Rock Books

This book is OK but for the beginner trying to get the most for your money in explanation of precious gemstones, I don't really recommend this book a necessity for right away. You can enter it to your reference library at a later time. It is a good book but doesn't have enough details needed at first for identifications.

Where to begin? Photos, interesting facts, chemical compositions, broad range of stones!!!! The perfect reference for jewelers, libraries, hobbyists, homeschoolers- and to all you crystal/light workers, here is an awesome way to get a view of the crystals mentioned in the text-only guidebooks. See the Rocks & Minerals guide also.

I took out this book in the middle of fourth grade. I loved it so much I kept it till the end of the year. Then I took it out again in fifth grade, along with the Moths and Butterflies book from the same series. These books are wonderful tools for projects, assignments, or just plain fun! I'm planning on buying this book soon once I earn enough money. (I'm broke T_T)

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS AND THIS BOOK HAS TERRIFIC PICTURES AND VERY CLEAR AND CONCISE DESCRIPTIONS. EVERYTHING THAT I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE SUBJECT IS ANSWERED IN THIS BOOK. THERE'S A VISUAL GUIDE TO OVER 130 GEMSTONE VARIETIES AND A COLOR KEY FOR EVERY GEMSTONE. THERE ARE SO MANY INTERESTING BITS OF INFORMATION HERE THAT THE READER GETS A COURSE IN HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, SCIENCE AND FOLKLORE. FOR INSTANCE, THE CUSTOM OF WEARING BIRTHSTONE JEWELRY STARTED IN 18TH CENTURY POLAND; THE MASK OF TUTANKHAMEN WAS MADE OF LAPIS FROM AFGHANISTAN AND THE BEAUTIFUL PINK MORGANITE WAS NAMED AFTER J.P. MORGAN. THIS IS A SUPER REFERENCE BOOK!

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK CALLY HALL PERSONALY FOR SUCH A EXCELLENT WORK ON GEMSTONES. THE WORK CANNOT BE DESCRIBED IN WORDS. I AM A JEWELLER AS WELL AS GEMOLOGIST, GOT QUIET IMPRESSED WITH SUCH PIECE OF ART.

I am a bass player, and learned advanced music theory in the class room and on the bass. This book really helped me apply my knowledge from the bass to the guitar. I also teach, and this is a great guide to teaching music theory. However, it is not for beginners. Like other reviews said, this is not a casual read. Be prepared to play the examples, write out the exercises and play through them. But after all is said and done, this book contains a ton of useful, practical information, and is a great addition to any teachers books.

I bought this for my husband and he says it's wonderful. The cheat sheets are extremely helpful and the layout is very user friendly.

This 54 page (including covers) booklet contains more information that other books many times its size. This is not a casual read book, and could be somewhat overwhelming for someone just starting out. However, it's a treasure trove of useful information for someone willing to study it. The Cheat Sheets are loaded with information. Spend some time with them. The more I study them, the more I see. Helpful for learning the fretboard, scales and chords.

Guitar players seem to fall into two categories. Those who can read notation and those who can't. So why is learning to play music such a killer?

For the biginning guitarist reading notation is like learning geometry. For the advanced player its learning Einstein's "Theory of Relativity.

But, it doesn't have to be that way. As mentioned in previous reviews this book takes the reader visually into the world of note theory without the usual dragged out chapters written in "Latin Text" which is associated with most books written about music theory.

For beginning guitar players this book helps to bridge the communication gap sometimes left at the end of a lesson between student and teacher. To quote an old adage "Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words".

For the advanced and re-entry level player this book is filled with instant visual information showing scale definitions, transposing, cord spelling, intervals, cycle of 5th diagrams, arpeggios, voice patterns and fingerboard layout relationships that are essential to becoming a better guitar player.

The bottom line is this book will open up a new world to your musical abilities. But, you will still need to devote time and effort to reach your full potential as a guitarist.

I am an avid reader and since I got back into music last year, I have purchased at least a hundred books on guitar playing. Since I underline everything, I wanted to go back and take notes from my reading so I could have all the important information in one place. Thanks to Robert Frazier and his Guitar Oriented Condensed Music Theory book - I don't need to bother. He has taken literally every critical highlight out there and put it all together for me. He's also added a few pieces that I didn't find elsewhere and/or made sense of things I'd seen before. In my opinion, you could spend a whole day just unpacking a single page from this material (it's that loaded). I recently took a trip to Croatia with my guitar in hand and had very limited luggage space to spare - this was one of three books that I brought with me. It's not packaged in a fancy way, it's just full of great content. I highly recommend it.

Ah, how I wanted to find another gay sleuth. Since Fred Hunter and his series will no more be as Fred has passed on, this series gives me just what I need. Nick, Juno and Stephan are quite a combo, and since this is my first read in the series, I am sure this book is no exception.

As other reviewers have stated, the murder takes place in a upscale Health Club steam room, and the victom, Vlado, is one of the most popular of the personal trainers at the club. Nick and his bizarre, Divine Miss Juno character take their romp through the steeets of this Michigan burb to find the guilt, and in the process discover much about their own personal demons. But the ride is fun, light fare, and a perfect book for the beach and a cool drink.

But what makes this such a wonderful read is Raphael's view of society, especially as it relates to social doctrine, religious hypocrisy and relationship turmoil. This is a quick read, and you will want to go immediately and get another Hoffman installment.

Hot Rocks is a laugh-out-loud murder mystery. I'm not even a fan of the genre, at all, but I loved this book. You'll feel very smart if you get all the references, a pleasant aspect of reading this novel.

The social observations in this series have always been a hilarious mix of the thoughtful and witty, but Raphael's seventh mystery outdoes the rest as it charts delightful new territory: the luxury health club. Filled with the fitness-obsessed, it's an ideal setting for murder, and Raphael does a deft job of limning all the different personalities and motives that one finds in this super-charged environment rife with envy, jealousy, and murderous rage. But you don't have to ever have done even one push-up to enjoy the details, the insights, the luscious character descriptions, and Raphael's expertise as a mystery writer. I'd consider this the best-plotted mystery of the series since The Edith Wharton Murders, which I remember as having received rave reviews all over, including from the New York Times, and rightly so. This one, appropriately enough, is much leaner. You always hope that the books in a series will get better, and here you will not be disappointed.

I had never read any Nick Hoffman story - nor anything, in fact, by Mr. Raphael - so it was with some apprehension that I picked up Hot Rocks. My fears were quickly put to rest: it's a welcoming introduction to the series for anyone, irrespective of their familiarity with Hoffman, Raphael, the State University of Michigan, Michigan Muscle or any of the other wickedly satirical devices Raphael uses. It's terribly funny and the mystery itself holds together and keeps your attention throughout. I plan on reading more by Raphael based on my enjoyment of this book.

Raphael, Lev. "Hot Rocks: A Nick Hoffman Mystery", Perseverance Press, 2007.

Hot, "Hot Rocks"

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

The Nick Hoffman series has always had social observations and "Hot Rocks" is no different. This time the venue is a health club for the wealthy and the observations are wittier and funnier than ever. The seventh in the series, Lev Raphael does not disappoint a bit--in fact he outdoes the others. The club is brimming with those obsessed with toning their bodies and what an ideal setting for a murder.
If any of you belong to a health club, you are familiar with the types there as well as the aura that pervades, The personalities run the gamut and what a wonderful setting for a crime like murder. We know that health clubs foster jealousy and envy which can become rage quite easily. Raphael is, of course, aware that not everyone is into fitness so he gives us descriptions that are explicit.
Nick Hoffman a SUM professor, like myself, is an academic. Perhaps that is why I enjoy reading his adventures when he acts as a detective.
After the murder has been committed, the list of suspects includes trainers, wives whose bodies need work, club members who are possessed of arrogance and other wealthy characters. None of these are what they appear. Nick does not act alone. He has a fellow detective, Juno Dromgoole. Together they are quite a team--especially when they banter and show how ambivalently they feel for each other.
Nick has just returned from a Caribbean vacation and he knows he has to get back in shape afterwards. He goes, with his partner Stefan to Michigan Muscle but his workout routine suddenly is interrupted when he finds a dead body in the steam room.
What a perfect book to read at the beach. Raphael looks at the culture of the health club as well as American society using Nick Hoffman to satirize the rich. Stylishly written, you will be taken on a series of twists and turns through the world in which we live and you will be turning pages quickly. The writing is clear and probably some of the best that Raphael has done. Nick and Juno manage to get a good look at the life of the wealthy and as they do so, secrets are no longer secret and deceptions cease to deceive. Nick also has to deal with his own secrets and those of his partner who has a complicated past. The book is not just a story but a puzzle that the reader has to solve. Peppered with human characters that are identifiable as people we know, "Hot Rocks" is a fun romp. It isn't just a story, it's a trip. Nick is our driver and quickly becomes a friend who gives a social commentary which is honest and real. As excitement increases and we near a climax and think we have everything figured out, things change and the ride gains speed. I was somewhat sad t close the covers of the book because it meant I would be saying goodbye to friends I had made. But knowing that Raphael is a writer who just doesn't quit, I also know that I will be with Nick again in the eighth of the series.

This is a great book! Our fifth grade teacher read it to us just before we went on christmas vacation. Their was some very funny parts. The television special was great, too! First our teacher read us the delightful book and then we watched the t.v. special. We also found the differences from the book & movie. We wereso attentive to listening to the book, that we went into so much detaile in the differences. I would reccomend this book for anyone!!!

I love this book. It is so sweet and heartwarming and a must read around the holidays. The characters are very interesting with a lot of depth. Addie is so typical of a young girl that I feel like many young woman can relate to her. I love her grandmother. What a wise woman! The father is all too human, grieving for his deceased wife. It's a tender tale and one I like to reread every holiday season!

I remember reading this book when I was in grammar school. It really touched me. Today I am a teacher, and I read it to my classes. They adore it. The T.V. special was excellent too. It was very heart warming, especially for the holidays! I definitely recommend it.

This is a wonderful story about a 10 year old girl who is faced with a rough turn of events in her life every Christmas. Addie's father misses Addie's mother who passed when Addie was very little. Because of his heartbreak over the death of Addie's mother, Addie's father oushes her away, especially at Christmas.

Addie has always wanted a tree and finally wins one at school. The presence of the tree only upsets her father however, and at the last minute she gets rid of the tree.

I truly felt for Addie, and for her father. Neither did she understand her father's feelings anymore than her father understood hers. This is a short story that gets too the point quickly, but has many wonderful things to teach it's readers. I truly enjoyed it.

I read this book to my classes when I taught 4th grade in Nebraska. It was touching and heartwarming, we especially liked the school Christmas party. The characters were so well developed. Everyone related to Addie and her lonely life. I remember it being on TV with Jason Robards as the father. How can we get it back on TV?

Biographical reviews tend to have a standardized format: several chapters on the linage of the subject, tales of early childhood, struggle and (usually)success.

Haberstadt's biography is much the same, except the author does a nice job of leading the reader thru the parts we have to endure by building a strong sense of the frustration and difficulties Doc Pomus faced throughout his life. The book isn't overbearing, and he paints an interesting enough picture of the determination this polio-stricken hall of famer had.

If there is a weakness, it's that you never get a real strong sense of what exactly it was that Doc did. I mean, I still haven't figured out if his contributions to some of the greatest songs were his lyrics, his sense of rhythm, his music, or a combination of all three. Certainly it is poignant to think that "Save the last dance for me" was written as he watched his new wife dance at her wedding, but there was too little addressing the mechanics of Doc's writing for my taste.

I thought it was a most interesting and useful book to have on one of the great contributors to rock and roll.... and long overdue.

During rock 'n' roll's early years Doc Pomus wrote some of the biggest hits from his Lonely Avenue to Save the Last Dance for Me and Hushabye. His works were picked up by Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Bob Dylan and more - and LONELY AVENUE documents his life, inspiration, achievement, and times in an outstanding blend of quotes from his journals and biographical examination. Music libraries will find it an excellent addition.

Great book. I got choked up reading about Doc writing Save the Last Dance for Me.

What a great book. You never think about songwriters when you listen to a song but after reading this book you will. It's the story about the man behind some of the biggest hits of the 50' and 60's but it's so much more. Doc's story is more then his music, it's the life that he led and the trials he overcame to get there. If you're into music or not this is one book that will make you laugh, cry and just revel in one man's life and times.

The writer did his homework, and I'd recomend this book to anyone, also visit the Brill Building, There's Always Magic In The Air.

Great reading!

I can't wait to read this book! I've heard so many good things about it and the you tube trailer is sooooooooooooooo cool! The only thing I wish I could get it on audio cd so I could listen to it on my way to work. But, I'll make the time to read it and look forward to the movie............

I was contacted by Donald Gallinger recently, asking if I'd be interested in receiving a copy of his book The Master Planets. The description and premise was such that I was interested enough to agree. Within about 25 pages, my "I need to be doing..." list was completely shot, because I didn't want to put the book down. That surprised me a bit, as Master Planets isn't necessarily an action-driven novel. But the characters were so real that I found myself emotionally drained at the end.

The story starts with Peter Jameson meeting with an Israeli ambassador who is asking him to attend yet another memorial tribute to his mother. He's tired of being a figurehead for who his mother was and what she did during World War II. From that meeting, Gallinger takes you back to Peter's youth and traces his path to where he finds himself now. Jameson was always convinced that he was meant to be a rock star, and with a few friends he formed a band called The Master Planets. Through a combination of skill, stubbornness, and a little luck, The Master Planets start a meteoric rise up the record charts. But lurking in the background is Peter's family. His mother has a secret past that has never been revealed to the kids. His father is relatively detached from the family, although he cares for them very much. Through a series of events, Peter finds that his mother was a partisan resister during the war, and was responsible for saving thousands of lives of Jews through her actions. But she was also responsible for the gruesome deaths of many German soldiers, and indirectly for the deaths of countless others who were killed in reprisal for her assassinations and raids. Her suicide and possible link to the death of a German war criminal starts to gnaw at his creative efforts, and the band's success starts to stagnate. When an Israeli general contacts him and starts to reveal the full story of his mother's past, it sends Peter and all those around him into a tailspin. He has to figure out how to reconcile his mother's past with his current life, and no part of that life is unaffected.

I was surprised at the way this grabbed me, as I'm normally more inclined to shy away from introspective novels. It's not that there's no action in The Master Planets, it's simply a case of the characters interaction with their past is what drives the story and plot. The book was written in first-person form from Peter's point of view, and I immediately found myself immersed in his life and emotions. A reader who is more contemplative will likely get even more out of the book than I did. But regardless of which type of reader you are, The Master Planets will take you on an emotional ride that you won't quickly forget.

When I got this book in the mail and read it the same day, I immediately bought five more copies and have been sharing them with friends and family. There is a lot here. It brings the effects of the Holocaust to present day America. I have not met Don Gallinger but know I will like you for your depth and insight. Thanks for a great read.

This is a great book. I read the whole thing in two sittings.

The Master Planets compares to le Carre or any of the great adventure/thriller writers. Unexpected plot twists and believeable characters that I really cared about kept me glued to the pages. The story is alternatly fun, thrilling, scary and surprising -- but never, ever dull. I was impressed a Gallinger's effort -- a fine first book. No, a really great first book.

Read it!

I normally shy away from first novels until they're reviewed in The New York Times or the New Yorker. But a friend whose taste I respect urged me to read The Master Planets, and I wasn't sorry. In fact, I couldn't put it down. This is really a page-turner! Gallinger limns the main characters and makes us care about them before whirling them through a maelstrom of emotions that the reader ultimately shares. His feel for place and atmosphere - whether at a New Jersey motor cycle gang's party or in the snowy forests of wartime Poland - is so sure and the discriptions so beautifully written that I felt like I was there right next to the characters. This isn't a feeling I've experienced with such intensity since reading Crime and Punishment when I was a teenager.

Gallinger is an extremely talented writer, and I'm anxious to read his next book. This one would make a great movie!

Diane Markowitz

I started reading this to my sons when they were still in diapers. I would hold them in my arms and rock them gently as I read the book.

Now, my sons weigh about 35 pounds each and I'd be begging for a neck brace if I tried that again. So, instead, I've reintroduced the book as an early reader to my 5-year old and 4-year old during bedtime. They read the book to me and we talk about life on the farm and all the responsibilities a farmer has to his family.

The gentle story still works (you can't read page after page of rock-a-bye and yawning without it having a similar effect).

This is a special book to me because I've read it to all three of my children before bed...over and over again. It was requested by them more than any other bedtime book. It's a very sweet book.

My 14 year old son used to read this with me as a toddler. We both loved "Rocky Farm", as he called it, and I still melt when I see the beautiful pictures and comforting text. I'm trying to find copies for my nieces now. Too bad it is out of print. A lovely book to share with your little one.

This book is about a farmer who rocks all his animals to bed one by one. When one of the animals goes to bed and does not make a sounds he moves on to a different animal. This book is written for children 2-6 years old. It's a very good book to read if you like animals and are just starting to read books.

Rock a Bye Farm has been a favorite in my house and I would highly suggest this book to any one that enjoys reading with their children.

I passed on this book when it first appeared figuring a mere concert list wouldn't be very interesting, what a blunder! This book is far more than a concert chronology, it's an enthralling history of the band, bursting with photos and short essays on the people, places and events that make up Who history. This was clearly a labor of love for the authors, and if Who fanatics have been able to find a few errors scattered around, big deal, I'm just glad the book was reissued as a sub-compact paperback updated to the shows following the death of John Entwistle. As the surviving members of The Who have chosen to "Defiantly spit into the abyss" and continue to tour to critical and public acclaim, further editions of this fine book are entirely justifed. And boy was I thrilled to recently find I still have a ticket stub from a Who show thirty years ago documented in this book. There are maybe half a dozen essential books about The Who and this is one of them, if it's the only one you buy then you've made a good choice, it's outstanding whether you're a new Who fan or a grizzled Wholigan.

Seem to be reading and listening a lot to the Who, and this book was an impulse buy.

For the fan, this is a way to walk through history with the band, from the earliest beginnings as the Detours, and even before with Daltrey's founding of the group, and Townshend and Entwistle's affiliation with others.

A lot of stories, memorabilia, set lists, and very interesting stuff.

I really enjoyed this book. Especially the great photos included.
I bought my copy in London, so it was nice to travel parts of London and see a few places where they actually played! But it's really only for die hard fans of the band (like myself, I guess). Also interesting are the set lists to the shows they played.
I'm no good at writing reviews, but I'll highly recommend this one. It's worth the price. A thanks to Irish Jack and Joe McMichael for making it.

And of course The Who. The greatest band in the world.

First thing you should know is that while this is a thick book, it is also small; around 6" x 5", which is quaint, and not a flaw in anyway, just a surprise. There are lots of great pictures, reviews, accounts, and set lists provided.

The flaw, to my mind though, is that there are no references about circulating RECORDINGS of these shows. Most of the hardcore fans who would buy this book probably collect tapes, bootlegs, and cdrs. Most of the time a setlist or stage comments are provided for a show it's because a recording exists. I would have loved it if the authors could have aknowledged this with brief comments like, "A clear, but distant audience recording exists for the first 80 minutes of the concert" or "A mixed soundboard recording of this show has been bootlegged and rereleased many times." There are websites with this kind of information and other highly collected bands, such as Led Zeppelin, have entire books devoted to the collection of unreleased material.

If you're a fan you're guaranteed to enjoy this book regardless, so get it!

If you get an opportunity to see The Who (now on tour - summer/fall 2000) please do so. Other than Bruce Springsteen, they are without peer on stage.This book does a fine job of detailing Who gigs from the early 1960's (as the Detours)to the 1996-1997 Quadrophenia tour. The authors recap the songs, the stage "happenings" (smashed guitars, onstage feuds, etc.)and other "Odds & Sods". It's kind of like a baseball box score for Who fans! If you're already a Who fan (or are an aspiring one) this is THE book for you!

I have been in real estate since 1979 and after reading this book I have found from the interviews new ideas and ways how I can do things differently in my own business. It stimulated my thinking reading about the success many of the professionals that were intereviewed. I truly believe that this book should be given to every new licensed agent to read and find out from the success of others how they can also be successful. We forget that new licensees need a road map about how to do their own business and they need to see from examples what it takes to make it.

I want to thank the writer, Dr. Margot Weinstein for taking the time to interview these seasoned and successful professionals and giving me new ideas how to do things differently. It is an inspirational book and easy to read. It is a great guide for all real estate brokers to teach their new agents on their team or in their office how to do business in real estate.

I only wish I had this book when I was starting out in real estate but even now, I share it with others and I'm proud to have met the author Dr. Margot Weinstein. I have also been at a conference where she has interviewed the FIABCI World President, Owen Gwyn. Dr. Margot Weinstein is a success in her own life and she is now sharing it through writing about other successful people. Thank you and a Great Job! Sincerely, Dagmar C. Sands
Broker/Owner of Real Estate International, Inc.
President of Heart Smart Properties, LLC
CIPS,FIPC,FIREC,ABR
www.DagmarSands.com
www.WorldClassRealEstateBroker.com
www.HeartSmartProperties.com

Margot Weinstein succeeded in extracting a number of important career development competencies from practice. This book is not theoretical in nature, which makes it very accessible. It takes real life situations and problems as examples and builds on these in order to define and enhance career success. A good read for anyone interested in expanding their own career potential.

Dr. Weinstein uses her talents as an introspective interviewer to offer a roadmap to successful career development. As a doctoral student, I have used this book to carve out my own niche in my industry of choice and have recommended it to several people who are considering a career change or are just getting started.

I consider this required reading for anyone that is still searching for that perfect life balance.

One thing this book did for me was to push me past the fear of how hard it may be to be successful. As I went from chapter to tchapter and did the exercises, there were times I wanted to put the book down, veg out in front of the television and try to creep back into the phoney satisfaction of having a job that just gets me by financially. But I knew I craved something bigger and more lucrative that I could pour myself into.

As I journeyed through Dr. Margot's book, I began to discover more about myself, my passions and a career I needed to pursue. I became motivated to organize my life and set aside time to contemplate my career change. I chose a different form of education because I realized the path I was on was not one I was passionate about.

I'm still on this journey, but I am definitely more equipped to make choices that are better suited to my personality and dreams because of reading this book.

Simply The Best
Thank You, Margot for writing this book. In these changing times with all the downsizing, mergers and job losses, your book truly gives an individual a roadmap for finding that perfect career in these uncertain times.

This book provides me with many leadership building activities to use in my classes at school. The various activities teach communication skills and goal setting,along with games that encourage making good and healthy choices. Marvelous resource for sponsors and teachers who emphasize being good role models!

I am a teacher in an alternative high school and was fortunate enough to meet Tom Jackson in person at a conference just a few weeks ago. He did many of his "lessons" with us and they were fabulous. I went and bought all of his books and now can't wait for the school year to start so I can use his lessons on my students!

Activities that teach has worked very well for us. We use the activities in our 4-H Club. Members age range is between 9 and 18. This book has provided activities that promote thought and sportsmanship. The members have enjoyed working through the activities.

This book is awesome for teachers!! I am a Home Ec. teacher for Middle School and I use at least one of these activities per day! It's great for all grades and can be simplified if needed.

I use this book teaching Health to grades 6-8. It contains a variety of activities that are great supplements to units for social isssues, decision making, alcohol, smoking, drugs & more. Most of the hands on activities involve every student in the class, so they really remember the message!. Discussion questions are listed after each lesson. I started using this book by borrowing it from another teacher, now I've got my own copy.