Instruction Books

I think that this a really nice introduction to a career in graphic design field. Mostly it seems to be directed at someone who is in the middle of the road, so to speak, but I think that newbies will also find some nice tips on how to avoid headaches and pitfalls of this specific business.

This is a good guide for those designers who are thinking about going freelance. The book summarizes basics of the business, financial topics and absolutely necessary ethics. ALL freelance web designers without a formal business education should read and learn these fundamentals for being a professional.

I've never bothered to give a review before, but this book is so helpful I had to put it down for a moment and give my two cents. I've been in the industry for four years and am in the process of going freelance. This book gives excellent advice for drumming up business. Not vague at all.

It would also be extremely helpful for people looking for their first job after design school.

Well, here I was, too distracted to write a proper raving review because I was busy absorbing in all of the wonderful, easy to follow and sometimes downright humorous advice from a long awaited book that is refreshingly geared towards design professionals of any level. Novices will definitely appreciate the start-up tips from the perspectives of a virtual plethora of experienced design communicators from all over. More experienced designers will find helpful suggestions on effectively managing and growing their career. And of course, what good resource is complete without detailing some very useful advice about avoiding pitfalls and other related issues along the way.

With an abundance of references and resources that include contracts, networking, self promotion and more importantly, a guide on how to realistically rate your services, The Savvy Designer's Guide To Success delivers on an even more important level; raising one's awareness on the often underrated value of the Creative Communications Designer.

I was browsing the graphic design section of Barnes & Noble the other day looking for a different book on the same topic. I couldn't find the title that I was looking for, so I picked this one up, grabbed a cup of coffee, and started leafing through it. I read a few bits of the beginning chapter, where Fisher details the advantages and disadvantages of different traditional and not-so-traditional educational paths for would-be designers. As a freshman at a liberal arts college majoring in graphic design, I was immediately intrigued. I temporarily forgot about the book I had been looking for and bought this one instead. As a testament to how great this book is- I finished it in just 2 days. In fact this is one of the few books where I can honestly say I "couldn't put it down." Fisher writes in an informal, easy to read style. His approach to giving advice is very open-minded but very no-nonsense and practical at the same time. Most importantly, this book covers it all: everything from the initial education of the designer, to starting out in the industry, to self-promotion, legal issues, and dealing with one's mistakes and screw ups. Throughout the book Fisher draws on the experience of nearly 100 designers and deign firm owners and the pages of this book are dripping with references to other books, magazines, and great online resources for designers and other creative professionals. This book gave me some great insights on getting started as a graphic designer and has me even more excited about my career. Five stars, without question!

The author has excellent suggestions for becoming a good teacher but the book starts slow. At times the material seems to be in the most complicated form and could be better understood in plain, every day terms.

I really devoured this book. I found myself highlighting every paragraph and I even took notes. This is a wonderful look at teaching and how to utilize your skills to change lives, not just fill a young person's mind with information. Several of the quotes in the book have now become bold printed pages in my teaching notebook.

Este libro contiene los principios básicos de los diferentes elementos de la enseñanza. Me abrió la mente para mejorar mi manera de trabajar con mis alumnos y comenzar nuevos desarrollos y relaciones con ellos. Excelente libro.

This author not only spoke from the perspective of an educator, but from the experience of a learner. Without that vital connection between the teacher and student, there indeed is little learning taking place. John Milton Gregory gave a wonderful description of the dynamics, the give and take, that must exist between the teacher and learner to ensure a real education. He explored the necessary efforts of both the learner and the educator and laid on them both the responsibility to engage. Wonderful book.

I have been teaching in the public schools for 19 years. I train other teachers. I am a mentor to new teachers. And yet, I learned so much from this book. I can't express how much I loved it other than to say, from this point forward, every teacher I meet will hear about this book. Every teacher in every institution should be required to read this before placing one foot in the classroom. My favorite quote from the book: It is only the unskilled teacher who prefers to hear his own voice in endless talk rather than watch and direct the course of the thoughts of his pupils. If you teach, read it!

This book was great for ideas and general instructions. However, I found the patterns to be way too large for the 18" dolls, and I found several errors in the construction directions. As a seasoned sewist, I knew how to work around this misdirection, but newer sewists may not.

I can still recommend the book though just for the inspiration.

This book contains full size patterns that sew beautifully. Great selection of outfits and complete insructions that are very easy to follow.

My daughter (who is 10 years old) got her American Girl doll for Christmas this year...and after spending all that money on an 18" doll, I wasn't about to pay $24 per outfit.
I have some sewing experience. I can hem up jeans, sew pillows, fix a seam or button if need be...but that's about it. I've never used a pattern before.
The hardest part was finding the pattern pieces. There are two large tissue papers tucked away in the back of the book. Each piece appears to have hundreds of little patterns. Once you find the pieces for what you are making, it is a breeze.
I will warn you, there are some things that just can't be sewn with a machine. Invest in a thimble and proceed.
Half the fun is teaching my daughter how to sew. She loves her doll and wants it to have a wardrobe exactly like hers. I warned her that the deal was if she got the doll, she would have to help make the clothes. She agreed and we've been able to sew many outfits that closely resemble hers.
This book, in my opinion, contains the most modern clothing patterns. It also has very easy to follow instructions. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an American Girl doll.

Joan Hinds provides an excellent choice of patterns with which to create indoor outdoor fashions for 18" dolls. The patterns are timeless. They can easily be modified to reflect most style periods from the mid 20th century forward.

I have made most of the clothes presented in Hinds "Sew the Contemporary Wardrobe" and been very pleased with the results. Her instructions are clear and complete and allow for personal variation. My granddaughters and neighbor girls have been happy with their gifts of doll clothes!

Because I liked "Contemporary" so much, I recently ordered (via Amazon)and received promptly 3 more Hinds books.

All I'll say is, this purchase was/is well worth it. You won't need any artificial drugs, just this book, your imagination and a willing partner. You both win!

I like books about sex that are helpful and exciting. But I also like insights into human nature and not just the obvious visceral activity. This book is plenty smart going deeply into why we are the way we are and not just the what. It had me saying Ah-Ha as much as it had me saying Oooo, cool

I do not normally review more than one book by the same author, unless there is a really good reason for doing so. In the case of Sex and the Erotic Lover there is.

This book is a wonderful complement to her earlier Sex and the Perfect Lover and the more recent The Love Diet. What I really like about her work, and why I recommend it so whole heartedly, is that in all three books Mabel has demonstrated that she sees pleasure, sensuality, sexuality and spirituality as a seamless whole. There is no reason at all why things that are enlightening and enlivening should not also be fun. Having unselfconscious fun and being able to laugh at ourselves are sure signs that we are on the right road toward getting our life in order.

So many sexual problems are the result not of physical difficulties, but of energy and fatigue, attitude, expectation, upbringing and needless guilt. Of course, that is not the whole list, but it covers the lion's share of the issues that can cause much needless unhappiness. And Mabel has some good advice on how to deal with them.

As an indication of some of the material in the book, and Mabel's approach, she has a list of "Ten Revelations for Being Happy." You can read the whole list in the book, but in short, they are:
1. Faith
2. Attitude
3. Exercise
4. Live for the here and now
5. Goals
6. Smiling
7. Forgiveness
8. Gratitude
9. Relationships
10. Love

That looks like a pretty good start!

This book, like her others, is highly recommended.

This book is a clear, systematic and organized approach. Mabel Iam helps with this book many couples become better lovers that prevents true insights and emotions to develop a real relationship.

Mabel Iam is an author unlimited fervent about love, sex and spiritual grow. You can tell and feel these characteristics in all her books.
"Sex and the erotic lover and Sex and the perfect lover and the kamasutra" have helped me and my girlfriend. Its tips are easy to follow with her recommendations to experience pleasures together and reach orgasm at the same time. NOW, we are happier and more confident couple.

A simple technique to understanding the work words do in poerty and song writing. The practice is gentle and not difficult to perform.
Of all the praise I could heap upon Pat Pattison, the one bonus dimension is that of nuances, which are able to enhance poetry through the use of subtile qualities that words may possess, such as, shades or implications or reflections as to a more appropiate choice of words for a greater Songwriting experience: Essential Guide to Rhyming: A Step-by-Step Guide to Better Rhyming and Lyrics (Songwriting Guides)]].
I have sent this book to collegues and students to share the potential for skill enhancement.

This book does an excellent job of explaining the types of rhymes available to songwriters. How to choose the appropriate rhyme, and where to find it in a rhyming dictionary. I have had no previous experience in lyric writing or poetry and it was very easy reading, yet there is enough depth to last a very long time. You will need a rhyming dictionary for the exercises in this book, Pattison recommends 'The Complete Rhyming Dictionary' by Clement Wood. Overall this book is excellent for beginners, with enough content to assist more advanced lyricists.

This book explains rhyme and its importance to writing and inspiration. The author lays out the approach to writing much differently than I have been approaching it for years. This has opened up a whole new level for me in lyric writing - inspiration is much less of an issue because of this book. I highly reccomend this book for beginners, but it can improve even the best lyrical writings. This book is filled with exercises to improve your writing, and if you take the time to do them, you will be a better writer.

You will need a rhyming dictionary to use this book, as it is primarily an instruction on getting the most from your rhyming dictionary. This book explains how you can put a complete idea together using only a rhyming dictionary.

I happened to mention to a couple of friends of mine that I was reviewing a book on rhyming this month and one of them said, " What a dumb thing to write a book about, dude, I mean, a word either rhymes with another word or it doesn't...so you don't need a whole book for that, duh!?!"

My other friend was shaking his head in affirmation of this noble theory.

This confirms that I really need to do whatever it takes to find some smarter friends.

Songwriters need to be expert rhymesters and despite what the rest of the world might think about it being the most natural thing in the world, it's an ability that's got to be developed to the extreme for us to be able to write great songs to the extreme.

Enter: the book!

Songwriting: Essential guide to Rhyming by Pat Pattison.

Pat begins this book by describing the number one "rhyme crime" in the business, transitive verbs. It's the rhyme that you find when a good rhyme doesn't show up so you flip the sentence upside down and jam it into your song like, "My love for you is not a fake, your heart I will now pledge to take".

By the time the listener gets to the verb "take", they have to try to remember that the "heart" was the object. It forces the listener to think backwards as they listen forward and this confusion will not attract your listener to your work.

Yoda, from Star Wars speaks almost exclusively, using transitive verbs like, "Much to learn, you still have". This may work for Yoda but it has no place in a song, so unless Yoda suddenly gets a major label deal...

Back to the book.

Pat offers some great solutions for transitive verbs and also solves the other problem that goes along with them which is how to express universal themes without cliché rhymes. This will be amazing stuff to check out.

Pat also deals with a problem that I have whereby, I don't really like to write with a dictionary and a thesaurus and a stack of grammar books on my piano but he writes convincingly that a good rhyming dictionary is good to keep at arms reach since rhyming is a purely mechanical thing and may help find you the word you need fast enough to keep your muse on track. This now makes a lot of sense to me.

Through the remaining chapters, Pat shows you all the types of rhyming available to you and if your anything like me and don't know all that much about; masculine and feminine rhymes, identity, mosaic rhymes, perfect and imperfect rhymes, additive and subtractive rhymes, assonance and alliteration then you need to get your hands on this book.

The real point of the book, really, is to lay out the rhyme types and let them expand you opportunities to BOTH say what you mean AND rhyme. The book presents the rhyme types in descending order, from the closest to perfect rhyme to the most remote rhyme types. And better, the book shows you how and when to use the different rhyme types.

This is the last of the three books by Pat Pattison that I have had the pleasure of reviewing in these last three issues of The Muse's News. They were, "Songwriting: Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure", "Writing Better Lyrics", and "Songwriting: Essential Guide to Rhyming".

I have almost run out of superlatives to express the value of the material in Pat Pattisons books but I would have to say that his books actually define lyric writing for me and have impacted my work like no other outside influence. If this is what you want to bring to the table for your next songwriting project, hit a good bookstore...

I think this book is the greatest, but practically on the
first page, the author proves to his readers that they must
use a rhyming dictionary to create. Going it alone is pure
"silly". He says "finding rhymes is almost never a creative act. It is a purely mechanical search."
Well, I have a small rhyming dictionary by Webster, but this is
not a good one at all. I need specifically The Complete Rhyming Dictionary, edited by Clement Wood (Doubleday) because "it divides rhymes into Masculine, Feminine, and three-syllable rhymes."
Once I get that, then I can really work with Pattison book and
learn.
So if you are buying this book also buy the Wood Rhymer right away and save postage.

Stop Smoking and Chewing Tobacco for LIFE CHANGES
David L. Johnson, Ph.D. & Carole A. Johnson, I.D.
Infinity Publishing.com, Haverford, PA (Paperback)
Copyright December, 2000, 206 pages

LIFE CHANGES by David L. Johnson, Ph.D. & Carole A. Johnson is a book
anyone addicted to tobacco will wish they had found it years ago. As a motivational speaker that stresses results, I was happy to see that Life Changes had a similar orientation. The authors use a number of powerful techniques to help a person beat tobacco addiction. Techniques and strategies that have proven to help people make personal changes with affirmations, reasonable goals, daily plans to achieve them, visualization, relaxation, and appropriately stated aversive and positive suggestions.
All of the more than 120 techniques and strategies put together form a supportive, personal framework that empowers one to focus on short-term, then life-long results.
The key principles and skills provide more ways to use setbacks, when necessary,
to learn more about ourselves and enable us to use them to bounce back quickly
with less fear of relapse.

Life Changes uses a self-instructional, self-paced approach that anyone can use,
with an emphasis on taking personal responsibility to learn the skills you need.
You can start at any point in the book, and implement the steps in the order you
feel most confident with. I love how the book relies on the reader to be imaginative
and use their creativity to apply the program to daily life and adapt the skills to
their goal of beating tobacco for life.


Life Changes is a self-instructional, self-paced program that works in proportion
to the time and attention you give to learning how to use the program skills daily.
You may have tried to beat tobacco many times, but this time buy a book to use
that builds on what you know for life changes. I highly recommend it!

Edward W. Smith
Author, Sixty Seconds To Success
ISBN 0-9754164-0-5
www.brightmoment.com

In our modern-day addictive culture, it is no small wonder that the quick-fix approaches to stopping tobacco use are so often ineffective. Typically, these approaches are reflective of the instant gratification orientation of our society. People pay big money for patches, pills, programs and purges, while expecting an intractable addiction that may have taken a lifetime to develop to just suddenly go away. For those who have come to understand that ending tobacco addiction is not like having results served like fast-food, there is a powerful option that offers a high predictability of success.

Stop Smoking and Chewing Tobacco for LIFE CHANGES, by David L. Johnson, Ph.D., and Carole A. Johnson, ID, is the definitive manual for those who truly wish to recover from their tobacco addictions. Written with candor, erudition and wit, the book takes the smoker (chewer, or dipper) by the hand and authoritatively walks him or her through a comprehensive but doable process that not only fleeces the person of a life-threatening habit - but builds in life enhancement skills that surpass any rewards they may have perceived in their tobacco use.

The 206 page quality paperback pursues a step-by-step process that begins with an orientation to the program, including a convincing review of current knowledge pertaining to the health and economic consequences of tobacco use that should strip away every last vestige of motivation for tobacco use in any sane person. We then find preparations for stopping use which cover every aspect of an individual's lifestyle that supports use and that might undermine the stopping process. Here, and throughout the book, the Johnsons have included worksheets that facilitate insight, individualized understanding of the process, and personalized application of the program to ensure success. The comprehensiveness of their approach is also found in their explanation of every strategic option that can be included in a person's individualized program, including the responsible and effective integration of nicotine-replacement products like patches, gums, inhalers, and other cessation pharmaceuticals that are less effective when used alone.

Once understanding, confidence and a sense of competence have been established in the reader, the book moves into program strategies involving exercises that include powerful hypnotic imagery to undermine attraction for tobacco products and replace destructive behaviors with life-enhancing ones. Indeed, just reading the exercises - without taping and playing them in a relaxation/induction process - is enough to sicken the reader against the use of tobacco products for life! However, it is recommended that the reader individualize the exercises, as specified, and follow through with the authors' expert instructions. Incidentally, without going into detail regarding current research, the design of the exercises - including content and strategies - reveals a sophisticated understanding on the part of the authors with regard to subconscious learning processes and the power such processes can have on behavior change.

Finally, knowledge, process, and competence are blended into a creative integration that serves to develop a lifestyle that leaves no openings for a return to tobacco-using behavior. This leaving-no-stone-unturned approach to tobacco cessation impresses me as the most comprehensive and reliable option available.

Throughout, self-defeating thinking patterns are broken down and replaced with positive, life-enhancing ones in a process that makes this book a hallmark in the annals of stop-smoking strategies: it takes a total lifestyle approach to the problem. This total lifestyle approach demonstrates the Johnsons' understanding of what is necessary to tackling tobacco addiction in the way a surgeon understands the approach to cutting away a cancer - every part of the threatening tumor (thinking/feeling/behavior) must be removed or the life-threatening condition will spring anew and attack with a vengeance.

Unlike the less predictable, quick-fix, approaches to tobacco cessation, the Johnsons' Stop Smoking and Chewing Tobacco for LIFE CHANGES offers lifestyle-oriented strategies that address the unique needs of every user in a warm and readable format that offers the best of what's out there. Unlike other approaches that require a full commitment before purchase, this book has such powerful introductory content that I would recommend it to those who are only thinking of stopping their tobacco use. At a modest $19.95 retail (US), I cannot suggest a more economic, powerfully effective, approach to stopping nicotine addiction and saving lives.

Granville Angell, EdS, LPC, NCC
Licensed Professional Counselor
Author of The God-Shaped Hole

Stop Smoking and Chewing Tobacco for Life Changes
By David & Carol Johnson
Reviewed by Billie A Williams
ISBN # 0-7414-0481-8
2001 (206 Pages)

Stop Smoking and Chewing Tobacco for Life Changes is more than just a healthy read. It is an activity book that will take you step by step through some very positive life style changes that can help you cease to use tobacco products.
With the Johnson's help you identify the problem situations where you would use tobacco. Then you develop specific plans for each situation so that you can visualize yourself dealing positively with the situation. By mentally rehearsing the plan, success is more likely. They stress that you should reward yourself when you do well, but also to not be afraid to modify your plans when necessary.
Dr Johnson addresses the principles you need to adapt to focus on your plan for action; these include Confidence, competence, commitment and creativity which he calls "4-Cing the future". Key principles in Life Changes makes it a book of crucial strategies that provide effective cessation tools with skill-based exercises, scripts, options and resources while also outlining specific activities that can you can use to target issues you define, and strategies you design to cope with the issues. Johnson then provides reinforcement of those actions through his scripts and scripts you record to personalize the program.
Dr Johnson inspires and re-enforces with his poetry and quotes from other sources. Stress relief through laughing, re-focusing, relaxation and affirmations provide a failsafe for those wishing to cease the habits of tobacco use. Johnson also touches on the use of hypnosis as an aid in his program. He defines the use of hypnosis by first defining the term as he sees it: hypnosis spontaneously occurs when we relax, focus attention, and engage in imaginative activity.
Then he walks the reader through some guided imagery that helps to focus attention on positive images. The imaginative/creativity exercises that follow involves exercises with word association, squiggles and shapes you turn into "stuff", headlines that are laughable, and other humorous one-liners.
The Johnson's never say they are the only or the best solution. They say *you* are the only solution; *you* are the best solution to cessation of tobacco use.
The back of the book is a veritable tome of resource places to further your education and find additional help. There are even worksheets to develop a maintenance program for yourself and one in the event that you slip.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a way to end the habit of tobacco use. Other uses of the program's strategies Could include weight control, stress management, and any one going through any life stresses, losses, or who has needs for more stability, resolve, and confidence.

"I was very ready to quit smoking many times in my life. When I began to read Stop Smoking and Chewing Tobacco for LIFE CHANGES, I realized I was reading something very new and different! This book appeals to anyone who needs a fresh approach to "just quitting" Through the use of LIFE CHANGES, I was able to really look at my motives and emotional needs surrounding smoking. The program put me on a path filled with information and humor which I could understand and build upon, using my own creativity. I was amazed at how enjoyable it was to participate in the planning and management of my own program. You will find everything in this book you need to know to finally end this "awful" dependency!"

I have been studying tobacco addiction and helping patients quit for over 25 years...Cessation has every thing to do with packing the brain with reasons to quit and techniques to help accomplish the goal. Each person has to decide which reasons apply personally. LIFE CHANGES is packed full of reasons to quit and exercises to help you take control of your life back from tobacco. It exposes tobacco not as a friend that settles you down and keeps weight off, but an enemy that robs you of over a decade of what should be golden years. I like this book and whole-heartedly recommend it to my patients. Congratulations to David and Carole Johnson! Through their book they will save and touch more lives than they will ever know. This book helps develop tools that, if achieved, will be far more powerful forces to combat tobacco addiction than any patch or gum could be.

I was delighted to find this gem of a book. How Yogani weaves the ancient teachings of Tantra into a simple, easy to understand "How To" guide is beyond me, all I know is it works. The lessons on semen retention and sexual energy cultivation have turbo charged my meditations. I highly recommend this book.

G.Dawson PGA

While I am sure that a book such as this is helpful to customers wanting to have a more satisfactory sex life and may be very inspirational on many levels, there is nothing 'Tantric' about it from the point of view of the Indian Tantric tradition. I am a Sanskrit scholar who focuses on the Tantric tradition. The very word 'Tantra' refers to a vast corpus of sacred ritually-oriented texts that governed the spiritual practices of a given sect's initiates. The texts themselves are called 'Tantras' (i.e. containing ritually oriented practices that "expand" awareness). I am aware of every single Tantra that has been translated into a Western language (About 5% of the corpus has been translated, which doesn't mean that they're understood) from their original Sanskrit.

I have not seen that a single one of these sexually-oriented 'tantra' (modern) books that cites from a single actual Tantra. This is because there is nothing to cite, with one exception that doesn't inform this modern tantra-sex thing anyway: the 29th chapter of the 'Tantraloka' (see below).

The idea that the Tantras are focused on heightened intimacy and sexual pleasure has been completely fabricated. There IS a focus on experiencing the divine in all human activities; interestingly, the great Tantric sage Abhinavagupta urges sex only with people that are found to be wholly un-attractive as to dispel the illusion that they are not also a perfect beautiful expression of the Divine. This kind of sex is engaged in a wholly ritual setting, as depicted in chapter 29 (the 'kula yaga' chapter) of Abhinava's famous 'Light on Tantra.' (Tantra Loka). Otherwise the Tantra Loka is focused on the means to awakening to the heart of Universal Consciousness (Shiva) through spiritual disciplines. These include sacred initiation and aligning subtle body energies with the Divine through yoga and visualization. NONE of these practices, with the very very minor exception of the above named ritual (the kula yaga), have a sexual component.
Also, the Kama Sutra is absolutely NOT a Tantra, nor is it in anyway related to any Tantric sect or lineage. It is a 'shastra,' a treatise on attaining perfect sexual fullfillment written mainly for the medieval wealthy elite. It is categorized with other 'shastras' that teach various arts, such as the 'artha shastra,' the treatise on how to attain power, the 'dharma shastra,' a treatise on ethical laws and precepts, and the 'kama shastra,' the treatise that focuses on attaining sexual pleasure. Its core text is, of course, the Kama Sutra (the 'Aphorisms on Pleasure.').

-Christopher Tompkins, M.A. Comparative Religion, M.A. Sanskrit, PhD Candidate

"Tantra: Discovering the Power of Pre-Orgasmic Sex" by Yogani is another essential piece of the puzzle for spiritual seekers trying to find their way to enlightenment. It offers an excellent guide to harnessing the power of pre-orgasmic sexual energy and cultivating it in the best possible way to bring the human body and mind to higher and higher levels of spiritual awareness and clarity.

This easy to read little book also provides a very clear and understandable explanation of where tantra fits into spiritual practices and how when all of the pieces are used effectively together, an individual can move with maximum velocity along their respective spiritual paths.

Along with Yogani's other works this is a must read for serious spiritual seekers.

By performing these techniques in the tantra book and, very importantly, keeping a steady and consistent practice of deep meditation you will be giving yourself such a great boon and gift.

Why? Well, the answer to this is unique to each person, but here are a few reasons:
-Sharpened focus
-Single-pointed concentration of the mind
-Greater bodily energy
-Freedom! from sexual distraction
-Helps with reaching your innate stillness, that is, when combined with deep meditation

These reasons are very limited and narrow to my own perspective, so you will have to try for yourself and find out what gifts come to you.

Making love this way is such a great way to live. It breaks your addiction to the chemical and hormonal dump which happens with orgasms, while also stimulating prana for increased health and spirituality. This book was written for yogis, yet I think it can be great for anyone!

Sometimes, in the lives of partners, sex can become a hassle. And after that, for a lot of people, their partners can seem like a pain. This brings the intimacy and care back into sex...the way it's supposed to be. It brings the love back into your relationships. This is a great thing for people who care about eachother to look into. I think it should be openly discussed and experimented with between you and your lover...that will really enhance the connection between you two. And if not...at least it's something kind of fun and exciting to explore!

For yogis, this greatly enhances their practices. Without some brahamacharya, which is the preservation of semen, yogic practices do little. But with it, your practices can really take off. The methods described in the book are groundbreaking, for their simplicity as well as their effectiveness.

This is the best of the best for practical tantra. Hands down!

This is truly an amazing book! This is the 1st "teach yourself" book that I have ever bought, and I feel that it is one of the best purchases I have done in recent time. I have not even started chapter 1, but I already know that this is a great book? Why? Because I tried to study Norwegian with Laura Ziukaite-Hansen's book (Beginner's Norwegian with 2 audio cds) and well, it didn't work.

When I started with the latter, I was left with a lot of doubts concerning even BASIC stuff such as vowels and consonants. Things were not explained in a clear way, and I felt that I needed a lot of reinforcement in a lot of areas. This book is certainly not recommended. On top of it all, my book was missing one cd! That REALLY (emphasize on really) discouraged me a lot, to the point that I did not study Norwegian for nearly a year! I know that I can return the item, but since I live over-seas it is cheaper for me to order a new book than to send the old one back.

Teach Yourself' book is A LOT better. There are a lot of audio parts, so you read, then hear what you just read (great reinforcement) and then make some exercises. That's great!

The other book, on the other hand, only had dialogues and repetition situations. This one, however; had also the theory in audio format, so it really helps a lot and you really feel that you're learning and progressing a lot!

Totally recommended, buy this!

I'm about half way through this book (it's taken about a month, but I'm putting lots and lots of time into it) and so far I've been very impressed with the clarity and organization throughout. I have a number of Teach Yourself language books... and some of them are horribly disorganized and illogically sequenced--especially those published from around 10 to 15 years ago. It seems that the TY people have finally come to their senses with the newer offerings (especially the "Beginner's Series" French and Italian--those are wonderful).

This book is very well presented. The vocabulary is introduced mostly at the word level with nice lists and definitions side by side (not predominately at the phrase level, which is a weakness for many TY language books, IMO). You actually learn to use words and put them together into sentences, rather than learning a bunch of semi-useless static "canned" phrases.

The voice actors present dialog very well/clearly in an ongoing story format--it's quite entertaining at times (reminds me of a Spanish telenovela). The grammar is introduced in very digestible chunks (in fact, personally I could take that part way faster). On the vocabulary side, I find it to be quite intense, almost overwhelming at times. There are around 1500 words introduced and several hundred phrases. For me personally, the vocabulary comes too quickly. I find myself getting bogged down with memorizing new words after I've long since done the grammar from the section. But that is just personal learning strengths/weaknesses. I pick up grammar very fast... and memorize vocabulary quite slowly. It may be different for you. I know many people shudder at the mention of grammar--trust me, in this book it's presented very understandably.

Finally, as is the problem with nearly EVERY language book I've seen, there are just not nearly enough exercises/practice problems. I won't fault this book for it, since it's a common condition. About ten times more practice would be nice. I find myself trying to come up with my own exercises to help me remember all of this vocabulary. I also use other books (Janus' Verbs & Essentials of Grammar, Colloquial Norwegian, Hippocrene's Beginner's Norwegian) for extra practice. Of course, if your memory is sharp, you might not need so much practice/study.

All in all, this is my favorite of the Norwegian books I have. I'm already able to understand some of what I hear on Norwegian (internet) radio. There is quite a lot of vocabulary similarity with English, which is nice. And Norwegian grammar is very refreshing compared to other languages--it's relatively simple. I wouldn't say Norwegian is "easy" for an English speaker, but it's not nearly as hard as is a language such as Gaelic or Finnish. Not even close.

A helpful hint: The Norwegian Conversation CDs by Teach Yourself are a great supplement to this course. They roughly follow this book's sequence and are great for additional practice with vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.

I have wanted to learn Norwegian for some time, but as an American student living on the East Coast, my resources have been someone limited. On a whim, I picked up a copy of this book from my college bookstore, hoping to cruise through it over time and perhaps pick up at least some introductory knowledge of the language. I got a lot more than I thought I would. The chapters are organized and helpful, the vocabulary lists build on each other, and the subject matter is interesting. I use it everyday.

To give you an idea of what this book has done for me, let me say that I have taken five years of German at both the high school and university level. Though I can read and write German better, my Norwegian speaking skills are inexplicably stronger. For having only worked on learning the language a few months, I can easily hold various conversations. The book is excellent for building conversational skills as well as skills in both reading and writing.

If you're looking to get started in Norwegian, look no further than this book. It's simply awesome.

My only complaint is the CD was a little hard to use because it went through everything at a breakneck pace. You can't use it much without the book. Each chapter has only a few minutes of audio and I was always rewinding. That's not to say it wasn't a very useful addition to the book, especially for something as hard to learn to pronounce as Norwegian. It's just not something you can use in the car.

Overall though, the course is very well done and is a great deal for the price.

I'm only on chapter 7 (of 16) but so far it's been great. The pronuniation guide section is a little off, but you learn very quickly to pronounce Norwegian by listening to the recording. It's definently not for someone who only wants to learn "survival" Norwegian, or just enough to get by if you were to go to Norway. It's for serious students, something that many language textbooks lack.
All in all, very impressed.

The Ultimate Guitar Book shows the great world of guitars. It is the perfect way to become acquainted with guitars. All the best guitars are show and all have a perfect description.
Only a word ... the best

an excellent book explaining the history of this wonderful instrument.
A more recent version with more space for brands like Taylor, Larrivee and Breedlove (to make some examples) would give a better overview about the market.

I purchased this book about a week or so ago. I received it quickly and I am very pleased with it. Far more extensive information than i thought it would have. Really terrific pictorial also. Buy this book if you really want to learn about guitars and there makers.

I bought this book because I liked the first part of "The Complete Guitarist" book where the history and dissection of the guitar is shown.

This book is full of pictures and descriptions of a lot of guitars. The book is divided by guitar type, from acoustic, archtop, solid-body electics, semi-solid electrics and basses. The descrptions are short and give way to the pictures, but the guitars that demand, by respect, more description are given more pages.

The guitars shown are from all over the world and thus aren't limited to a specific market. Its cool to see how a russian guitar is made.

The only thing I would have liked is a timeline, but the book isn't formatted this way and its fine.

All in all a very fun book to have. No theory, nothing to tell you "practice damn it!", just enjoy.

Tony Bacon's book "The Ultimate Guitar Book" goes into detail about acoustic, solidbody and bass guitars and is full of great pictures of all types. The book starts out with a hitory of the guitar from the 16th and 17th centuries and how it developed to it's current form.

The acoustic guitar section begins with the anatomy of the acoustic guitar and some basic terminology. The chapter progresses through classical guitar builders Antonio De Torres and discusses the styles of classical and flamenco guitar. The Martin guitar company's guitars are discussed next with a discussion of the various body sizes, inlays and production dates. The chapter continues with D'Angelico, D'Aquisto, Epiphone, Gibson's archtops and flattops and Ovation guitars. The chapter finishes up with resonators and lap and pedal steels.

The electric section starts with the earlist pioneers of amplified guitars like the Rickenbacker "Frying Pan" and the Les Paul "Log". The Fender Telecaster, Stratocaster and various Fenders are covered along with Gibsons Les Pauls, Flying V's, Rickenbackers and various American and European guitars.

This book is a great starting point for reference and research but is only a starting point. There are many other books devoted to single models such as the Les Paul and Stratocaaster that one book could not possibly cover everything. Well worth the price espcially for all of the wonderful pictures.

My merchandise arrived in excellent condition and promptly. I would definitely purchase again from this vendor!

I've had this book for a couple of years and it is clearly my favorite since I read it over and over again. The author does a lot of ink sketching with watercolor washes, a style that I find I really like. Good tips on materials and methods, but the example paintings are what keeps bringing me back. I recommend this book highly.

Watercolour Journeys is packed full of tbe artist's beautiful watercolour sketches and paintings along with dozens of ideas and notes on how to keep a travel journal. I collect artist's journals and this book is one of my favourites. Richard shares himself as he writes and draws. By the end you feel you know him.

This book is a gem at conveying the rewards of creating a sketchbook journal. Much of it is made up of sketches of all types with short explanations about the location of the sketch. In a few cases the author explains how he created some of the effects. So it's not instructional as much as it is inspirational. It made me start sketching anew. Most of all the sketches are so good that they serve as some great examples to follows.

I was overjoyed to get this book. I am working on improving sketching skills and painting skills and this book is an inspiration. It is also a lovely book to just pick up and look through.