Preparation Books

Easy to read. Packed with info. The CD NCLEX mock test has been very helpful to me in identifying my weakness. I'm an RT in a bridge program to nursing. I just started the program. I took 150 questions of the CD mock test so far. I got about 70% correct. My weakness seemed to be mostly in non respiratory pharmacology. I'm hitting that topic hard now.

The book introduces one to the content of the N-CLEX testing you will be confronted with, it makes one a little less nervous,by giving you tips as to how to figure out answers to questions, the author is funny at times while discussing difficult subjects I am sure I will be using this book throughout my study to become and after I am a registered Nurse.

This book has a totally different approach to the NCLEX than any of the other books. It does not consist of endless questions and long comprehensive explanations...it focuses on the NCLEX Exam itself and how to dissect a nursing question quickly and accurately. I would definately recommend this to anyone that wants another perspective on the NCLEX!

This book provided information that no other review book has provided. It answered my questions about the NCLEX and now I have a better idea of what is to come! The review questions covered all the different areas without separating them. This book is a must have for your NCLEX prep collection.

I took a chance when buying this book 2 weeks before final exams and it helped my pass my exam. Although I'm just a 1st year nursing student I love this book and have found it easy to use and easy to understand, it helps break everything down. This book is a MUST have for Nursing students and I'm glad I took a chance!!

William Badke has written an excellent and extremely useful reference book on how to start research projects. As he aptly describes, getting started is probably the most difficult part of a research project; especially for those of us who are new to the art of researching.

The book is well written and referenced, with the author writing with a sense of humour and this also makes the book appealing since it could otherwise be a dry, boring book without the author's humour creeping into the pages.

While the new-to-the-art-of-researching student will find this book very interesting and helpful; many experienced researchers will find the book helpful also. The author describes how to use various resources, such as internet, periodicals and catalogues to assist the researcher realise his/her project goals.

In summary, a very well written and laid out book by a person very experienced in the the field of research. Definitely recommended for the novice researcher, however would also be useful for the advanced researcher. Well done, William Badke!

This book, now in its third edition, is a great introduction to library research for undergraduates and upper division high school students who are heading off to college soon. I'm planning on using it in for high school advanced library research course.
The author, a college librarian in British Columbia, gives a step-by-step introduction to the "information fog" and deals with such topics as defining the need for research and refining a topic, using keyword searching and metadata and controlled vocabularies, library catalogs and online databases, general internet research and other research sources.
A strength of the book is the humorous approach which tones down what most other authors seem to take too seriously. In his preface, for example, Badke states: "This book is definitely for you if you are: a university student whose term papers have been patented as a cure for insomnia; a Dilbert of industry who's been told to do a feasibility study on the expansion potential of ice cream bar sales in Nome, Alaska; a simple honest citizen trying to find the truth behind the advertising so that the next car you buy won't be like your last disaster-mobile, the car that made you persona non grata at the automobile association."
I had an earlier edition of this title which I liked also and so when I discovered the 3rd edition had been published I immediately ordered it. The way that the world of research changes continually means that what was once cutting edge is no longer so and having the latest is really important. I was impressed that the book mentions the Amazon Kindle which was only made available last (2007) November.
I reviewed several other similar recently published texts on information literacy but this one definitely is heads and shoulder above them all in terms of usefulness, cost and a light touch to a rather dry subject.

We live in the "information age". Communication on the information highway is fast pace. However, the problem is most of us don't have the map needed to travel that highway and so we have great challenges finding the destination. The material in Dr. Badke's book is the road map to the information highway. This book is the "GPS" to the information highway.

If readers follow this guide, they should be able to access the information needed much quicker and easier. It will save students valuable time as they learn research skills and strategies needed (needed for college and universities assignments). It will also make the research more accurate, as the student learns how to access information written by the best scholars in the field. A small price to pay for a resource is worth so much.

The author writes in an easy to read style. Hint: to get the most benefit out of this resource, take the time to do the practice exercises before getting involved in your actual research. If you do this, it should take you less time to do the actual research for your assignments. Try it. It works.

This book serves as a useful introduction to research techniques and options for the late high school or early-to-mid-level college student beginning research. Badke's writing focuses on finding sources and writing research papers. The writing assumes no current knowledge of conducting research of any kind, so parts may be simplistic for many, but there is a wealth of great research strategies within.

He begins with a look at paper design, and the place from which to begin your research. He then moves to database, periodical and internet searches. He then discusses how to formulate your research into a working topic, and organizing your data.

He writes for people who have never really used a library effectively or used a computer for research. Overall, this is a superb introduction to research that should be read by anyone attempting research.

This update to Badke's previous work on library research is excellent. I teach Language and Research at a Bible college and used to use his first book as required reading for my students. I was so disappointed when it went out of print. Now, this updated version is my new requirement. This book is written with the same humor and simplicity as the first, but with updated information that is a must. Dealing with electronic research is now the norm and Badke explains it very, very well. This is a must have resource for anyone taking on research.

I have been debating whether to go back to school for nursing for a while now and this book has really helped me. It gives the reader insightful knowledge into the world of nursing through the experience of actual nurses who have been there and understand what it is like. I had a feeling that nursing school would be hard but hearing the insights from actual students helps me channel the information and realize the focus that is necessary to really make it in this career. Over all I would reccommend this book to anyone considering going into this field. The insider information provided should really help you understand if this is for you or not.

This book is a true student companion. It's a powerful and wonderful book with a wealth of information that every nurse and prospective nursing student must have and read. It actually breaks everything down and makes applying to nursing school easy.
I will recommend this book for anyone who wants to be a nurse and all those who are already in the field.

This book is so informative and not a drag to read. It's helpful to nursing students of all levels; high schoolers thinking about nursing school, those in nursing school now and new graduates.

Dr. Chandler pulls it all together! As a practicing advanced practice nurse and educator, prospective students often ask what I need to do to gain entry into a nursing program. I no longer need to worry that I forgot to provide all the important details. Now, I refer them to this publication as it provides them with excellent advice and helpful hints. Moreover, they have a ready reference when they begin to pull information together for the application process and that all-important essay.

Dr. Chandler's book is a wonderful tool for prospective nursing students. With a wealth of information about the nursing profession, insider tips on the admissions process (including suggestions on how to make your application stand out!), and interesting anecdotes from nursing students and practicing nurses, it is a MUST read for anyone interested in nursing.

Nursing is a fascinating career that requires many competencies, and even though I have maintained an interest in the profession for some time now, I learned a great deal after reading this book. Dr. Chandler's examination of the nursing roles/functions provides a good synopsis of the skills and responsibilities required and utilized daily in the profession.

Personally, it has been difficult for me to relate my own skills and personal strengths directly to the profession because I lack work-related experience in the healthcare field. There is one entire chapter in the book dedicated to self-assessment, and as Dr. Chandler reveals, you must have a strong understanding of yourself in order to be an attractive, outstanding and successful nursing candidate.

Singing is SO demanding that singers spend their lives focusing on the music and making good sound. Unfortunately, this gives short shrift to fully half of what they're trying to accomplish.

Whether you're doing full operatic productions or just singing in a chorus, there's a visual and emotional aspect to your performance that can't be forgotten.

Sometimes to chorus members I'll simply say: If you enjoy singing, why not tell your face?

It's not just dramatic productions that require the performance or 'selling' the song.

This book is the basis of a great workshop approach to filling in this extremely important gap for most singers.

Maybe the next step ought to be a video disc that goes with it.

This is a well-written, well-organized book for opera singers who seek to achieve real human behavior on stage. To her credit, Ms. Lucca presents her ideas clearly and directly with great fun. I recommend this book to any singer or actor looking for new insights -- Clark Harris, Voice Teacher, www.ClarkHarrisMusic.com

This book is a must have for all singers who wish to deliver a thoughtful, powerful, dramatic performance. I have worked with LizBeth Lucca in a number of productions and she is a top rate director. This book covers the essence of what it is to act while singing. The materials are straigtforward and have excellent examples. I highly reccommend this book to singers of all levels.

If only I had had this book 20 years ago! What are the elements of interpretation; and how do you breathe life into your character or music so the audience knows you are really sharing your life's understanding? This book breaks it down and helps to make singing the act of personal communication that it unavoidably is. It is fun, enjoyable, and practical. You'll keep this book for many, many years.

For anyone serious about a singing career on the stage, this is a must have book. Ms Lucca has explained so clearly what seems so complex. It's an easy to read book, but every page has priceless information.

A series of questions guides you through a step-by-step discovery of the hows and whys of your approach to acting, exposing the "Hidden Acting Agendas"--those inner, emotional issues that sometimes keep even the most experienced actors from doing their best work. As an acting teacher, I find that this is an area often neglected in books about acting, usually only referred to when discussing "stage fright". Bill Howey's book offers a much deeper exploration of the causes without requiring you to be a psychotherapist. It's a resource I refer to again and again.

What I love about THE ACTOR'S MENU is that even after you've read it from cover to cover, you can go back to individual sections and target specific acting problems as they occur. As a director, I'm always looking of practical ways to communicate to actors how to make adjustments without forcing them "into their head." Bill Howey addresses acting problems in straightforward, no-nonsense, practical ways, without all the usual acting jargon found in so many acting books. And the most refreshing thing about it, is that it works!!!

As an acting coach, I'm always looking for the clearest, most jargon-free way to help actors find their way to their most personal work. The Actor's Menu is imminently practical and so always useable. From the questionnaire at the front of the book through the end, Bill Howey helps the actor talk to him- or herself genuinely and effectively, without any BS. The litmus test always comes back to whether the actor was able to bring themselves fully into their work. The result from a watcher's point of view is acting that touches us and is compelling to watch. I've recommended The Actor's Menu to all of my actors and it's provided us with a framework for communicating that's helped me teach and helped them learn. That's what you need a book to do.

This is one of the most unique and helpful books I've ever read on the art and craft of acting. It has great insight and very useful advice on the process of becoming a character. This guy writes with a clarity and directness you don't often find in acting books. I've recommended this book to new actors and experienced pros looking for fresh approaches. Some of the material on personal traits that get in the way of good acting is especially helpful to get out of ruts and take the next step up in exercising your talent.
I've been re-reading sections of the book lately to help me with auditions, and with my work on a character in an Albee play I just got cast in.

The Actor's Menu by Bill Howey truly breaks down the essential ingredients required for a tasty performance! Using a menu motif, Howey shows the actor how to bring out the unique qualities that reside deep within each actor, and blend them into performances worth watching. He gives guidelines to help one make choices that resound with authenticity and power. Easy to read and thought-provoking, The Actor's Menu is much more than fast food; it's a complete meal!

Book was here on time. Book is in great condition. I am happy with it.
Thanks

As an educator I am always looking for the best test prep materials for my students, and by far this is the best. With its easy to use format, extensive vocabulary review and strong practice test questions this is the only book you will need to feel prepared for the AP Exam.

AP Human Geography w/ CD-ROM (REA) - The Best Test Prep (The Best Test Preparation for Advance Placement)

This book has been extrememly useful in helping me to prepare for the AP exam. It is easily understandable and as a student I find it refreshing to read a review book that doesn't put me to sleep. This book is full of interesting facts related to Human Geography, and the review tests were extrememly helpful with my preparations for the real exam.

I have been sort of worried about passing the AP Human Geography test. The material is challenging and the vocab extensive, but this review book by Mr. Christian Sawyer has made me confident that i will not only pass, but get a 4 or 5. The book is easy to understand as well as interesting with good examples and fun facts. The review vocabulary quizzes, multiple choice examples, and practice FRQs help me feel confident about the layout of the exam and what to expect. I recommend this review book to all taking the exam!

I like this book better than all the others for my students...it has practice drills, rubrics, some strong practice AP questions, and succinct, complete reviews--the vocabulary is excellent.

Fantastic nuts and bolts review book for the AP exam. Very readable and educational. The author manages to get all the material in there AND provide 2 practice exams per level (A and AB) as well as exams on CD that diagnose any weak areas. The updates for GridWorld are champion efforts and Barron's should feel blessed to have this teacher on board for their review book.

The Barron's book is, by far, the best choice for a one-stop resource to prepare students for the APCS Exam. I have taught APCS for 8 years and each edition of this book has been increasingly helpful in getting my kids ready. Whether used concurrently with course study or as a review guide for exam prep, the Barron's text is awesome. The author is still heavily involved with the field and is very accessible for comments and questions, which is a perk.

The book, contents of which I was thoroughly familiar with, arrived in a timely fashion and in excellent condition.

I just took the AP Computer Science A exam this morning. Boy, was this book a huge help! Without this book, I don't think I would have been able to do nearly as well as I did on the exam. It hits all the points that need to be covered, and the questions after the chapters REALLY help to reinforce the overall concepts of the AP Java Subset. If you want a STELLAR grade, get this book!

It is a bit useless to review this book for it's value as an AP study guide, because the AP exams were two days ago, and next year there will be a major change to the content of the exam (No more APCS-AB).

However, I can say this is a very well made study helper. A little sense of humor combined with solid writing, thorough and frequent sections of example code, practice problems for every section, full explanations of every problem, chapter recaps and a specific diagnostic test will teach you all you need to know.

The book assumes it is being used as a supplement of a Java course, or by someone with a cursory knowledge of the language. This book is a great resource for teaching yourself (or anyone, for that matter) how to program, however I would recommend you take a basic Java tutorial online first.

i loved this book. It helped me greatly to get thru the OB/GYN rotation. I'm a PA student and I loved reading it. In fact i read the entire book and answered all the questions. It provided explanations to questions which helps you understand why u r correct or wrong in ans choice. Highly recommended.

Blueprints is a great review book for your third year rotations. It does not have too much detail, but enough so you know you've covered all of your bases. If you need more detail, you can always go to the web or to a textbook from the library.

I've only used med and peds so far, good questions in back in shelf/usmle format. Highly recommend for clinicals, only downside is med was a little thick to get through by the end of my rotation.

The Blueprints series in combination with UCV, first aid step 2, NMS question helped me ace step 2 and make a score in the high 90s. Must start with a sound step 1 base though. Highly recommended. Mastering the material is a must though.

I used Blueprints as my primary study guide during my third year of medical school for all rotations. They have all the information you need to know for shelf examinations. Really! I scored well above the 90th percentile on all shelf exams by diligently studying this series. A must have for clinical rotations.

Iowa Orthopaedics Resident

.... This box set if for the new CCDA
Exam! First look at the publish date, its June 2000. Next how about
going to the real source of true information, Cisco themselves. If you
go to Cisco Press (url)... You will see that this set is for the NEW
CCDA exam. In the word of Cisco Press it says,"Cisco CCDA
Preparation Library is a boxed set of three books. It contains two
books that comprise Cisco's suggested training path for the new CCDA
exam: Internetworking Technologies Handbook, Second Edition and
Designing Cisco Networks, along with the CCDA Exam Certification
Guide."...... ....The best advice is for anyone pursing a Cisco certification, is
to go to Cisco themselves and find out about the Exam and what books
they recommend for the Exams. Then buy the books for the exam. This
box set DOES cover the current exam, I used it and the info in it is
great not only to pass the exam but to give you a great understanding
of networking in general.

Cisco Press is the way to go on Cisco exams. Great info for both the CCDA exam as well as on-the-job network analysis. Translates well for the CCDA exam.

I have several books that are cited to support full coverage for the difficult CCDA exam, none of which except the CISCO written books really lived up to their promise.
If CISCO are manageing the exam, then it make sense to train up with their books.
If you buy this box set, then read all and learn all you will pass the exam.
Don't waste your money trying to save pennies - - Get the real thing and pass first time. These book are as good as it gets.

After passing the CCNA exam I decided to pursue the CCDA certification and since the exam was developed by Cisco, why not use their material in order to pass the exam. What I found in this prep library is 3 of the best books out on the market.

While there is no one saying which book to start with, I recommend the Internetworking Technologies Handbook as the place to start. Starting with the basics, then LAN protocols, then WAN technologies, bridging and Switching, network protocols and finally routing protocols gives you the foundation to build on.

I then moved to the Designing Cisco Networks book, which can be used in a classroom without a hitch. This book covered topics like business solutions, designing topologies, building and testing prototypes and even has a sample exam and case studies.

Rounding out the set is the CCDA Exam Certification Guide which helps prepare you for the actual exam with topics like Applications, customer support, topologies and LAN design, Wan Design, documentation and case studies. Overall there seems to more than enough information to pass the exam.

...is to confuse the CCDA design exam with the CCNA support exam. There is NO new CCDA design exam - it is the same exam Cisco has been offering for some time now - #640-441. However, the CCNA support exam has been superceded by the new #640-507.

If one cannot match the correct certification book with it's correlating exam - maybe it is time to consider a different way to make a living.

This bundled pack is excellent. One should probably not invest hard earned cash on anything else. If one wants to learn the Cisco way - buy Cisco Press books. Also worth mentioning is the high quality paper, great type set, and superior graphics.

This package has everything that is needed to study for the CCNA 2.0 exam. And it doesn't stop there, the books are excellent source of reference materials for other Cisco curriculum and for the real world applications too.

The ICRC Book is really great. It explains in depth the entire process of operation. The technological Handbook introduces to you to the concepts of all the basic technologies The CD High performance with Desktop connectivity explains in depth the Virtual LAN and the FastEthernet technology. But the place of improvement could be questions that you can find in the exams. The questions that are asked at the end of each chapter are really Childish

T

ICRC book is excellent! This book is well written and covers most of the material. I also used the Sybex CCNA book by Todd Lammle, also a great book, which covered details that ICRC did not cover and vice versa. I did not crack open the internetworking technologies handbook to pass my CCNA exam.

THE TWO BOOKS CONTAINED IN THIS PACK WERE MY PRIMARY RESOURCES TO PREPARE FOR MY CCNA EXAM. "INTRODUCTION TO INTERNETWORKING TECHNOLOGIES" WAS A GREAT BOOK TO GIVE ALL OF THE INDEPTH AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND THE TECHNOLOGY, WHILE "ICRC" WAS A GREAT HANDS ON TOOL TO PROVIDE CONFIGURATION EXAMPLES AND SEE HOW THE STUFF ALL WORKS TOGETHER. PRACTICE QUESTIONS PROVIDED AFTER EACH CHAPTER OF "ICRC" WERE VERY HELPFULL. YOU CANNOT GO WRONG PURCHASING THIS TITLE. I PASSED EXAM 604-507 AND COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THESE BOOKS!

The ICRC book is great! I haven't read much of the Internetworking Tech book, but I'm sure it is just as good.