Reference Books

Not much new can be said on the Harry Potter series, so I'll just go with one impression from the recent read: Quidditch sucks as an actual sport. With 150 points for catching the Snitch, it's completely absurd, like if field goals in American Football were worth 10 points. The outcome of the game is almost entirely in the hands of someone that has nothing to do with the bulk of the gameplay or teams, and relies on an entirely different skillset. It's still convincing in terms of pointless English boarding school sports, but not as the unofficial sport of Rowling's wizarding world.

The rest of Rowling's worldbuilding is generally better, although never particularly organized or systematic; there are never any clear rules of magic. It's more a hodgepodge of various myths and tales and some inventions. None of it is startlingly original, but despite some occasionally stilted prose Rowling weaves it together remarkably well. None of the characters are particularly complex yet, and the plot is straightforward children's fare, but the book as a whole works better than the parts seem to sugggest.

It's obvious that Ms. Rowling put a great deal of thought into the structure of this book. Coming in very late to the whole Harry Potter phenomenon, I've come to understand why these books are so popular with kids and adults. The vocabulary isn't taxing to grownups (I'm 48 and an avid reader) as well as being a little bit challenging for the younger audience, which is a good thing. It also has plenty of colorful characters and enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested. This first installment in the seven-volume series lays an excellent foundation as well as leaving a few unanswered mysteries to keep me hooked. I enjoyed the first book and certainly intend on reading the next installment. It makes me feel like I'm a kid again.
(Also as a side note, if you haven't had the pleasure of hearing Jim Dale's narration, you are missing a real treat. The CD's are worth every penny. My two boys have read the books, but listened to the CDs over and over.)

It's great to have this fine quality volume in my collection. I will buy every forthcoming "Anniversary" edition of the Potter series. With the J.K. Rowling's own sketch of Snape included here, I wonder why she did not illustrate all of her books. Her sketch of Snape is exactly how I imagined him and has much more gravitas and interest than the rather too whimsical drawings of her illustrator.

We all know and love this story. In this special anniversary addition, the publishers have included a beautiful painting of Hagrid and the First Years crossing the lake by Mary GrandPre as well as a hand drawn sketch of Snape by J.K. Rowling herself. The dust cover art is of Harry looking into the Mirror of Erised (my favorite chapter). The book itself is covered in Gryffindor house colors -- scarlet with gold stars all over it. I'm looking forward to collecting all seven anniversary editions for my home library.

I am a huge fan of Harry Potter, but I must say I did delay ordering this book. I just didnt think a new cover and a few extras was worth the price. Now, having seen the pictures put up by others, I am so glad I did order it! I think the new cover looks gorgeous and cant wait for Amazon to ship my order! (I am in NZ and so have selected for all my books to arrive in 1 shipment to save on postage. I just have to wait for the release of Beedle the bard and all my HP related books will be on their way to me...yay!)

Ms. Rowling apparently had a lot to say in this next installment of the series. Coming in at nearly twice the length of the previous story, the bulkiness does not detract from the good, solid storytelling. The author seamlessly brings new readers up to date in the life of Harry Potter by interjecting, throughout the book, facts from the previous three books. However, you will not truly appreciate the development of this wonderful wizardly world without reading them in sequence. Other reviewers have felt the need to list their favorites in this series, but the exercise is unnecessary. The first four books were very fun and easy reads. This stuff isn't meant to be Shakespeare, folks. Many, many adults and kids have gushed to me about how much they enjoyed all seven novels. Nothing in Ms. Rowling's books have soured me from soon reading the fifth installment. Sit back, relax and enjoy.

This book is great. It has very descriptive words and it is action packed with a lot of drama. This is my favorite Harry Potter book so far. In general, Harry Potter books are the best for me. Harry finds a romance, but sadly it may not go so well. The book is fantastic. At the end, something interesting happens, and I won't tell you what, so read the book.

I enjoyed this book and it was a very quick read. The characters are fun but I don't understand the hype around this book.

I've reviewed each of these books but keep being prompted to review them again. I can't praise the writing talent of J.K.Rowling enough. And again I will say, there should be more books and more movies that promote acceptance, tollerance, standing up for one's beliefs, values and what is right vs what is easy. There are too many books and too many movies that plant the idea of violence for violence sake to make us all ill. And, please excuse me if I offend anyone here; Why is it that anyone thinks they need to write a book about finding God in a work of fiction? And for those who have complained since day one about what a threat the Harry Potter books and movies are to so called Christians, if a work of fiction, a work of cinematic art can threaten your faith then you have no true faith to speak of therefore, please keep your squeemishness to yourself. God and Christ put forth the ideas of acceptance, tollerance, standing up for your beliefs standing up for your fellow human beings and for all living things. The Harry Potter books promote these same healthy valuable life lessons so if that is a threat to you, well, bless you for you know not.

This book is my favorite out of the first four. The reason I like the fourth book the best is because it has the most details. For example J.K. Rowling described the dragons that Harry fights against very well. She does it well because she uses examples skin color and various things like that. Another reason I like this book the best is because it has a lot of action. One example of action was when Harry had to fight a giant spider. Another moment of action was when Harry had to fight the dragons. Also there was an example of action when Harry had to fight the merpoeple.The last moment of action was when Harry fought he-who-must-not-be-named. The last reason I liked this book was because of the vocabulary. It was interesting how the cruciatus curse came from the Latin stem cruc. Another vocabulary word I learned was Yule which meant Christmas. Also my favorite vocabulary word was hippogriff. A hippogriff is a half horse half eagle. The reason I chose the word is because it sounded cool. These reasons are why I think it is the best book out of the first four Harry potter books.

J.K. Rowlings never lets her readers down Harry's quest to be happy stays alive in this book. Also, he gets to meet the only family he has left which makes Harry very Happy at the end of this sequel!!!!

I read this book a few years ago, when the the thrill of Harry was in it's prime. I've seen the movie more times than I can count and I must say the movie is excellent but not as good as the book. I've just reread this book and can't beleive all I had forgotten. It's truly a page turner. From the start when Harry spots the Grim to when Mr Weasley warns Harry of Sirius Black's escape and hunt for Harry the reader is hooked. The Maurader's Map is a great addition to the Invisibility Cloak. The first 2 books were good, but you truly don't get into Harry until this book. Ron and Hermione's relationship is beginning to bud. Hermione is truly the goody goody in this installment. There were times I was mad at her with Ron and Harry. Getting the history of Harry's father's friends helped the story advance with background. This book also helps paint the picture of Snape and his hatered for Harry. The introduction of the Patronus is excellent. It's just as amazing in the book and the movie did a great job of reproducing it. All in all, I loved this book and recommend it to everyone who enjoys magic and fantasy reads.

This series is fun for kids and adults. My son and I are reading it together!

Good, solid storytelling. Ms. Rowling's third installment in the Harry Potter series continues to add interesting characters and create an even more appealing magical world for the reader to escape into. Each book has shown the gradual evolution of Harry from a neglected, abused child and mentored into a honorable young man. But the character-building journey is certainly a bumpy ride for young Potter. Moral messages and the complexities of the human condition abound as each new story has been introduced to the public. One of the underlying messages of the book is that most problems in life are not simply black and white, but more complicated. To convey this point in a fun, exciting manner is the sign of great writing. There's real heart to this series and deserves a wide readership.

I read this a long time ago and recently read it again. It is so good. I love the way that for once voldemort is not the center of this and I love the way you hear about the Marauders. I just have like, the perfect picture in my mind of them. This is one of my favorites in the whole series.

I thought I had read everything I needed to know after reading the "Power of Now" and "A new earth" but this book opened up a completely new dimension within myself. The contents in this book compelled me to sing up for a couple of Isha programs. I've finally found my inner peace and my life will never be the same again.

This book will take u from a basic place of seeking and straight through a place where your life can really go places. The insight and light that it sheds is second to none & very much straight to the point. Just from reading the book I felt perked up I didn't want to put it down & trust me, I'm not much of a reader. This book became the 6th book I've ever completed in my life so if I can get through it, anyone can.

This book served me as inspirational as well motivational for me to take my life into a different place to where it was & I'm sure I will not be the only one.

All I can say is, if your searching for something or you feel something is missing in your life, if your not happy, if your spiritual and want to experience what what the spiritual books talk about or just stuck in a rut and need something to change or need inspiration, then STOP RIGHT THERE! This book is definitely for you!

This book has done what no other book, video or talk has done & I can categorically say, my life has changed & IS in a much better place. I hope you enjoy it and get something that will help you in your life's journey as well.

I read this book in two sittings. Having participated in programs lead by Sadhguru in the past, I always find it wonderful to spend time in his presence. This book is no exception. While reading, you are transported along the bonfire with Sadhguru and Cheryl -- taking part the journey with them. This book is only a beginning, an introduction to Sadhguru. Sadhguru has also created Isha Yoga Inner Engineering Introduction programs in over 15 cities throughout the US and Canada. You can read this book and if you want more you can find it and most importantly experience it! Just this past weekend over 600 people were in Tennessee as Sadhguru came to consecrate a new +1000 person meditation hall, Mahima (Grace) at the Isha Institute for Inner Sciences.

This wonderful little book is a great introduction into the work of Sadhguru. It opens up
an enlightened being to the western world, where guru-phobia has come about because
of charlatans. Having read the book, and subsequently taken Inner Engineering and several
other courses, I can definitely say my life has changed for the better. Take advantage of
this opportunity to expand your limitations.

This book is one of the most amazing books I have read in my life of a great mystic and a spiritual master. It is written very well and easy to read. Once I started reading it, I could not put it down.

I hope this is the right book, I just love the story, and the music, and the movie too!

The book is fantastic! Great pictures! I would highly recommend this book for any fan of the movie or a Titanic fan in general! The making of the epic movie is something to see and you can definitely see it in this book.

This is a MUST have for any Titanic collector. I waited for about 9 or so years for this book and I am so extatic that I finally have it!!

The scope of this majestic book truly befits the epic effort by James Cameron with his cinematic masterpiece "Titanic". Much great information here for the movie buff who likes to see how it is done. Incredible sets including the dining salon, complete even to dishes and decor. I was amazed to see how this particular set was pulled underwater by hydraulics to provide a very realistic feeling of sinking. Page after page of photographs and stories about the magnificent sets that brought this film to life. Lots of info about the stars and other cast members as well the production crew. This book is a perfect companion to the movie as well as a testament to the filmmaking genius of James Cameron.

Great book for the titanic enthusiasts!!!!! If you loved the movie, you will enjoy this book.

I love this book it is so informative I refer to it on a regular basis.

Prescription for Nutritional Healing is a very informative and easy to follow guide book. It not only offers information for you to discern on your own, you can follow up on the the information they give you to double check it for your self-It has been quite helpful and true to diagnoses. I would recommend it for reading just to be informed on what is going on with our own bodies, even if you have no symptons to treat !

book bugger

I have now purchased four of these helpful health guides and given three to family members!
This book is helpful and informative!
I highly recommend it for anyone interested in being as healthy as possible!

I am amazed at the information available in this book. I have given copies to anyone interested in learning how to improve their overall health and well-being. This is my "Go to" book. I highly recommend this book to anyone truely interested in making positive changes in their life.

With over five million copies sold, this book is one of the most read texts on nutritional health. I say "text" because it measures in at a good inch and three-quarters thick. Written by a certified nutritionist and a bona-fide MD, it is neatly divided up into three parts.

Part I, a quarter-inch thick discusses the basic principles of health and nutrition. This section lists and explains the various kinds of nutrients and food supplements.

Part II, by far the biggest section of the book measuring in at an inch and a quarter, provides the reader with an A-Z listing of many common disorders (such as backache or diabetes) and what you can do about them from a nutritional point of view.

The book ends with Part III, the last quarter-inch of the book, which is devoted to traditional therapies and conventional treatments that can be used along with a nutritional support. Here you'll find info on treatments such as chiropractic, massage therapy, color therapy, and so on.

I have to say, I was pretty impressed with the amount of info contained in this book and I can definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good nutritional reference book to put on their shelf when questions arise. Additionally, is also might give readers ideas of other types of therapies they could try for various medical problems. Other health titles I can recommend also include The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution for people who have trouble with chronic plantar fasciitis.

This manual is amazing. But be carefuk: the author is so optimistic that you might end up spending more money than your book can fetch in sales. Also, it doesn't cover legal issues. I'm planning to buy this soon: Business and Legal Forms for Authors and Self Publishers

I'm not sure why I haven't reviewed any of Dan's books before. I've heard him speak, I've met him and I have been receiving his newsletter for many years.

I'm not a publisher, but I work with publishers and I employed two of Dan's free promotional techniques and have to say, they worked! I've gotten many new clients from doing something that took me only a few minutes and that people thanked me for doing.

In fact, one of my all-time favorite clients informed me just last week that it was because of one of those little nuggets of wisdom, she found me.

Dan Poynter's advice was by far the best promotional advice I've ever received.

I plan to read all of his books a second time in case I missed something.

This book is absolutely amazing! It gives so much information about getting started, I couldn't believe it! I would recommend this to anyone serious about self-publishing. There is even a list of places to send your book for reviewing. Buy this book!


www.fayeknight.blogspot.com

There's a darn good reason--indeed lots of reasons--why Dan Poynter's manual has frequently been called the "bible of self-publishing." To the best of my knowledge, it was the first and certainly one of the very best ever published on this specialized aspect of book production. It covers the entire process from pre-pub requirements right through the mechanics of design, formatting and printing.

Dan doesn't simply throw out generalities about what must be done in each phase of the project; he delves into the nitty-gritty simplifying this challenging effort for those of us tackling self-publishing for the first time. I know. I did it after I studied his book from cover to cover.

Dan also includes a plethora of resources interspersed in the text as he illustrates each step. These can be most helpful to the uninitiated who are told what they must do in so many other books, but don't know where to go to accomplish each of those steps. At the simplest level, as an illustration, Dan doesn't just state that you have to procure an ISBN, he explains what it is and why it is needed and most important of all where to find it on the Bowker web site.

There are three excellent books that I have used to brief myself on self-publishing before producing my latest book. In addition to Dan's Manual, I suggest reading Peter Bowerman's "The Well-Fed Self-Publisher" and Patricia L. Fry's excellent study of the subject.

I attribute much of the success of the award-winning "The Writer Within You" to all three of them. I strongly suggest you start your effort with the outstanding guidance Dan has provided.

Poynter's book is the best and most well structured book on self-publishing I have found. It helped me imensely for from an author-to-be to a soon-to-be- published author.
Self-publishing is a great way to go with a small, first book and the organization tips, calendar, structuring chapters, ISBN #'s and copyright are perfect.

If you are a Beatles fan who enjoys reading about them (and not just listening) then you have to own this book. It is the story of the Beatles from their own lips. Is it the definitive Beatles book? Well, the Beatles have a vested interest in preserving their legacy so are we getting the true picture? And Lennon's absence--he's represented as well as possible--slants the overall balance to McCartney. It has more detail than the video anthology which glosses over the break up and many other details. But the Anthology book should be read as one of several crucial Beatles books mentioned in many other reviews. My favorites are the Peter Brown book, Richard DiLello's "The Longest Cocktail Party" (as much about Apple as the Beatles but a hoot!) and Nicholas Schaffner's "Beatles Forever", still my favorite after all these years. The Anthology is not the only Beatles book to own.

If there was one book about the Beatles that you should be stranded on a desert island with, it would be this one. It is made up entirely of interviews, most of which are both new and not featured in the Anthology film. All the great personalities within the Beatles shine through.

Ok, I'm going on out a limb, here, assuming that you haven't already gotten this book. It probably is a bit of stretch, seeing as everybody and his brother owns this mother, but I couldn't allow myself to continue living unless I included it here. You MIGHT not own a copy of this, for one of the following very legitimate reasons:

1. You live in some kind of cave that does not get delivery service,
2. You have chronic back pain and were afraid to pick up a book this heavy,
3. You were too busy pleasuring your super-model girlfriend,
4. You figured since you saw the Anthology video there was no need.

Actually, only the first 3 reasons are any good. The fourth one, as I will explain, is not.

The Anthology book is not just a retelling of what you saw in the video. It is a complimentary piece that explores in-depth those issues the video did not have time for. Best of all, they didn't just hire some slob to re-tell the Beatles story. Instead, they mined about a million hours of interviews and conducted a million hours more to create a book that is so densely packed with information they have to kill 23 squid to get the ink they need to print each glorious copy. *

Frankly, this is the Beatles story as told by the Beatles themselves in their own Beatle words. On top of that, being an official Apple product, this book layers endless glossy pictures across the pages. Text and images merge and become something new.

This book is huge, heavy, and awe-inspiring. If you don't have it, and you care anything about the Beatles, drop what you are doing and get yourself a copy.


*no squids were harmed during the writing of this review.

One of the best since Peter Brown's "The love you make",but has a lot of detail about the fab four as to their musical career and experiences in show business. I would read it again if i could. Good investment.

No other book tells the beatles story like this, awesome pictures and comments by the fb4 as well as people that worked with them

I am 56 and so just caught the end of the Beatles era. I enjoy their music, but would not label myself as a Beatles "fan". What I liked most about this book was discovering what happened in fact that I was only vaguely aware of at the time.

One strength of the book is the illustrations. Many of these would not be considered worthwhile to include in a biography, but they can stir interest, such as seeing portions of contracts for their performances did for me. Another strength is hearing the story directly from the band members. (John's "contributions" were taken from interviews he gave prior to his death.) They do debunk some silly rumors that have persisted about the band. I also enjoyed hearing the circumstances that prompted the writing of many of the songs they recorded.

One negative is that, being an anthology, you get the various opinions on what occurred at key points in time. These can be repetitive and even contradictory among the different band members. So, you do not get the persistence and continuity of having one point of view from the author. The book follows the general sequence of the band's development, but doesn't provide an exact chronology which is sometimes an annoying omission. At times the Beatles are quite candid and at other times I feel like they are offering up answers that protect one another as I would expect from any close group of musicians.

All in all I now have a much greater appreciation of the Beatles phenomenon, their contribution to popular culture and their personalities. However, I still feel that I know "the whole story" and would only consider this book to be one key reference towards understanding the group.

Even if you have already been through all the stages of filmmaking yourself, this book is an inspiring battle cry for the TRUE indie filmmaker. It also made me laugh out loud several times. I happened to be on the NYC subway when this happened and it made some of my fellow passengers scared of me. What other book about filmmaking can do that?

I rarely laugh when reading books, even when its really funny.
Reading this book though, I was constently cracking up.
The advice is ACTUALLY usefull, it tells the good and bad of film making.
Im keeping this short and simple, so to sum up. This is a truely awesome book.

I don't think I read through 300+ pages so fast in my life. It's incredibly informative on making your own flick from conception to distribution and it is one of the easiest reads I've had. Its also funny as hell, filled with that Kaufman wit.

If you liked Rebel Without a Crew, you'll love this one.

If you're a Troma fan pick it up. If you want to make movies pick it up. If you want a look into the life of a man with an extremely interesting story pick it up.

This is a book I will be returning to both for reference and enjoyment.

I bought this book hoping to have a fun read about making movies and this persons experience. Sadly, what I got was a book load of expletives and degrading ideas of what to throw into a scene them film it. I take away three stars for the no effort put in to not writing a fun book that many can read. I understand the shock value of the title, fine, but curses in every paragraph? I'm not saying to write like a bored, stiff, old tenured expert... But the name calling and mud slinging is not necessary (atleast not all of it). I give it two stars for the street level info. all independents need to know before making a film. Please do protect yourselves.

This is an interesting book for Troma fans and independent film fans. It is really just a book that is meant to entertain and tell stories rather than provide real helpful insight about how to make films. While I appreciate the show of support for independent art, the book doesn't really seem to support independent creation other than Troma's own brand (despite the title of the book). While I will admit that the book is very funny to read, I think sometimes it crosses into somewhat arrogant and self-important banter.

To me this book is more about Troma patting itself on the back and reflecting on their wacky stories then about really empowering anyone but themselves. Read if you are a fan of Troma, not if you are looking for encouragement.

It's a very thorough, well researched cookbook. Very good for a new cook because recipes have been tested and retested. Recipes are pretty much in the 'no fail even if you try' category.

I have had this book for a few months and have made several recipes: black beans, bread pudding, meatloaf, a caramel sauce for a flan, chicken stock and oh, I can't even remember what else. Bottom line: this cookbook ROCKS!!! The details on HOW and WHY make for great bedtime reading (and yes, I DO have a life) and I am far more willing to try a recipe that has lots of ingredients and takes a while to make because I have a very high level of confidence that the results will be worth the effort.

The best thing about this cookbook is that the editors explain what they've tried and why it did or did not work, so you get not only great recipes but also insight into how to better your cooking. There are numerous tips on the best ingredients and tools as well.

I'm now a fan of the America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Illustrated Magazine, and it was this book that did it! I'm the type of person that likes to know *why* to do things a certain way, and not just read a set of instructions and this cookbook is just so full of great information on how and why to cook things they way they are instructing, along with various illustrated tidbits all the way through, like how to section a chicken or butterfly it, etc. But of course the real test is the recipes...and so far, my results with the ones in this book have been excellent. I can't say everything turned out perfectly (some burned potatoes in the pan when I did the high roast chicken come to mind) but none have been a total disaster or a recipe I wouldn't try again. Even better, I find that the ingredients used are usually not ones that are hard to find and in many cases, ones I already have on hand. I get frustrated with books that use all these crazy ingredients that I will use once for that meal and then have to throw out the rest eventually. That is not the case with Best Recipe.

This is not the book for everyone. If you are a really busy person and not interested in reading several pages of information that go along with the recipe, but just want something quick and fast, there are probably better books for you. Also keep in mind that Cook's Illustrated and ATK do tend to use the same recipes over and over a lot, so if you have any number of their other books, or the magazines, you may find many recipes in here that you've seen before. But for someone who really loves to understand the how and why of cooking, and was fairly new to the Cook's Illustrated family of products, this was one of my favorite cookbooks purchased.

I love to read this book. I just brought this book, so I've not a chance to try any recipes in this book yet. Eventhough this book doesn't have any beautiful finished food pictures shown inside, I enjoyed to read. I just realise that I love to read people tell story about the food, how the recipe come up, than just put only recipes in the cooking book with beautiful fake pictures, but in reality the recipes didn't work. I will try some recipes soon.