Brooks Books

I'm a member of a Sherlock Holmes Club and we've often wondered about Dr. John Watson's first marriage to an American woman. This new book, No Ordinary Terror, answers that question. Or at least provides one viable answer.

Although this new book can't be called a Sherlockian pastiche, all fellow devotees will find this mystery a fine addition to their collection. Even the great detective makes a brief appearance at a critical juncture.

FYI-this first in the Watson Twins mystery series concerns a murder investigation conducted by the children of Dr. Watson. They learned their craft from Sherlock, their so-called uncle. Now an adult, the daughter, Emma, is a physician and suffragette. The son is a maverick artist of growing fame. The plot is very involving and will take you on a roller coaster ride from the beginning. Try as you may, you'll never discover the murderer until the end.

Kudos from a 50-year Sherlockian. I'm happily hooked on the Watson Twins.

No Ordinary Terror is a detectie story set during the time of political turmoil leading up to World War I. Meticulously researched and presented, with an almost classical knack for literary grace, No Ordinary Terror follows Richard and Emma Watson, twin children imbued with the heritage of the legendary Dr. John H. Watson who served as friend, confidant, and assistant to Sherlock Holmes. These amateur detectives must follow deadly leads from the heights of aristocracy into the depths of the dirtiest slums, in hope not only saving their friend, but England itself. A captivating period piece mystery.

No Ordinary Terror is set in 1910 London, but the plot takes you to northern Scotland and a mining area of Wales before it culminates in a surprising and unexpected climax in London. The main characters, the adult twin son and daughter of Dr. John H. Watson, are well developed and Van Dyke's understanding of the era is evident in every detail of this engaging and well researched mystery. But it was the plot and the author's ability to tell an exciting tale that kept me turning pages until midnihght. I eagerly await the second in the Watson Twins mystery series.

I picked up a copy the other day and to my surprise and delight, it's a thrilling suspenseful mystery full of great characters, unique settings and written in a style that lets the story unfold on its own without the typical contrivances and overbearing style of many authors today.

Sibling conflict, a touch of romance, physical confrontation, and a looming danger from anarchists are woven together by a new author who knows his craft and the era of which he writes.

This page-turner is a must for history and mystery readers alike. Don't be surprised if you discover things you never knew about Edwardian times.

This book is very well laid out. I am a teacher and would absolutely recommend this as an intro textbook to marine science. It contains all that you would need to know. great as a first year colledge text or even an advanced high school textbook.

Purchase and delivery were right on key. Very pleased with whole process. Item arrived in excellent condition. My daughter received a B+ on her first Oceanography College Exam (just points away from an A). That makes all the difference in the world....................Thanks.

This textbook is very well written. It is ubnderstandible to students and others of all ages and interests. It contains intersting color pictures and graphics about the subject material for each chapter. Each chapter also contains web links to a homepage that accompanies the book. The book is full of intersting personal stories, history, theory, and facts. Dr. Garrison and all who have contributed to this book have set the standard for textbooks and integrated learning for the next decade.

I took Tom Garrison's class at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA. Wonderful class! He taught along with the book and every session was both insightful and interesting. Dr. Garrison is without a match in instructional etiquette and eloquence. Indeed, this book showcases his best work on the subject. Read the book... Be educated by the diagrams and charts... Be taken back at the amazing realms of life under the ocean... And most of all, be in awe of a marvelous earth (or "Oceanus") that is in great need of our consideration right now. Otherwise we end up dead like the aliens... Oops.. I hope I did't give a way the ending! If you have few bucks, come and take the class at OCC. You will be so glad you did. Just don't come in late through one of the side doors, or leave your cell phone on. He can't STAND those things! It drives him CRAZY!

Aristotle is amazing in his insight into the human nature. "Aristotle on rhetoric" focuses on what people like, how to talk to them, and how to act around them. However, be forewarned that the reading is not light, many hours can be spent on each chapter. If you are interested in finding out that people are the same today as they were in ancient Greece, read this book!

I can't understand quite what it is about Kennedy's book that has so outraged the last reviewer("Spare me the PC!!",Dec. 26,'01). It can't be any real "PC" dogmatism;there's none in Kennedy's book. But take a look at the passage the anti-PC reviewer refers to,& judge for yourself:
"Two features of my translation may be worth pointing out in advance. ...[Here Kennedy discusses a feature that need not concern us now.]... A second feature is avoidance of some of the sexist language seen in older translations,which often speak of 'men' when Aristotle uses a more general plural. I have used *man* or *men* only in those few instances in which the word appears in the Greek; otherwise I use *someone*,*people*,or *they*. On the other hand,to alter Aristotle's many uses of *he*,*his*,or *him* in reference to speakers or members of a Greek assembly or jury would be unhistorical & involve an actual change in the text. Aristotle usually envisions only males as speaking in public; but he clearly did not think that rhetoric was a phenomenon limited to males...."
Now whether Kennedy considered this feature a "virtue" of his translation (as the anti-PC reviewer suggests) is debatable; but based on what I've quoted,Kennedy seems only to speak of it as one of two features "worth pointing out in advance".
Now what has so outraged the anti-PC reviewer? It's not as though Kennedy is translating Aristotle's use of the Greek words for *man* or *men* into gender-neutral English words. Kennedy explicitly says that he has *not* done so.
Kennedy is saying that wherever Aristotle uses a noun or pronoun (*other* than "man/men" or "he/him") that happens in Greek to be masculine in gender,even though there is no particular reason to think (and maybe even positive reason *not* to think) that Aristotle means to be referring exclusively to males,then in such cases (and,from what I understand,*only* in such cases) Kennedy uses a word that in English is gender-neutral,like "person/people" or "someone". Now there is no reason to get into a huff about this or think that Kennedy is constructing some barrier between us English readers & what Aristotle is actually saying. The neuter "gender" just wasn't used in Greek as a way to refer to a mixed group of males & females or as a way to refer to people without specific reference to their gender. The masculine "gendered" words were used for this purpose. This was just a fact about the language.
It's true that in English we sometimes oddly use a word like "guys" to refer to a mixed group of males & females or even to a group of women only,& we sometimes use a word like "he" to refer indefinitely to *someone*,male or female. But in English such cases aren't the norm. In fact,it's peculiar that the specific word "guys" *may* be used in the way I just mentioned,but the word "men" is *never* used in that way. And although "he/him" is,as I said,used with gender-indefinite reference,it's increasingly *not* the norm; these days we just as often see the words "he or she" or even "she" were we formerly found only "he". Now this is just a fact of our language,whether or not you agree that it is an improvement. (I haven't commented on the use of the suffix "-man",which is another matter that is fairly irrelevant here.)
So unless we think that Aristotle actually is referring exclusively to males every time he uses a noun or pronoun that happens in Greek to be masculine in gender,a translator is rather misrepresenting the Greek to translate,as a matter of course,these words into words that in English are obviously-and almost always,exclusively-masculine,like "man/men" & "he/him". Kennedy is simply trying to accurately represent in English a grammatical feature quite common to Greek words but rather rare in English.
I have made a big deal of a point that Kennedy only says was "worth pointing out". I've done this only to do better justice to Kennedy's translation which is quite an improvement over previous English translations.(Even *if* the anti-PC reviewer were justified in his/her characterization of Kennedy's attitude about gender,I don't see how the reviewer arrived at his/her one-star rating. Is this all the reviewer cares about in a translation? Or does he/she think that Kennedy's choice of "people" over "men" totally *ruins* an otherwise good translation?!)
The anti-PC reviewer has (apparently unwittingly) propagated the PC agenda by giving undue attention to what,for serious readers of Kennedy's translation,can be only marginally important.

I read these works for a graduate seminar on Aristotle.
Definition of Rhetoric- capacity of persuasion. Plato is critical of the Rhetoric and the tragic poetry. Rhetoric is approach to political public speeches in the forum. Plato thought that they clouded the mind and thus created a part of his critique of democracy in general. Plato thinks Socrates was killed by rhetoric used by the Athenian democracy. Plato feared the danger of democracy. Poetry appeals to the base human emotions rhetoric, and poetry block rational truth according to Plato. Rhetoric is psychological force of language vs. logical force of language. Psychology leads people to believe things based on emotions. Speech must appeal to the masses in a democracy. Psychology is persuasion, logic is truth. Deduction and induction is arguing logically. Plato says rhetoric is not a technç, (craft) nor is poetry, because they are undisciplined and not uniform in design. Thus, appeal to psychology and emotion can never be done away with in a democracy, thus Plato abhors them and democracy. Plato calls it sophistry this psychological appeal and democracy requires this to exist, so the problem persists. Plato is clear and consistent in his abhorrence of sophistry and democracy.

Aristotle's Rhetoric and Poetics are an alternative to Plato. Aristotle's rhetoric tries to strike a middle position. Aristotle says rhetoric and poetry are a technç, the Rhetoric is a handbook. Aristotle says speaker needs to appeal to appropriate information for the particular setting. Much like a lawyer's argument, not just relying on facts, need to appeal to people's emotions. Aristotle does understand that rhetoric can be used in a harmful way.

Aristotle lays out three features in rhetoric:
1. Ethos= character of the speaker, also charisma, speaker earns the audience's trust, use of body language.
2. Pathos= condition of the hearer.
3. Logos= essential bearing on political persuasion, truth.

Thus, Plato's concern by definition excludes speech because it deals with emotion. These three conditions must be in play for a speech to be successful. The rhetoric contains a detailed analysis of the different human emotions and how to elicit them in a speech. Aristotle knows the speaker must be a good student of human nature to tap into human emotions.

Epistçmç is scientific knowledge. Phronçsis is the capacity of the soul for using education, experience and habit all this is in the ethics. This is the same in political world so politics is not an episteme no scientific reasoning. The things that come up in politics are not deduced scientifically. In politics, humans use deliberation between several possible outcomes unlike math where there is only one correct answer. Political speech is contentious because the nature of politics is contentious.

There are two circumstances in rhetoric.
1. Judicial rhetoric has to do with the past like in a court case.
2. Deliberative rhetoric has to do with the future, what decision should we make in political policies.

I recommend Aristotle's works to anyone interested in obtaining a classical education, and those interested in philosophy. Aristotle is one of the most important philosophers and the standard that all others must be judged by.

Aristotle's treatise "On Rhetoric" has been the seminal work in the field since it was written. There is a very real sense in which there is nothing new under the sun since Aristotle's day, and that the rhetorical constructs of Burke, Toulmin and every other rhetorical theorist are simply Aristotle's concepts dressed up in new terms. Certainly no one has been as comprehensive in cataloguing all the available means of persuasion. The study of rhetoric begins in earnest with Aristotle's volume. While there are numerous translations of "On Rhetoric" available, this remarkable translation by George A. Kennedy is the one worth owning. Kennedy has studied classical rhetorical for over three decades and he brings his knowledge of what rhetoric meant in the time of Aristotle to his translation. By the time you get to the first sentence of this translation--"Rhetoric is an antisrophos to dialectic"--you have ample evidence that Kennedy is the ideal translator for this text. You will have gone through a Prooemion, an Introductory essay, a synopsis of the first three chapters of Book 1 before you get to that first sentence, which contains two footnotes detailing the contemporary meanings of "rhetoric" and "antistrophos." More than any other scholar to tackle this project, Kennedy is as well versed in the subject matter as he is the original language. Kennedy's translation also benefits from the fact that it is eminently readable.

Additionally, this volume includes only a glossary and bibliography, but two excellent appendixes. The first consists of Supplementary Texts: (A) Gorgias' "Encomium on Helen," the showcase speech by the leader of the Sophists; (B) Aristotle on "Art as an Intellectual Virtue" from his "Nicomachean Ethics"; (C) "An Introduction to Dialectic" from Aristotle's "Topics"; (D) Cicero's "Description of Aristotle's Synagoge Tekhnon"; (E) Aristotle on "Word Choice and Metaphor" from his "Poetics"; and (F) Kennedy's note on "The Concept of the Enthymeme as Understood in the Modern Period." The second appendix features three Supplementary Essays: (A) "The Composition of the 'Rhetoric'"; (B) "The History of the Text After Aristotle"; and (C) "The Strengths and Limitations of the 'Rhetoric.'" The supplemental works alone would make this the translation to own. Every teacher or student of rhetorical theory/criticism needs to own Kennedy's translation of Aristotle's "On Rhetoric."

I received this book as a Graduation gift. Although the illustrations might appeal to a younger audience I feel that the subject matter appeals great to adults who are having a bad, bad day. :)

i got this book as a christmas present... it wasn't how i had imagined, but it was so cute and funny! it's something i would give to anyone who had a "bad bad day".

I got this book to snap myself out of bad work days. Follow our beloved Oopsy Daisy through all her misadventures....toothpaste attacking, ninjas, & swimming. Whenever I get angry and feel picked on I rely on this book. I began to giggle and laugh. Fairly soon I'm quite relieved that at least I'm not Oopsy!! Never too old, never too young, no one can do without this endearing and hysterical book.

For those with a dark sense of humor, this book is for you. With bright candy-colored graphics, the author recounts Oopsy's bad day. It's like a children's book for adults, with some minor drug references to a "bad trip" and other unfortunate incidents. I liked this book better than the author's previous "Emily the Strange." I also purchased the "Oops I said the f-word journal" and Oopsy Daisy's Fold and Mail stationery, two really cool artsy accessories. This book just made me laugh out loud.

because I had hoped for something to supplement the perspective from Lowry-Richardson's book. It is still a good book, though, especially for the undergraduate.

caroll's book is an excellent "advanced" organic textbook and reference. more of a teaching textbook than a strict reference guide, but all around great. it's without a doubt the best adv organic text i have come across (out of the 7 that i own and many others that i have glanced thru). highly recommended.

I read this text in my organic chemistry core course.I am certain that this is not one of the "run of the mill" texts in organic chemistry flooding market today.I must say it's really an advanced text that gives you less of statements and more of proposals.It stimulates reader's scientific temper and makes the reader challenge the simplistic and dogmatic perspectives prevailed in the contemporary organic chemistry.As mentioned by the author he could refrain himself from making it an encyclopedia of organic chemistry but he gives us the rationale behind the stabilities and reactivities of organic molecules by which one can enter into the "dreadful endless jungle"(in Friedrich Wohler's words,1835) with innumerous mind-boggling reactions with appreciable amount of confidence.It is not recommended for the beginner in the subject but is a real beacon for the graduate students in the feild.

Carroll's text does not attempt to teach organic chemistry per se. Rather, it tells the story of how many of our key ideas about organic chemistry have developed through the past 80 years. I certainly do not recommend it for introductory students, but it is an excellent read for anyone intending to pursue chemical research because it urges the reader to challenge yet not entirely disregard the simple, often incomplete ideas that are taught to introductory students.

I bought this book with some others that I needed, but without being able to page through it. I was hoping for a book with few words but great photos that show the different aspects of pumpkins and growing to share with my preschool special education classroom before our visit to the pumpkin farm. What a happy surprise to find out it was Perfect! It contained some photos of planting that I had no pictures of yet. Plus the written text accentuated the photos. It was short enough that I didn't have to "paraphrase" to my class. Excellent choice!

Pumpkins is a beautifully done book for children, ages 4 - 8. It details through photography a pumpkin from the beginning to the final carved product.

It shows and tells how the farmer plants the seeds, what the new plants look like, how pumpkins form and what they look like and even the many colors, shapes and sizes they come in.

I was really impressed by this beautiful book. The only thing that really bothered me is that there were photography of trick-or-treaters dressed in some really scary costumes-considering the age it is geared to.

If you celebrate Halloween, then you will not want to miss Pumpkins. It will be a wonderful treat for your favorite child.

Armchair Interviews: Special look at a pumpkin as it becomes a jack-o-lantern.

The photographs in this book are beautiful. My favorite, by far, is the one on the cover. I sure hope this wasn't photo-shopped- it would take the magic out of it.

Written by Ken Robbins, Pumpkins is a picturebook celebration of the edible plant that is cherished as a Halloween symbol. Full-color photography offers a tour of the life of a pumpkin plant, from seeding to flower to fruit and harvest, and finally being carved into a scary jack-o-lantern. The perfect seasonal read-aloud book for Halloween, Pumpkins is especially fun to page through for young pumpkin lovers eagerly looking forward to the holiday season.

The Rush Hour Cook series is a collection of small books that are designed to easily fit into a purse or briefcase without taking up much room. In the "Effortless Entertaining" book you can expect the usual categories of appetizers, main meals, and desserts. One of the requirements for a recipe to make it into the Rush Hour Cook series is that the ingredients must be easy to find in just about any grocery store. So if you plan on preparing something from the book you can drop it into your purse or carry it along and pick up the ingredients on the spot.

Various tips are also scattered throughout the book. At the end there are five days of suggested meals as an example of meal planning and the shopping list that would be needed to prepare all of these meals. These are practical, easy to prepare, and quick recipes that are sure to please at any entertainment function. Not just for entertaining adult friends with things like Chicken with Mushroom-Sherry Sauce but also for entertaining a group of children with recipes like Kids-love-it Casserole. This is a great gift for the novice cook or the person who just wants to make a quick meal and get on to other things.

I heard about this book on the radio and can see why this book has gotten so much press coverage. I love it! You can fit it in your purse and it includes complete grocery lists so you can grab all the groceries you need for a week quickly and easily. I bought the set of 4 and also bought a bunch to use as Chrsitmas presents and they received rave reviews! I think this book is a relief from those huge cookbooks with tons of useless recipes. My family has loved everything I have made so far!

Thanks to Brook and her cookbook I am saving time when I entertain using the shopping list in the book and the very tasty recipes. My guests are wanting more of the foods I am serving them. They think I spent hours in the kitchen when I didn't but shhhh don't tell.

"Truth be told -I'd love to have friends over more often - whether it be formal or informal. In order to do that I would need an arsenal of realistic recipes for the person who wants to entertain-but doesn't have 100 hours (or a staff of 12) to execute the preparation." ~Brook Noel

Brook Noel has appeared on ABC World News, Fox Friends, CNN Headline News, AM Northwest, The Parent's Journal and hundreds of other shows. She has also been featured or mentioned in The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Woman's World, Salon and Town & Country to name a few.

If you think you don't have time to cook, just ask Brook Noel where she finds the time to write cookbooks, let alone getting dinner on the table fast. She also has formed a E-Club that sends out cute assignments in order to conquer clutter and get organized for good. At the end of 70 days, you get a "Certificate of Sanity."

Brook Noel has a wonderful sense of humor, is willing to look at her lifestyle realistically and really wants to help families find their way back to the dinner table. With cookbooks in hand, she offers families solutions to kitchen chaos. If you are rushed for time, these tiny cookbooks can help you get organized fast.

Brook Noel used to make pies without pitting the cherries, color unboiled Easter Eggs and make lasagna out of pizza. But fear not, she has officially learned how to cook appetizing meals.

In this cookbook, you will find recipes for: Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette, Beef Roast with Onion-Mushroom Gravy, Summer Melon a la Mode, Pan Fried Bananas, Sloppy Joes, Caribbean Chicken, Guacamole and Perfect Parmesan Chicken.

Her ideas about making your own croutons will make you salads much more tasty but I use butter instead of oil to fry the bread cutouts. You can also use rum flavoring in her Pan Fried Banana recipe, just a drop or two will do.

A cute little book that will encourage you to invite people over more often. Most of these recipes serve eight.

~The Rebecca Review

Hands down the most comprehensive set of A+ Certification prep tools available. Meyer's book fails on DOS/Windows. Jones and Landes could have done better. And both Gilster and Groth have a tendency to oversimplify. This is the only suite that will satisfy the knowledge hungry soul. But buyer beware...if you lack either ambition or aptitude, go with the books written by the previously mentioned authors. With "Ultimate...", Mueller, Brooks, and Berkel go beyond what is required to past the tests...they give you what is required to succeed outside in the real, working world. For those who demand only the most comprehensive of study tools, this is indeed the "Ultimate A+ Certification Kit".

This is not review, but just some information on this kit, since the webpage provides very little. The kit consists of 3 items:

Brooks's "A+ Certification Training Guide" (reviewed elsewhere on amazon.com)

Mueller's "Upgrading and Repairing PC's", 10th anniversary edition (reviewed elsewhere on amazon.com)

New Riders "Top Score A+ Certification Test Simulation Software" (sounds similiar to the MacMillan "A+ Certification Testprep Software" reviewed on amazon.com)

This kit COMPLETELY covers EVERYTHING you NEED to ace the A+ exam. It also includes an excellent PC Repair Manual and software with over 1000 practice questions. Most important, it offers you the KNOWLEDGE you need to get a great job OR to start your own PC business (or both). I plan to use it to teach a HIGH SCHOOL class in PC Repair starting Fall '00. My goal will be to have my students A+ certified by the end of the school year. For newbies, I would suggest 90 days of study for each of the 2 tests (this is the max amount of time allowed between tests). The tests cost approximately $100 each. I DO NOT recommend the DUMMIES series. My background: CSCI Instructor, Technology Coordinator, Technical Specialist, User Support Analyst.

If you are at all interested in attaining your A+ professional designation this is the only set of books that you will need. Scott is one of the most knowledgeable PC hardware tech's in the world.

This is a "must-read" book for all teachers & administrators. For not only are we charged with teaching the three R's, we are entrusted with the emotional well-being of a child. How would you want your child to be treated by their teacher? I hope my daughter's teachers have read this book and understand the significant messages within.

Dr. Brooks is a charismatic speaker and writer. This book is an excellent motivator and inspiration to all of those in the field of education. After reading this book the reader will recall and forever appreciate the teachers that have shaped their life.

Robert Brooks' book "The Self Esteem Teacher" is an inspiring must read! His message brings hope to teachers and students alike!

I recently had the honor of listening to Dr. Brooks speak in Colorado. His ideas and suggestions, which are all in the book were wonderful. Every teacher should read this book and live Dr. Brooks' message.

This is an absolute MUST READ for teachers and parents alike. Dr. Brooks provides the reader with an intimate look into the mind and heart of children in the classroom. The book made me laugh and cry. But more importantly, it made me recognize the importance of nurturing a child's self-esteem. Educators (and parents!)who integrate his (incredibly simple!) strategies into their curriculum, will positively impact the student's life.....far beyond the impact of the "reading and writing."

His style is easy and engaging. His message is invaluable!

One things for sure, there are not many books like this.

As readers we get to see the world of a cancer patient through Izzy's eyes, our fourteen year old cantankerous (or regular teenage angst) main character. For six grueling months we follow her from diagnosis, treatment, to conclusion... sorry, no spoilers here. As readers we come away with both an attachment to the storyline and an appreciation of what having cancer must feel like.

I'm happy that someone has finally written a good teen book about cancer that doesn't 1. bog us down with too much medical jargon, 2. chips away at the mystery for all of us looking in from the outside, and 3. gives us a characters we can relate to. My complaint is that at times the story feels a bit disjointed. Also, if I ever talked to my Mom the way Izzy does, illness or not, I wouldn't be typing this review right now!

Izzy has cancer - and is back in school trying to catch up. Her descent into illness - and struggle to retain to a world of normalcy - makes SIDE EFFECTS an outstanding survey of cancer recovery, delving into much more than the usual physical issues of struggling with cancer. Leisure readers in grades 4-8 will find it outstanding.

From the author of The Girls (a realistic look into the inner workings of an all-girl clique) comes a novel about an almost-fifteen-year-old who is diagnosed with lymphoma. The once-healthy Izzy is suddenly hospital-bound. The faces of the nurses, doctors, and counselors who surround her blur as she undergoes chemotherapy. Meanwhile, her mom is a mess, her father is fairly steady, her little brother doesn't quite understand what is going on, and her best friend isn't allowed to visit her.

While her body battles cancer, Izzy's tongue stays as sharp as the needles that the nurses stick in her arm. Instead of a book riddled with angst, the story details Izzy's treatments and her physical and emotions reactions bluntly. Instead of being a sob story, this is the story of survival. Izzy refuses to give up, and readers won't give up this book until they've reached the final page. Well-done.

Izzy wakes up one morning concerned because her glands are still swollen from a recent sickness--and she soon discovers that she has cancer. She's placed into a children's hospital where people come talk to her until she no longer hears what they're talking about. All she can do is concentrate on drawing.

Her mother is a basket case and Izzy is in shock.

Now her life has drastically changed. People who were her friends no longer talk to her and people she's never talked to are fake around her. She doesn't quite know how to react, but it's not with the anger her best friend feels.

Izzy goes though treatments: pain, the puking, and the needles, but still never loses her sense of humor.

SIDE EFFECTS takes a deep look into the medical and emotional roller-coaster of cancer patients. With Izzy, you hear the knowledge first-hand, which makes you both laugh and cry.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel