many different people as possible with its important message. I learned something about autism myself in these pages, and I'm sure anyone with any kind of connection to an autistic child will benefit from this book - and Marvie Ellis' succeeding Autism Story Books - immensely.

Very solid and innovative new age tournament poker strategies presented in this book. Definately a book for advanced players as some of the mathematical situations detailed in the book are beyond the grasp of beginners. The book is very well written.

I think this book will help anyone. From a beginner to someone who has played in tournaments. It's more appropriate for those with some knowledge and strategies of their own, but really anyone can benefit from this book.

This is a great tournament book! They discuss so many new concepts that hasn't been mentioned before in book form. These concepts can be found in different poker forums as in 2+2 forum. One of the concepts that is mentioned is bubble effect. They will discuss how to calculate the real value of your chips in different situations in a tournament and how it will effect your decisions. Many of the concepts are very helpful for sit and go as well, especially when you want to squeeze in to the money often. I highly recommend this great book. The authors have done a great job writing this.

I was a little skeptical, if not curious as to what would be written in this book and as to how useful the advice would be. I had read Kill Phil and thought that the ideas were very basic and not very applicable to intermediate and advanced players. When I spent my money on Kill Everyone and read I could not stop reading. Why? Because the 2008 Aussie Millions main event was coming up and the book focuses on bubble play, equilibrium strategies and prize pools and equities; concepts which are very important in the major events. All the money in poker is to be made in or around the bubble and when approaching the final table. Kill Everyone is the best for these situations and therefore very much worth the read. Part one of the book shows how to accumulate chips early on and I found a particular example useful for me in the 2008 Aussie Millions Main Event. For No Limit Hold'em Tournaments this book sets the new precedent. Lee's latest book Let's Play Poker is brilliant for sit and go's. Use these books to improve your skills and reach your poker playing potential.

If you play freeze-out tournaments (Anything else played today?) you'll find this book to be an essential source-book and reference. An understanding of the concepts and examples presented will give any player a better foundation from which to make decisions - and from which to approach the optimum decision at critical points.

The discussion of play on the bubble is alone worth much more than the price of the book. For example the authors present analysis of how often you should push as a function of your bubble factor (ratio of equity loss from losing to equity gain from winning the confrontation) and your opponent's calling frequency. Most players know intuitively that you should push more frequently when (a) your bubble factor is greater and (b) your opponent is more likely to call. But a chart showing the results of the calculations gives insight that can't be gotten otherwise.

One short section attacks the myth that the big stack should call liberally to knock out small stacks. That discussion alone can make the difference between just finishing in the money and making a big win. If you have ever called or raised a bit loosely to knock out small stacks only to find that you've doubled up one or more and made them into real competition while crippling yourself then this section is must reading.

I could continue with examples, but the book is only 348 pages - probably shorter than my examples would be.

I do have a single criticism. The authors (properly) use the Independent Chip Model but without fully explaining the assumptions on which it relies. Like most other authors they do explain that it assumes equal skill for all players. However, they neglect to mention that it also relies on two other assumptions: (1) that all players will receive equivalent hands over the limited time of the tournament, and (2) that play is based on only your hand and statistical behavior of your opponents. If you're in the middle of a tournament, assumption (1) probably doesn't apply for the limited number of hands remaining, and in any given hand other things - tells for lack of a better word - frequently become more important than either of these assumptions.

Do yourself a favor and buy this book. But, be prepared to study rather than just read for it contains more, much more, than a list of starting hands and advice to play a tight aggressive game.