Ford Books

We used this guide daily - took it everywhere we went.

The descriptions of the places we visited - tourist sites, Smithsonians, art museums, things-to-do, restaurants - were accurate and succinct.

Frommer's Guide has a highly detailed map of the Metrorail inside and a quick-reference guide inside the back cover; the METRO is a great way to (literally) get around DC (SF Bay Area's BART pales in comparison.) Many free maps of the city are available at various sites, but the heavy-duty foldout included with this guide is the one we used the most.

I would think that even a long time resident of DC could benefit from this guide.

From dining to sightseeing to sleeping, we are always happy with the tips and recommendations in Frommer's Guides.

This was the first guidebook I purchased when planning my trip to Washington, DC. Frommers always covers the bases and this book is no exception. Hotels, restaurants, local attractions, and more are all covered here. I also found the "Best" lists that Frommers always includes to be useful. It helps me zoom in on the best of the best experiences when time is short on a trip.

The problem I had with the book is that the level of detail for many of these entries was lacking. Hotels get a nice write up but the vast majority of those covered are above the budget for a typical traveler. The information on the tourist attractions also seems fairly comprehensive... until you compare it to the The Unofficial Guide to Washington, D.C. (Unofficial Guides) and realize how much more clear and complete that guide is. While I used this guide for the early stages of planning, it was my frustration with it that prompted me to look at other books and I ultimately stopped using this one and didn't even bring it with me on the trip. The Unofficial Guide has nearly double the pages of this book and none of it is filler.

In closing, this is not a bad guidebook for Washington, DC. Most of the basics are covered competently and I'm sure a lot of people have used it and been satisfied. Once you read the Unofficial Guide, however, you'll realize just how much useful information is left out of the Frommers Guide.

This book is full of information that you will use, not just wordy passages to fill the pages. It's a pretty quick read and in my 30 day stay in DC I used it almost daily.

This was the first time I used a Frommer's guide and I will definitely choose Frommer's again for other places when I plan to visit.

This book, accompanied by a Streetwise Map of DC, is all you will need to make the most of your time in the nation's capitol!


Update/Additional Comments August 4, 2008
I am adding this comment because my previous review doesn't give much info. The Frommer's DC guide will help you in many ways:

How to travel to/from/within DC

Where to stay in DC with pricing info, etc.

Food in DC - where to eat with kids, special occasion dinners, late night snacks, happy hour specials

Leads you to the most popular sights as well as special interest locations

With relation to the sights and dining, the location, metro stop (or other transportation), hours and details of visiting are provided with each entry

After reading this book I felt like I had a friend sit down and tell me all about DC and the best way to enjoy it.

FROMMER'S WASHINGTON D.C. 2007 is a great book on Washington, D.C. and its surrounding suburbs, discussing all of the historical sights, museums, and some interesting shopping, but giving very little space to the malls in the suburbs. However, even if you're not going to visit Washington in the near future, anyone who says that they're a loyal American will really get a lot out of this book.

We all love parts of Star Wars, but why settle? For example, he could take a novel like Defenders of the Holy Grail and make it as magical as Lord of the Rings. His fantasies miss connections with the modern world His studio could be making real statements about the human condition instead of lightweight _______.

Wonderful book about the great filmaker who gave us such masterpieces as THX 1138,Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars. . . .very rich and well done with beatiful colored pages, and comments from other filmaker on the movies of George Lucas. . . . a wonderful edition that would look great on anyone cofee table,so go out and buy it today.

This book gives you a sequence of events in Lucas' creative empire. It also contains interesting quotes from the man himself as well as other significant contributors to his work. It may come as a surprise to some of us that Lucas' goals are quite similar to our own; the only difference is that he has a very strong will to make it all come true.

Contained in this book are his projects that touched many who will never imagine the same way again.

George gave us visions of a future never before seen - this book is a chronicle of his works. The full page images and stories behind the ideas will leave you with a better sense of how this incredible universe came to be.

A GREAT BOOK!

George Lucas: The Creative Impulse is a great book which gives the reader a view over George Lucas and his life and filmography. The book introduces in sections Lucas' "early years", his films and also briefly his companies (ILM, Skywalker Sound, LucasArts) and also takes to a tour around Skywalker Ranch.

Although there isn't as much behind-the-scenes info I would have hoped for, the book was really interesting with lots of big photographs taken during the production of Lucas' films and other neat stuff.

Great book.

Just like the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series, I enjoyed these inspirational stories. It's a book I'll read over and over again when I need a lift.

Love the stories . . . even the ones I wrote.

This was a heartwarming book but because each story is written by a different person, many of them are poorly written, difficult to follow, or assume you have prior knowledge of specific aspects of certain relegions. While I truly enjoyed the book, it wasn't what i expected. A majority of the stories are based in relegions I have no experience with and meditation and may deal in areas not comfortable to those well seated in catholic or conservative christian denominations. However, if you have an open mind you will enjoy reading the stories contained in the book.

When I am feeling overwhelmed with world news I take "Hot Chocolate for the Mystical Soul" with me into a hot bath tub and read story after story to relax.

Because each story is written by a different person, from many different beliefs, it is educational to see how others think. It is like peeking into their minds as I read the magic and mysteries that are unfolding in their lives.

give yourself the gift of reading these inspiring,enjoyable and enlightening stories. They fill your heart with love and comfort. I highly recommend this book for anyone who needs more love.

MATHS ART PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES

My students enjoy these art projects. I like them because they review and reinforce math concepts. Most are not too time consuming, yet the students create nice material to display.

Wonderful book for any one working with children and wanting to find entertaining ways of teaching math concepts. The projects are all very do-able. Good for homeschoolers, teachers, librarians!

This book contains hands on activities for all the math standards. Whether you need to introduce a concept, re-teach, or explore a lesson further, this book will inspire you to bring creativity into math. Most activities require little preparation and materials. Photographs and illustrations make the directions easy to follow. Also included are ideas to extend the lesson, which can be beneficial for advanced learners or early finishers.

I bought this for my daughter but it is really meant for a teacher. I thought it would have cool math related art projects but it really didnt.

I teach fourth graders, and my kids love all the activities from this book -- they look great hung up about the classroom! Art sometimes gets lost by the wayside, but this is a great way to integrate it!

It's great. Would definately order more books by Gary L. Musser

I was able to use this book for two semesters! It contains double the info and you don't have to buy a book the next semester.

Very fast receipt, well packaged, very well priced, and everything included. Outstanding service and will definitely consider buying used textbooks from this seller in the future!

I used the Mathematics for elementary teachers for a college level course. The text is interesting and provides the reader/learner with a solid foundation of Problem solving skills in learning and teaching mathematics. It has several useful examples of the strategies as well as challenging problems that can be solved on ones own. The problem solving strategies are new in the respect that "it's not your mama's math." There are several types of problem solving skills that I was not aware of and will come in handy for teaching and learning because not everybody solves problems the same. The text works at applying concepts to "real classroom" setting. Many of the strategies presented are in line with the National Council Of Teachers of Mathematics Curriculum and Evaluation Standards (NCTM)- the leading authority in the U.S. focusing on keeping standards in math curriculums across the country, to ensure that students are well prepared for future more complex mathematics. The chapters are followed by numerous challenging math problems to solve. And some of the answers are even in the back of the book so you can check yourself. A solid foundation of basic math operations and Algebra I is a must to keep up with the text. The only downside is that I wish there was a workbook to compliment the text. I found myself re doing the same problems in order to get the concepts down. It would have been better if there were more problems similar to the chapters. Another problem was that some of the answers in the back of the book were wrong.

Since I was unable to buy this manual at my college bookstore, it was great to be able to order it....and the manual was in perfect condition!

Practical ideas to utilize in therapy make working with children and adolescents so much easier for therapists who are uncertain how to work effectively with young people. This book helps therapists understand children's needs within a variety of family circumstances and to work effectively with parents to facilitate their parenting skills. Chock full of useful ideas; a wonderful resource! Nancy Nickell

THE BOOK WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AND SEVERAL RESOURCES THAT I WAS ABLE TO USE IMMEDIATELY. IT'S WORTH THE MONEY.

This is a wonderful resource for children's mental health practitioners. It includes art and play techniques on a wide variety of treatment issues. Highly recommended.

This great book is for the therapist working with children and adolescents, where the therapist can use the material as homework, handouts and activities in therapy. The editors, Catherine Ford Sori, professor of psychology and counseling at Governors State University, Illinois and Lorna L Hecker, professor of marriage and family therapy at Purdue University in Indiana, have together with 36 professionals compiled a very important tool for the therapist.
It is divided into eight sections: childrenýs feelings, play in therapy, specific childhood problems, illenes, trauma and bereavement, adolescents, interventions, family and parent education with a total of 46 chapters.
This is a very resourceful book with plenty of ideas, plans and suggestions for use in the encounter with children, adolescents and their families......

Great, user-friendly treatment planner with lots of different activities for both children/adolescents and their families. Great explanations for each topic.

This book is a comprehensive look at the anatomy of a guitar. It does not give enough details to use as a guide to building your own guitar. The color pictures are limited to 12 pages inside center of the book. The rest of the pictures are black and white. There is plenty of discussion of the dreadnaught style, but after reading everything I still didn't have a good idea how it differed from the standard guitar. This book's strong point is the history discussion. If you are looking to build a guitar I recommend "Classical Guitar Making: A Modern Approach to Traditional Design" by John S. Bogdanovich.

There isn't much that the authors don't cover about what goes into a guitar, except for the actual methods of construction (for which you have to go to the Kinkead or Cumpiano books). In this book, you'll learn more than you'll ever need to know about woods, strings, and microphones, and the basics of how to optimize the adjustable bits for your style of playing. The authors know their stuff cold, and it shows.

To get the sort of knowldege this book offers, you have two choices. You could hang around guitar shops for years and years talking with salesmen, customers, repair people, and performers, and learning from them what they consider important in a guitar. Or, if you have a real job, you could read this book instead.

I already have many books on the acoustic guitar, describing technical information, history or concentrating on just one brand.
This book is the most detailed technical book as meant for acoustic guitar owners so far. Each and every part of the guitar is described. Things like fretboard radius or different lacquer types, maintenance, storage, wood with all their aspects. Too many things to mention.

Even a specialist will find some new interesting info.

There are a few color photo's to brighten up the book. I would have preferred a bigger size book (the pages are a little small), but the text is very well written and a pleasure to read. A bigger size plus hard cover and a few more pictures would make it a ***** book for me.

For me, this has been one of the best books i've read in a long time.. It is hard for me to put down.. I have been interested in music as long as I can remember and have played guitar and been interested in the dynamics of sound structure as long.. I know alot of laymen things about the guitar but this book has broken down this incredible instrument and went through each part, step by step in easy to read and understand writing. I am now getting into the art of being a Luthier and this book is full of helpful ideas and terminology.

Loved it! This would make a great film! Enjoyable, a fast & fun read and I wish this would actually happen. What more could you want?

John Ford's book selected an interesting approach through his writing. That approach is interwoven with comical, political and economic perspectives that bind into Roswell's (New Mexico) UFO history possibilities.
His idea is interesting in that it cleverly combines the theme of his work with what the United States has grappled with for many years and has increased in velocity with our current political and economic predicaments.
His book not only needs to be classified under Fiction but also under several other categories; Politic Science, Economic, etc. There are philosophical messages in his book which can easily be enjoyed and discussed in English Literature classes in our public schools.

Andrew Gamboa, Psy.D.

The writing style is unusual and held my attention well. The story line is fun and the end unexpected and provocative. One can read this for light pleasure or for deeper thinking related to the issues of our time. Altogether worthwhile reading.

This is a quick, easy read but with powerful messages. I loved the ending!
It's a fun book in spite of the strong message. If you love the stories of 1947 Roswell, New Mexico, you'll enjoy this one.

I can't wait to read more of John Ford's work. Bonk on the Head was a riveting read that succeeded in doing what all great literature should do......make one think!

Reviewed by Sondra Fowler for Reader Views (2/06)

John James Ford writes poetically, brutally, and yet almost lyrically, about the struggles of a young man searching for himself and his place in his family and the world. Herbert "Verbal" Kempt is the son of a military Colonel and his shell shocked wife. Verbal struggles to reconcile himself with a family that is fraught with eccentricity, dysfunction and trepidation.

After his wild yet lovable younger sister runs away, Verbal is left to float adrift with no true purpose in sight. He finds direction and unexpected confidence in the form of Reserve Military Service. Yet amidst all of the success Verbal can not seem to keep from sabotaging himself.

Much of this story is set at the Royal Military College of Canada. It was a very colorful depiction of life in a military setting. The situations and characters were beautifully and fully written. You felt that you were a fly on the wall through all the torments and achievements experienced by the cadets of November Flight.

While the outside world played a large role in the torment of Verbal Kempt the war inside his head was as challenging. He was a young man with much to learn, much to overcome and much to reconcile.

While some of the military and Canadian terminology was alien to me I found I lost nothing of the story. I feel that "Bonk on the Head" would be enjoyable to those interested in the military tales but equally enjoyable to those who prefer tales of the psyche. It was well written and a pleasure to read.

I'm no critic, but this read is well worth it. Take it from Jim Bartley of The Globe & Mail:

Freaks like us
By JIM BARTLEY
Saturday, August 20, 2005

You've heard of army brats. Gertie Kempt takes the figurative out of the brat. Throbbing along the back roads of the Ottawa Valley in her dad's muscle car, she's a brash and reckless mentor to her malleable younger brother, Herb.

In John-James Ford's assured, often disturbing debut -- a boot-camp bildungsroman -- Herb's journey toward a soldier's manhood is impelled largely by deep and ambivalent love for his rebel sister.

Their father (the "Kernel") is a coiled spring, unwound nightly by gin. Tense after a long day at National Defence Headquarters, he erupts in upper-case during dinner: "THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO REASON YOU NEED TO USE SO MUCH MILK ON A DAILY BASIS." Alternatively, he's quiet and menacing: "I'm always at the ready... I can see through the bullcrap, my son."

Gertie is the family peacenik. Rejecting meat, she describes slaughterhouse techniques at dinner. One day she comes home with some liberated chickens. Within days, dad has blown them to red mist with his shotgun. When Gertie checks out, heading to a B.C. commune, Herb loses his anchor on sanity. One night, on the edge, he cranks up the volume on a recording of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.

"I was no longer Ottawa Valley Irish, but came from hard Russian stock... I had no time to stop for fallen comrades... [and] there was Gertie, waiting for me, torn and ravaged and ragged, but weeping tears of joy at this reunion with her brother, her comrade, her poet-warrior."

Tension builds until, late one night, burned toast and too much gin push dad over the edge. Herb stands up to his father's bullying with eloquent indignation and earns a head-first flight into the kitchen drywall. As the crisis builds and explodes, Ford negotiates the labyrinth of emotions with prose that enters the mind, not like fine writing but simply and powerfully, like all the things it evokes: volcanic anger, sorrow, aching regret.

"Our house was a goddamn freakshow," Herb tells us. It's impossible not to agree. What Ford does, with great sensitivity, is to make the freaks recognizable, and their life sentence an extension of the one we know. The book is filled with hyperbole and dark comedy, but not a hint of the cartoonish. Ford couldn't be more attuned to the tragic potential in petty resentments and the inability to express love.

Absurdly, and completely convincingly, Herb attempts to escape his father by embracing the ironclad certainties of the military. After he's accepted at boot camp for officers, the Royal Military College in Kingston, the real nightmare begins.

Things happen at Ford's RMC that, had they been reported from Abu Ghraib, would only have magnified the scandal. But these lost boys are fellow warriors and the shocks have a purpose: the making of unquestioning killers. Can it be as brutal at RMC as Ford implies? Ford makes it seem plausible. He was also a student there. Only graduates -- and those who fled -- will know where his imagination takes over.

Jim Bartley is The Globe and Mail's first-fiction reviewer.

"Bonk on the Head" is a book that I can't believe wasn't written before now. Canada's Royal Military College (RMC) is an amazing setting for a novel, packed with hilarious and sometimes scary characters and a pressure-cooker of a place where people are put through almost unbelievable demonstrations of their loyalty. John-James Ford uses this backdrop to full effect, and with startling honesty, as he presents the trials of his main character, Verbal Kempt. Whether it's the demands of conforming to the rigorous and insular school society, thinking about sex and how to deal with his girlfriend, or Verbal's thoughts about where he belongs in his messed up family life, Ford delivers an internal monologue and external dialogue that rings true. Ford is also great at evoking atmosphere-places like the no-privacy room Verbal has to share with his roommate Mack, and the colourful daydreams of victory and revenge Verbal has to cope with life. What I especially liked about the book was that Verbal Kempt is not sure of his motivations or where he wants to go, either at home or at military college. This is not a heroic novel. Rather, it's one that I think is that much harder to write but more compelling-the story of a guy who just isn't sure where he belongs. Many of the chapters (whose headings are fantastic in and of themselves) read like short stories, which means the book is a good one for road trips or grabbing a few chapters on your lunch break. I'd also recommend this book to every college or university-level student, if for nothing else so that you say "at least my life isn't that hard, no one was hazing me at 3 a.m. during my first week away from home". I should warn you that the writing is sometimes graphic, so if you have a weak stomach for things like what a men's rugby team may get up to on the road, or what gross obstacles might be set in the path of new military recruits, this book may not be for you. Ford is also brutally honest about just how difficult life at the military college is for women, so don't expect any candy-coating. Overall, a fun and compelling read. I hope this becomes a new coming of age classic.

It was just the way the seller described. Received on time without an issue

A Classic but not much payoff...

It's worth a listen or a read. It's unfortunately a little dry and not quite as exciting as some of it's peers.

This is certainly one of most characterful and dramatic readings in my experience of having heard over 200 audio books. BRAVO to Michael York! I wish more actors of such talent would record more important literature unabridged. Don't miss this phenomenal performance of a great novel!

My son is in High School. This is a required reading book for honors English. He suffers from Dyslexia so he is allowed to listen to the books. Having classics like Brave New World available on CD help him to be able to complete assignments. This CD is read by Michael York. Having the familiar voice of an actor we know makes the listening easier. The story is brought to life.