Educational Books

This book cuts through all the smoke that superintendents and principals have been giving me for years. Now, I know how to ask tough questions to make my school and school system better. This book wastes no words and is written so everyone can understand it. Cooperman may be an educator, but he talks to parents in clear language.

I sympathize with teachers and school administrators, really, I do. I know they are overworked and funds are tight and we expect a lot of them. And my son's future and (dare i say it) the future of this country is too important to just sit back and let the wheels grind on as they have.

Cooperman's book gave me strategies to make things different in my son's school. The bottom line of "How Schools Really Work" is that you have to ACT in order to make changes in your schools. I think I always knew that, but I wasn't really sure what the most effective course of action was. Cooperman's book completed the equation for me.

In easy, conversational prose, this former Commissioner of Education in NJ (during "Education Governor" Tom Kean's tenure -I have a feeling Cooperman had something to do with Kean getting that nickname!) opens the curtain and shows the inner workings of public schools; he debunks myths and offers countless practical and workable plans to help make a difference in your schools.

His caring for kids is evident, and like the former teacher that he is, Cooperman clearly wants to see his students (readers) succeed in their endeavors to change the educational system one school at a time.

If you really want to make a difference in your child's education, I highly recommend this book.

Knowing what was going on in my children's school was difficult. I kept getting the run around by the principal. No more! How Schools Really Work was a miracle for me. I know what should be happening and what is happening. A most helpful book if you want to improve schools. A step by step manual for parents and anyone who wants dramatically better schools

LOTS of practical advice on how to shake things up and get results in your children's schools. A real "how to" book for getting the most out of a public school experience. No quick fixes, although you can pick and choose suggestions as needed. And anyway, aren't your kids worth it?

The absolute best book I've ever owned on how public schools and public school officials operate. This is a must read for anyone interested in helping improve public education - whether it's for your own children or all the children in your community. Saul Cooperman, former Commissioner of Education in New Jersey, has done the lay person a huge favor by writing this book. It's simple and honest. I've taught public school, I've been a newspaper education reporter, I have children in public school, and I'm an elected member of a School Board in Virginia. This is THE book on understanding and coexisting with the public schools. Buy it now!

Any parent who has a child with a learning disability should have this book. This is especially true if they want to ensure that their child will obtain an appropriate education. The IEP is your binding contract between your school district and your child's educational program. Unless you fully understand how to develop a proper IEP that has measurable goals, your child will never receive an appropriate education that meets all of their needs. This book will teach YOU how to develop a proper IEP for you child with measurable goals.

All parents of an autistic child in the public school system need this book. Very imformative and offers great strategies to build a good relationship with the school system.

I used this while preparing for my autistic son's transition to kindergarten IEP meeting. I feel that it provides a good base on the things parents need to concentrate on to ensure their child is getting the most of his/her education. Though each state has different guidelines, the templates in this book are a very valuable resource to draw from and I recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the IEP process better.

It realy outlines step by step what an IEP should focus on and say from the first page to the goals and measures. It really was a good book to have along side knowing the laws and rights that other books focus on- it helps you understand how to truly make and IEP individual for your child (very ASD focused). Good for parents and administrators.

This comprehensive, well-researched and practical guide to developing an IEP that will optimize service delivery to your child exceeded my expectations on all levels. Although useful for any parent or teacher trying to gain a better grasp of the workings of the IEP, it is especially useful for those of us dealing with autism, since the authors chose to focus on this baffling and challenging condition due to their knowledge of the subject and the many difficulties it presents to writers of IEPs. The book also discusses key legal issues associated with IEPs.

Here is a sampling of some of the areas covered in the book: A detailed, insightful discussion of each of the components of an IEP and the relationship of the components to each other; the elements necessary to prepare an effective Present Levels of Performance (PLP), which forms the basis for generating annual goals and represents a baseline against which to judge progress; why specifying underlying conditions clearly is so important; the relationship between clearly written objectives and appropriate methodology; knowledge of ASD and the way in which it affects the student who manifests it as the most basic building block of appropriate IEP development; why IEPs should specify prompt levels in the objectives as well as a system for fading them back; discussion of a "prompt hierarchy"; the need to build generalization strategies right into the objectives so the child learns a skill across a variety of settings, people, activities, etc., right from the start; breaking down multi-dimensional behavior such as "crossing the street" into its basic components so that behavior progress can be measured; how not to confuse a process with a product outcome (e.g. developing understanding vs. demonstrating understanding); the difference between accommodations and modifications (the latter reduce the standard and result in lowered educational outcomes); guidelines for prioritizing needs and sample IEPs covering such content areas as concept development, critical thinking, making inferences, etc. The above list is only a sampling of the issues covered. This book is written from a highly-informed, sensible and practical perspective. Having read this book, I feel like I'm in control of the IEP process and not vice-versa. Highly recommended.

IDEA 2004: A Parent Handbook For School Age Children With Learning Disabilities by school psychologist and parent advocate Shelly Smith is a straightforward guide for parents and professionals to the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act. Condensing everything parents need to know to be effective advocates in plain terms, IDEA 2004 covers practical applications of the law, disability laws in general as they pertain to schoolchildren, and the rights of both children and parents. Reducing seemingly incomprehensible bureaucracy into simple terms, and fully explicating both the letter and the spirit of the law, IDEA 2004 is an absolute "must-have" for any parent or guardian raising a child with learning Disabilities and seeking a positive, balance-of-power relationship with the public school system.

As a current Director of Special Education, I find Shelly Smith's book for parents to be the best information possible for the lay person. It explains to the parents their rights regarding their child's education in such a manner that is easily understood but comprehensive. Any parent of a special needs child must read Shelly's book. The complicated law that protects these students and their parents is so massive that such a common sensible approach is needed. Ms. Smith brings the language, terminology, and rights down to a level that the reader can comprehend. This book has a five star rating as far as I am concerned and should be distributed to all parents of challenged children.

Dr. Lynn Ahrens

The consistency of MS Smith's advice is wonderful. There is no need to remember situational models or hope that your particular situation is referred to in her book. If you don't feel "the system" is working properly to serve your child, you simply state that you don't feel they are fulfilling their legal obligation. It is a simple statement, it isn't
confrontational and best of all, it is our natural reaction as parents of a special needs child! Brilliant!!!!
Gwendolyn Borders, Texas

I am a Special Education Teacher. I know how difficult these laws are to understand. Administrators, teachers and families are still trying to determine what changes have been made what they mean and what is new. For those of us who don't have time to read all 200 pages of the law this book makes it easy to understand. With the help of this book it will be much clearer how, when and why the IDEIA can help you and your student(s).

Shelley Smith's book Idea 2004: Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act: a Parent Handbook for School Age Children With Learning Disabilities is a MUST READ for any parents with a Special Needs child. This book takes all the legal terminology that is supposed to be protecting our children and breaks it down into plain language that can be utilized by any parent in advocating for their child. This is a book that you want to keep by your side throughout your child's education! I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to get a better handle on their rights and providing their child with the most APPROPRIATE EDUCATION!

Great book I would definitely recommend it to anyone trying to improve themselves and there walks with the lord.

Incredible that the same principles taught by Jesus Christ became the passion of Robert Greenleaf, Chuck Swindoll, Peter Drucker, Ken Blanchard and numerous others.

Chuck Swindoll is a great story teller. Probably would have been a great television personality like Cronkite, but chose to follow the real call on his life.

If you want to be challenged to face your pride/ego, pick up this book and read it cover-to-cover. Ouch!

Once again, Swindoll has written an excellent book addressing a problem in the Christian community: this one focuses on the challenge of refusing to live like the world and serving others in Jesus' name.

Among the important points covered in the book include:

1. Two tests of true humility.
2. A great proof of true servanthood is giving anonymously.
3. Servants who refuse to be bogged down in the past are seldom petty people.
4. Humility, a character trait greatly cherished by God, is sadly lacking in today's world.
5. The dangers of being a servant.
6. Jesus described Himself as a servant and 3 aspects of obedient service.
7. God's servants will be attacked and abused - nothing we experience has not first gone through God.
8. An eternal perspective of the servant's rewards.

Unfortunately, the church all too often copies the world - lording it over others instead of serving others, expecting to be served instead of serving, and not wishing to serve unless we receive recognition.

Swindoll's book is an excellent challenge to serve in Jesus' name. Read and be encouraged and challenged!

I read this book a few years ago, and it radically changed my life. The first book that I ready written by Chuck was The Grace Awakening, and my eyes truly were opened and my mind enlightened, as to how very easy it is to be legalistic and judgmental. In reading Improving Your Serve, I felt smaller and smaller, and realized how Big God really is and what it really means to "be like Jesus." Thanks Chuck, your books The Grace Awakening, and Improving Your Serve, have done for me what being at church Sunday after Sunday was not able to accomplish. In reading these two books in particular, I realized that being a writer is a powerful tool to use as a witness to the truth of Jesus Christ. Continue to operate in this ministry wisely. May God's blessings continue to be on your ministry.

Let me begin by saying that this book has truly shown me the inside of my heart. Before reading Improving Your Serve,by Charles Swindoll, my "serve" was more for me than it was for God or for anyone else. I had considered myself to be loving and caring of others, but after reading this book I realized how much more I could be doing. I love the many stories that are put together to teach lessons on humility, forgiveness, giving, influences...etc. I have truly learned where my heart needed to improve and I am really working toward serving others and loving others no matter what. I am beginning to get the heart that Christ would want me to have, and not so much the heart that the world expects of me. If anyone longs to get out of the selfish world that we live in, and would enjoy the pleasure of giving back to their community and the people they love, I suggest reading this book. Chuck has truly shown me to see the good in all people and to love and forgive others as Christ has forgiven me.

The author really know about Jack Russell Terriers. The book is well written and full of information. Highly recommend to any new JRT owners

I bought this book for my husband who is a recent member of the JRTC and is planning on raising Jack Russel show dogs. He loved it! Thanks!

The Jack Russell Terrier Handbook is like no other book available for the breed. The emphasis is on providing the most in-depth and up-to-date informaton about subjects vital to caring for and living with a JRT, including behavior problems and training, medicine and hereditary health problems, nutrition, genetics, and breeding. Information on fun stuff to do with your terrier, such as training for earthdog competitions or even going hunting, is also included, as are tamer diversions such as agility, racing, and conformation. This is not a book of pedigrees and show-win photos, but a book for people who enjoy the JRT in every facet of its being. Intersperced in the text are lots of color photos of JRTs in action, and tidbits of technical information (Terrier Tech) and facts (Jack Fact). A book for people who want to excel at JRT ownership.

Great book!
I have read quite a few Jack Russell books and this is very informative and very well written I would recommend this book highly, especially to someone interested in Jack Russells it explains a lot about the breed, showing, feeding, training and just understanding these special dogs. It's a must read!

The Jack Russell Terrier Handbook is like no other book available for the breed. The emphasis is on providing the most in-depth and up-to-date informaton about subjects vital to caring for and living with a JRT, including behavior problems and training, medicine and hereditary health problems, nutrition, genetics, and breeding. Information on fun stuff to do with your terrier, such as training for earthdog competitions or even going hunting, is also included, as are tamer diversions such as agility, racing, and conformation. This is not a book of pedigrees and show-win photos, but a book for people who enjoy the JRT in every facet of its being. Intersperced in the text are lots of color photos of JRTs in action, and tidbits of technical information (Terrier Tech) and facts (Jack Fact). A book for people who want to excel at JRT ownership.

It truly boggles my mind why this is not a more popular program in the U.S. for it is such fun and creative way to learn to read. My dd was 5 when we started it, in a few weeks she was reading simple CVC words and now a month later she is reading Dr. Seuss and sentences out of "The Boxcar Children."

The Handbook, the Finger phonics books and the Phonics workbook make up the gist of the program. But the videos are extremely helpful in reinforcing the letters and sounds through cute characters, and the teaching video is helpful to start off the "nervous" parent who may not be confident in teaching a child how to read.

A special favorite is the wall frieze which hangs up in my dd's bedroom as a wall border, and for weeks, with no prodding from mom, she would go over the sounds with their "motions" before she would sleep at night. She was having so much fun she never thought she was learning.

This program does not have the feel of "sit down and plod through a boring workbook" as there are so many activities, via audiotory, visual and tactile that not once has my dd said let's stop because I am bored.
I cannot image a parent being bored either or frustrated because a child "just cannot get the sounds" because of the creative and innovative methods the authors have developed.

*If your child is having problems with writing, you may want to skip the writing portion and teach just the letter sounds and then move on. The Sassoon type face is a nice font to learn and my dd loved putting "tails" on her letters.

I feel so fortunate that I found this program first and did not have to sift through program after program to find "that right one" for my child. In the end this was very cost effective and seeing my dd really enjoy reading is worth every penny.

Jolly Phonics deserves 10 stars or more, but as five is the highest in this system, I'm giving it five plus. After watching these tapes for just about a month, my daughter learned to read--and she's only two and a half years old. She loves the adventures of Inky and friends, and she likes to repeat after them, thus learning phonics in the process. A great set of books, tapes, magnets, and stencils! Inventive, effective, and just right for 2 1/2 - 5 yr. olds.

You will not regret buying this program!! We are Americans who lived in England for 6 years. My older 3 were very fortunate to go through several years of primary school there and learned to read with Jolly Phonics, which is now part of the UK's National Curriculum. I can't say enough great things about this program, and only wish it were widely used in schools here! It was introduced in preschool, my children all started school the year they turned 5 (they were actually 4 1/2 when they started), and by the end of their first year they were all fairly fluent readers. Not only is it effective, it is FUN. Kids learn BEST when they are having fun in the process. I saw the program in action in the classroom as a parent volunteer, and was so completely sold - you should have seen the smiles on those children's faces, and the pride in themselves they showed when I would listen to them read individually. I couldn't believe how advanced those children in that school were in reading and spelling compared to here in the USA. My kids went on to be very avid readers, always having their noses in books of all sorts. I will definitely be buying this program for my youngest two, who are now preschoolers, and using it at home.

We were introduced to Jolly Phonics while living in England. This phonics program is heads above the crowd in teaching phonics. The multi-level approach to teaching the basic sounds of the English language are successful and fun. The student workbooks, puzzles, stencils and videos make learning fun. The teacher workbook has loads of reproducibles and additional activities to reinforce and encourage reading and writing. I continue to be amazed at the results I have seen in my daughter and other children using this approach.

Our daughter's teacher in England had been teaching 4-5 year olds for 20 years when she was introduced to Jolly Phonics. She too feels it is the best program she has ever seen, and as head of Key Stage One at the local primary school, she has really seen positive results. Studies in England have shown Jolly Phonics to be successful with children at all learning levels. A study done in our local county showed children learned 450% more using Jolly Phonics than children who used the traditional county phonics curriculum.

This program would be a runaway hit on this side of the Atlantic if more people knew about it. The program introduces the 42 sounds of the English language in sets of 6 sounds. At the end of each workbook, a child is already able to write and sound out words. The price of the boxed set is an incredible value for the money. As you can see, I love Jolly Phonics and only wish I had known about it in time for all my children to use.

This is the best phonics program out there. Jolly phonics is amazing!! I researched several programs and this one made the most sense. It teaches on several levels. For each phonic sound there is an action to go along and this helps them jog their memory. For each page in the books there is a recessed letter that you can "trace" with your finger to help children form letters correctly. The video will help you employ all the ways to teach. Also, the type setting the program uses is Sassoon Infant and with a couple extra strokes will enable them to learn cursive. You are encouraged to teach your child a new sound every day. Believe it or not, my very active four year old boy has no problem keeping up. (We did have to take a couple extra days on the letter T.) Because they learn the sounds so fast, they are reading words like: spin, tip, is, pat, sat, etc. in the first WEEK!!
The teaching aid handbook provides great "rules" to memorize, such as: When two vowels go walking, the first does the talking. This is very useful in the majority of double vowel words such as, goat, boat, pie, tie, train, snail, etc.

There are a series of workbooks included in the box. They are by far my sons favorite books (except for the dinosaur books) and he sits on his own and reads them all the time. He is only 4 years and 4 months old and I am astounded at the words he is reading. Right now we are on book 4 and he hounds me day and night to move to the next book, he always wants to learn more than one sound a day and I have to force him to slow down.

My schedule:
Introduce new sound using finger phonics book:
10-15 minutes to discuss sounds, action and pictures
5 minutes to cut out new letter and paste into his "sound book"
3 minutes to practice writing new letter (my son tires of this quickly and I try to keep him interested but my rule is: Stop before it's not fun anymore.
later in day,
5 minutes of showing Daddy what he learned (practice)in the evening.

He loves to watch the videos and that reinforces what he learns. This is a wonderful program. Engaging and colorful. Because this program utilizes actions for each sound, you can practice anywhere. I will silently act out the action for a small word and my son will "read" the word. Then he tries to "act" out a word, too, with some funny results. We do this in the car, during dinner, while I am nursing our new baby- it is a wonderful tool. I don't know why other programs haven't used this terrific method. This program is worth every penny and much, much, more. Look no further, and start reading!!
-Homeschooling Mommy of three boys

This book is an excellent introduction into home schooling today. As a home school graduate I think he captured much of the spirit of the movement today. However, he misses one point. He looks to Holt as the beginning of the movement. His bias towards the secular home schoolers blinds him to the private school movement that led to Christian home schools. The exodus of the Christians started during the time that Holt was writing. Thus, both movements were happening around the same time. He misses the fact that Christians such as R. J. Rushdoony were writing before Holt on the need to leave the public schools. Thus, the Christians were seeing the danger in the schools at the same time if not before the secular crowd. The Christians did not hijack a secular movement.

The Mitchell Stevens does a great job of accurately representing the two broadest classifications of homeschoolers. As someone who lives in the county with the highest homeschool population (13,000+) I can tell you every homeschooler I ever met was accurately represented in this book.

I am a conservative Christian (what the author labels "Godly Women") but I practice Attachment Parenting (what the author labeled "Natural Mother"). I spend a lot of time and know lots of people in both camps, and I can tell you the author did an outstanding job of respectfully explaining them. He also explains how the different philosophies/world views have led to legislative and media domination by the conservative Christian homeschool organizations. With that knowledge new homeschools are given insight to as to the cultural divisions in open vs. closed support groups. Being familiar with both cultures can help avoid unnecessary conflict.

This book covers the first wave of homeschoolers. There are essentially 3. I Saw the Angel in the Marble by Chris and Ellyn Davis covers all 3 in one of the essays. It is an excellent companion book to Kingdom of Children. It covers the roughly 6 different ways people homeschool, the 4 different subcultures homeschoolers fall into, and the chronology of the 3 waves of homeschooling.

The Davises call the first wave "Pioneers"- people who were not happy with institutional settings for religious or philosophical reasons. They emerged throughout the 1980s. That's who Kingdom of Children is about.

The second wave are called "Settlers"- people who are not categorically opposed to institutions, but are enjoying the academic excellence and flexible lifestyle that homeschooling affords. They showed up in the early 1990s after the test scores of pioneer kids were widely publicized.

In the late 1990s and after the turn of the new century the flood gates opened and group 3 known as "Refugees" poured in. They are fleeing a failed system and are unable to access a private school of their liking. They are probably the fastest growing group where I live. They are not steeped in homeschool philosophy, and usually mimic school at home. (They are also called "school at homers" instead of homeschoolers by current Pioneers and some of today's Settlers.)

SPOILER ALERT!
I was surprised Kingdom of Children let the cat out of the bag. The author's observations led him to the conclusion that women homeschool. No matter what camp they are in, no matter what they say about biblical hierarchy, in the end women develop the educational philosophy and research materials and do the work of teaching. Women set up support groups, networks, and enrichment activities. They also handle the lion share of the child rearing and household management at the same time. There are books and convention workshops that tout the idea of father significantly participating in and overseeing the process. How can they? They are working so hard to provide for us so we can enjoy the amazing and challenging experience of being a homeschool mom, it leaves little time for hands on instruction by dads. We're so appreciative that they do. Anyone considering this lifestyle needs to be ware of that reality.

Dads-read Help! I'm Married to a Homeschooling Mom by Todd Wilson. Your wife will be soooo glad you did!

Mitchell Stevens provides the first in depth study of the American home schooling movement. Instead of assuming that home schoolers are right wing fanatics or left wing bohemians, he takes the time to attend their meetings, visit their homes and read their literature. From his in depth study, he concludes that home schooling is an activity that grows out of long traditions in American politics and is an honest, and possibly successful, attempt at reconstructing education so that it meets the needs of children.

The focus of Mitchell's book is the division between home schoolers who view home schooling as a form of Christian education and those who view home schooling as a secular activity. Mitchell's thesis is that this division defines much of the discourse, organization and politics of home schooling. It also reflects concepts of womanhood, childhood and family.

From a sociological perspective, I think that this book's biggest contributions is an implicit critique of some themes in the sociology of education, where schools are seen as propagators of the status quo. Here, we have an example of how an institution, public education, is relaxing its grip and new forms of education are being created. This is not to say that public education is on the path to extinction, but this book shows how viables alternatives to dominant institutions emerge.

To summarize: first in depth sociological work on home schooling, takes home schoolers seriously as people, clear

writing and very little jargon and furthers our understanding of educational institutions and social change. A sure winner!

We have been homeschooling since the early 70's. earlier if you consider my homeschooling in the 50's. This is why I was eager to read this book and why I recommend it. Because the author gives the reader one of the most complete and balanced view from the outside, of who homeschools and why.

I also like the fact that the author was interested in parents and families and not simply whether or not the homeschooled child tests better, gets enough socialization, have their own friends and get into college. What the author set out to find is what drives the parent to homeschool. And what "practical household decisions" make homeschooling possible. Because as he notes "conventional parenting is a lot of work" and he "suspected that homeschooling is even more labor intensive." And he set out to find out "how people decided that they could afford the time, lost wages, and mental energy that homeschooling costs." And "how homeschoolers assemble the help they need to get the job done."

He also include the study in 1995 that sociologist "Maralee Mayberry and her colleagues released the best comprehensive statistical study of home educators to date." The authors fifty-six item questionnaire included measures of parental occupation, educational attainment, religious affiliation, household size and income and the divisions of domestic labour. Working with a sample of home educating families in Nevada, Utah and Washington the researchers painted a picture of a predominantly white, middle class and religious movement. Ninety-eight percent of the survey respondents were white 1 percent were Asian Americans, the rest a mix of African American, Native American and Hispanics. Most parents were under age forty and the vast majority or 97% were married. 43% claimed at least some post secondary education, and additional 33 percent were college graduate. Professional and technical and managerial and administrative occupations were heavily represented among the fathers some were craft or service workers and a few were ranchers or farmers. 57% reported incomes of between 25 and 50k, 26% reported less. Compared to the general public the respondents were better educated slightly more affluent and more likely to be white. They also found that homeschooling is heavily gendered. 78% of mothers do the homeschooling. Also of interest to is the religious aspect. 91% reported that religious commitment was very important. 78% claim they attend church weekly. Yet 20% say they are not religious per se. 12% didn't answer the religious question. What surprised me was the fact we know more Asian and Jewish homeschoolers that any group, so this study should have studied homeschoolers in NYC, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco as well in order to get a better read on a more diverse section. The states studied are higher income and better educated so the results make sense.

I also like the book because the author notes the SAT study by Jon Wartes of Washington State homeschooled students. Although these were done in the 80's. The author does note the HSLDA funded study by Lawrence Rudner and I was happy the author noted "The study's findings must be tempered by the fact the research was built with a nonrandom convince sample, financed by a highly interested advocacy organization, and has received criticism from both within and beyond the homeschool community."

The author also explains the while homeschooling is legal in all states that some states have strict rules as far as parents reporting to state educational authorities. This is often one of the first questions I get from a parent asking about homeschooling. Is it legal? How do I find out? And I like the fact the author noted the Sikkink study that shows that homeschool parents are more involved in cicvic life than public school parents.

And the history of homeschooling since the 80s is covered well. And I am glad ton see that John Holt and Holt Associates are given good coverage since this is the one organization we joined in the early 80s and was the most secular or accepting of all homeschool families. So often all I hear is that the majority of homeschoolers are conservative Christians, even though my experience since the early 1970s shows (yes I live in a more liberal area of California) that there are more secular homeschoolers, or at least ones who are free spirits.

This is a book that any fair minded person interested in homeschooling should read. This is one of my top 3 homeschool books.

Rather than tell you what the book says (see other reviews) let me just say that having read this just as we are beginning homeschooling with our children, I have a much deeper understanding of the people we are going to be relating to in the future. Many of his insights have already been borne out in my observations. I appreciated the fact that this book is fairly up-to-date (written in the late 90's). I think I will be able to relate to other homeschooling families in an understanding way after reading this book.

Great book, easy read and offers something of value for everyone. The book speaks to people who are both familiar with some of the teachings behind the "BLM" as well as those just looking for a way to jumpstart their lives with new meaning. This book is inspiring. So often we get bogged down with day to day life we forget about living our lives with purpose. This book has gotten me back on the court in the game of life.

Simply do the leg work asked of you by Dr. Barrett, plot a course and step into your new life. Dr. Barrett is not giving you the blue print to his or anyone else's life. He is giving you the tools and skills needed to create the blue print for your life. Just remember you are creating it, so you can change it.

In this book, Dr. Barrett acknowledges that many people want a better life but do not know how to reach their goals/ultimate goal or life's vision. In many ways, I find wanting a better life to be a call to do and be better. The question I have always asked is: How? I often dream about a happier, healthier, fruitful, and more fulfilled life and I know many, if not most, of us have. According to Dr. Barrett, these desires when balanced are normal, natural, achievable, and within reach. However, he contends that the major barriers to reaching our goals include failing to create a solid plan that we wholeheartedly pursue (That was me in a nutshell!). What I like about this book is that Dr. Barrett's approach is realistic, doable, and a wonderful resource for people who are willing to create and be responsible for their own happiness. He illustrates that success is not by chance; it is intentional. In past years, I was unaware of how the sum of my small decisions created my lifestyle. I am now very aware. Therefore, I am more active and take a proactive approach in taking valuable steps toward designing my life and living my life's vision. I have devised and implemented a plan that helps me reorganize (or should I say organize) my life in many ways including: saving and investing more money, spending less money, pursuing my dream career, spending more time with my family and friends, and ultimately living my life by my design. Living and not just existing! Essentially, I have put first things first --- what matters most.

For many of us, change can seem real daunting but Dr. Barrett offers "Real" help. Oftentimes our emotions cloud our abilities to think clearly and help ourselves. These are two of the reasons why I recommend giving this book a try.

Pros: Dr. Barrett is honest in asking that the reader be active in creating and sustaining their own happiness. This request is realistic. It is impossible to build and sustain a happy and healthy life on wishful thinking alone. (If we could, I would have been a world renowned whimsy/fantasy architect)

Recommendation to readers: Take your time with this book. Do not rush. Learning and understanding the model is important. How can you apply what you never learned or understood? Reading to understand will help you absorb more and have less difficulty applying the techniques.

Cons/Suggestion to Author: This book does not have a simplified companion guide/activity workbook supplement. Dr. Barrett should create one that is easy, convenient, feasible, and pleasurable to use.

The most fundamental question that you need to ask yourself as you purchase this book is; are you ready for positive change in your life? For those of you who are having internal struggles as to how to attain lifelong happiness or to pose the easy although at the same time difficult questions Dr. Barrett ask of his readers, what does happiness means to you and what are you willing to do to achieve this happiness? Are you ready to venture on this magical yet attainable journey? It's a lifelong process. The author is quite frank and honest in his assessment in preparing his readers with the internal and external factors that the readers will come into contact with as they go on this journey and he does give valuable insight as to what is needed to be successful. The Barrett Leadership Model (BLM) is an eleven-step progression that does not have to be used in sequential order. You can take it in all at once or take it in tentative steps. (This works for me, I'm a coward, for now!). There are exercises that gently guide the readers to find clarity in their lives. You know this is an excellent book and an easy read. I give it five stars easily; however, the challenge is not in understanding the book, the challenge is you the reader. You have to ask yourself if you have it in you to make the essential changes in your life to get you to where you want to be; Dr. Barrett calls it sustainable happiness. This might sound like an easy task, however, we are creatures of habit and I can tell you from experience that this is something that you have to want for yourself. If or when you get to that point in your life when you say, "Enough is enough, I'm ready to lead my life and not leave it to others." Please purchase this book it will be your lifesaver.

"Leading from the Inside-Out" is an excellent book for developing Leadership skills in life, work, or education. It is a fast and easy development model that will put you to focus on yourself and then build outward towards achieving your goals. It is also a great companion to have while traveling. I read this book then , read it again. It is a well structured, organized, and a thorough leadership guide. I have a pocket dictionary, thesaurus and now I'll add the Barrett Leadership Model "Leading from the Inside - out." I really enjoyed this book.

I am always in search of an informative book and this was referred to me by a coworker. I borrowed the book to read and it was a very easy to read book it took me less than half a day to read. I was content with the way my life was going until I picked this book up. Now upon finishing it I have purchased my own copy and already read it a second time. I have started to do the exercises in the book and made changes in my life. I am in the process of pursuing a passion of mine because of the book. I think this book will definitely help a lot of people put life into perspective.

I'm both a teacher and a parent and I must say that Pat Wyman knows kids and the learning system in this country. I know from my students in class as well as my own son that each child has a special gift they can offer. Unfortunately, schools make everyone march to the same beat. Pat Wyman does an excellent job of both describing how things are screwed up in schools and what we can do about it. If your child has his/her own way of looking at the world, you need to support it any way you can. You can learn how with this book. Do your child a favor and start learning.

As a parent, I found the answers I needed in this book to help my children. My son was told he would never get his driver's permit because of a vision problem. But this book helped me solve this and he now has his permit and is driving us all around town. My daughter had 20/20 eyesight, but didn't like to read for pleasure. The Reading Inventory in this book told me "why" and what to do about it. I highly recommend Pat Wyman's book to every parent and teacher I know.
[...]

"As a parent and a teacher, the practical strategies and wisdom in Pat Wyman's book is the best I've ever seen. I use her strategies in my classroom, and students who were struggling, quickly achieve higher grades and test scores.
The section on solving reading problems, is for every parent and teacher. If we all used that information alone, I believe the reading problems in our country would end very quickly.
I've taught for over 20 years, and recommend Learning vs Testing to every parent, staff member and adminstrator I meet. My suggestion: buy this book, and schedule Pat to train every parent and teacher group in the country. This information is truly at the heart of meeting our goals to have every child succeed at or above grade level."
Cindy Moriarty
Teacher and Parent
La MIrada, California

It seems evident that Pat Wyman has poured her heart, her soul, and her 25 years experience teaching kids how to learn, into this book. I found the story about her own son, JP, at the beginning of the book particularly relevant. As the parent of a 16 year old son who has his own unique style of learning, I know how difficult it is for kids being subjected to the cookie-cutter style of testing and teaching at public schools. If your kid is a bit different, or a lot different, in the way he or she learns, and is struggling academically as a result, this book is a must read. When the author speaks about how all children, even those who are not doing well at school, have their own unique gifts and talents, I find myself saying a resounding "Yes!" Let's acknowledge these kids for the beautiful beings they are. This book is filled with practical tools and techniques for helping them express that beauty in the form of greater academic success and better grades. What more could a parent ask for?

Thank you Pat Wyman for writing Learning vs. Testing and sharing your knowledge!

I am very frustrated that it has taken 8 years to identify the real cause of my daughter's reading and learning problems and it is because of the information in your book that we were finally able to help her become very successful in school.

I am going to do everything in my power to ensure this information reaches as many children as possible who need the kind of assessment and strategies in your book.

My daughter showed signs of learning difficulties since she was 6 years old, and not a single test or evaluation by any professional helped us find the answers we needed. Finally, after getting your book, I was able to give her the reading assessment and follow the plan you recommended.

I learned the difficulty she is having in school is due to her vision - the way she sees the world. Everything she read was distorted and although we had given her regular eye exams for years, she never had the type of learning related eye exam you recommend.

After the proper exam, we discovered that her eyes are not working together properly. Because of the information in your book, I discovered that she needs vision therapy exercises and new eyeglasses to correct the problem.

Her optometrist, allowed me to look through a lens and read a document to experience what my daughter experiences when she reads. I almost was in tears when I saw double lines and words out of place.
It was very difficult for me to read. I had to close one of my eyes to focus and that was only a temporary adjustment. I thought, "How frustrating this must be for my child!"

I am so happy we finally know what the real cause of her problem is and how to solve it. My child was relieved by the knowledge her learning problem is related to her visual perception and not her mental ability.

Thank you so much for your commitment and dedication to the education of all children!

This is a great book for the non-lawyer. It explains not only IP law, but also the ramifications that these regulations can have to your business as a holder of IP.

A ravenous beastie, technology eats everything it touches. Our daily lives, the way we shop, how we communicate, our work habits, the way we entertain ourselves, and how we exist day by day have all irreversibly transmogrified in the maw of the computer and information age. Now we live like network packets, shooting from node to node with rarely a pause, gathering and transporting information. In degrees of busyness, we've outdone the bees. Such a tsunami of change has to impact the way we govern ourselves. And of course it does. Not even the law escapes technology.

Patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets. Technology has chiseled into each one of these modes of intellectual property protection. But the issues remain complicated and hairy, and this book, with text thick as shag carpet, provides a detailed starting point for exploring the legal implications of technology.

After a thorough introduction to the United States' legal system, some 75 pages worth, the book dives into patent law. Any questions about the nature of patents such as cost, usefulness, novelty, nonobviousness, infringement, or validity receive apt treatment. The book even throws in an overview of the significant Patent Reform Act, not yet passed as of this writing. This Act promises to overhaul the United States patent system, potentially obsoleting some of the information presented. Concerning the patentability of computer programs, the whole drama gets laid out like an adventure tale. Computer programs didn't become patentable overnight. Some even doubted their eligibility for protection.

Trade secrets and their discontents, such as reverse engineering, receive a bulky chapter. These issues affect nearly all technology employees. Use caution, because tricks, shortcuts, or streamlined processes taken from one company to the next could, depending on the circumstances, misappropriate secret information. And when that happens the lawyers come out swinging.

The fuzzy nature of Copyright law receives as much tree bark as patent law. Questions arise on this subject often, especially in regard to the internet. Can I copy an image and put it on my site? Can I legally download digital music? What if a .jpeg doesn't have a copyright notice? The book provides a suitable background to answer these. And, similar to patents, the copyrightablility of computer programs also weaved a loopy route. At first they received overwhelming protection, which disturbed judges, who then abstracted, filtered, and compared protection down to a mere kernal of expression. The entire yarn gets told.

The book ends with chapters on trademarks, domain name issues, tort liability, privacy law, and issues related to contracts, particularly "shrink-wrap" and "click-wrap" licenses. At over 600 pages, the book defies summary. Prepare for a full brain.

Along the way, excerpts from actual court cases, including many Supreme Court decisions, bolster the main text. Not only that, a case study, CoolEdge, runs through the entire length of the book, elucidating murky concepts with comprehensible examples.

This book won't turn readers into lawyers, but it will open up a world of technology law to those with the gusto to brave its dense contents. Some chapters take upwards of two or three hours to complete. But the effort offers great rewards of legal knowledge at a detailed level unobtainable in most survey books or on FAQ websites. Best of all, no legal knowledge is required upon entry. Absolute beginners can comprehend every word in this book. As such it provides a great, but ardous, starting point for technology law.

I bought this book because it was the most recent publication purporting to explain technology law. Although I thought the price was a little high, I sure got more than my money's worth. This book really covers the most important and interesting topics in technology law, and it does so extremely well. Biotech, Internet patents, privacy, obscenity, copyrights, trade secrets, click-wraps, domain names, design protection, strategies for computer programs, the Microsoft Antitrust case-you name it and this book has got it. The book also deals with international matters, such as the WTO, and international strategic considerations. The court case examples are well selected, and the editing is superb. They are not to short to be trivial, but not to long either. I also visited the Web site mentioned on the back cover. It already has a bunch of helpful updates, including the Napster and DVD encryption (DeCSS) debates, among many others. This really is a great book. I recommend it highly.

Call this book Release 2.0! It's a fine upgrade from Prof. Burgunder's prior release.

With the growth in the internet and the advent of business method patents, interest in patent, trademark and copyright issues has surged to new heights. Awareness and integration of these legal aspects into our management of technology is absolutely vital for the future.

I practice law. Specifically, I work on intellectual property matters. I am also building two websites. As a result, I am keen on staying on top of my field. Professor Burgunder's new treatise is an important addition to the literature in this field. He writes in an accessible manner: open to students, interested people and legal practitioners alike. In addition, the arrangement of the book is well thought-out: you don't have to read or study it from the first chapter. Depending on your familiarity with this field, you can select topics and areas to review or you can build a college course around the book.

I was also delighted to see that Dr. Burgunder has been intelligent in the use of a web site to keep the book current.

If you are interested in technology and legal issues, this is a great book to help you! I recommend it heartily.

A splendid piece of work! It is timely and up-to-date with all the most recent & important technological law issues, including the Internet. It contains sophisticated analysis, but in an easy-to-read style. I particularly liked how the Internet is treated in the context of associated technology issues, rather than segregated as a separate unrelated universe. A big plus is the web site connected to the book where Burgunder provides updates about current issues --- such as Napster, Internet linking, and the antitrust case against Microsoft. This will keep the material fresh for years to come! I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about technology law. It's a winner!