Education Books

My kids are 4.5, the preschool cards were a little easy. the kindergarten cards are about right. Now usually with them I find the age ratings on toys are accurate, like other reviewers said the brainquest products are rated a little too old. Some of the concepts are beyond them but about 80% of the cards they are able to do at this age.

This item was delivered very quickly. My daughter loves to do Q & A type flashcards and this is perfect for her to do. We have purchased the previous two BrainQuests as well and will continue to purchase these as our daughter grows.

My grandson looks forward to bedtime each night just so he can do this "learning." He loves these cards and I have seen him learn so much. We also have the preschool set.

These are great stocking stuffers. My daughter received hers the Christmas before she was to start Kindergarten so she could become familiar with the curriculum.These became her favorite flash cards. It also opened doors to teaching things she didn't know like time. Highly recomended

I highly recommend Brain Quest. We now have several sets and I plan on buying additional. Such a fun way for kids to learn. Since they are compact they can go anywhere. We've taken them on car trips, to the doctors office, shopping...just about anywhere. The kids think of it as a game, not as sitting down and learning. This is a great gift for someone as well.

I could not put this book down, because I needed to see how it ended. There is much pain, human challenge, dedication, unbelievable risk, and even humor. The ultimate result leaves the reader wanting to know more. Personally, I would like to see a sequel to find out how this all comes together as this young child develops. The fact that it is based on truth is amazing, because the events themselves read like fiction. This is one determined, incredibly resourceful family unit. Bring hankies!

A fast paced retelling of life experiences none of us would envy. Van Sher has provided us with a very clear picture of how the very best of intentions often cannot avoid disaster when we are raising children. Walk in the characters shoes as they travel through the world of drugs. . .
A must read for parents raising children in a world so deeply influenced by the culture of drugs.

A true story of one family's tragedy dealing with their son's drug addiction and ultimately the loss of their son. Very moving story!

"A Breath Away" is quite simply a poignant family saga that should serve as a wake up call to all "ordinary families" who go through life with their heads in the sand thinking that nothing terrible can happen to their family.

Terrible things can happen to even wonderful families from all walks of life. There is nothing that can tear a family apart and lead it into directions that were never thought imaginable more than a child with a drug problem. Some families fall apart other families are brought closer together and can come through the darkness stronger than before.

That is just one of the lessons taught by this gripping, life lesson by Van Sher. I cannot comprehend that one family had to go through so much in such a short time. A sequel telling the continuing story of the grandson will be welcomed in a few years. A movie about "the first chapter" would be a great movie for the time. I for one cannot wait.

One of the books that "catch" you within the first few pages. I found myself peeking ahead to determine how each episode played out. The undertone of humor shoulders the unbelievable pain, risk and challenge Ed and Cindy confronted. We never want to believe addiction is in our own backyard. No barriers exist. Addiction doesn't discriminate. The commitment of the parents is surreal. Each page tugs and pulls at you. You never know where you are going. I TRULY believe a sequel is in order and a movie a must. It was a one-day read for me. Couldn't put it down !!!

Highly recommended! I ordered this book last year and use it frequently in my martial arts school. We hold themed "parents night out" nights and discuss all ways to be Bully Free. This book starts with the basics...first and foremost be friendly, be accepting and be aware. I used it as a foundation, also, for a Bully Free Seminar. I also use the book "Bully Free" Bulletin Boards Posters and Banners for activities and we display them in the school. As available a resource such as these books and others found on Amazon.com; why are these not used in the public schools? And if they were available to teachers; would they use them? Bullying is a huge problem even in my small town; but the teachers are so bogged down with teaching the academics, would they find the time?

I really can't say enough good things about this book! It is absolutely chock-full of really useful, practical activities to use in your classroom. A must-have!!

As a teacher, I know that this issue must be addressed in the home and classroom to put an end to it. This is a solid tool for the classroom with tips and strategies for use at the secondary level. However, schools and Parents need to deal with this issue from a proactive standpoint long before middle school. The best all around book on the topic isBully-Proofing Children: A Practical, Hands-On Guide to Stop Bullyingwith great stories, lessons, strategies...that can be used both at home and in the classroom. Use it with children ages 3-14. I can't recommend it more highly.

I am currently a third-grade teacher, and I have taught many levels of students, from kindergarten to high school. I read this whole book in two days, and it is the best book I have seen on the subject, as a resource for teachers (and for parents).

The book is divided into three major parts: Creating a Positive Classroom, Helping Victims, and helping Bullies. Each section of the book was equally good. Every section is filled with very specific ideas which would work in almost any school situation, of any level. 95% of the ideas and suggestions would be appropriate for Grade 3, without any modification. The book is also filled with reproducable pages which ARE REALLY USEFUL, unlike most reproducables which I have seen for teachers. Not one paragraph of the entire book wasted my time. Every single page is packed with hard-hitting practical ideas. I also liked the many, many suggestions which can be used for journaling ideas. Some examples: "How would you feel--if you were the most popular student, or the least popular student; if you were the new kid in school; if you wore glasses." Also: "When was the last time someone did something really nice for you? What did the person do? How did it make you feel?" Also: "What do you like about yourself? What are you best at? What makes you proud of yourself?" These are just a few of the 200 or so ideas JUST for writing about, which are scattered throughout the book.

On a personal note, in the part dealing with Helping Bullies, I recognized a family member who is a verbal and emotional bully. This book also gave me some excellent ideas for dealing with this adult.

I just wish I had come across this remarkable and helpful book years ago! I can recommend it to teachers of all ages of children (and parents, too).

This is a great book with lots of valuable tips. Great for the classroom. Another book,Bully-Proofing Children: A Practical, Hands-On Guide to Stop Bullyingis also highly recommended because it extensively designs environments that are unfriendly to bullies; has detailed lesson plans and original literature and guided discussion questions for children ages 5-12.

As a Holocaust education consultant and an English professor, I have learned that a story engages us because we remember it, therefore making it an effective teaching tool. The Call of Memory--A Teacher's Guide provides both scholarly Holocaust literature as well as the practicality of personalizing the facts and stats with imaginative, innovative lessons as taught by practicing master teachers. These personal best practices tell their own story of teaching the Holocaust by sharing actual experiences with curriculum and instruction, including activities, discussion and writing prompts, resources, and assessment. The teachers have created a positive, creative learning environment that supplies fresh insights into a dark period of history to strategically improve students' learning. Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust's most famous storyteller, noted that true writers tell stories because they believe they can do something with them. The Call of Memory--A Teacher's Guide provides both stories and field-tested ways to teach them. Finally, a teacher's guide that really works!

In December 1941 Abba Kovner, hiding outside Vilna, understood that the Nazis were going to murder all Jews, though the facts at his disposal did not support his certainty. This was the clairvoyance of the poet at its clearest.
This anthology is so valuable precisely because poets and writers sometimes understand things better, and the Shoah is almost inexplicable. The anthology is accompanied by a volume in which scholars who are educators ponder how to understand and use the literature. Fascinating.

This book is truly a MUST for teachers of Holocaust literature. The 27 Holocaust narratives, which are in themed, chronological order, are a classroom treasure. This book provides the specifics to teach them thoroughly and wisely. The editors present options to introduce and personalize Holocaust history and are completely aware of what time constraints all teachers face. The stories are typically short in length but not short on substance. Details regarding methods and materials are provided in a clear manner.

For those new to teaching Holocaust literature, there are concise literary explications, readable and informative analyses and detailed personal commentaries to help even the novice teacher feel comfortable exploring this era. For those who have been teaching classic Holocaust novels and diaries, a wealth of short literature is interpreted here, affording teachers the opportunity to present an overview of the Holocaust or an in-depth study of its various aspects.

As an English teacher who teaches a unit on Holocaust lit, I can honestly say this is the best text on the market.

The Call of Memory will prove to be an invaluable resource for teaching high school and college-age students about the Holocaust through literary narratives. Short stories by Holocaust survivors and contemporary writers are included in the anthology. For each selection, an in-depth literary analysis is provided by the accompanying Teacher's Guide. An entire Holocaust Literature curriculum could be developed using The Call of Memory. The companion volumes, however, are relevant not only to the study of literature and language arts but will also offer enrichment for courses in history, social studies, humanities and religion.

These books further remind us of why print still matters in the online age. Comparable Internet-based Holocaust instructional materials would be hard to find. Teachers will appreciate the chronological/thematic organization of the volumes along with the connection to content standards. Students will benefit from the occasion to read these literary selections in which vivid imagery and intimacy of characters and events promote an understanding of the Holocaust. As Elie Wiesel spoke in his 1986 Nobel Prize lecture, "Remembering is a noble and necessary act. The call of memory, the call to memory, reaches us from the very dawn of history."

As an ordinary teacher with an extraordinary passion for educating people about the Holocaust, I find the Anthology and the Teacher's Guide to be unique in the world of Holocaust studies. The complimentary set is exactly what every Holocaust educator needs. Nothing is missing:The narratives are in themed, chronological order; the analyses are thorough and scholarly; and the thoughtful lesson plans are classroom-tested by experienced master teachers. The set is a priceless gift to educators and students alike.
Darryle Clott, Adjunct Instructor History of the Holocaust, Viterbo University, La Crosse, WI.

Exposes those who do not live in the islands, both young and old,to the customs and colorful surroundings of the Caribbean. The music is a toe tapping, finger snapping passage through the delightful illustrations. The wife ordered a book for herself and plays the CD while driving to and from work!

I originally learned about this CD and activity book when it was used by my son's teacher as part of his sing-along time at school. I couldn't help but notice how engaged my son was in the activities. I fell in love with so many of the songs that I bought a copy for us to have at home! It's a favorite gift I give to kids 3 and up. Even my 10-year old neices love it.

The coloring book part is best for the older kids.

Carribean Colors of the Rainbow combines music, educational informational, and creative opportunities for children. This combination has resulted in a unique and exceptional entertainment and learning product. Children are provided an occassion to have fun, be exposed to cultural diversity, learn, and express their own creativity -- all without redundancy and with nonstop stimulation. Hats off to a wonderful and long awaited contribution to child (and adult) entertainment and learning.

This is the perfect gift: kids love it and so do their parents! Great book & music for kids and cool tunes for Mom & Dad (or people like me without kids). Can't go wrong with this one.

This book is a fresh look at the daily things children encounter in the Caribbean. The tunes are varied - and never dull. It is hard to listen and NOT tap your feet or clap your hands and sing along - the words are right there for you! I've used it with my Kindergarteners, first grade, second grade, third grade and sixth grade...I'm a substitute teacher. All age levels loved it for different reasons. The sixth graders liked the "baracuda and his big sharp teeth". The older children enjoyed coloring the pictures as the songs played while the little ones loved Imelda and all her shoes. Lots of conversation on this one!
I think this is the best thing that's happened to us in the Caribbean in a long time. We didn't have music depicting our life and our childrens' world until now. Thank you Dee and Rachel.

Carla has a great imagination. She enjoys creating unique sandwiches for her school lunches. When trouble rises and her lunches turn into a source of teasing, Carla keeps her chin up and continues to eat her fascinating sandwiches all the while maintaining her kindness to her friends. Coupled with adorable illustrations, this is a wonderful story for all children to enjoy. Even adults will identify with Carla. "Carla's Sandwich" shows children how they do not need to be like others by showing the heroine being strong as an individual. With so many food allergies, people with different incomes, and others who eat with religious or ethical restrictions, "Carla's Sandwich" is a winner!

Carla's Sandwich is a great book that children will surely love!

With its imaginative text by Debbie Herman, and its vivid and bright illustrations by Sheila Bailey, no child will be disappointed as they turn each page to discover which weird and wonderful concoctions Carla will be eating that day for her school lunch.

This book contains a story of being different - and you feel a little sorry for Carla as the other children isolate her because she brings in such unusual combinations of sandwiches to eat, like sardine and mustard with sunflower seeds. But one day, another boy forgets his lunch, and when his hunger gets the better of him, he reluctantly turns to Carla to beg a spare from her.

He does, of course, find the offering delicious, and the other children change their minds about constitutes an `acceptable' sandwich.

Fantastic, colourful and detailed pictures, with an inspiring storyline for children aged four to eight years old, this book was a delight to read and is thoroughly recommended.

Imaginatively written by Debbie Herman and nicely illustrated by Sheila Bailey for young readers ages 4 to 8, Carla's Sandwich has a subtle message about the joy of being different woven into an original story of a little girl who brings weird sandwiches to her school and how her classmates respond to her oddly original sandwiches. After considerable ridicule Carla is able to turn her teasers into tasters and then everyone is into creative sandwich making too! Carla's Sandwich would make a popular and "kid friendly" addition to any school or community library picture book collection!

Here I go again: reviewing a book by one of my favorite kids publishers, FLASHLIGHT PRESS. Carla's Sandwich is the fourth one I've read and reviewed, and it's as delightful as their other choices. You can't go wrong with any of their books.

Author Debbie Herman certainly had a great idea when she created the irrepressible Carla, a little girl with a unique talent for creating delectable, mouth-watering, healthy sandwiches. Captivating illustrations by Sheila Bailey complement the story to perfection, and will enchant adults and children alike.

Carla's sandwiches are creative and unique, to be sure, but "weird" to her classmates. They're creatures of habit--stuck in a rut with their usual hot dogs, peanut-butter-and-jelly and bologna sandwiches--so they ridicule her for being different.

But that doesn't stop Carla, and she soon has them "eating out of her hand" ... literally. How does she accomplish this? And what happens when her worst adversary--a boy, naturally--forgets his lunch one day? Does Carla share with him, or ignore him? How does this girl who dares to be different change her entire school? Well, you'll have to RFY (read for yourself); it will be a delicious reading adventure as you and your kids nibble your way through, page after tasty page.

This book--with its subtle message about the joys of being different--is a great choice for kids from 4 to 8 and will make a delightful addition to any picture-book collection. It will also be an excellent tool for teaching children to think for themselves and to be kind and sensitive to others.

I highly recommend this book, but it's lunchtime, so I'm off to create a yummy sandwich of my own design. Does sliced bananas with mustard and lettuce on rye bread sound good? Help, Carla!

Reviewed by: Betty Dravis, 2008
The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley

Carla smiled and handed Buster a Combo Deluxe.
Buster examined the lettuce, tomato, raisin, bean sprout,
pretzel and mayonnaise sandwich carefully.
He looked at Leslie, then Natie, then Carla.
And then he took a very small bite.

Carla loves to invent unique sandwiches and so she creates the Olive-Pickle-and-Green Bean Sandwich. When the other children tease Carla, she offers Buster one of her extra sandwiches. He takes one bit and loves the taste. As the teasers turn into tasters, Carla's classmates start to make their own original sandwiches.

The humorous part of the story occurs at the end of the book when Carla surprises everyone by bringing a very different (than her normal sandwiches) sandwich to school. I do have to wonder if she has tried soy butter or chocolate soy butter.

~The Rebecca Review

Top Marks for this highly readable and clear intro to Voice over IP. The subject matter is dealt with in reasonable detail and the author achieves great clarity in explaining difficult technical concepts. He also delves a bit into the history and background which also helps to put the subject matter in context. He even adds a small example of how to go about dimensioning a VOIP network at the end of the book.

Aimed specifically at designers of public telecommunications networks, this easy to read book provides practical and useful hands-on information. Where necessary, topics are covered in great detail. For example, 120 pages are dedicated to H.323. Softswitch architecture and programming are covered, and 55 pages are devoted to discussing Quality of Service issues.

We believe this book to be an essential read, and recommend it highly.

Great book on VoIP, still emerging technology. It did a great job in explaining concepts related to QoS such as RSVP, DiffServ and MPLS. Right from basics such as IP, UDP, TCP and various coding techniques you will find great explanation to each and every item. If you are interested in knowing about VoIP or you if u wanna work on VoIP this is the ONLY book you need. There is very detailed and neat explanation related to MGCP, MEGACO, SS7 and SIP too. The only thing that i felt lacking is testing of voice quality both subjective and objective and how they could be done. No doubt in giving 5 *s to it, great job!

This book does a very good job of giving an introduction to the VoIP world. As a professional in the telecom domain, I found this book very useful. Application of VoIP to telco domain as in the case of softswitch architecture for backhaul and the QoS issues that carriers have to deal with is also well covered at a good amount of detail. The book also provides detailed discussion on the protocols. However, I skipped passed these sections and unable to comment if such material was covered well.

Overall - a very good book. Highly recommend it.

I serious think that I should not write this review since I do not understand half of this book, but then again, I have read this and also Cisco Intergrated Voice Data and can in some way be a poor/insufficient abeit enthusastic tour guide. I have noticed other reviewers describing this book as great - but I do not think this book is comparable to monumental classic like Jeff Doyle or Kennedy Clarks books on Routing and Switching - where they display in-depth knowledge on the topic plus an ability to explain thing in the clearest possible way. I rate this book 5 stars for the sole reason that the author do appear to have an overwhelming knowledge of computer telephony - although I cannot quite judge whether they are technically accurate or error free - and has taken his valueable time off to write them down and share with us. While the author definitely has the kindest intention of making it "understanable" to even the not-so-technically-advance group of reader - as is evidenced in the way he start off this book by explaining why bother with IP telephony, and why TCP/IP is inherently unsuitable for IP telephony - I suspect that when it come to harder topics like H.323, SIP etc - there is simply no way or no time to find a more reader friendly way to present it. In the end it is a tough read - so tough that I will have to put it aside for a while as you need to be in the highest state or mental agility and strength to make hard yakka through the book. Nevertheless, this book is a useful reference - and for topics that this author decide not to include - check out Cisco's Integrated Voice and Data.

IT IS A GOOD BOOK FOR ALL CHILDREN AGE AND HELP OUT TEACHER TO UNDERSTAND THE CHILDREN HAVE BEHVIOR.

I needed this book for one of my classes and it's an amazing book. I hardly recommended for someone who's study Early Childhood.

really easy book to follow good tips and points for teachers

i find that the book touches on many of the subjects that our professor teaches us, also between chapters they are not too long which makes reading and understanding much better. Being in the teaching field this is a good tool and resource for my classroom.

I was looking for a book to help me face a few challenges in my classroom during my first year of teaching kindergarten and I really enjoyed this book.
It gives helpful background knowledge, current research on best practices and new theories, as well as well-thought-out direct instruction for dealing with challenging behavior in the classroom of young children.

Felicity "Honey" Harper arrives back at Chesnut Hill with a HUGE weight on her shoulders. The soft-spoken Brit has a twin brother, Sam, struggling with luekemia, and she hasn't told ANY of her best friends, not even Dylan, one of her roomates. Her parents told her that she needed to relax, but she can't!

Meanwhile, Lynsey Harrison's clone, Patience Duvall, has a new Connemera pony named Moonlight Minuet (Minnie). To get "a pony with good bloodlines" on the Jr. Jumping Team, Lynsey has Patience exersizing Minnie in extreme conditions Minnie can't handle.

Then, Minnie is cornered with leg injuries, and Honey helps take care of Minnie, even though she's not supposed to. But Patience doesn't care anyway-does she?

If to make matters worse, Sam gets really sick and is in the ICU! And Mal, Dylan, and Lani find out about him? Will Honey find away to keep Sam a secret, help Minnie get better, and visit her sick brother in the hospital? You have to READ this!

I had rerad the Heartland series and when I foung out Lauren Brooke was coming out with a new series I knew I had to get it. The books are about 4 girls who are all from different backgrounds yet they are the best of friends. They all have an enemy named Lynsey who has a top class pony and iis a total snob. The books show how they deal with tuff decisions andget throug life just being friends. Their love of horses is also especially noticed in this book. so if you love horses you should definitaly read this book!

This book was about a girl named Lani Hernandez, and some of her friends that all attend Chesnut Hill Boarding School. They are just coming back from Christmas Break to start a new semaster, but about two weeks into the quarter she gets a letter from her parents threatening to transfer her to another school in California if she did not get her grades up. If you have read any of the other books in this series, you know that Chesnut Hill has grades 7 and up for young riders who ride jumping horses. Throughout this book, Lani has to learn to balance out her studies, Horseback riding, and planning out a huge charity event all while convincing her parents that Chesnut Hill is the right school for her.


A couple of the reasons I liked this book was because first off I ride western horses, so I can relate to the horseback riding and the charity event. Another reason was because the author gave a lot of description and details, so it gave me a very good picture in my mind.


One of the only things I didn't like about this book was how short it was because I liked it so much that I wanted it to keep going.


I've read other books in the series that were all as good as this book! They are all about four girls, but each book has one of them specifically as the main character.


My over all opinion was that I really liked this book and it is worth reading again! I would recomend this book to mostly girls because Chesnut Hill is a all girls school, so all the main characters are girls. Over all I'd give this book a five star!

This book was filled w. excitment ever since u opened the first couple of pages. When Lani is being forced to leave b/c of her grades she tries hard to get them up and overwhelms herself. A stress related riding crash and excuses not to get back onto her favorite pony cause a dispute among friends. When Lani shows her dad that she really belongs by putting together a rodeo day fundraiser w/ a famous pro rodeo star to give money to a charity. Will it ever work? This book kept u on the edge of your seat constantly flipping the pages:-)

Honey has a twin brother, Sam, but it takes a picture following out of her photo-album and Dylan picking it up for her to tell Dylan, Lani, and Malory that she has a twin. Or she wouldn't have said anything. It all takes place after Thanksgiving break and but during break Honey had learned horrifing news about Sam. Who was sick for over a year and just when they were thinking he was going to get better the same illness came back. After Sam goes to the hospital Honey is even more determined not to tell her friends about Sam's illness. I'm not much for crying but when Honey was talking to her parents about how keeping her apart from Sam when he's in the hospital or at home was making her worry even more about her brother and how he's doing my eyes kept tearing up and I had to blink a lot so I could keep on reading. I suggest you read it, it's full of brotherly-sisterly love and hope, but LOL, you should read it as the series goes after the first two books: #1 The New Class and #2 Making Strides.

Had to buy it for class. Regardless, came in good condition and it's a pretty good book. Not too much details into each chapter but good if you want an overall review on different children's literature.

This book isn't bogged down by various author histories or long-winded, complicated psychological breakdowns of why the authors think a particular book has more merit than others like many textbooks do. Instead, Tunnel and Jacobs get down to the nuts and bolts new teachers need to actually get children to read! With simple examples and amazing tools like booklists and the easy to use database, this book gives the teacher the essential keystones to teach and read children's literacy and then pushes the teacher to be a good role model and get out there and read! It is certain to have a permanent place in my resource library.

I bought this book for Master's level class on Children's Literature, and it's a great book. It's easy to read, and jam-packed with useful information. This is a book I will keep & not sell back.

The preface of this title describes it as "a children's literature textbook for people who don't like children's literature textbooks" (p. v) which sets the tone for the rest of the text. Tunnell and Jacobs, both instructors of children's literature from Brigham Young University, offer an introduction to children's literature that is entertaining and educational.

The book is divided into three parts: "The Magic of Books;" "The Books Themselves;" and "Books in the Classroom." The first section discusses the value of reading, why children don't read, how to distinguish between literary quality and personal taste, and how to recognize books that are well-written and well-illustrated. The second section tackles the history of children's literature as well as organization of children's books into nine separate genres: picture books, poetry, traditional fantasy, modern fantasy, contemporary realistic fiction, historical fiction, biography, informational books, and multicultural and international books. The third section describes controversial books and the most effective way to deal with challenges, how to motivate students to read, and teaching with children's books. The aim of the book is to provide "an overview to shed light on children's literature and its use with young readers" (p. v).

Throughout the text, many examples of quality children's literature are used to illustrate particular points the authors want to make. All book references are included at the end of each chapter and each genre's chapter features a list of "books we like," compiled by the authors, which provides bibliographic information as well as a brief summary of the work. Included with the book is a children's literature database CD which contains a listing of 20,000 children's books which can be sorted by title, genre, grade level, topics, author, illustrator, year, or publisher. Instructions on how to use the CD-ROM are located in the back of the book at the end of the last chapter and they include color graphics to illustrate what the database's interface looks like as well as the tools used to sort books into categories.

One of this book's greatest strengths is that it is written with humor, reads like a dialogue, and is organized in a logical way. The authors draw readers into the realm of children's literature with teasers excerpted from various titles, descriptions of interesting books, and providing interesting facts about children, their literature, and its history. Appended at the end of the book are "Guidelines for Building a Classroom Library;" book selection aids, a list of magazines for children, awards in children's literature, and information for anyone interested in publishing a children's book. The awards section and books selection section are particularly useful to anyone starting out in collection development (or those who have been doing it for a while) as well as those interested in finding award-winning books for children.

While this text is not an exhaustive look into the world of children's literature, it is not intended to be. It does, however, provide a stellar introduction to the subject and provides readers with enough information to distinguish quality literature from poor, to understand genre differences, and to be able to motivate children to read, which is the most important lesson of all.

This was used as a textbook in my children's literature class and I'm glad it was! It really gets away from the conventional textbook by having the info relaying in an easy-going context.