Publications Books

"Just One of Those Things" has a typo. It says B-flat minor 7 flat 5 -- "crazy" in "crazy flings." But it should be B minor 7 flat 5, or perhaps B diminished, as it is later in the song. I guess it's a measure of how good this book is that I was dismayed that my ear couldn't make musical sense out of the original chord notation. I am posting this review just in case someone else runs into the same thing. It's the first one I have found.

I bought this book after using the 'New Real Book' for a while.
I quickly started building a sizable repitoire of standards at my performances. I play solo piano, but singers and bassists could follow it as well. There are E flat versions too for horn players. I especially liked the Cole Porter and George Gershwin selections.

This is exactly what I wanted. One page for each song. Chords large so the piano player can see. And the words included for the singer.

I just started playing piano for an oldies singer. 90% of the stuff we do comes out of this book. 250 songs can't possibly cover everything, but these songs were chosen VERY well. The chords are "interesting" (not just vanilla major/minor/7th that you get in some books), although a few songs have chords that are clearly wrong, so avoid sight-reading on the job if you can. My singer owns an extra copy of this book to share with his accompanists, but I liked it so much that I bought one for myself. I may even get my rock band to buy some copies so we can play dinner music before the party gets going. There's even Bb and Eb versions for the sax player. It doesn't get much better than that.

The "Just Jazz Real Book" was one of my favorites. Many of the songs include the verses, the chords (including alternates) are well thought out, the song selection is good, and I've found very few errors in notes or chords. I figured I'd love the "Just Standards Real Book" even more. There's a fair amount of overlap between the two books, but this one suits me even better, as it replaces famous Coltrane riffs, etc. with songs I can actually do justice to on the piano. I must have 20 or more fake books, but this one is quickly becoming my favorite.

The title of the book is completely misleading. Actually the book vacillates between a mechanic description of kabbalah tree, an interpretation of a painting, Jewish alphabet and various religious points of view. At the end, the reader is left with some information which by no means will lead him/her to an inner balance. This is a purely theoretic book and has nothing to do with spiritual growth.

This is yet another magical book from Rachel Pollack. 5 stars!

Rachel Pollack has written a book that makes the kabbalh understandable to a layperson like myself. The book is gorgeously written as one would of course expect of Rachel Pollack. I treasure this unique book of Jewish wisdom.

The Kabbalah Tree is a book I will always treasure. Ms. Pollack has written a book which touches your soul. She has reclaimed the tarot for women and all people. Her insights into tarot give an inovative perspective to the topic of kabbalah.

Rachel Pollack has written a book that I have read 5 times. I learn something new from this special Kabbalah book each time. I love it. I am Jewish and am proud of the Judaic system leading to kabbalahism.

Lies, lies, lies. The description for comments was, "Perfect!" Verbatim. One word.
This book was NOT perfect, in great shape, yes, but NOT perfect. There was writing all over the margins as well as a few highlighting marks, which all should have been disclosed.

If you want to read a book of significance, look no further. While it may be a difficult read it is one of the most influential and important books ever written.

There were only 9 reviews on this book . . . what can one say. . . either something brings you to this book or it does not. . . if you are reading these reviews, then buy it.

This book is one of the most important and influential works on ethics. It is dense, not an easy read, the structure is loose and troublesome at times, but it is groundbreaking and brilliant.

There are many internet resources to guide you along the reading,. so do not be intimidated. Much of future work will rest on the contributions by Kant.

This version of the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals provides a clear and concise introduction. You will find it useful to understand how Kant's moral philosophy fits within his general philosophy and to get acquainted with some of the debates around his work. Although this book is rather expensive for what it is, it is useful and worth buying if you are really interested in this topic.

'Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals' by Immanuel Kant is easily the most important work devoted exclusively to thinking about morality in the history of Philosophy, especially considering it's size.

The cornerstone of the work, and the end result of Kant's analysis is the categorical imperative which says that a moral law are only those for which you can state should be true of all people.

In one fell swoop, Kant marginalizes all thinking about relativism in morality and at the same time distinguishes moral from religious thinking.

If you pair this up with St. Paul's statements in his letter to the Romans (3:19-28) which states strongly that adherance to the law has virtually nothing to do with salvation, it should make things pretty clear to all concerned.

Unfortunately, things are rarely that simple. As important as Kant's conclusion is, it is necessary but not sufficient for a complete analysis of morality.

One excuse may be that this work is really Kant's version of 'Cliff Notes' to his moral argument. His full presentation comes in the 'Critique of Practical Reason', which, however, is not often read.

Note that contrary to another review of this edition, the translator and commentator is the noted Kant scholar of 70 years ago, H. J. Paton.

To people who are not used to reading philosophy, I will not hide the fact that Kant is tough going. He may not be quite as tough as Hegel, the Existentialists, or the ancient Greeks, but he is definitely harder to understand than any modern nonfiction book I can think of.

The biggest argument against the 'Groundwork' and the categorical imperative is usually the fact that it does not rule out trivial rules, such as 'you must always eat a starch at least once a day'. This rule is physically possible for anyone living anywhere in the world, yet it is certainly not a moral law. It is not even a very good dietary law, but that's neither here nor there. A second argument is that Kant's argument seems a bit circular, when he says that the only thing which unqualifiedly good is a good will.

For anyone who has been vexed by moral questions, an honest reading of this work will at the very least give you hope that with the right amount of thought, one can make sense of moral issues.

A truly great book.

The is an all around Finely crafted bible. Vastly superior to Nelson's "Signature Series" for one reason. Although Nelson claims the signature series bibles use the "best bible paper" available it is simply not true. They use the same cheap paper in all the bibles they publish causing very distracting bleed through. Not so with Foundation's high end bibles, the paper, leather, binding are all top quality, and all for a better price than most other bibles in this class. So if you like the NASB you won't find a better crafted, very readable bible anywhere.

I was in need of a large print Bible and wanted a New American Standard Version, so I went online to see what was out there. I discovered this Bible at a very reduced price at Amamzon.com and took advantage of their offer. I am very happy with my purchase and I use this Bible to preach out of every Sunday morning at my church. Thanks Amamzon.com for your help!

Foundation has really outdone themselves with this beautiful publication of God's Holy Word. Everything in this Bible is produced with excellence, from the deluxe calfskin binding to the high quality paper. Best of all, it comes with a lifetime guarantee. I cannot express enough superlatives about this Bible. If you are a NASB user and are in the market for a high quality reference Bible which should last a lifetime, I don't believe this will in any way disappoint you.

I simply cannot believe the quality of this bible!

The binding, leather, choice of paper, print clarity easily deserves 10 stars. I recently purchased an ESV Heirloom Reference Edition in calfskin that I was EXTREMELY pleased with, but this bible even out-does that one.

A few things to note:

1. The bible is not an ultrathin as the name states. It is exactly the same size as my leather NIV Scofield and about 25% thinner than my MacArthur Study Bible in size and thickness. It feels like a study bible, not like a thin reference bible.

2. The calfskin leather is absolutely of top quality. It is soooo soft.

3. The paper is not shiny, nor is it too thin where you can see the text from the opposite side of the page. It is a very smooth paper that makes the print very crisp and well defined. This is probably the best bible paper I've seen used in a bible.

4. The print is extremely crisp & dark. It is slightly bigger than my Scofield and is VERY easy to read.

5. The binding is Smith sewn and is very well done. The bible comes with a lifetime guarantee, so even if something should happen, they will replace it with a new one.

This bible is worth every penny paid for it!

Foundations Publications, in my opinion, can make a Bible like no-one else. Whether it be Leather-Like, Bonded Leather, genuine Leather, or Calfskin, they all are sewn bindings, and excellent quality leathers. None of this gar-bage that most other publishers make. No glue-bound dreck. However: this calfskin edition, as all Foundations calfskin editions, is not like the leather on the Cambridge Bibles(which, I feel, are declining in quality, by the way.) This is like a soft shoe, with no particular odour. I do find the ribbon-marker to be substandard, only because it is too short. The print is good, maybe 10-11 point. There are no added helps like Book Intros, or a Harmony of the Gospels. I wouldn't call this a Thinline edition, either. However, if this is going to be your main Bible, go ahead and spring the extra bucks for it. It is definitely worth it. No Bible is physically perfect, but this one certainly is in the running for it!

I haven't read this book for a long time so when I read it this time I had forgotten what it was about. After I read it I went back and looked at the things I hadn't seen before.

This was a great book to read, but I have read better. I think that it was really sad, and I wish that Rilo could still be with his family.

This was a great book. A few days ago I was looking in my bookshelf to see if there was something I hadn't read. I found a book that I remembered I had gotten when I was in Kindergarten. The book was titled The Last Buru and I read it and it was awesome. I looked for the website that the address was on the back. And it was gone, I searched for anything in the series and I found out this was the last book the authors had written. I'm glad I had gotten it in Kindergarten so I could read a book out of print, but it really sucks that there isn't a book in the series aftre this. I really wish they could have made more books in this series. Anyway, this is a good book.

I think this a great book! Rilo gets reunited with his family and tries to save them. I hate Preston though, what a traitor. They lose their powers but get them back by Morgan and are stronger than ever! Though I wonder how they look like. I'm still trying to find the fifth book. Whoever is trying to buying this book you should really buy it! Its awesome!!!

This book (not to mention the whole strange forces series) is a masterpiece. There are no other books like theses. This was probably the best book so far. The thing that really gets me is that the authors quit after this book, and the plans that were made for up too book nine. All I could get out of the company is that the authors moved on. I want them to continue writing, I have been hoping all of these years! Maybe I could start a website and a petetion. If your interested,e-mail me and I'll tell you if I start one.

I love suspenseful novels that keep you guessing, and this is one! I'm usually very good about picking the killer but EVERYBODY was suspect to me in this book. When an author can hide the killer the entire time, it's a real treat. I wasn't surprised at who it turned out to be because I knew it had to be one of the several people I suspected.

In addition to the suspence, this novel has a thread of romance. You easily fall in love with the characters and invest in their relationship. I cared what happened to these characters and cared about the survival of their relationship.

If I had to complain, I would say that I wished it was even more scary. I was expecting to be scared out of my wits but it was hard to relate to a woman who lived in the middle of nowhere with no electricity in the 90s. I think if the setting had been an apartment in the city, I would have been more likely to feel frightened because I would be thinking this could happen to me. Instead, I was distanced from the situation because I could not relate to the setting.

However, I think this is a wonderful novel and worth the read. I highly recommend!

Artist Katie Summers has not had a real relationship since the death of her fiancée, Todd. No man has ever come close to stirring her feelings the way he did. She is devastated when he is killed in the Vietnam war, but knows she must continue living. She finds a job at a local coffee shop and lives in the small town of Belleville at Black Lake in a home owned by her late aunt.

After being stood up by her boyfriend, Katie drives home in a terrible storm. She is shocked to see a pair of "dead" eyes staring at her in the rearview mirror. Her car crashes and she winds up in a coma for four days. When she wakes up, nobody believes she saw anything in her rearview mirror, especially when she claims the eyes were identical to her dead fiancée's.

As a psychiatrist, Dr. Jonathan Shea is called in to consult on Katie's condition. He finds her story hard to swallow, but he can't put her genuine fear out of his mind. Jonathan has his own troubles, as he recently requested a one-year sabbatical from his job to clear his head after the suicide of one of his patients. Still, Jonathan finds himself intrigued with Katie's situation and promises to keep a watchful eye on her.

When Katie is released from the hospital, strange and terrifying things begin to happen to her and the people she cares about. She can't figure out who would want to hurt her like this. She tries to resist the concern of the handsome Dr. Shea, but she finds herself leaning on him more often than not. She isn't even sure he can be trusted.

LISTEN TO THE SHADOWS has shades of the old gothic stories, complete with the scary old house. Joan Hall Hovey's characters are life-like and you can actually feel the fear the heroine is experiencing. Hovey's descriptions make the story jump out at the reader in this compelling, page-turner. This story has the makings of a classic. Review by Yvonne Hering

Joan Hall Hovey's novel, Listen To The Shadows is an incredible page-turner. The suspense is so real, the characters so alive that you can practically touch them. It is a must-read for any reader of suspense. It draws you in so quickly and tenaciously, you won't be able to put it down until you're finished. You simply cannot afford to miss reading it. --

Jordan Zed, singer/songwriter

***** 5 Stars (Excellent Read)

I have to admit that I have never read any of Joan Hall Hovey's books until I read this one. Now, I'm truly sorry I didn't discover this author's worth earlier.

In Listen to the Shadows, Ms. Hovey gives us a chilling, and very believable, insight into the mind and motivations of a true sociopathic killer. Obsession, icy lack of emotion or real feeling for another human being, and more. To say this book is a spine-tingler of the first order is to do it a grave injustice. It is a brilliant novel that portrays just how wrong a human mind can go; to the limits of insanity.

I won't spoil the story by telling the audience what the book is about or how it ends. Let's just say that if you miss out on this one, you've missed one of the best thrillers written in this century.

As well as penning suspense novels like 'Listen To The Shadows' and 'Nowhere To Hide', Joan Hall Hovey's articles and short stories have appeared in such diverse publications as The Reader, Atlantic Advocate, The Toronto Star, Mystery Scene, True Confessions, Home Life magazine, Seek and various other magazines and newspapers. Her short story, Dark Reunion was selected for the Anthology, Investigating Women, published by Simon & Pierre, edited by David Skene-Melvin.

Joan Hall Hovey is also a writing instructor. She lives in Gondola Point, New Brunswick, Canada, in a modest but comfortable home overlooking the banks of the Kennebecasis River, with her husband, fat cat, Sasha, and neurotic poodle, CoCo. She is currently working on her third suspense novel.

Ariana Overton, Author and Senior Editor/Clocktower Fiction.com

Written with the finesse and grace of a master, Joan Hall Hovey's first novel, LISTEN To THE SHADOWS, is an engrossing tale of fear and danger certain to keep the reader awake, turning pages long after bed time, and listening carefully to everything around them.

A man without a conscious stalks artist Katie Summers. She hasn't seen him, but she senses his presence. A tingling on the back of the neck, a flicker out of the corner of the eye, and an instinctual awareness of danger are her only warnings.

Stood up by her date late one night, Katie leaves the restaurant alone to drive through a storm to her remote country home. She doesn't notice the headlights following her. But when she does glance in the rearview mirror, the sight of a dead man's sightless blue eyes staring back at her results in a nearly fatal accident. She doesn't know, as she lies unconscious and bleeding, with her car crushed by a telephone pole, that her stalker lurks close by, watching.

After four days in a coma, Katie awakens in the hospital. There she meets Dr Johnathan Shea, a sexy, vibrant, man carrying a heavy load of guilt over the loss of a young patient. A romantic interest develops, spiced by fierce attraction, sexy intrigue and danger. But the question remains as to whether he will be enough to protect Katie from a madman.

Joan is a powerful new voice in the world of suspense and mystery. Her tight plot, well-developed characters and originality will satisfy the reader's craving for tension and danger. I certainly look forward to more novels by the promising author with great eagerness.

Full of good ideas, good list of tour groups (must go on a tour) especially locally owned. Good information on what to do, costs, etc.

I bought this guide before my first trip to Bhutan, and it helped me immensely in planning my tour. It contains detailed information about the country--history, culture, geography, and facts for travelers. And it gives accurate information about the trekking routes and cultural tours. As is typical for Lonely Planet publications, this one is interesting and well written, and I found the information to be relevant to my trip. It is not easy to travel to Bhutan (there are many government restrictions), and this book made everything easier. I had such a successful, fun trip that I've been back several times (www.jachungtravel.com), and I still refer to this edition of the guide. It's packed with good information, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to go to Bhutan.

Lonely Planet is unbelieveable! They continually pump out the HIGHEST quality guidebooks, and they've done it again with this edition covering Bhutan. I have spent a good portion of my life researching, and hording information on Bhutan, and have found Lonely Planet's guidebook to contain everything and more that the traveller could ever want...with two exceptions. I think that the lack of the U'cen script in the language chapter is a serious mistake. Lonely Planet has the capacity to print in the U'cen script as they did so in their Tibet edition. My other qualm is with the sparse coverage of the smaller and admittedly FAR less visited dzongkhags (districts) (i.e., Daga, Samdrup Jongkhar, Pema Gatshel, Zhemgang, Tsirang, etc.). Lonely Planet, resolve these issues and your book will be the best it could be.

In anticipation of a trip to Bhutan in 2008 I was looking for a travel guide and opted to buy Lonely Planet's. I read it cover to cover and found to contain very good information, advice, tips, descriptions, recommendations, etc. I travel extensively worldwide and Bhutan will be a novel adventure. It brings back memories of my trip to Tibet in 2000. I highly recommend this guide.

Hello!

I'd been searching for a book on Bhutan which could provide me with a little bit of everything about the country viz. the history, geography, people and the culture. I have searched for books on Bhutan in several book stores around. It was so hard to find one in English but I think this one will do.

May be, finally......... I have found the book I'd been looking for.

We used this book before and during our volunteer trip to Kenya.
It's a great resource, helps a lot, has all the basic things you wanna know (actually much more than you're going to need for a short trip), as well as slangs and even a few surprises (what to say in very specific situations, like when you're drunk or having sex (I'm guessing if they put this on the book, it must be because people asked for it)).
There are a few phrases they recommend I found out nobody uses anymore, and a few others that are used by people in the coast, but not by people in Nairobi area or other parts of the country, for example.
But still, I recommend it.
It's very small, fits in your pocket.
But there's so much information you really need to do your homework, study it before your trip, and mark the pages that interest you.

This course to teach yourself Swahili is easy for anybody - all you need is to take time and study.

For a compact book on Swahili this is the best I've seen. The contents of this little gem were easily divided into useful and practical sections, covering a broader use of the language than I've come across in other similar type books. Each section was uniquely and clearly identifiable allowing faster access to put your fingertips on the words or phrases you need. This book also succeeds in helping the reader obtain a basic yet concrete understanding of the Swahili language where other similar books have attempted but failed.

This small hand-sized book is an excellent resource. Sections are seperated by practical categories (like food, social, and practical). Very easy to read, and really has everything you would need to get around.

I had this guide when I went to Kenya, and I highly recommend it! It was very useful when I got very ill and needed to explain to a Swahili speaking doctor what was wrong with me. I also used it when I'd go to the Masai Markets and I always got a much better deal when I'd barter in Swahili. The Kenyans can speak English, but they appreciate it when you try to speak to them in Swahili.

I loved this guide so much I am buying copies for the members of my family who will be joining me for a holiday in Kenya this coming year.

It's an absolute must for any traveler!

Reading this book is like sharing a bottle of wine with a remarkably intelligent, knowledgeable and witty friend. It is at times intoxicatingly funny and at other times deeply understanding of the darker mysteries of life. Written in the spirit of G.K. Chesterton, the essays originate with the personal and temporal and take off from there into the realms of the universal and eternal. In this flight they enlighten and inspire. I love, love, loved this book!

Charles Taliaferro has given to anyone who is lucky enough to pick up this book the gift of a friend. Like a friend, Love, Love, Love will make you laugh in the light-hearted, life-affirming way and subsequently brighten your day. Like a friend, Love, Love, Love believes in the possibility of good intentions, and will strengthen you by that belief.

The book is generous of emotion without sentimentality, and earnestly funny without being in the least bit campy. Charles manages self-effacing comedy while retaining self-esteem. He provides a beautiful example of the delicate but necessary combination of humility and confidence.

The book touches on the epic - like Charles' father's death, compared to Waterloo - and the trivial - a botched class, daily embarrassments - and understands the proportion appropriate to each.

If you stop in your day and take just a few minutes to read one of these essays, you'll return to your world with a better sense of perspective, and probably also a smile - as from a visit with a friend.

The author presents a striking range of experiences, thoughts, observations and profound insights into the human condition. The book never fails to elicit a sense of a personal involvement in our shared humanity through both the simple and complex relationships in which we engage each day. Students of Taliaferro are fortunate to have as a mentor and friend one who can tap into the depths of philosophical wisdom at the same time as grasping the familiar.
The book will resonate with all who venture into its always varied and entertaining essays.

Charles Taliaferro opens up the remote and difficult world of philosophy in his collection of essays, 'Love, Love, Love.' Proving that the task of philosophic discourse need not be titanic, nor a task at all, the good Professor makes accessible his personal brand of everyday aesthetics, metaphysics, and ontology.

I recommend this book for his fellow university professors as well as beginning students of the discipline, noting that each would benefit from a frank examination of the applicability of philosophy and a respite from the flamboyant rhetoric of other modern texts that, unlike Taliaferro's work, can be nearly indecipherable.

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views 6/06

"Love, Love, Love and Other Essays" by Charles Taliaferro, is a collection of his thoughts on love, life and death. Mr. Taliaferro is a professor of Philosophy. The forty-three essays are written from events in his life.

His essay titled, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" was written after a large splinter caused an infection in his arm. "A nurse said, "Your hand looks very angry today." "I don't like thinking of my hand as having an independent emotional life." The compassion of the nurses and his friends impressed him. "The basic act of touching was overwhelming."

"It's Waterloo, Baby!", is a reflection on his father's battle with a stroke in "At this point at my parents' home, there is a strange blend of distress, resignation, and family love." I found this stirring. I have faced the same emotions with a loved one. You know that death is inevitable for we are each growing older, however; you are still distressed because you do not want to give up the one you love. "At present, feelings of vibrancy, joy, and peace are difficult for my family. We pray for my father to have as much joy and serenity as possible under the circumstances, and as much faith as possible in a joy that is, in Dorothy Sayers' words, deeper and more powerful than the grave." As my loved one slowly slips away from me in mind if not in body, I reflect on a future without her but know that she has already slipped away in reality.

We all have deep reflections on love, life and death but we do not all share them with the world. That can be a good thing. It is obvious that Mr. Taliaferro is very intelligent. You cannot help but reflect on his thoughts long after reading his essays. However, I did find it difficult to stay focused on some of the essays.

For me this book is a little too heavy- too scientific - I'm teaching children most of the time - This book will enrich our knowledge beyond instructions - I like this book but I think I need to read and read again to catch the idea and use it in my class.

Excellent, Excellent Book. Great insights for using proven teaching methods and applying it to Martial Arts.
Also other cool stuff!!

I recently had the opportunity to read one of Lawrence A. Kane's books entitled, "Martial Arts Instruction: Applying Educational Theory and Communication Techniques in the Dojo" and found it to be a fantastic book for anyone involved in the teaching of students and not just those involved in the martial arts. This book is a fantastic source for reference material concerning the art of teaching, and yes, I do feel that teaching is an art form.

The approach Lawrence takes in this book is simple, yet loaded with an abundance of information that shows you various methods that you can easily incorporate into your own particular style of teaching regardless of what the particular subject is. I can almost guarantee you that if you purchase this book and study it for a few weeks, and then start applying the information that you have learned, that you will see a notable improvement in your own teaching ability, while at the same time see a marked improvement in your students.

When I first read this book, I identified with a lot of the mistakes that Lawrence mentioned concerning my own teaching style especially when I first started teaching students a little over 20 years ago. Although it is imperative that we as individuals make our own mistakes, it is not that easy or desirable to make mistakes when you are responsible for the development of another individual. Although Lawrence's focus is on teaching the martial arts, a lot of what he tells you could also be used when teaching your own children. However, you would have to modify your teaching method a bit.

The following is a brief review of each of the six chapters in this book and what there main focus is on.

Chapter One: Understanding Learning Style Differences

In this chapter, Lawrence delves into the different types of personalities that an instructor will undoubtedly find in his students, as well as, how to tailor your teaching style to best suit each individual personality type. He also delves into the use of the five senses in order to enhance your teaching ability so that your students not only retain more information, but also enjoy the lessons being taught.

The five senses are; seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling, and smelling. Although it isn't practical to employ the use of all five in every lesson plan, you should try and devise a few that you could use once every month or so. I used a similar approach once teaching a group of law enforcement officers and the response I received was very encouraging. It works so use it.

Chapter Two: Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Tool to Understand Student Predilections

This particular chapter is quite complex, yet Lawrence makes is all seem rather simple with his easy to understand explanation of the various personality types and how they are best suited to learn and retain information. In this section, Lawrence supplies you with some very good resource material to have your own personality tested in order to determine what type of personality you have and what method of teaching is more conducive to your ability to learn.

Chapter 3: Applications of the Six Teaching Styles to Martial Arts

The six teaching styles discussed in this section are; modeling, lecturing, cooperative performance, independent performance, knowledge capture, and role reversal.

Lawrence describes in detail each one of these teaching styles and provides good examples of when to teach that particular method and how to apply it to the teaching of the martial arts.

Chapter 4: Fostering a Positive Learning Environment

In my humble opinion there is one section in this chapter that perhaps says it all when it comes to the ability to teach another person, and that is the attitude of the teacher.

This was the single most important thing that jumped out at me when I read this book. Although there is tons of useful information provided within the pages of this book, none of it is going to be worth the proverbial hill of beans without the proper attitude being displayed by the teacher.

Etiquette or respect for oneself and others is so vitally important not only to the learning environment, but also the living environment where we have to co-exist with so many different people from a vast array of backgrounds and cultures.

Another great subject that Lawrence brings up in this section is the importance of a solid emotional and physical environment in which to teach your students. The one undeniable single factor that is prevalent in everything that Lawrence discusses is the teacher. He or she is the one who will make or break a class and/or the students in it. You can have the most exciting subject and something that you are hugely passionate about become the most boring and painful experience if the teacher is horrible. Or you can take the most boring subject and make it interesting if the teacher is passionate and knowledgeable about how to get his/her information across to the students.

Along with a lot more information on the role of the teacher, Lawrence also spends some time going over some very solid information on how to find the martial art and martial arts school that is best suited for you.

Chapter 5: Developing and Implementing Lesson Plans for the Dojo

This section covers not only how to devise, refine and implement a lesson plan, but also how to adapt when the plan you have is not working. It also covers a lot of really solid information on the martial arts itself and the various nuances that are prevalent within it.
Lawrence also has a lot of really solid useful information concerning the martial arts and their use in a self-defense situation. He gives a couple of really good examples from his own personal experience that shows what may be a preferable way to handle a situation rather than resorting to physical means. Although one must always keep in mind that no two situations are going to be identical and what may work well in one situation may not work well in another.

Chapter 6: Conclusion/Stages of Teaching

This section is rather brief as I am sure the author intended and merely goes over that which he has discussed in the previous chapters. However, there are some very good tidbits of information included here and in the next 40+ pages.

This book, like all of Lawrence's books, is filled with solid useful information concerning whatever subject he has written about. There is much that can be learned from them and I highly recommend that you purchase them and study the information contained in each one of his books.

Shawn Kovacich, martial artist/author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.

A good teacher should also be a good student, if they hope to convey and assist the development of correct principles in others. I believe that pertains not only Martial Arts, but to any aspect of life. The challenge, is understanding that not all students learn, process, or retain information the same way (regardless of age).

Lawrence Kane has created a tool for those serious about imparting knowledge to their students in ways they can understand...and excel. The valuable information in this book is essential to those of us who truly care about what (and who) we teach.

A highly recommended book.

Their are many martial arts books outlining the basics of about any martial art you could wish to learn, but Lawrence A. Kane's Martial Arts Instruction: Applying Educational Theory And Communication Techniques In The Dojo is different from the rest. Lawrence A. Kane is a man who has taught and created martial arts classes and business seminars, and who focuses on the teacher of martial arts as much as the technique. Readers will lern just how to motivate and retain students, optimize time, and adjust to individual learning styles and talents using Martial Arts Instruction: is an informatively instructive and very strongly recomended manual.