Senses Books

This is a great gift book for your Republican/conservative friends. It's title tells all--it is a charming little quote book of ideas from our fortieth president. Biographies by family members are always superior to biographies written by distant observers, and this non-exception proves the rule.

It is a great gift book, meaning that it has dainty fonts and stunning pictures. It is organized topically, but is not indexed so you may have to hunt a little for your favorite quote. The cover is a nice balance of a thoughtful black and an autumn rust, reminding us that Reagan is in the autumn of his life and slowly heading to black. However, the cover has a border of gold remind us of the gold ofg life after death.

We need politicians with wit--Kennedy and Reagan both had the Irish blarney, but the silver-tounge seems to be scarce among the current chain-gang in Congress. This book should be a manditory study gude. We need to eradicate the superficial smashmouth so common on the Sunday shows!

Favorite Quotes:

"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." (p. 111)

"What American needs is a spiritual renewal and reconciliation-firt man with God, and then man with man." (p. 75)

"Since I came to the White House, I've gotten two hearing aids, had a colon operation, a prostate operation, skin cancer, and I've been shot. Funny thing is, I never felt better." (p. 22)

Pros: (1) Michael Reagan has gathered an admirable collection of Reagan's utterances. (2) He has packaged the volume in an appealing design with useful topics and short, bulleted style.

Cons: (1) I hoped to find more of Reagan's humor in the book. (2) I guess you expect a collection of quotations to come from a devoted fan, but for me, the overall presentation would have been better received if some of Michael Reagan's gushing had been curbed.

I've been doing my own little research project on Ronald Reagan, and this book was great. It describes some things about him that only a family memeber could describe. You can definitely tell it was written by an adoring son, but it gives insight that no one else has, and reminds us of what a patriot, team player, and forward thinker Ronald Reagan was.

@In this book I have underlined or marked 115 partsAall of which can help me stay optimistic and start afresh in any difficult situation. The best feature of this book is the author's (President's son) brief comment in each chapter before President's quoted remarks. Through each bit of the author's episodic description of Ronald Reagan, I believe we can take a glimpse of Ronald Reagan's sincerity, honesty, dedication for the good of the United States and after all for democracy. The author's friend, a White House speechwriter for Reagan, personally told the author how Reagan, disapproving of his national security adviser's frantic opposition, had come to give a famous speech before the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin, "Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" Reagan told the author himself on the occasion of the Reagan family gathering what he really wanted to whisper to the Russian Secretary General at the side of a negotiation table. The author's description on personal exchange with President, in coordination with well-selected quotes, successfully can show me who Ronald Reagan is and bring me to further reading on Reagan. @

There are times when words alone do not do justice. This is one of those times. I have never read a book so uplifting and righteous. Simply put; if you did not appreciate Ronald Reagan when he was the leader of the free world, you now have an opportunity to look back at the wit and truthfulness of the greatest president to grace the oval office. This is a fast read; excerps from speeches, etc. If you read only one passage, let it be the chapter on Leadership. You will truly understand the greatness of this American hero.

I swear Clarke Snell wrote this book for me - or at least for people like me!! - non construction folks, but handy with a hammer. You won't be able to build your house with only this book, but he presents a very user-friendly introduction to all the requisite concepts, then offers a wonderful reference section for more great info. A very realistic approach, and a very approachable writing style. Other green writers I've found to have a more textbook cadence, but Clarke Snell sounds as if he'd jump right in and help you. Thanks!!

This is a great book to introduce the topic of building strawbale, cob etc. homes. The wonderful point about it is that it details the pros and cons of each building style and lets you compare each method carefully so that you are able to next select a more detailed book about a particular style.
It has beautiful colour photos and lots of information. Highly recommended.

Isn't it nice to dream of being able to build your own home...especially an environmentally "friendly" one!? I am learning so much about houses in general from this book, let alone alternative building. It is well written and has beautiful photography. My husband & I may never get to build our own home (or we may!) but we can sure enjoy the dream in more vivid detail because of this book. I think it should be required reading for politicians, city planners & the like!

Superlative well-balanced, insightful, entertaining, stimulative text, superlative graphics/layout with an abundant and marvelous and beautiful and very effective array of color photographs, superlative resource section, superlative physical book quality including stay-open binding.
If you're thinking of building a house or if you're interested in alternative housing possibilities (solar, etc.) or if you're interested in the topic of housing in general or if you'd like an ideal coffee table book, you will probably find this book a delightful fulfillment.
(Thank you, Amazon, including reviewers, for helping me to discover this book.)

Very comprehensive book which expertly and clearly details the differences between natural/sustainable methods and ideas versus conventional methods. The book makes an incredible cases for natural building and the philosophy of sustainability. After reading this book its hard to understand why you wouldn't want to build a house this way. On a personal note, this book has been inspirational to me as an undergrad student trying to get into an architecture school and train to be a sustainable architect. Also I'm coming from a traditional carpentry background and know that the things Clarke Snell is writing about are right on the money.

I purchased this entertaining and well-written book a couple of years ago. It has served as a step-by-step guide as I have made the transition from the traditional classroom to online learning.

From basic learning principals and definitions to specific "how to" examples and checklists, this book has it all and delivers it with a sense of humor that will have you chuckling aloud and keep you engaged, interested, and wanting to learn more. I continue to use this book as a resource, returning to it again and again, whether in need of a reminder or looking for inspiration to help me move forward.

If you are considering making the journey to online learning, this book will provide the light to help you along your way.

In 150 pages, the authors lay out the key information both HR/training practitioners and web-geeks need to work together successfully.

Written for the non-technical HR practitioner who needs to understand both the training concepts and the technology choices she will be faced with, this book also provides a technical reader (me) with the language and central concepts used by training professionals to develop their courses.

I could see this text being used as the starting point for an project team comprised of HR professionals, trainers, and web designers to build on -- each member of the team required to read it to establish a common framework and language. A few hours spent reading this up front would save countless hours of 'churn' later on in the project.

Very few of us have the time or the patience to read a non-fiction book front to back. We want current information, solutions to the problems we are experiencing today, and answers to questions we can not answer ourselves. We want to find these golden nuggets of information quickly and easily and, we do not want a lot of theoretical or academic fluff.

"Making Sense of Online Learning" meets those requirements. The Shank and Sitze book and companion website are perfect "just-in-time" resources for anyone involved in online learning. Whatever your level of experience and expertise with online learning, I am sure you will find lots of useful and insightful information in the book and the website. While I have designed, developed, and taught various online courses, I still found the book and the website valuable. I know it will help me, my clients, and my students. Thanks, Patti and Amy!

Jackie Dobrovolny, Ph.D.
Instructional technology consultant & IT faculty at University of Colorado at Denver.

The audience for this book is the person who wants to take their first step into traditional online learning. And by traditional, I mean self-contained courses and the management systems that support them (as opposed to deeper simulations or integration with knowledge management or ERP or CRM systems, etc., etc.,) For these people, the tone, the content, and the sympathy are dead on. Before going to a conference, or reading any deeper books, or subscribing to any of the current magazines, or meeting with your boss or advisor, this should be required reading.

Like many instructional design professionals, I struggle to stay abreast of the lighting-fast developments in online learning. Replacing the comfortable and relatively stable vocabularies and design considerations of yesteryear are rapidly evolving media, terms, technologies, and standards.

Both veterans and novices alike may now know a great deal about some things and very little about others. We need resources that can help us fill the gaps in our understanding and enable us to speak intelligently to our clients, colleagues, and employers. We also need simplified ways of explaining these topics to our audiences.

Patti and Amy have provided just such a resource. By peeling away the jargon and complexity in an even-handed and measured way, they have clarified many mind-numbing subjects. Along the way, they have taken care to point out universal considerations, such as the importance of designing for usability and building training around real-world challenges. They have also provided excellent checklists to use when considering the acquisition of expensive technologies, such as learning management and content management systems. These tools alone can help organizations avoid costly and frustrating blunders.

Patti and Amy have successfully blended sensible guidance; classic learning theories; online learning terms, definitions, and applications; and many excellent resources into a "must read" book and companion Web site. Readers will hardly realize the plane has left the ground by the time they touch down gently but firmly at the end of a smooth and delightful journey.

Grateful for quick shipping.

I throughly enjoyed this book - most likely because I spent the majority of my life in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately a good unbiased viewpoint is very hard to come by, so I relished the opportunity to fill in a few gaps in my understanding. The flip side of this is that it appears that the authors let a few characters off lightly, on both sides.

The issue I believe is that the situation is very fluid in that part of the world, and events often come to light that change perceptions of various characters. The famous 'They haven't gone away' remark from Mr Adams isn't mentioned for example, and this casts him in a rather different light than is presented in the book.

I do applaud the authors however for not glossing over the lowpoints of Northern Ireland's recent history. Whilst sometimes painful to read, it does help dispel the fairytale fancy of those who have been led to regard murderers as 'freedom fighters'. I just wish that the authors hadn't given their apologists such a light hand.

All in all, if you are new to the area I'd highly recommend this one. This book is a great startpoint but shouldn't be your last read on the matter.

I found this book to be a little bit dry at times, though on the other hand, the descriptions of the violence at the hands of both the IRA and other republican groups and by the Unionist/loyalist groups were quite graphic. Still, it was quite easy to keep up with who was who and who was on which side, something that can sometimes be a problem in a history book. The authors gave a pretty balanced perspective--I do think they were a little more on the Catholic side, but overall, it was balanced. I do wish they had gone more into the background. Why did the British send the Protestants to Catholic Ireland in the first place, and how did the two sides get along before the 20th century? This is glossed over, though I guess what information is given is sufficient. It does whet my appetite to know more, however.

David McKittrick and David McVea present a thoughtful, excellent overview of sectarian strife in Northern Ireland since the 1960's, giving a balanced look at both the Protestant and Catholic communities. They begin with a superb brief historical sketch on the origins and early history of Northern Ireland, chronicling its major events from its inception in 1921 through the 1960's. They offer many fascinating portraits of prominent British, Irish and Northern Irish politicians and terrorists, ranging from the likes of diehard Protestant minister Ian Paisley to former IRA member Gerry Adams. This is quite simply one of the best books I've read on recent Northern Irish history and may be the best historical overview on the origins and current state of "The Troubles".

I read this before a trip to Northern Ireland this summer, where I met with politicians, community leaders and artists. After reading the book, I felt very comfortable with the main themes and events of the Troubles, and several people commented that I seemed particularly well-versed in the history of the conflict (I knew next to nothing even a year before my trip). The book is well-written and balanced, and gives a thorough introduction to the troubles. I recommend reading it after a brief overview of general Irish history (such as "Modern Ireland: A Very Short Introduction") and, of course, as much Joyce as time allows.

THIS BOOK IS PART MEMORIES AND PART SOCIOLOGY AS IT EXAMINES THE UPS AND DOWNS OF BEING A FANATIC OF ANY MAJOR COLLEGE TEAM (IN THIS CASE THE BASKETBALL TARHEELS). THE MEMORIES OF THE AUTHOR ARE AUGMENTED BY THE DIARIES KEPT BY 15 DIEHARD UNC FANS FROM THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND BEYOND. ITS A GREAT BOOK ABOUT BASKETBALL AND MORE IMPORTANTLY WHAT ITS LIKE TO BE A FAN IN THE AGE OF TELEVISION AND THE INTERNET. A MUST READ FOR ANY SPORTS ENTHUSIAST.

THIS A COMPILATION BETWEEN MEMORIES OF CAROLINA FANS AND A STUDY OF MAJOR COLLEGE FANATICS. THAD DOES A WONDERFUL JOB TALKING ABOUT HIS HISTORY GROWING UP AS A TAR HEEL FAN. THE DIARISTS ALSO PRESENT AN INTERESTING PICTURE OF THE UPS AND DOWNS OF A COLLEGE BASKETBALL FAN. THE LAST SEGMENT OF THE BOOK PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO THE BASKETBALL FAN IN THE AGE OF THE INTERNET AND CHAT ROOMS. ALL IN ALL A GREAT BOOK AND A WORTHY ADDITION TO YOUR BASKETBALL LIBRARY.

I'm a student at UNC and when I first got here I didn't know much about our basketball team. I thought this book was really cool because it has so many fun facts in it and I learned so much about the proud tradition of UNC Basketball!

Mr. Williamson's unique position, growing up in Chapel Hill with close connections to the Carolina program, provide him with a perfect vantagepoint from which to view and analyze the phenomenon that is Carolina Basketball. Part history, part social analysis, part simple fandom, More Than A Game is an extremely interesting and impassioned book which provides the reader with questions to answer for him or herself about extremism vs. a fun hobby. Particularly interesting is the fan survey which gives us a look at the nuances of everyday life from alumni, fans and those who take it to another level altogether (like myself). Reading the book took me for a stroll down memory lane, comparing Mr. Williamson's view of Carolina basketball history to my own. Sports fans, hoops fans and recruiting junkies will love it.

First off, I'll admit that I'm biased - I'm a member of the email list-serve that figures so prominently in this book. But the appeal of Thad's work reaches far beyond this core constituency. It presents a scholarly analysis of the good and the bad of fandom, and an insight into how one arrives at the stage where a basketball team can mean so much. Divided into four parts, there's something here for everyone: social commentary, philosophy, statistics, and yes, basketball. Carolina basketball, no less! The combination of the fan diaries and the survey give powerful insight into the UNC fan community - at least, that portion of the community on the internet. To my knowledge, such an honest assessment has never been performed on any team's fans before now, but it's worth the wait. If you've ever felt the Fever, and wondered, even for a moment, whether it was a good thing, pick up this book and let it help you decide for yourself.

My daughter got this book at 7 months old, and she has loved it from the beginning. She loves to feel all the different textures, and now that she is 11 months old she loves to "read" it on her own. The book is durable and colorful, and I recommend it.

Our son is now 5 months old and this is his favorite book. He loves trying to grab the mouse on every page and knows where to feel on all the teddies. He likes books in general, but you can really see him tune in when we pull this one out - he loves it! We can't wait to try out the others in this series!

Also, as the other reviewers mentioned, a very sturdy book compared to other touchy-feelies. It has thick pages and a wide variety of durable textures.

There are ALL KINDS of touch and feel books out there now, many more than there were 7 years ago during my prior go-round as a mother of a baby! I find the quality varies a lot. So far, this is the winner for me! The pages are very thick, so the touchable parts of them can be thick also, and really be something you can touch. When the teddy shown has a soft nose, it's truly soft fabric, and feels like it will stay that way. The shiny eyes on another are big enough to really be noticed. The pages are simple and uncluttered, and the story is basic enough to be understood by a young listener. I plan on buying more from this series!

This book does not only things too feel and touch - it has a very good story too. You get to follow the white mouse as it is looking for its teddy. My 19 months old likes to look in it and my 5½ years old reads it.

Our twin babies are enjoying these "That's Not My..." books. These are more engaging than some of the other touchy-feely books we've got. Some books put materials in the pages for the babies to touch, just for the sake of having them there - and the words don't seem to "match up" with the thing we're feeling, or they are so stretched for material that it barely makes sense what we're feeling. Many of the "touchy-feely" books simply lack story content. That's not true of these Usborne touchy-feelies. The text is simple and makes sense to toddlers, and gives them a wider vocabulary of adjectives -- especially "tactile" words, like "fuzzy," "fluffy," "shiny," "hairy," and even (in "That's Not My Teddy"), "squashy!"

For bigger babies (my babies are just one year old), it's neat to notice a cute little mouse who shows up on every page. That's one thing I love about Usborne baby books - even when the babies are tired of looking at the main story, there's always the cute little mouse to notice and talk about!

A brutal, in-depth assessment of the repercussions of tickling ducks. Highly recommended as a stern warning to those foolish enough to consider pursuing such dangerous folly.

My son is two and loved the Stop Kissing Me! book from the same author, (Ethan Long) so I bought this one expecting the same response. He was expecting a button to press so he could hear a sound relating to the story. To our chagrin this book doesn't have the sound button. The book spends most of it's time on the shelf and the "Stop Kissing Me!" book still gets a lot of attention.
We both like the illustration, the characters expressions really help tell the story. Looking forward to the next book. Ethan please add a sound button.

Ethan Long's wonderful illustrations of an adamant duck demanding that you not tickle him under his wing, on his tummy, and on his feet are beautifully expressive, zany, and fun to look at.
The humor is pitched perfectly at toddlers, and even this 36 year-old reviewer had to crack a smile the first time I glanced through the durable cardboard pages of this wonderful little book.

The script of this book has the duck talking to your child and asking, er, begging, not to be tickled. He keeps pointing to a specific body part (tummy, foot, underarm) and asking to not tickle there. Then, since obviously your child will want to tickle him, the following page shows him laughing hilariously. Each of the featured body parts has a texture to it making it extra enticing to tickle the duck.

This book is so much fun. Our toddler loves it and laughs right along with the duck. Tickle the Duck is a delightful interactive book that your child is sure to want to read over and over again.

The Duck in question has ducky, feathery protruberances available for tickling through strategically-placed holes in the heavy cardboard pages. Thus, when the Duck adamantly demands that your toddler NOT tickle it, the temptation should prove to be simply too great to NOT reach out and give the down (more feathery in some places, softer in others) a little tug. At this, the Duck laughs, increasingly to the point of tickle-xaustion, as we call it in our house, begging to be relieved of the torture in progressively stronger terms. Never fear: when the Duck makes a quick recovery from tickle-xaustion, it reconsiders and deigns, perhaps, to allow you a brief tickle once again.

With all the pathos of "Hug", the real-life verisimilitude of "Everybody Poops", and the roller-coaster ride of emotion of "Maisy's Train", this new entry in the tot-blockbuster potboiler pile is sure to please many a kiddie and perhaps their adult confreres: we have tested it on a two-year old and a forty-two year old to good effect, although it must be pointed out that our interactivity did in fact cause the 42-year-old to beg to stop being tickled without then asking again to be tickled. Not so with the two-year old.

We just hope there's a books on tape or a large print version available soon we can give to Grandma and Grandpa by way of repaying the favor.

This has been one of my favorite books to read to my children and now to my grandchildren but it may be an even more important book for adults who will recognize the subtle lessons that corrolate with our busy lives. When our lives get too busy (too noisy) we disengage from our body and spirit and live only in our complex and critical left brain. It is only when we remove some of life's distractions that we can re-engage with our mind, body and spirit and relax. This happens when we are doing something quiet that we truly enjoy such as hiking, watching a sunset, or sitting by a waterfall. When we are quiet and direct our thoughts within, healing has room to take place.

Great classic story, wonderful illustrations and story line. Wish I could have this in a board book format. My 9 month old loves the "swoosh swoosh" noises!

I was a substitute librarian, and was thrust into a storytime. The librarian handed me this boook and said it was a great ice breaker. I read it to the class, and it's true! This book practically tells itself - and the kids loved making the animals sounds with me. Well, I decided I was having so much fun, I shifted gears and became a children's librarian, and used this book a LOT! Not only fun with the various animals, but good vocabulary (hissed, swished, etc.) and the children really do get to know new words and also know instinctively what they mean. I cannot praise it highly enough - bought it for both my nephews!

My mom was so happy to get this. She used to read it to us as kids.

This was my favorite book when I was little. I made my mother read it to me at least one hundred times a day. Now that I have children of my own, I want to share it with them. My 3 year old son knows most of the book by heart now. I look forward to cuddling up with my children every night before bed to read this story together.

This is a great book for toddlers, very cute pictures, sparkly accents and cute story!

This is a great book. Each page has lots of different things to touch and feel. The pages are very thick and durable. The text is cute and I don't get tired of having to read it over and over to my 18 month old.

This really is a beautiful book and a favorite of my daughters when she was 1 & 2 yrs old. She is 4 now and she still enjoys looking at the pictures and touching everything. The book has held up extremely well and still looks practically new.

My 11 month old loves this book so much she squeals with delight! It is bright, cheerful, colorful and interactive, a must read for her bedtime.

I bought this book for my 9mnth old daughter and she loves to feel the different textures. Even my 3yr old loves to touch it. With all the colors and textures my daughter sits long enough for me to read it to her, because she can touch stuff. Very fun and cute book for little ones.