Educational Books

As people who are just trying to learn more about the stars, and the constellations, this is a great book. In conjumction with the other book we just bought, the Great Star Atlas, we are having a wonderful time.

This kit is great for children and adults. My husband is enjoying it as much as our 12 year old. They dusted off the telescope for it's first use in a long time.

I am just beginning to pursue a life-long dream of becoming a backyard astronomer,and have found these books(there are two,each spiral-bound)to be an excellent introduction to the hobby.Easy for the novice to understand,and each book is beautifully presented.If you are thinking of taking up astronomy as a new interest,I think Mr.Kerrod has done a wonderful job. I'm sure you will find the set of books;planisphere;and flashlight a great beginning!

Robin Kerrod's The Sky at Night is a fantastic kit that includes a planisphere, a red flashlight and two spiral bound books; Mapping the Sky and The Star Guide. Mapping the Sky has maps of major southern and northern constellations for each month of the year. The Star Guide is a concise but complete astronomy guide. Both books come with full color photographs and charts. The kit comes accomodated in a beautiful box so you can carry it everywhere. It is an ideal kit for your nightsky watching sessions. A great buy!

These books are pleasing to look at, have heavy paper with beautiful illustrations. The cloth like hardcover and illustration are much prettier in person than in the photograph.

I love this book. If you are someone who loves the Sleeping Beauty story, it's a must. The book itself is sturdy in hardback, and worth the investment. Rackham's artwork is funny, done in the silhouette style of black and white cut-out, enhanced with red and green inks for dramatic effect. It takes on a timeless look, reminding me of the end of the summer season. C.S. Evens tells the story in the fullest detail you will find, stretching it to 11 chapters. This is the romantic version, and talks nothing of wicked mothers or babies getting eaten up by ogres! Instead, this story begins with the princess's parents and the frog; it details the jobs of the servants and what goes in the castle, the 12 good fairies and the mad one... The curse. The advice of the wizards, the destruction of the spinning wheels, the princess growing up, and the demise of the curse's reign. Of course, there are MANY princes that attempt to break the curse, but only ONE makes it through!

I love this book. If you are someone who loves the Sleeping Beauty story, it's a must. The book itself is sturdy in hardback, and worth the investment. Rackham's artwork is funny, done in the silhouette style of black and white cut-out, enhanced with red and green inks for dramatic effect. It takes on a timeless look, reminding me of the end of the summer season. C.S. Evens tells the story in the fullest detail you will find, stretching it to 11 chapters. This is the romantic version, and talks nothing of wicked mothers or babies getting eaten up by ogres! Instead, this story begins with the princess's parents and the frog; it details the jobs of the servants and what goes in the castle, the 12 good fairies and the mad one... The curse. The advice of the wizards, the destruction of the spinning wheels, the princess growing up, and the demise of the curse's reign. Of course, there are MANY princes that attempt to break the curse, but only ONE makes it through!

Arthur Rackham not only excelled at creating full color illustrations; he also was an unrivalled master at the art of the silhouette. In this reprinted children's classic, Rackham lavishly illustrates C.S. Evan's intricate retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story with one amazing silhouette after another. One of my favorite illustrations when I was a child was a fabulous two-page cross-section of Sleeping Beauty's palace, including such great details as slumbering cats, doves, scullery maids, the king and queen on their thrones, and of course the princess in her high tower. It never ceases to impress me how much a masterful artist like Rackham could communicate just with beautifully crafted graphic shapes alone- and remember, just because something's not in color, doesn't mean it's not good! Highly recommended!

Smart Teaching: Using Brain Research And Data To Continuously Improve Learning, by education consultant and former superintendent of schools Ronald Fitzgerald, presents theories that the author has tested for ten years. All too often, teachers today use the same methods that they used thirty or forty years ago; recognizing the need for flexibility, and the importance of taking a student's learning style into account, Smart Teaching promotes a system for improving student achievement with an emphasis on practical application. Built around fundamental principles such as "Instruction is more effective if well-planned to achieve specific purposes", "Students learn more if they are motivated first", and "Documented success encourages more success", Smart Teaching spells out methodical techniques for motivating students, preparing students, providing style choices, checking and adjusting student progress, and much more. A wealth of diagrams and figures succinctly illustrate key points, and an accompanying CD-ROM includes full-color PDF and PowerPoint slides ideal for in-service training. An excellent resource for teachers of K-12 and adult classrooms, whether used as a self-study tool or as the basis for a group workshop.

I have been in education for the last 34 yrs. as a teacher, a middle manager, and an industry trainer/consultant; I must say that I have seen a plethora of materials intended for teachers and trainers. None has been as comprehensive, informative, practical and useful as "Smart Teaching: Brain Research and Data to Continuously Improve Learning" by Ron Fitzgerald. Most books on assisting teachers that I have encountered are very theoretical, and in some cases not very pragmatic. What sets this book ahead of the rest is the fact that it offers a practical and comprehensive system for classroom teaching utilizing the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle used by world-class companies as a tool for continuous improvement. This system really works!
As a high school teacher, a college professor, and an industry trainer, I have used the eight components outlined in this book and they have yield amazing quality results in the student learning. The system is divided into suggestion areas that can be worked on individually. SMART TEACHING provides concrete guidance in each area. It also contains useful hand-outs and a list of resources.
This manual outlines processes that represent a very powerful tool for boosting student learning, and it is a manual that any K-12 teacher, college professor, and industry trainer can use with great ease to move from "good teaching" to "great teaching" in keeping with the theme of Quality in Education.

Wow! You should definitely purchase this book if you are interested in:
brain-based Teaching (a teaching style that caters to the brain's natural, preferred tendency for learning), TQM-total quality management (a methodology that promotes team work and continuous improvement), visual data displays that facilitate data analysis (that shows achievement and non-achievement or strength & weaknesses, that in turn, forms a documented basis for improvement-oriented decisions).

This book is unique; it bridges total quality management with brain-friendly teaching in a very user-friendly manner. I love the brain-friendly format of creating summary/graphics on the left page and the full explanation on the right side. The information-packed book highlights an eight-component brain-friendly teaching system; Ten essential elements in TQM education; and a CD-ROM that includes hand-outs & color slides. Also, for more detail, I highly recommend going to Dr. Fitzgerald's web site http://www.smartteaching.org. This book promises to be a classic!

Dr. Richard P. Lawrence
[...]

Smart Teaching: Using Brain Research and Data to Continuously Improve Learning

Young people today are the intellectual equal to the generation before them - often even surpassing their predecessors in ability. Why then do so many learners, especially those in the higher grades, have such trouble mastering and retaining new information? The answer is easy. The youth of today has known a world of "fast-impulse learning," ie: computers, MTV, and rapid multi-messaged music. That pace is natural and comfortable to this new generation, and it has evolved that "solid learning" can only be done along new guidelines.

How do we get schools to understand this dilemma? How do we help new teachers and uninformed teachers to help our future adults/parents? Mastering brain principle-based education takes substantial time, much effort, and considerable expense. These "costs" are so steep that by the very nature, overwhelmed teachers are repelled.

Dr. Ron Fitzgerald has provided the world with a logical, effective, and critically important "first step." To insure solid learning, "Smart Teaching," written in a brain-compatible method, is the ideal vehicle for ANY teacher to redirect his/her methods to reach all learners with "no child left behind."

As an English teacher who has studied with Dr. Fitzgerald, researched brain-based learning/teaching, applied these strategies to business, literature, and basic English classes, I can state unequivocally that this system is THE MOST EFFECTIVE and brain-appropriate vehicle for learning that we have.

Having mastered the lessons of "Smart Teaching," ANY educator can
successfully accomplish the following:
*Reach ALL learners
*Address the Multiple Intelligences in a class
*Address diverse Learning Modalities
*Incorporate a repertoire of charts, graphs, and other visual tools to complement traditional vehicles
*Build student self-esteem
*Increase student reading abilities in document and quantitative styles as well as prose
*Build solid writing skills in students who traditionally fear this art
*Motivate students to use Statistical Analysis as a measuring tool
*Model for learners the process of consistent self-improvement
*Teach students to self-assess, self-adjust, and improve finished work
*Develop an awareness of the "magic of literature"
*Build an understanding in young people of their brain functions and how such activities affect their decisions
*Prepare the youth of today for the unknown world of work of which they will soon be a part

"Smart Teaching: Using Brain Research and Data to Continually Improve Learning" - the road to success!

Sebastian R. Paquette
English Teacher
Lexington, MA

This book is an absolute delight. Not at all a simple reference book filled with historical information, it rather reads like a good smoke itself; the pages contemplative puffs that needn't be turned too quickly, but lingered in as their meaning wafts skyward.
...and though it certainly warrants rapt attention, you'll no doubt soon feel a welling desire for a nice pipe-ful out of doors.

A pipeful of what? Likely, the very "weeds" at you feet, and within the pages of "Smoke Plants", you'll discover yourself surrounded by an intriguing world of medicine wherever the ground grows green.

A wonderful, wonderful book.

I've just finished smoking my own customized blend for the third time. The author of this book came into the health food store where I work last week and left a stack of these books with us. They were all sold out within a day!

Years ago, I explored sacred smoke while reading the book "Spirit of Place" by Loren Cruden. It has remained a part of my life ever since, but I haven't really explored the great variety of plants that are literally at my feet!

I added a couple of herbs to the Spinning Coyote recipe, and it has become my before-bed smoke. I deal with chronic pain and lying in bed has always been the most difficult time of day for me. Now I'm smoking my special blend about half an hour before lying down, and I'm getting to sleep more easily and resting more soundly.

The book is an absolute pearl. The gift of the author's stories is precious. To add to that, the information about the plants makes me want to try smoking some of them as soon as possible! The rhythm of the prose and the way the author has paced the brief statements, the stories and the information is calming and healing in itself.

This is a delightful and elegant book. There is a surprising ease and intimacy in the reading of it. The way the author has intertwined the sharing of the "information" with her "journey of discovery" is masterful. What most people would have made into a dry encyclopedia of facts, the author has magically crafted into a captivating story which draws the reader to want to read more and to even want to learn and share in the experience. I did not expect to be interested in this topic, and now I am -- to my surprise!

I ran across this great program at the local book store after my eye was drawn to the cover. In my real estate business it's a challenge to make best use of my time to balance my family of four and the competitive/busy Real Estate business environment. I am amazed how often I pop in the CD and become refreshed and redirected to all my Goals...

Brian Magoon, C-21 REALTOR New England

A perfect tool to keep all sales people sharp! Collins, a master of sales, delivers the crucial points necessary to prepare and conduct meaningful sales.

"The Sound Selling Audiobook is right there with the leading 'active learning' trend in training - great training exactly when and where you need it".
-- Tim McMahon
Author of "Selling 2000" and "Dear God, I Never Wanted to Be a Salesman!"

This sales audiobook helps professionals improve on their personal effectiveness. It presents the essentials of successful sales skills in a clear format. The 15 Keynotes includes strategies to plan your sales, keep focused, connect with customers and identify their needs, creating value, bringing passion into the sales process and generating a referral network. Occasional breaks of new age music offer time for reflection.

As a distinguished member of this wonderful and exciting society, I have enduleged myself, the SHARK, into 'Bulls' deepest fantasies. The Spirit of comradery displayed within the sacred 3rd floor of the Lodge are unmatched anywhere on this earth, or in the ocean for that matter. Robert Tarleton, known as BULL to those who know him extremley well, has preserved an age old tradition in this book about the TRUE spirit of friendship. All members are upstanding citizens, and thru my experience with this book, and of course Bull, I the Shark will have memories of KA that no man or aquatic marine life can match. I send BULL the heartiests of K++S's on a Book-JOB well done. Deeply Penetrated, The Shark

Yes, the Spirit of KA is indeed a trend-setter - it revolutionizes the fraternal history genre, heretofore dominated by obscure esoterica, by enabling a shift to a more robust paradigm, marked by terse yet erudite explateration.

Also, having had the misfortune to happen upon the character known as "Steve Davis", I would urge all to take his ramblings with a grain of salt. I, for one, highly doubt that he has even cracked open The Spirit of KA, let alone put forth the multitude of hours required to savor its magnificence.

A well-written history of the Kappa Alpha Literary Society. Mr. Torelton is a great man, loved by KA. I have read this book 60 or 70....thousand times, and love all the history and tradition behind the society which was founded in 1825. Torelton does a wonderful job showing the evolution of the society over the past 160 years.

The Kappa Alpha Society is approaching its 175th birthday as the oldest Greek letter social fraternity. The Spirit of KA is a great tribute to the great men (and women of late) who have kept a proud tradition alive despite some recent challenges and competition for time and dollars from our members. The book took forever for completion (almost 10 years) but the result and the many fascinating stories, facts, pictures and songs were well worth the wait. The Society is indebted the "Bull" Tarleton who probably knows more about the Kappa Alpha Society than anyone in our proud history spanning 3 different centuries. Fraternity fans may want to visit the KA 175th anniversary celebration at Union College on September 22 and 23. This is where the whole tradition started in 1825.

This book showed me the possibility that my own cocker spaniel has a bit of another type of spaniel in him. This book is extremely precise and detailed for each of the spaniel breeds. I personally found it to be of enourmous help.

One of the things I love about this dog book is the clear personality and temperament profiles of the different Spaniels. For example, the author tells the reader about the Welsh Springer Spaniel: "Totally loyal to their person, Welshies will follow their owners from room to room, overseeing household chores or listening halfheartedly to telephone conversations." The author continues: "Many are inclined to accompany their owners into the bathroom, often leaning protectively on the shower door or poking their heads past the shower curtain."
The author also describes the different Spaniels' energy levels and she gives amusing anecdotes of their playful antics.
I wish the photographs were bigger, since I enjoy them so much.
For dog lovers there are never enough good photographs and heart-warming anecdotes in these dog books, the more, the merrier!

As a child, I had an English Springer Spaniel. Ms. Spiotta DiMare described the breed's lively personality to a "T." I loved the photos in this book, as well as the completeness of the information for each breed. It's a wonderful resource for anyone who loves spaniels!

Wow, this book was a Godsend! With my kids clamoring for a puppy and my total lack of knowledge about breeds, this book gave me much useful information leading towards our decision to go with a field spaniel with its laidback, easy-going nature. I found the breed comparison charts really helpful -- they brought up useful considerations I wouldn't have factored in ordinarily. My kids loved the many color pictures.

I read a book called Stained. This was a really good book. It is about a girl, Jocelyn, who has been friends with a boy, Gabe, for fourteen years. One day he comes up missing. No one has seen him and no one has heard from him. Joss, Jocelyn, is having so many problems between Gabe's missing and her boyfriend Benny. Her boyfriend wants to break up with her. There are search parties going on for Gabe. Joss is just so confused right now. Joss goes out looking for him in the woods. She finds Gabe but he doesn't want anyone to know where he is. She goes back the next day, but he is gone. Through out the whole book, Joss goes back and forth through each chapter to tell about the past and why things are the way they are now.
I really liked this book. I liked when Joss found Gabe out in those woods. I also liked that Joss and Benny got back together. I didn't like it that Gabe was gone.
I would recommend this book to girls especially because it is more about a girl. People who like stories about girls who fall in love would love this book like I did. This book is for people who like stories that switch back and forth.

A quietly powerful, expertly told tale about an insecure teenage waitress and three men whose lives collide with hers. Seventeen-year-old Jocelyn McGuire is 17, a lapsed Catholic in a community of believers, working in a small-town New Hampshire diner in 1975. Her childhood friend-turned-nemesis, Gabe, is missing. Her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Benny, breaks up with her on the advice of the local priest, who holds a creepy sway over his male, teenaged parishioners. Jocelyn's narration alternates between flashbacks of her history with Gabe, a past that includes a childhood sexual assault, and a present tense account of his disappearance in which she actively puzzles out what's happened. The ending is triumphant with Jocelyn realizing she's not to blame for the way Gabe or Benny have treated her, and with her taking bold action against Father Warren - a move that puts this girl with the "stained soul" squarely on the side of angels. Excellent, finely wrought fiction that will feel relevant and immediate to today's readers.

The characters in this book are completely haunting. Days after finishing the book, I find myself thinking about all of them--the experiences they shared, the decisions they made, the truths they learned. This is one of those books you can't put down, because even when you do, you keep thinking about it. A 5-star winner.

I read STAINED in one sitting, and as soon as I finished it, I started it all over again! While the suspenseful story keeps you turning the pages (Where is Gabe? Why did he disappear?), Jacobson's unpretentious, pitch-perfect writing is making its way to a deep place within you - a place that connects you to all the characters in this book and keeps you thinking about them well after the last page is turned.

The large print version is best for notetaking and older members.

The commentary is very good, and it is a small price to pay for a good Sunday School Commentary. The service was excellent, and I received the book in a timely manner.

Good price and speedy delivery on the Standard KJV International Sunday School Lessons Commentary 2006-2007. I purchased 2 -- one in regular print and a second in large print, and appreciate the competitive pricing on both.

Purchasing at Amazon is a wonderful experience. You get great value and the shipping is fast. I wouldn't even think about ordering my books from anyone else.

this is such a good book i mean really really good oh no ! theres a nit in my hair sorry! back to the book this book really makes you think about how lucky u are and i'm telling u that berlie doherty is going to overpower me
from Anne Fine

this book is based on real story which makes it feel like it's jumping out at you. it is the kind of book that you can't let go and that when it's light out you get a torch and read on till midnight! it is good because it has a seesaw of events like it's good for poor young jim jarvis then its bad. jim jarvis' mother and father have died and he doesn't know where his sisters are and he's sent to the work house which is the worst place to be.

for jim i have cut my hair short (i'm a girl) to see what it is like to lose something
from sassy

Street Child by Berlie Doherty is an extravagent book. It tells of the cruel fate a little boy named Jim must endure, all his adventures growing up, and terrible tradgeties. This book is extravagent and absalutely a must have. If you don't own this book you should go out and buy it immediately!!

I am Mrs Townhill's daughter, aged 10, and have just finished reading this book.

This book is about the life of Jim Jarvis, a street boy in Victorian London. After his father died his life was hard and following the death of his mother and loosing his sisters, his life got worse until he met 'Barney', now known as Dr Barnardo, who looked after him.

This story is based on the true story of the start of Dr Barnardo's homes.

The book is exciting but sad in many places so I have only given it four stars, but I would recommend everyone to read it to realise how bad life was not very long ago in England and to realise that there are still children living like that in places around the world today.

Mum adds . . . I enjoyed this book too. It is well written for children. It is not too sentimental, neither does it hide the facts of the rough life of the poor, without being too frightening. It is gripping and keeps you caring all the way. An excellent read.