Guides and Directories Books

This 2001/02 edition provides a guide to federal government web sites which will prove an invaluable reference for any seeking departments of the Treasury, Justice, HUD, Defense and more. From parks and preserves to air force libraries, Internet Blue Pages is packed with solid reference details which may change of time, but probably not as quickly as the usual web site reference.

As an internet neophyte, I'm having some difficulty navigating. It is wonderful to have such a tool as the Internet Blue Pages, which not only gives you all the government web sites, but has a myriad of links to related sites. Buy this book!

The size of the United States Government has grown by leaps and bounds since its humble beginning a little over two hundred years ago. The founding fathers of this country probably never envisioned such rapid growth. Many of us living today probably wished it hadn't. Anyway, we must live with it. Fortunately, we can all benefit from our tax money at work by logging onto a number of government Websites and glean from the vast amounts of information available at them.

Laurie Andriot has compiled an extensive number of government Websites in Internet Blue Pages to offer her readers a heavy-hitting source of government resources. Information gleaned from these sites can help readers make better business decisions, assist them in finding employment, make it easier for them to obtain veterans services, help them to keep up on the latest Washington news and lawmaking (and law-breaking), and much more!

Readers will be able to access tons of government policy and regulatory information covering a variety of issues, including health, safety, food, finances, employment, military, transportation, civil rights, the arts and sciences, and social issues that affect our country and our way of living. I was quite surprised to see a Website listed for the RAF Mildenhall Air Force Base located in England. I had visited this base a number of times while serving in the Air Force at another base in this same country!

Andriot offers brief but helpful commentary on many of the sites listed, including the historical background and roles of many government offices and agencies we have heard about and perhaps a few we never knew existed! Readers are encouraged to read through these blue pages to learn more about the government that has pledged to serve our best interests.

Regardless of what your opinion is of the current administration and congressional representation, our government has plenty of useful information available to meet a variety of personal and business needs. One can tell by the size of this book that there is plenty to go around. This book provides a heavy dose of it. It is ideal for people who either want to do business with our government agencies or want to learn how best to keep them off their backs!

I wish I had a book like this when I was trying to select a college 20 years ago. Kaplan also has a college guide for African American students that is also a great resource. It is called "The DayStar Guide to Colleges for African American Students". I highly recommend both books!

When I was in HS I never asked the Guidance Counselor for info on colleges. I thought I knew what was right for me. Now that my son is getting ready to search for schools, I am glad he will have access to the best advice of counselors across the nation.

I'm a sophomore in high school and just starting to think about college applications. I wanted a college guide that would give me a very broad range of information on lots of schools with honest profiles and descriptions of student life. Overall ,the book was easy to use, and it even had indexes by tuition and selectivity. Last, I really enjoyed the survey of Guidance Counselors in the U.S; it was interesting and fun to check out their picks for "trendiest" schools. I definitely recommend this guide for people like me, looking to start their college search.

Erik Heels, author of the first serious Internet legal research bibliography, and Rick Klau, another Net pioneer, are lawyers who are uniquely well qualified to understand the Internet and explain it to others.

This book has many useful points, not the least of which is that it serves as a field manual for lawyers interested in establishing or upgrading their own Internet sites.

The authors' reviews of law firm web sites, at their own web site, have been deservedly influential.

In general, I am not enthusiastic about paper books that are merely catalogs of web sites. This book is different because the authors add value through analysis and judgment.

Jerry Lawson

In October of 1995, only 40% of the "National Law Journal" 250[1] law firms had registered domain names, and only 10%[2] of the NLJ 250 firms had Web sites. A little more than two years later, the prediction that "it will soon be the rule, rather than the exception, that a law-related organization is on the Internet" has come true.[3] Today all but one of the NLJ 250 firms has registered a domain name, and 60% have Web sites.

Why is this important? Because it means that the Internet is finally ready for prime time! And it means that there is no reasonable way to include "all" of the law-related organizations on the Net in this book. So what's a perfectionist to do? The only rational choice is to make editorial decisions about who gets included in this book and who does not. So while earlier efforts focused on cataloging "all" of the law-related resources into one book, this book focused on cataloging the best of all the law-related resources.

For example, in the companies chapter, we include major vendors, focusing on those that publish something of substance - preferably for free - on the Internet.[4] We also included smaller companies who are, for one reason or another, making a difference on the Internet. Companies whose content focus is limited to a particular state are briefly mentioned in the reviews of each particular state. In the law firm chapter, we've included NLJ 250 law firms as well as small law firms that have made great strides in Internet publishing. We're open to suggestions about how to improve future editions of this book.

Our goal was to create a reference book that would help novices and net.veterans get the most out of their Internet experiences. For example, a new Internet user looking for tax law resources would get a very good feel for the best of the Internet tax-related resources by looking in the index of this book under "tax" for organizations whose practice areas include tax. Similarly, net.veterans looking to maximize their online experience - both as consumers and publishers of information - would enjoy our spirited reviews of all of the NLJ 250 law firm Web sites to see what is working and what is not.

Much has changed over the last two years. BBSs, Gopher, WAIS, and even Usenet are dead or dying. E-mail is becoming a more popular way to get the word out, and e-mail users are struggling with how to filter out the unwanted e-mail from the mix. And the jury is still out on technologies such as PointCast, which delivers multimedia to users' desktops, but not by e-mail.[5] On the horizon are new developments like Internet-based telephone and fax service, unified messaging, and video.

We have also seen consolidation in the Internet marketspace and the legal Internet marketspace. WorldCom has purchased UUNet and MCI, and Microsoft has purchased everything but the Justice Department. In the legal market, Counsel Connect was sold, bought, and consolidated with its former competitor the New York Law Publishing Company (of Law Journal EXTRA! fame). Reed and Thomson continue to grow their two huge empires.

In the final analysis, we're hoping that the information overload that is the Internet will still require somebody to weed through the millions of Web sites (and other Internet resources) to find the most important, most reliable, and most influential ones. And who better to help than the American Bar Association, whose mission in life is member services. We're pleased to be able to play a small part in shaping the legal Internet community, and we hope to be able to continue to do so for years to come.

Thanks for reading!

[1] The "National Law Journal" 250 (NLJ 250) is an annual survey conducted by the New York Law Publishing Company. This is the 20th anniversary of the NLJ 250 survey, which is the legal community's equivalent of the "Fortune" 1000.

[2] According to "The Legal List, Law-Related Resources on the Internet and Elsewhere," seventh edition, October 1995, Lawyers Cooperative Publishing, by Erik J. Heels.

[3] Id. or ibid., we're not sure; or perhaps ego. The key to being a successful visionary is to make lots and lots of predictions in print and then reference only those that came true.

[4] Trust us, if you build it, they "will" come. Content is still king. And presentation is queen, experience - kind of like a knight. OK, so we're reaching here. Chess enthusiasts will appreciate the analogy. More on content, presentation, and experience in the section entitled "Three Elements of a Successful Web Site."

[5] And you never ever know what juries will do. Check out Matthew Bender's review to see what they're doing with PointCast.

The author is a wonderful writer and they new what they were talking about. it was a very interesting experience

Compiled and written by Troy Corley, Let's Go Buggy!: The Ultimate Family Guide To Insect Zoos And Butterfly Houses is a straightforward vacation guide to over 100 insect-themed, family-friendly places in the United States. From acquiring pet bugs, to butterfly releases, to honey harvest celebrations, and more, Let's Go Buggy! is chock full of locations, descriptions, and solid information concerning hours, admission fees, web sites, and more. Let's Go Buggy! is very highly recommended for planning a unique, distinctive, memorable, educational, and thoroughly fun family trip.

I remember holding one of those jumping beans in my hand and wondering if I should take one home, because you never could tell what might escape. This book explains how Mexican jumping beans jump and gives you information on bug zoos and butterfly houses. I prefer the butterfly idea, but there are many fascinating insects. After living in Africa, I think I have seen enough bugs to last a lifetime, but I am still curious about insects like butterflies because they seem friendly and if a butterfly lands on you, you tend to feel rather fortunate to be visited by such a beautiful creature. You can have the beetles, they kept me up at night knocking around the room until I could release them out into the night.

Contents:

Go Buggy - This section takes up over half of the book and is a guide to insect zoos and butterfly houses organized according to states. In Washington you can visit the Tropical Butterfly House and Insect Village at the Pacific Science Center or go to the Bug World and Butterflies & Blooms at Woodland Park Zoo.

Admission prices, hours and detailed information is given for each location.

At the Butterflies in Flight section you enter a kaleidoscope of blooms bursting in 3,900 square feet of an indoor landscape framed by two greenhouse structures. Fluttering around the vibrant plant blossoms are about 1,000 flying flowers representing at least 15 North American butterfly and moth species. ~ info on Woodland Park Zoo

Bugged out - A swarm of bug festivals organized by the months of the year. In November it would be fun to be in San Jose, CA where they release hundreds of Monarch butterflies.

Bug Bytes - A web of bug cams and insect sites where you can watch ants at work in ant farms or research the latest buggy recipes or send a buggy e-mail card. You can order silk worms and those are fun to watch. I had a box of them as a child and used to feed them mulberry leaves from a tree down the street. I seem to remember leaving them there, on the tree. I don't think the owners appreciated it, but as a child, I had no idea what would happen. I laugh now at my innocence. It was fun to watch the silkworms munch away at the leaves and then spin their cocoons. Some of the stores provide seeds for growing plants butterflies love. There is a list of recommended reading although I'll skip the cookbooks.

Bug Bites - A guide to state insects and pet bugs. It was interesting to find out that the Green Darner Dragonfly is the state insect because I rather like dragonflies.

Bug Buzzwords - A glossary of buggy terms.

The author definitely seems to love butterflies and if you are interested in finding a butterfly house near you, then this is a great guide. Troy Corley also provides interesting information about how butterflies smell with their feet or how fast a honey bee flies.

~The Rebecca Review

If you want to walk among a thousand butterflies or hope to excite your child about the wonders of insects, this is the book for you. I recommend Let's Go Buggy to everyone I meet who wants to visit a butterfly atrium or insect zoo. Its many other resources - web sites, book recommendations, etc. -- are excellent for insect enthusiasts of all ages.

A very useful resource for those traveling or vacationing with horses.

If you are traveling with horses, this is a book you must have. I found a wonderful new stable here - I looked on the internet sites, but this is the best. Well worth the money.

I am a single mother with kids who travels with horses. My children and I have had wonderful experiences with the directory. The hosts have been very helpful in our travels. After my first trip with the directory I will not leave the barn without it in my glove box. The feeling of security in provides in cases of emergency is very comforting.

This is the BEST all-grrl guide to the Net, written by the editor of cyberculture zine, bOING bOING. It's chock full of Web site reviews and interviews with women on the Internet today. (...)

carla has done a fantastic job on her book for the young, hip, savvy netchick. i loved it! YOU GO GIRL!!!! LOVE, TABBI

This book hits home for generation x gals cruising the net looking for information to expand their horizons. This guide gives a history of women who have helped shape the net and is a great resource to find what any net chick is looking for. The book is witty, funny, and charming. Carla Sinclair did a great job in acknowledging the continuing growth of the net chick population. Read a copy today

This book gets my highest recommendation--and I'm a huge critic! Just reading the intro helped me get a complete overview of how to find the perfect school for me, develop a great admissions strategy, Independent Day schools vs. Semester schools, and it has awesome tips on how to secure the best financial aid. Not to mention the 1,500 schools at my fingertips! Worth every dime.

A very helpful book in the private school admissions process that has interesting articles, profiles, and plenty of hard facts. One of the most comprehensive guides available.

As an education professional who works in the field of Private Secondary Schools, I can without a doubt give this Peterson's publication the highest recommendation possible. The guide is easy to use and quite informative. While not all schools are presented in the format of a wonderfully detailed one to two page article, most 9-12 private day or boarding schools in the United States are included. At the very least, you will be able to investigate the following areas at each school: Academics, Athletics, Endowment, Number of Faculty members (a breakdown of how many hold Bachelors, Masters or Ph.Ds), Physical Plant, Amount of Financial Aid given last year, Applied vs. Accepted Statistics & Contact information.

I have worked with many families who were exploring the idea of sending their child to private school. This guide has been their Bible. Whether a family is familiar with independent education or is just being introduced to the idea, I promise that this guide will be your best reference throughout both the exploration and application process. A campus visit and a school's own literature are of course always the best sources of information. The Peterson's guide, however, will help a family to determine which schools are a good match and will best meet their needs, thus making the best of each campus visit.

According to Globe Pequot Press, a brand-new, revised and updated edition of "Real Barbecue" will be coming out soon! It will be an all-new edition, with new BBQ joints, new info on the best cookers, new recipes, etc.

It's by the same guys.

According to the publisher's Web site, the release date will be this Sept, 1 (2007). Get your bibs ready.

The best book on barbecue ever written. A labor of love. Staten and Johnson have guided me to great food in many different towns and cities. Find it, study it.

An exceptionally useful and informative book. This is a review of the best barbecue restaurants in the country by two men who set out on a barbecue "quest". Each restaurant chosen is described in both a charming and mouthwatering fashion by men who obviously love barbecue. In the last part of the book they offer outstanding recipes from some of the best BBQ joints as well as information on cooking and putting together your own backyard barbecue. Fun reading if you love to eat and fun eating if you follow their advice. Recommended!!!

Discovery Channel, move over. Keep this book at your computer terminal. Now you can indulge in (a lot) of learning, or just quenching your curiosity!

Not just for grown-ups--there's a whole chapter (pp313-334) titled "KIDSTUFF", with pointers to such sites as "Helping Your Child Learn Science", "Children's Butterfly Site", "Science Made Simple" and "Planet Pals". With the decline of our schools, perhaps kids using the Net to carve out their own learning journey will be a big part of the solution.

Oh, there's a whole chapter on Mathematics! Good for those among us who were unlucky enough not to have good math teachers at school (which is most of us, I guess. Good maths teachers are a rarity.) The sites covered here might very well spark passion in our younger folk who have this subject spoon fed to them in it's most tasteless form. I mention this because I, myself, struggled with Maths at high school. That struggle ended when I took charge of my own Maths training. I chose my own books & materials and methods of learning. And saw my Maths marks skyrocket.

Need I say more? Get this book. For yourself. For your kids. For your country which is already in painful need for the scientifically astute.

Discovery Channel, move over. Keep this book at your computer terminal. Now you can indulge in an orgy of learning, or just quenching your curiosity!

Not just for grown-ups--there's a whole chapter (pp313-334) titled "KIDSTUFF", with pointers to such sites as "Helping Your Child Learn Science", "Children's Butterfly Site", "Science Made Simple" and "Planet Pals". With the decline of our schools, perhaps kids using the Net to carve out their own learning journey will be a big part of the solution.

Oh, there's a whole chapter on Mathematics! Good for those among us who were unlucky enough not to have good math teachers at school (which is most of us, I guess. Good maths teachers are a rarity.) The sites covered here might very well spark passion in our younger folk who have this subject spoon fed to them in it's most tasteless form. I mention this because I, myself, struggled with Maths at high school. That struggle ended when I took charge of my own Maths training. I chose my own books & materials and methods of learning. And saw my Maths marks skyrocket.

Need I say more? Get this book. For yourself. For your kids. For your country which is already in painful need for the scientifically astute.

Discovery Channel, move over. Keep this book at your computer terminal. Now you can indulge in an orgy of learning, or just quenching your curiosity!

Not just for grown-ups--there's a whole chapter (pp313-334) titled "KIDSTUFF", with pointers to such sites as "Helping Your Child Learn Science", "Children's Butterfly Site", "Science Made Simple" and "Planet Pals". With the decline of our schools, perhaps kids using the Net to carve out their own learning journey will be a big part of the solution.

Oh, there's a whole chapter on Mathematics! Good for those among us who were unlucky enough not to have good math teachers at school (which is most of us, I guess. Good maths teachers are a rarity.) The sites covered here might very well spark passion in our younger folk who have this subject spoon fed to them in it's most tasteless form. I mention this because I, myself, struggled with Maths at high school. That struggle ended when I took charge of my own Maths training. I chose my own books & materials and methods of learning. And saw my Maths marks skyrocket.

Need I say more? Get this book. For yourself. For your kids. For your country which is already in painful need for the scientifically astute.

its S&P -- 'nuff said.

The CFA level analysis of the 500 most watched companies in the US is astute and pithy.

If you're looking for a comprehensive review of those stock's pros and cons, pick up this book.

I love owning this book and I generally buy the new edition every year. My investment company offers the S&P reports on their website, but I like to own the book so I can easily browse it, mark it up, flag specific stocks with Post-It-Notes, and so on. I focus quite a big on Standard & Poor's proprietary "investability quotient percentile" [IQ]for my buy-and-hold stock decisions. (I also take a careful look at the ten-year dividend history.) You will also find five-star buy vs sell ratings, target price and when set, earnings/dividend rating, fair value, volatility, relative strength, key stock statistics, dividend data, and LOTS of other information. There is quite a bit of interesting and well-written prose about each company, too---it's not all charts and numbers.

An excellent reference for any investor, lists all of the s & p 500 with all necessary data for research. Truly a must have for the investor who wants to make money.