Educational Books

This is an awesome little book for an awesome breed of dog. For its size, this book packs in a lot of really good information for the OES owner or potential owner. My OES is six months old now and I have found this book to hit on everything I needed to know to take care of this little guy. Responsible dog ownership entails a lot of work and this book will be a big help for anyone thinking of adopting this breed. It is a big help when you can get solid information from very experienced OES owners and breeders.

The one thing I think the book should have emphasized a little bit more is the amount of time and work that has to be put into maintaining these dog's coats. It can be a little overwhelming when every time you take these guys for a walk in the woods you end up having to spend an hour brushing them out.

This really is a great little book for anyone thinking of adopting this breed. I can speak from experience when I say these guys are not for the casual dog owner and they are not for everyone, and it will do the owner and the dog a great service to read this book so that you can get a head start on being a good OES owner. These guys are a lot of work but they are more than worth the effort.

In comparison to other books about specific breeds of dogs, this stands out as an exception. Full of history, care and disease information about Old English Sheepdog. I keep copy on my coffee table. Constantly looking up details as my OES grows through puppyhood.

As a proud owner of my 3rd OES, this is a wonderful basic book...written with humor...and some great photos!

According to the cover, this book was written as a "Pet Owner's Guide" and truly lives up to it's name! It is an excellent tool for anyone who is interested in purchasing an Old English Sheepdog puppy as a companion or family pet. There is also a section that informs the reader how to find an adult dog and explains about breed rescue programs.

The author completely covers all aspects of Old English Sheepdog ownership, beginning with how to find the 'right' puppy or adult. It is written in a clear, easy to understand style while realistically informing the prospective owner of the "cons" as well as the "pros" of living with an Old English Sheepdog. The book contains many color photographs some of which illustrate the versatility of the breed.

As an owner, breeder and exhibitor of Old English Sheepdogs for 27 years, I feel this book is a "MUST READ" for anyone considering this breed as a pet.

As a O.E.S.owner and breeder I found this to be a MUST for any new O.E.S. owner. After reading the book cover to cover I believe it has the most accurate information and advise of any Dog book that I have ever read on O.E.S. My compliants to anyone to had anything to do with the information included in this book. Even a layman can tell that the photos were of well breed and well cared for animals.

Patti has done an excellent job of putting together a collection of ideas and suggestions from some of the most accomplished online learning "experts." By that, I don't necessarily mean people with academic backgrounds. I mean people who've been in the business trenches and have found from experience what worked, what didn't, and what might have worked if it had been presented differently. What's missing from so many books of this kind is what I call the "how to." Patti acknowledges that fact with, "This book shows you concrete examples of people making learning better every day, in all kinds of settings, all over the world."

The book can be read in a linear fashion, but I found that I liked jumping around in it and making my own "Ah ha" connections among the ideas. Most ideas are no more than 3-4 pages, and include many job aids and visual references which make the ideas come alive.

I highly recommended this collection. You'll start making your own connections and developing material that will help your learners truly engage and enjoy.

All instructional designers creating instructor led, blended, or e-learning should read this book and have plenty of post-its or flags on hand. I found many great new ideas that I can adapt and use in a variety of learning environments. This is a great reference book that those in ID should keep at arms length as they are designing.

Patti Shank has collected great ideas about online learning and teaching from all over the globe. If you are an online instructor or instructional designer looking for new ways to involve and engage your learners, you'll be inspired by this book!

Patti Shank has collected a treasure trove of interactive ideas for all types of online learning -- synchronous, asynchronous, instructor-led, and self-directed. Even experienced designers and developers are sure to find new and creative ideas for improving online programs. In fact, I came up with innovative ideas for my classroom training (particularly in the synchronous training chapter.) All you need is a little imagination to use these ideas to solve a wide range of learning challenges. When the examples are not proprietary, Patti provides links so you can see the ideas in action. For example, the book references two low-cost software programs to help assess learning (e.g., Hot Potatoes and Quiz Game Master.) A companion CD in the next edition of this book would be a great asset for helping visualize some of the ideas presented.

I suggest The Online Learning Idea Book be a part of your "toolkit" for designing any type of online learning program. You can also feel confident that the Patti's collection of ideas are based on solid performance improvement theory and will make a true impact on your learners.

This book takes an interesting approach to online learning. Rather than an author expounding on some specific learning methodology that's guaranteed to revolutionize your system and your learners, Patti Shank collects ideas from practitioners in the field including her own experiences. Most of the contributors provided more than one idea to the text, but there are still at least 30 different viewpoints represented. And, the contributors seem to come from a wide spectrum of (mostly U.S.) educators in both corporate training and higher education.

The book contains almost 100 ideas broken into 10 broad categories related to online learning. Sections like: Ideas for Making Collaboration Work, Ideas for Supporting Learners and Learning, Ideas for Synchronous Activities, etc. Each idea is presented succinctly in 1-4 pages outline style. And, each is detailed by what the idea is, why you would want to use it, how you might use it and who to contact for more information (if needed). Most ideas contain at least one screen shot showing the idea "in action".

As a software developer, I have spent the last 15 years on the "other side" of online learning: designing, building and operationally supporting a number of Learning Management Systems. So many of these ideas presented here were quite familiar to me. The rest ran the gamut from insightful to kind of campy. However, the format made for a fast and easy read. Well worth the time spent.

The book is probably best suited for educators and instructional designers looking to find ways to spruce up their offerings or increase the effectiveness of their material. All of the ideas are aimed at increasing the interactivity of online learning.

For someone interested in online learning and looking to see what kinds of tools and techniques are out there, this book is a great survey of current practice.

This beautifully written book follows a young Maasai girl as she reaches the age for her initiation into womanhood that includes the traditional circumcision and marriage. Times are changing for the Maasai and she would prefer to keep her freedom by delaying this ceremony and possibly even going to school. She has ulterior motives, as she has privately witnessed the birth of a baby rhino whom she names "Our Secret, Siri Aang", and claims the baby and mother as her other family. She secretly visits them daily but would lose track of them if the ceremony were to take place, since the recovery requires four months of isolation. Her father also struggles, trying to keep the traditional Maasai ways in his family, but seeing how changes are affecting it. He believes that school is a waste of time and is ashamed of his daughter for considering it and for questioning her responsibilities as a young woman. He has also witnessed his warrior son sell his soul by allowing passing tourists to photograph him for money. His inner turmoil leads him to actions that a Maasai, "the keepers and protectors of all wild animals", should never consider. The suspenseful journey allows the reader to consider the choices made and suffer along with the characters as their good intentions lead them farther and farther from their Maasai roots. This is an excellent book, well told and well characterized. My only complaint is the cover that, although I am confident is an authentic Maasai girl, is very unappealing to me. I did keep referring to it as I read the book because it matches the descriptions in the book perfectly of what a young Maasai girl would look like, but I rarely find that photographs make me want to pick up a book to read it.

Our Secret - Siri Aang is a well-written, thoughtful and evocative book for young people. The Maasai girl in this story is full of energy and courage, even though the traditions in her life are beginning to clash with her new awareness. The author, Cristina Kessler, writes with insight, love and a huge talent.
Africa and the Maasai culture come alive in this story, woven into adventure and intrigue.

No matter where Kessler might be, when she writes of her beloved Africa, she is there. And so are we.

- Jacqueline Buie
Santa Cruz, CA

Our Secret is a powerful story of a Masai girl facing a web of dilemnas. Christina Kessler has the ability to mix intrique, cultural values, and strong yet not sentimental characters. This book relates an important tale of a culture that is rapildy changing.
The details of daily life in a Masai village will appeal to readers as well as the indentification with an adolescent girl who must make difficult decisions.
Adolescent readers will not feel pandered to by reading this book that makes the reader a better person.

This touching tale is a coming-of-age book about a twelve-year old Maasai girl, Namelok. It is set in today's Africa, where the Maasai face unwelcome changes imposed upon them by the outside world. Namelok is a mature and aware young woman who is unafraid to question the traditional ways. She is lured by the sights and sounds of the bush where she goes to gather firewood. One day she witnesses a black rhino giving birth. She whispers to the mother, "...let's call your beautiful baby Siri Aang, for that's what she shall be - Our Secret." Christina intertwines the theme of Namelok's protective stance toward the rhinos with the girl's maturing in a way that weaves a captivating story.

A book that bears more similarities to "Fiddler On the Roof" than (as I originally assumed) "Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind". After reading a certain number of children's books, a person runs the danger of becoming ever-so-slightly jaded. You start ticking of the cultures and countries covered. Have I read a tale of a nomadic child in the Cholistan Desert of modern day Pakistan? Check. How about a child in nineteenth century Southern Libya? Check. So when I saw this book about the contemporary trials of a girl living as a Maasai, I was already checking the title off in my head. I was not particularly heartened by the fact that this book had sat, untouched, in the New Books section of my library for a month or two. For all its good writing (which I will get to) this book sports a cover that kids do not readily gravitate towards. And this is a pity. Author Cristina Kessler is a far better author than most of the two-bit hacks out there, and as a Peace Corps volunteer, she knows from whence she writes. In "Our Secret, Siri Aang", we find that all human beings are complex characters with both good and bad inside of them. It just takes one girl to learn the hard way that her heroes may not be as perfect as they first appear.

A twelve-year-old girl in the Maasai culture will inevitably have a lot on her mind at all times. Namelok is no exception to this rule. Namelok carries with her the weight of a series of secrets, all exciting and all dangerous. First, she witnessed the birth of a baby black rhino in the bush, and has committed herself to the health and well-being of both the mama and the child. Second, her menstrual cycle has just begun, and she wants nothing to do with it. Menstruation can only mean an end to her childhood days and a fast circumcision (or "emuratare") before being married off to a man her father chooses. Third, she wants to learn from the village schoolteacher. This is expressly forbidden, not only because she is a girl but also because the Maasai do not believe such knowledge to have much use. All in all, the odds are stacked pretty squarely against Namelok. Then, one day, things get worse. Poachers are spotted in town. Her beloved older brother participates in a bit of foolishness that sets off a whole series of events. And when Namelok goes to visit her beloved rhinos, she sees vultures circling above. By the end, Namelok sets out on a quest to bring justice to the world and make her father see her as an equal and not just a young girl fighting to understand the world around her.

The book runs the slight danger of falling into the category of girl-refuses-an-arranged-marriage books (ala "Catherine Called Birdy" or the aforementioned "Shabanu") or the female-circumcision-in-children's-books camp (as with "No Laughter Here"). Fortunately, author Kessler avoids such trite topics. Namelok will have to deal with these problems later on down the line, but this tale is far more concerned with the ideas of change in a community and dying traditions. Our heroine's father fights the encroachment of unfamiliar ways and, in doing so, is led to a supremely foolish act. Readers of this book may not initially understand why it is so shameful for young Maasai warriors to pose for tourists' photographs for money, but the story eventually shows just how wrong the act can be. I loved that this was a book in which the heroine really does grow and mature before your eyes. I also loved that the ending left multiple strings hanging in the breeze. If "Our Secret, Siri Aang" were a more popular title, I would suspect that a sequel might be in the works somewhere. Alas, this is probably not the case.

Basically, this is a good title for those kids who want books with complex moralities. Where the world is not necessarily drawn into sections that are either black or white. At the same time, Kessler seems to have a firm grasp on Maasai culture and its people. You can put yourself completely into her hands as a writer without fear of any skimping on the details. All in all, the book takes an initially unrecognizable setting and puts the most human of faces onto it. A splendidly written piece of work.

As a former product design engineer, I learned a good manufacturers' representative is worth his weight in gold. The rep is the person you turn to if you have component selection or vendor problems. Likewise, a good rep is a conduit for the voice of the customer; the person who makes clear the needs, the wants, and the opinions of the customer. Both roles are essential to a successful product design effort and both are difficult to fill. Like other positions that demand specific knowledge and experience, the job of a sales representative is a job for an specialist.

In "Out-Sourcing the Sales Function", Anderson and Trinkle,- both experts on the topic- explain the intricacies of field sales show how, in many situations, an external sales force can outperform a traditional direct sales team. They give direct specific examples and show how the cost of the sales function can be accounted for accurately. Anyone who's livelihood depends directly or indirectly upon sales, will find this book revealing and useful. Highly recommended.

Bruce Long PhD, PE

Bob and Erin do an excellent job of frameworking the decision criteria of when to use outsourced sales professionals. Reviews the tough topic of the true costs associated with using OSP's vs. direct sales. This is the best book I have seen on this subject. If you are looking at your cost of goods sold and not currently using manufacturer's representatives, this book might give you insight into a great way to go to market !

These comments by Chicago PR consultant Laurence Kaufman, excerpted from a longer review, are right on the money.

Clearly directed at corporate executives with the responsibility for determining how their companies' goods are brought to market - CEOs and CFOs as well as their top sales executives - this book equally deserves careful scrutiny by manufacturers' representatives and their organizations, and by those who interface regularly with field sales people, i.e., distributors and other resellers, commercial and industrial end users.

A number of factors make this book noteworthy, but perhaps the most important is its authorship - a unique collaboration between an academic (Erin Anderson) who has been studying manufacturers' representatives and the decision to employ them for a quarter-century and a field sales professional (Bob Trinkle) who spent close to half a century practicing what he now preaches. And what Trinkle preaches, along with his professorial collaborator, is not that you should choose the rep route to market, but that you should make the choice intelligently - based not only on economic factors but also in full realization of the impact of corporate culture and product idiosyncrasies - and if you choose to outsource, the factors you need to consider in making the strategy work. Trinkle and Anderson do not say that outsourcing is the right thing to do - it may or may not be. But if you decide it is the right thing to do, they also tell you how to do it right.

Another noteworthy feature is the inclusion with the hard-cover book of a CD-ROM Cost Calculator©, that allows those responsible for making dollar comparisons between in-house and outsourced field sales to plug in their own numbers, reminding them along the way of the "soft costs" that go away in tandem with the decision to outsource.

Anderson and Trinkle have created a tool not only for making strategic decisions about how to take products into the field, but for creating a better understanding of the role of the rep as an advocate for buyers and for sellers. If you are a rep who wants to be thought of as an OSP (Outsourced Sales Professional), first read this book; and then make sure each of your principals reads it as well. If you are a customer or reseller, it will remind you of the benefits the OSP brings you in efficiency, advocacy, and continuity. If you are a manufacturer, it will help you analyze when to outsource, when to go or stay direct, and when to field a hybrid sales force, and prevent a decision from being made capriciously.

Outsourcing has become an accepted business practice because it can deliver demonstrable savings and improved services. However, while sales outsourcing is common, it has not been widely adopted by companies accustomed to having dedicated in-house sales staffs. Authors Erin Anderson and Bob Trinkle make a powerful case for the benefits of using outside sales reps, asserting that they cost less and sell more, particularly when they use the tactic of "portfolio selling." The authors explain how the two types of sales forces can co-exist and augment each other. Die-hard sales managers will find interesting material here, though the book belabors a few obvious points and lacks enough real-world examples to juice up the dry text. The authors include a CD with software for analyzing sales costs. Since this is a very specific book for anyone investigating whether to use reps, we recommend it to sales directors and executives who are facing that question. However, front line salespeople and reps should just keep to their appointment books - this text is not designed for you.

This ranks as one of the best written books and a must have. I recommend this to anyone in marketing and sales, from entry level sales people to marketing and sales managers and even CEOs/CFOs. I have over 20 years in establishing new markets, recruiting and managing the sales force and this book is a treasure that I could have utilized throughout my career. Why learn by trial and error when you have so much knowledge in a book? It is apparent to me, that this book is written from "boots on the ground" real-life experience. Concepts are clearly presented and backed up by real world examples. The included CD is a remarkable utility allowing one to caculate true cost of sales and compare business models. Compare current busines practices to a benchmark. An independent sales representative could use this to negotiate commission rates on new contracts with principals.

This book has everything from parent involvement to parent teacher conferencing to the very best history of parent education/involvement that I have EVER seen.

If you can't find any book by Kevin Swick, then get this one. Heck! Get 'em both! You can never do with enough ways to get parents involved with children during the early years.

This book is comprehensive and easy to follow. It is useful for understanding the various perspectives of both teachers and families. I think it is essential for new teachers, as well as those who may feel the need to prioritize and start putting families and communication first!

[...]

This text supplies new teachers with necessary information to understand the importance of parent involvement- "parents as partners"- in education.

ME ENCANTARIA QUE ME DIJERAN COMO PUEDO CONSEGUIR UNA COPIA DE ESTE EJEMPLAR TAN INTERESANTE. SOY ESTUDIANTE DE MAESTRIA Y SE QUE ME SERVIRA DE GRAN AYUDA EN UN CURSO QUE ESTOY TOMANDO ESTE SEMESTRE.

GRACIAS MIL, CARLOS A. SILVA-RUIZ

This is a very good book, it doesn't only focus on teachers but on parents and student as well. This book is easy to read, not heavy scientific language, and has very beautiful pictures. As a student and a mother I surely find everything I wish to read and know about "parents as partners in education". Thank you for a great book!

This is a very good book. Some authors fill their books with jargons and make the books difficut to read. But Soucek writes in plain language. She makes professional knowledge of parrot breeding understandable to a parrot lover like me. Photos are clear and illustrative. I considered this book is the best one among books of similar topics.

Well being a hobby breeder I must say that I had learned somewhat through the years. I walked into a book store and took my husband's advice for once, it turned out to be most rewarding. The Parrot Breeder's Answer Book is filled with so much information which answered alot of my questions concerning my current breeding. Most of all the book is fun to read and the amount of pictuers add alot as well, far from boring like other related books. I must say taking my husbands advise did work out this time since it never ends up good. I would recommend this book to my fellow bird breeder's especially my mother in law she can really use this book as a Christmas Gift.

Yours Truly

Martha Ferrer

This is an excellent book for those who are looking into breeding parrots. It gives good information on the pros and cons for breeding, and comes with excellent pictures and illustrations. This is such a wonderful guide to breeding parrots RESPONSIBLY. It is incredibly honest and straight forward on the benefits and pitfalls of breeding. Very easy reading and informative. Also comes with a reference guide in the back. Highly recommended.

Very informative, I've been a breeder for 11 years and learned a few things I didn't know!

THE PARROT BREEDER'S ANSWER BOOK was written by Gayle Soucek, who has been breeding and training parrots for a number of years and maintains a flock of 70-80 birds at her Chicago home. The fact that she has been able to raise baby parrots in such a cold hostile environment is amazing, especially when she informs the reader that at times she must transport the babies to work because they require "round-the-clock"feedings, just like human babies. Of course she is hand raising the birds she feeds herself. Parent raised babies are cared for all day by mom and dad, but hand raising birds is the key to training them to be friendly animal companions. Reading this book one wonders where Ms Soucek finds the time to care for birds as she works full time for a bird supply business, is involved with a number of bird organizations and writes articles and books. Soucek says "you will never travel again" if you get into this business, and she has a point, although she undoubtedly travels to various locations to speak and lecture.

Soucek covers all the important aspects of baby-bird raising including parent nutrition and avian reproduction; preventive health care, including when to call your vet and when to "do it yourself"; baby nutrition including diets and hand feeding; housing, including cage requirements (do you know the difference between an incubator and a brooder?), air, water and light requirements; characteristics of birds reproductive systems including the difference between DNA sexing and the more invasive laproscopic sexing.

As a full-fledged bird breeder, I found this book highly informative, and recommend it to anyone who thinks bird-breeding is a "hobby."

Dr. Wilmore's Book Passing the Principal TExES Exam is a great help to the students working towards their Principal (mid-management) certification. The text is built around the Domains and Competencies set by SBEC and will guide you to achieve your personal best score!

This book was very helpful in preparation for principal certification.
I highly recommend this book.

In Colorado we have the PLACE Exam for Principal licensing. However there are no official study guides for the test. I purchased this book after failing the PLACE and found that the TExES Domains are almost identical to the PLACE. Dr. Wilmore also gave great test taking strategies that were extremely helpful. I used these strategies on the provided practice test, and two PLACE Practice test (one for Principal and one for Superintendent) and scored a passing grade. Then I applied them to the actual PLACE Exam and passed!

Down to earth and very practical. A real eye openner for all students preparing for the Principal's test.

The information was valuable, but the practice test was way too easy. The real test is much harder.

As a child care provider for over 24 years I found this book to be enlightening and thought provoking. The children I share this book with want to read it over and over again. It stimulates plenty of conversation about accepting each other and understanding our differences.

This is just the sort of book I wanted to find for my grandson! The illustrations are brilliant and the simply special story reminds the little ones that we are all the same. It brought up wonderful dialog and was very thought provoking - I could just see his little brain taking it all in. Now he walks around with the book under his arm wherever we go! Just wonderful!

This book goes to the heart of the matter, showing how similar we are under our skins. It's friendly and sweet-natured, a perfect antidote to the climate of fear and suspicion. Nice to look at too. Children will enjoy it.

I can't say enough about this delightful book. From the beautiful
faces that greet you on the cover to the simple, but important message
found inside. Yes, we are all different...on the outside, but inside we
are really all the same. In this world we live in today this message
is so important and I highly recommend this lovely book.

Henry M. Beaton

This wonderful book is incredibly illustrated by Duncan Smith with rich colorful images that bring the various people of the world to life. Ann Clarke steps us through the variety of people - which is life. From this story we learn to accept people for who they are, because it does not matter if someone is your Sister, another child on the playground, or someone across the world; all of us have feelings and want to be loved for who we are. That is the priceless message of this wonderful book which every child needs to hear; that the world is full of people who are different from ourselves and that each and every one of them has feelings - just like us! Imagine if you can Clarke's world, where everyone is respected and loved, no matter how different from us they may be.

After teaching Physical Chemistry for several years, I find Castellan's book the best there is, not only for undergraduate courses, but also as a handy resource for physical insight into various phenomena. I like especially his conceptual presentation of temperature, heat and entropy, and his easy-to-follow "mathematical interludes". The combination of physical insight with mathematical rigour allow for a quite comprehensive understanding of topics that seem complex in many other books.

This is one of few books what really help to student and experts to unsdertand the nature of the matery.

In my opinion this book remains one the best written on the field.In fact, it deals with the important topics in an elegant way. The first part is dedicated to the basic termodinamical concepts. This part just needs a little mathematical background but i must say in some ocasions it can become boring (just a little). Once you have red this part wich deals comes (in the middle of the book) the introduction of quantum mechanics. I feel the autor has reached his purprose of telling you the essential without complicating things. To my mind,really well done!!. just say i don't find enough information about group theory ( it is necesary to know a lot of it when you have reached an intermidiate-advanced level in quantum mechanics), but this must be forgiven for the book is intended for undergraduate students essentially.

This is a better book for P-chem compared to Atkins. Castellan really knows the best approach for P-chem. Consider buying this book when your professor told you to buy Atkins.

I bought his Physical Chemistry 2nd Edition book in December 1973. Everytime I need some insight to a dificult concept I read this book. His part in thermodynamics in unsurpassed, for I have not found such a clear explanation and derivation of the Second Law as his. The same goes for the Structure of Gases and Quantum Mechanical principles.
This book is a treasure. Some time ago I changed the original soft cover to hard, and lined it with brown leather and golden letters.

WOW!!...every parent reading this book to their child will benefit as much as their children...it's about as "GREEN' as it gets.

At last,an 'instruction manual' for today's children on how to preserve and enrich our enviroment written in a language they can both enjoy and understand. Disney and the world would both benefit from the animated version.

In this charming,informative book young children learn how they and their family can make small changes to improve the environment.Colorfully illustrated,easy to read, with helpful suggestions for young readers.Ideal for beginning a dialogue about "thinking green."
Buy it for your children and grandchildren.Planet Earth Gets Well

Finally, a delightful, colorful children's book that addresses some of the ills that are facing our planet today. This book with page turning and upbeat illustrations defines some of the challenges to our planet and the need to be "green". Written in simple language that a child can understand, it also explains some of the ways that the child can be part of the solutions. They feel important and happy that they can contribute to resolving the problem. All the children that I have shared this book with, request it be read to them over and over again! They love the story and the pictures!

Planet Earth Gets Well This is a refreshing take on how to help our world survive the harm that we humans continue to inflict on it. Kids will like the voice of the main character, a young Planet Earth with fever and sniffles. Appealing and educational without being stuffy, Mother Nature and the rest of the charming cast help round out the message that we can all do our part to clean up the environment.