Kites Books

I picked up A Guide Book of Lincoln Cents by Q. David Bowers last weekend and thought I would post a review of what I thought of it.

It starts off with a nice forward by Charles D. Daughtrey and moves into some very interesting sections. There is of course the history of the Lincoln Cent both wheat and memorial reverse. Then it moves into the minting process. After that it goes into the proofs and how they were made from 1909 to date.

The proof section I found very informative and interesting, after that it goes into grading Lincoln Cents, Mr. Bowers is very honest when it comes to third party grading services and provides some background on when they started.

It then moves into how to be a smart buyer, ways to collect, then finally analysis and market guide to Lincoln Cents. For each year he describes how the dies were that year, what was going on in the world of numismatics, some nice notes, striking and sharpness population reports for MS wheat coins and PF for memorials. There is also a price guide that is pretty close.

What I found interesting was how he took quotes, articles, and other things of interest from some other very popular Lincoln experts. He tried to offer both sides of the fence views and some issues. Take the 22 no "D", there is an quote from Chuck that explains how it is nothing more than a worn out die.

The book has nice color pictures for each year (I think they need to be a little larger)

Things I would change about the book would be- Larger pictures for the grading section, population reports for key dates that go before MS-65 and population reports for MS memorial cents and PF wheat cents.

All in all I would give this book a 9 on a scale of 1-10 and would recommend it to any Lincoln collector.

Coin collectors who are gathering Lincoln cents have lots to work with and understand: it's the country's longest-running coin series. This official guide covers its history, rarity, values, grading and many varieties as the coin nears its 100th anniversary and most importantly, discusses some of the greatest challenges to coin collecting. Tips on buying, selling, and grading a Lincoln cents collection makes for a fine market analysis for all dates and mintmarks, and even includes an appendix on error coins. Any library strong in coin collecting at any level must have this reference.

I found the story to be much more than friendship, the illustrations were just spectacular as my little nieces and I delighted in all the hidden objects in all the scenes. Brian Lies is masterful as he intertwines his story with his artwork. Brilliant!

This story of friendship speaks to all of us, child and parent alike. Here are two critters who are wonderful friends but opposite personalities. Hamlet, the pig, is the daredevil -- completely fearless and he doesn't seem to learn from experience. Then, there's Quince, the porcupine, who serves as both a friend and a very cautious parental type, who wants only for Hamlet to look for nice, quiet, safe activities. Of course, Quince is always there, ready to pick up the pieces and provide comfort after the inevitable disaster.

The illustrations are both intricate and delightful. It takes a kid to notice many of the details. The first time we read the book my daughter said, "Look, Mom, the shopkeeper has to stand on phone books to see over the counter."

Khaled Hosselini delivers us to his experiences of watching his novel The Kite Runner coming to life in "The Kite Runner: A Portrait of the Marc Foster Film". A touching and heartwarming film looked at from another angle, this is a full on behind the scenes look on the film, detailing every process of creating the film, with over one hundred color photos from the border of western China where the movie was shot, along with the full screenplay for the film. Highly recommended for lovers of the movie and for anyone who wants a behind the scenes look at the movie- also for community library film collections.

This is a wonderful film. Still, I would strongly recommend that you read the book first. Like the "Lord of the Rings" and "Harry Potter" movies, this film is faithful to the book, and very evocative of it. If you have read the book, watching the movie is like remembering something you already love. Watching the movie first is fine also, but you lose some of the depth, the explanations of why things are important, the backgrounds.

For those who HAVE read the book, I say this: Don't be hesitant about watching the movie. It will not spoil the magic of the book, and it is not too graphic to allow its positive side to shine. At first, after reading the all-English book, I found the Dari/Farsi speakers with English subtitles to be off-putting, but I quickly got over it. The realism of having people speak their own languages quickly becomes enchanting.

This movie presents a part of the soul-wrenching history of Afghanistan. If you are not familiar with that history, this movie is an excellent if bittersweet recounting of parts of it. It will make you laugh and cry while educating you.

The talented artist, Demi, has outdone herself in this latest book. It's a wonderful showcase of beautiful and brightly colored chinese kites incorporated into a story of chinese traditions that children can understand and appreciate. Imagine my daughter's surprise when she saw several kites in this book identical to those we have hanging on our walls at home. I highly recommend buying this book!

I love Demi's books! Not only are Demi's books beautiful but are filled with lots of wonderful facts and information on what different animals, fish and insects represent to the people of China! An awesome book to add to your child's library!

(See review for Kites for Everyone by Margaret Greger) Another winner from Margaret! Even more kite patterns and plans and practical advice on using kites in the classroom, or other structured setting with several kids.

Looking for a resource to interest kids in history, science, math, or art? This will do it with a minimum of materials, and no arguments or boredom from the kids (if you take the author's tips to heart!). Many excellent ideas on sharing information with kids (and teaching facts and skills). Also, includes a wide variety of plans and patterns of kites for all age groups, and all group sizes. Materials range from paper, glue, tape, sticks (dowel rods), to rip-stop nylon and fiberglass rods. As a 28 year kite aficiando, who has made numerous public presentations on the many facets of kites, I heartily recommend this book (and its sequel, More Kites for Everyone)! You will not be disappointed in the level of information, technical detail, or enthusiasm with which the author shares her knowledge.

Most students are visual learners and when it comes to opening the eyes and minds of students to the study of grammar (parts of speech), Ruth Heller's books are the key to this learning style. My high school students beg to see the pictures, pass around the books, show that picture again! After show and tell, they also learn and in a fun way. I have shared Heller's books with colleagues at workshops and at school. We have enjoyed seeing students actually like this skill they often dread so very much. The colors and drawings capture the eye and the information floats painlessly into the student's brain. These books are "a good thing."

This book is a fun way to introduce or review verbs in the classroom or at home. The fun rhyming text and intresting illustrations make this book fun to read aloud. Great book for children of all ages.

Wow! What an incredibly lucky find! I found this book at a used bookstore and although somewhat outdated, I have found it to be an incredible reference source for me being a devotee of slightly alternative sports, games, hobbies, etc. (see my listmania lists to see what I mean *grin*). The book covers yo-yo's, kites, marbles, and table-top games, all with game rules, variations, and histories of each subject. I was so impressed with the marbles section, the day after I made this purchase I bought a set of marbles. Also, I'd like to thank Dr. Meisenheimer, for his yo-yo collecting guide (I am an aspiring yo-yo collector) and his reviews at amazon.com for it was perusing his reviews and the review of this fine book that made it stand out in my memory at the used bookstore.

This book has 24 pages devoted to the history of the yo-yo including some great photos. This is not a trick book. It is a great read for the yo-yo history and collecting enthusiast. Many excellent chapters on Kites, Frisbees, Marbles and Board games as well. Unfortunately the book is long out of print so good luck in getting a copy. Lucky Meisenheimer M.D. author of "Lucky's Collectors Guide to 20th Century Yo-Yos...History and Values"

Along with Adam Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments and Herbert Spencer's Principles of Ethics, this treatise is one of the great under-read masterpieces of British moral philosophy. The book reflects both wide learning and careful study. Sidgwick casts a broad net, and pulls in some very fish.

The three "methods of ethics" he explores are, basically, egoism, intuitionism, and utilitarianism. Though his arguments ultimately fail to convince me of what he is trying to convince me, they are amazingly fecund. You will not stop thinking about this book after you have read it.

The highlight of the book, for me, I'm afraid, was his brilliant few pages criticizing libertarianism in social ethics. This is probably the first such critique that stays on point, and is worth careful study by all who place primacy on liberty.

The Methods of Ethics is Sidgwick's great systematic treatise on ethics. It's also a central text in the history of philosophy, and it can be understood as the work that initiated contemporary ethical theory in the English-speaking world. Of course, this isn't a work that came out of nowhere. In fact, it's informed by Sidgwick's firm grounding in the history of previous ethical thought. And unlike many great philosophers, what Sidgwick has to say about his intellectual forbears is usually reasonably accurate. (See his Outlines of the History of Ethics for additional evidence of his knowledge--and for an excellent introduction to the history of ethics.)

This book is long; it's detailed; and it aspires to comprehensiveness. Indeed, all of the main areas of philosophical ethics (viz. meta-ethics, normative ethics, and moral psychology) are covered herein. Consequently, it's simply impossible to summarize Sidgwick's argument here. Instead of futilely attempting to do so, I'll simply provide the barest outline of Sidgwick's aims and his results.

According to Sidgwick, there are three fundamental methods of ethics: egoistic hedonism, intuitionism, utilitarianism. He wants to examine the nature and plausiblity of each of these methods. The fundamental principle of egoistic hedonism is that what one ought to do (i.e. what one has most reason to do) is what will maximize one's own net amount of pleasure in the long run. The method of hedonism is the method of determing what one ought to do by accumulating empirical evidence about the consequences of particular actions for one's own happiness. Intuitionism, according to Sidgwick, is the view that we have an ability to discern the rightness and wrongness of actions without drawing on empirical evidence concerning the consequences of those actions. The intuitionist tells us that certain fundamental moral principles are self-evident to all who understand them. And intuitionism, Sidgwick claims, is the method underlying common-sense morality. Finally, the fundamental principle of utilitarianism is that what we ought to do is what will maximize the net amount of pleasure for all sentient beings.

Perhaps the most important conclusion of Sidgwick's book is that the method of intuitionism is swallowed up by utilitarianism. For utilitarianism allows us to explain all the elements of the morality of common sense, elements that Sidgwick discusses at length in his account of intuitionism; and furthermore, the self-evident moral principles at which a reflective intuitionism allows us to arrive are principles from which we can prove the fundamental principle of utilitarianism. This, Sidgwick thinks, eliminates any apparent conflict between these two methods, and it shows that utilitarianism, when properly understood, is consistent with common-sense morality.

But Sidgwick thinks that the relation between utilitarianism and egoistic hedonism remains problematic. The final conclusion of his book is that there is an apparently irreconcilable contradiction in our moral thinking. It seems we have compelling, and perhaps overriding, reasons to do both what is our moral duty and what is in our own interest, but, Sidgwick claims, there is no compelling argument that moral duty and self-interest will always converge. That is, there is no good reason to think that acting morally is always in our self-interest, and this is problematic since both our moral duties and our self-interest place genuine claims on us. Practical thought, then, seems to end up in a fundamental sort of contradiction.

This book is mandatory reading for anyone interested in ethics.

Excellent story for children. Just enough excitement, great storyline, lots of laughter and all round a good buy. Worth all of the 5 star rating I gave it.

This is an absolutely enchanting book! Ms. Primavera's rich, glowing illustrations are the perfect compliment to the warm tale woven by Ms. Buckley. The story centers around three monks who have taken a vow of silence and who live together in an old monastery by the sea. One night they find a kite a local child has left in their tree. The three monks fly the kite in the moonlight, and each man silently reminisces about his own happy childhood, long since past. This is a sweet, simple story, one that sparks the imagination and offers the comforting notion that some of childhood's pleasures need never end

I LOVE this book. Tree Traffic cracked me up and has been making me and my kids giggle ever since we read it. I like this book even more than THE GREAT FROG RACE--and that's saying something! Pick a favorite poem from this new tree collection? No. Beaver Dam, Maple Shoot in the Pumpkin Patch (I know JUST how that helicopter pilot feels!), Tree Horse(all the kids think spending time in a tree is an adventure), At Night (deliciously shivery), Tree's Place, Knotholes (...not for naught...I went off on a whole list of knot/not/naught--hole/whole/'ol puns), Poaching (brought to mind not only ripe plums, but also brittle leaf litter and sticky sap-traps!), Lullaby (I teared up--emotions from mothering memories flooded me), Blue Spruce (our front yard!!), Autumn (SO appropriate after the forest fires in the hills last summer--echoed in the city foliage in the fall), Storm (bittersweet after watching the neighbors have their beautiful, tall, authoritative tree butchered last week because they were afraid it would snap and fall on the house), Avalanche (brought back pictures of Mt. St. Helen's after its volcanic tantrum), and of course, Old Elm Speaks. I see I listed nearly the whole book when I just meant to pick out a few for special attention. So much for restraint!!

Our family rates this book a "Best Buy."

I'm using this book for my Arbor Day and Earth Day units with a combination 3/4th class. The poetry is magical and gives a whole new dimension to trees and the environment. George's poems have inspired my students to write some of their most creative work so far this year. I don't think any of us will look at trees in quite the same way after reading Old Elm Speaks.