Burton Books

I chose to read this instead of Baby Signs because I figured as long as we're teaching Abby a second language, it might as well be an actual language (American Sign Language) that she can use later on in life too.

A major benefit of this book is that the text to read is less than 50 pages, and that's nothing to shake a stick at when you're a parent with little uninterrupted reading time. The rest of the book is a glossary of signs. However, I have decided to read Baby Signs after all, even though we still plan to use the signs from Dr. Garcia's book.

There are a couple reasons for my change of heart. I started reading Baby Minds: Brain-Building Games Your Baby Will Love, which is by the same authors of Baby Signs. I really appreciated how the authors did a great job of backing up every major point with specific research studies. In Sign with Your Baby, the emphasis is more on anecdotes from parents and Dr. Garcia's own experience.

Because I was reading both books at the same time, I also found myself preferring the writing style of Baby Minds to Dr. Garcia's writing style. There's nothing wrong with it per se--I just thought the Baby Minds authors were a little more engaging and professional. (The book design might be playing into this impression too, as Sign with Your Baby doesn't exactly have a slick book design.)

But what really sealed the deal for me is that in his book, Dr. Garcia actually mentions and recommends Baby Signs. So that made me realize I didn't have to go with one or the other but that I could learn from both.

I took four semesters of ASL in college (had forgotten most of it by the time I had my first child, unfortunately) and had learned that teaching sign language to your baby is an excellent tool for language development and reducing frustration caused through the inability to communicate. I loved how short and to the point this book was and found that the basic necessary information was included. My daughter picked up most signs very quickly at 9 months and I wished I had started teaching her sooner. There were a few signs missing from the glossary I would have liked to have seen, (juice, for example) but other than that I was very satisfied.

Since my grandson and daughter used this kit 2 1/2 years ago I have seen some tremendous language skills build.
I now give this as my standard gift for a new baby.

This is a fairly good introduction to the world of baby sign language. If you want to know what the benefits are, what to start with and when to start this book is for you. However I would say that if you actually want to learn HOW to sign, the dvd version is much better.

This book is great for teaching your child sign language. The beginning of the book goes through the benefits of teaching sign language to children before learning to talk, then takes you through how and when you should start. It was very informative on the subject. The end of the book goes through the different signs, showing the main signs like eat, bottle, drink, mommy, daddy, etc., but it also includes fun signs like rabbit, frog, and elephant. If you want to continue reading, I'll just list all of the signs included:

again
airplane
all gone
alligator
apple
baby
banana
bath
bear
beautiful
bed
bee
big
bird
book
bottle
boy
bread
brother
bull
burn
butter
butterfly
cake
car
cat
catch
change
clean
clouds
coat
cold
cookie
corn-on-the-cob
cow
cry
dance
delicious
dirty
dog
down
dream
drink
earache
eat
elephant
fall down
father
finished
fire
fish
flower
fly
friend
frog
get
girl
go
good
grandfather
grandmother
happy
head
headache
hear
hello
help
hide
home
horse
hot
house
hug
hurt
i love you
ice cream
in
insect
jump
ketchup
lion
little
meat
milk
mine
monkey
moon
more
mosquito
mother
mouse
no
orange
out
over
pain
pie
play
please
popcorn
potato
rabbit
rain
run
saxophone
scared
search
share
shoes
sick
sister
sit
sleep
snake
snow
socks
sore throat
sorry
spider
spoon
squirrel
stomach ache
stop
sun
telephone
tell
thank you
throw
thunder
tickle
tired
toilet
touch
turtle
under
up
wait
want
warm
water
where
work
worm
yes
you're welcome

Richard D. Altick wrote, in The Scholar Adventurers: ''If it is permissable sometimes to reconstruct biography on the basis of the known proclivities of one's hero...'' This comment was used as a forward to Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street,a book in which William S. Baring-Gould writes a biography of Sherlock Holmes based on all the facts revealed about him in the Canon, and because Baring-Gould is an excellent writer, the book is a fun and amusing read.

The same holds true for this biography of the almost-as enigmatic director, Tim Burton. He rarely gives interviews (in which he says anything of substance, anyway) and guards his private life. To write a biography of such a subject requires a love of that subject (a love of that subject's works, at least), ingenuity, and dedication, and such has been provided here by Ken Hanke. His writing flows smoothly, and more importantly than anything else, his book causes one to think - to compare their reactions to a particular film to Hanke's own.

If you are a fan of Burton, this book is highly recommened.

Ken Hanke's autobiography provides much insight into Burton's childhood, adolescence, early career, etc. However, Hanke spends too much time in summarizing the plots of Burton's films and not enough time in relating those plots to their production or to his life in general. Hanke's writing is also loose and cumbersome at times, making for an unneccessarily awkward read. Why must he constantly use exclamation points where none are needed? Such punctuation is distracting and useless--if a sentence is going to surprise or shock us, it won't be because of the punctuation. I'd recommend keeping an eye out for future, more scholarly biographies of a director who deserves the Spoto treatment.

While Tim Burton is a fascinating subject, Ken Hanke has produced a truly stupid book about him. Most of his information is gathered from previously published interviews (few of which were conducted by the author) and when he has nothing of substance to say (which is most of the time) Hanke simply provides a synopsis of the particular film in question. Also, his attempt to analyze Burton's films in light of what sketchy biographical information Hanke has constructed is at best simplistic and at worst, inept. It is pop-psychoanalysis at its worst, on the level of a freshman class paper, instead of what one would expect from a professional journalist. This book should be considered to be on par with the other hastily-compiled unauthorized biographies of celebrities, fun for gossip, but not much else. Read "Burton on Burton" if you want to learn anything of substance .

This biography does contains some cool information, but not enough to carry this 245 page book. Any Burton fan should know this much about him. Hanke gives too many decriptions of the films, and goes one step at a time rounding the movies together. The true book to own is Burton on Burton.

It's very boring and all. I've read and re-read my copy of Burton on Burton, and this book provides me with no new information. Hanke even goes so far as to quote from the interviews Salisbury assembled into Burton on Burton. It's annoying, reading through this book, since Hanke seems to insist that he knows exactly what's going on in Burton's mind. He over-analyses absolutely everything, bringing Burton's films down to a level where nothing is truly worth anything. According to Hanke, Pee Wee's Big Adventure is all about sexual stuff. Honestly, for three pages, every other word is sex. Methinks perhaps Hanke is not so much telling us what Burton thinks, but what he would think if he was Burton.

Also, the writing feels to me like something I might write on a late night to turn in the next morning to my 10th grade english teacher. The style seems to be that of an essay, not a book.

My final complaint is the huge editing mistake I found. At the beginning of the chapters, Hanke gives a quote. At the beginning of one, I was shocked to see the words "I know I am but what are you?" Anyone who's seen the movie can tell you the quote it "I know you are but what am I?", and it amazes me that such a large error slipped through and made it into print.

I bought this product a while ago. I get to LV once a year and Atlantic City 4 times a year. Most of the LV coupons are for the downtown casinos which I rarely have time to visit. I did use a few of the Atlantic City coupons, which about paid for the book. I did find some of the articles in the book interesting and informative.

used a bunch of these coupons already, it's a must have for a vegas vacation, probably saved over 100 bucks over the week using the 2 for 1 buffet coupons at places like The Silverton Casino (great place) The Sahara, New Orleans Casino, The Rio, Texas Station and several others. If you buy this book and use just 2 coupons it will have paid for itself in savings! Highly recommended.

Do NOT buy this book used. I did and when it arrived a good portion of the pages had been torn out. I sent it back and NEVER received my refund.
BUYER BEWARE!!!

LOTS OF FOOD COUPONS FOR VEGAS,,, PAYS FOR ITSELF WITH JUST ONE VISIT. LOTS OF 2 FOR 1 HOTEL NITES...

The American Casino Guide is well worth the money to use in Las Vegas. There are a few other out of state casino coupons but this is mainly for Las Vegas. Great buy one get one free buffet, shows and hotel offers. The only problem with this book is the binding. It's coming unglued in the middle, not a big deal though. A lot of info for new table gamers. Highly recommend this book!

The book arrived in a timely manner and in good condition. This is a great way to purchase books. gawhite

This is a good mystery, and the copy I received was new. It arrived in a timely manner. Sunny Randall is an outstanding character.

PI Sunny Randall's father has been called back as a consultant to the Boston police department. A cold case that wss never solved has now become a hot case when a serial killer reappears after a 20 year absence. He brings Sunny into the case as an assistant.

This is an interesting, fairly quick read that will hold your attention. It has some side issues about relationships and about Sunny's family. It brings up an issue that has been discussed on an Internet Forum about the ability (or inability) to share your space with someone as Sunny deals with issues in her personal life.

It is not so much a mystery as the guilty party in the serial killing case is identified early. It is more a procedural issue about dealing with the situation.

The plot was extremely linear. There was only one suspect and he was discovered early on. The final reveal of motives was like a 5 minute voice over. Mr Parker came recommended but I guess he's just old and tired now.

Spare Change by Robert Parker teams up Sunny Randall and her father in a case involving a serial killer who drops coins next to the bodies of his victims. Although Parker's dialogue is always razor sharp and his characters well delineated, there's a certain perfunctory quality about the plot that perhaps comes from writing too many crime dramas over the years. You won't be disappointed by this book, but you won't necessarily remember it as one of Parker's best, either. A good airport read. You'll enjoy yourself between the soft drinks and the on board movie.

Donald Gallinger is the author ofThe Master Planets

I don't own this book, I have never read it, but I know Ms Alcott is a wonderful writer. But who is Joel Myerson?

A timeless and sweet Cinderella story, written with amazing insight by someone so young. I am glad that the negative reviews did not keep me from ordering this elegant, well-written little book. If you like The Inheritance, you might wish to investigate the Elsie Dinsmore series by Martha Finley.

I had been searching for this book for a long time. My mom just happened upon a very nice copy at our local Goodwill store. I read the book in a day and am completely satisfied. Alcott always has such a way of making me fall in love with her characters and making my heart twist with despair at their despair. Her main character in The Inheritance, Edith, has qualities that I myself wish I had. The story has many examples of sacrifice and such devotion, that are very touching. This is a book worthy of a place on my shelf for years to come and one I can't wait to share with my own children someday.

The second of Alcott's "darker" novels that I have read. This was not nearly as dark as "A Long Fatal Love Chase". A much shorter book the characters are still very well drawn, the plot is a little less complex but not in anyway that detracts from enjoying the book. I am definately finding myself preferring this side of her pen.

Edith Adelon is an Italian orphan that has been taken in by a noble English family as the companion for the daughter. Her goodness and purity attract all except the haughty cousin of the family, Lady Ida--who is jealous of Edith's beauty and talents and the love that she inspires in those around her. Lord Percy is a friend of the family and is attracted to all things good and kind--he himself being an exemplary figure of kindness (sacrificing the love he felt for a woman so his younger brother could marry her).

Everything comes to a head in one very dramatic scene and is very interestingly played out. It sort of made me think of Cinderella in a way. A quick but enjoyable read.

What a spectacular book! I can't believe Louisa May Alcott wrote this at the age of seventeen. Without becoming unrealistic, the characters in The Inheritance embody all the generous, graceful, and gallant qualities that make our hearts skip a beat. Take a step back in time with this wonderful book; you won't be sorry you did!

Elena Kyler is a mercenary assassin who was trained by her own father, and now she's on the run from drug lord Rico Chavez. She's made a deal with DEA agent Forbes to get her out of Columbia with safe haven in the United States and her bargaining chip is the one thing Chavez will risk everything for---even setting foot in the US where he could be captured. What Elena has is his five-year-old son, Barry. He wants little Barry who was not born out of love, but of rape, and he wants Elena dead. Chavez is used to getting what he wants.

Elena insisted Forbes come by himself, but he has enlisted the help of soldier of fortune, Sean Galen, despite her protests, and it's a good thing. Chavez's men kill Forbes, leaving Elena depending upon Galen to get her to the States. After a harrowing escape from Columbia they go into hiding along with the former priest who helped raise Barry. But Chavez is on their trail, just as Elena suspected he would be. At first he sends his men, but when Galen and Elena outsmart them, Chavez comes after her himself. That's when it gets wild.

After being discovered at a safe house, Galen hides Elena and Barry at a ranch he owns. Although they try to resist it, Galen and Elena fall into an affair and in the process fall in love. Meanwhile, Barry is bonding with Galen's ranch foreman, Judd. Chavez has offered a ransom of millions of dollars for Barry, but Elena turns him down. Then Barry disappears and the chase is on. They think Chavez has taken him but then matters get worse when it's revealed that Judd snatched him to collect the reward. Will Chavez get his son and kill Elena and Galen? Will Barry try to escape from Judd to get back to his mom, or is he perfectly content going on an adventure with his new friend?

I personally liked the end better than the very beginning. Once they settled into the cat and dog game I found myself really pushing on to find out what happens, and I won't spoil the ending for you. I thought Barry seemed pretty smart for a five year old, but then there are kids like that. I would say it's worth the read.

[...]

Albeit the book's finish is pretty predictable, but only at the last quarter of it. This reading is an excellent one since you begin to read it. You'd not be able to put the book down and maybe you'll finish it in a sitting. I don't know if it could be true the story of the drug dealer, but maybe it might.
I have to tell you that Eve Dunkan is not my favorite character and I don't know why IJ has to mention her in all of her books. But believe me, in this one her name is written just twice and she never appears.
As I always said: When you read a book and you can't think of anything else except the book, no-matter if you are at the movies, with friends, in a party. That book deserves SIX stars.

There are certain authors that continue to amaze me as to the loyalty of their fans; Dan Brown comes to mind, and now Iris Johansen can be added to my list. Both authors attempt to develop nerve racking suspense in their stories, but their lack of sophistication and skill ruins any potential for an enjoyable story.

While reading this book, I was continually trying to determine what aspect of this book bothered me so much. Was it the fact that the author makes only the most amateur attempt at developing the story outside of the monotonous dialog? Maybe it was the continual peaks inside of Elena Kyler's thoughts as she relentlessly tried to convince herself that she was not weak. On the other hand, maybe I was irritated with the lame attempt at conveying setting and emotion, or maybe it was just the fact that the chemistry between the main protagonists was virtually non-existent.

Personally, I tired almost immediately of the dialog between Elena and Sean Galen as they clumsily tried to relate to each other. I mean seriously, Elena says "I want you to screw me"? This is how the author finally resolves the clichéd sexual tension between the woman who wants to remain independent, and the utterly unrealistic, invulnerable macho machine she is forced to rely upon.

There are several points in the book that the author handles as if she just isn't up to the task of finishing the story properly. For instance, Elena does not immediately try to kill the man who betrayed her at the end of the book, but instead the desire for revenge is just forgotten. In another part, one of the secondary villains confronts the mother of a lawyer who knows Sean Galen, they torture her, and then all of a sudden the bad guys know exactly where Sean and Elena are hidden. The story would have been greatly improved with the removal of this sloppy revelation.

The character of Berry is dull and unrealistic, and he is never shown to have the curiosity and uncertainty that 5 year old children do. He never questions what's going on around him with any serious effort. When he does begin to question his mother about his circumstances, it is short lived and shallow. Again, it appears that the author could not be inconvenienced to follow through on this crucial point.

Overall, I felt this story could have been written by a talented 8th grader. Given that this story is written by an adult for mostly adults, I am just shocked at the praise I have seen heaped on this book. I guess I'm going to have to pester my wife to write some good stories so the abundance of horrible literature out there doesn't ruin the world!

In No One to Trust, Iris Johansen gives us a gritty, military sniper in the form of a woman who endures sadistic torture at the hands of someone close to her. But Elena Kyler survives, with only one person on her mind--her son, Barry.

After she escapes, she hooks up with Sean Galen, a man of mystery (as most of Johansen's heroes seem to be) and as they flee, they leave behind a trail of vicious murders. And soon Elena must face her past...and destroy it¯before it destroys her.

With a cast of intriguing and somewhat complicated characters, Johansen gives us the right mix of romance, danger, murder, and run-for-your-life suspense. This was an easy read, one that will entertain you whether on a sunny beach in Bermuda or in a plane over Toronto.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of The River

The story starts with a girl named Elena Kyler who is a rebel in southern Colombia. She is fighting against a drug lord named Chavez. He founds out about Elena skills in fighting so he have his men to go and capture her. Five years later she is fighting for her life and the life of her child Barry. Never really trusting anyone she must call for help, so she turns to a man called Forbes. He has been after Chavez for many years not really trusting what Elena said he ask Sean Galen to go and bring Elena to the United States where he would be able to watch over her. Chavez finds out about this plan and tries to keep Elena in Colombia but in the end he had fail. He learns that she is in the U.S. and sends his men to kill her and to bring back his son Barry. So the game starts with Galen, Elena and Barry running away from Chavez's men. In the progress Galen and Elena fall in love which made both of them blind to Judd true form. Judd decides to take Barry away from Elena one night and calls Chavez to make a trade for thirty million dollars, but when he was doing this he was calling Elena and telling her where they are going to do the exchange so Elena could kill Chavez and get Barry. In the end would Elena be able to get Barry back? Or will she pay the ultimate price: Her life.


The book "No one to Trust" is a heart stopping action pack/ love story which will keep the reader on the edge of their seats. This story will keep you guessing up to the very end and all emotions the author uses are very powerful that it makes the reader feel life they are apart of the story and you just want to kill Chavez for all he has done.

This is encouraging for those who have pussens with unusual personalities! Cats dance!!!! It says it all!

A pristine paperback copy of this extraordinary book. If cats are your thing, then this is a book for your shelf

"Dancing with Cats" has excellent photography, entertaining text and is purrrfectly delightful. I couldn't have found a better gift for my friend. Everyone who comes through her door is shown right to the book. Then chuckles and mimicking abound.

This book has appeared in my life several times, always with a mixture of joy and terror. The concept of the book is simple: through engaging one's cat in dance, a certain physical and spiritual equalibrium is achieved. Various people are interviewed and photos are shown of them dancing with their cats. Half of the time, though, it is not clear whether the cat is jumping or has been thrown into the shot by the photographer's assistant. Throughout the book you question yourself if cat dancing is "real"; by the end, it doesn't matter anymore.

Each one of the "cat dancers" is borderline schizophrenic, but the images are so whacky that one can't help from laughing histerically. Some people have actually recruited their children into the cat dancing way, which makes you feel sorry for them. (They will never have a normal existence.) The text that accompanies the images, however, is cause for brief moments of terror: these people actually believe they are making a spiritual connection with air-born cats. One is even concerned about creating too much spiritual energy and collapsing an astral vortex. Regardless, the book is a perfect ice-breaker, a coffee table book for all ages that allows strangers to point and laugh and sigh collectively. To say with a smile: "At least we're not them!"

When I first saw the cover of this book, I laughed out loud with joy and a sense of wonder about whether this book was for real. Surprisingly, DANCING WITH CATS is not a joke, and is an excellent primer on how to go about having some fun with your cats in a rather unusual way... by dancing with them. Since I don't currently have a cat, I borrowed one to get a feeling for how possible it might be to get a cat to dance. I succeeded in completely astonishing the cat as I began to notice the ways that the cat watched me moving around with movements that showed we were beginning to move together as one. Clearly, some cats enjoy dancing more than others, and this is one activity that may take a while to get fully into the swing of with your feline dancing partners. From the ancient history of cat dancing to modern age tips and techniques, this book provides a wealth of information about a subject most of us know very little about. The photographs are truly stunning, and you just might get some new ideas about what kinds of fun you can have dancing with cats. Highly recommended!

Here's my review system--I score on four categories and average them together for the number of stars. The four categories are: character development (are the characters deep and complex, plot (is it interesting), voice (is the narration smooth and engaging) and cliche level (is it predictable.)

Character development: 4 stars-- Her protoganist was solid

Plot: 3 stars-- I don't know--some of it seemed unlikely, some of it seemed predictable

Voice: 4 stars-- It was okay--but I tired of the narrator asking the reader questions and dropping plot summaries

Cliche level: 3 stars-- The angry jealous woman lawyer who was jilted by the evil guy...not for me.

This book mixes murder, action, family/career issues and even a little romance together to make a heady concoction. The pace is furious, the dialog is funny, the heroine is unique ... but it all happens sooo fast and it all comes together a bit too neatly at the end. Still, I'm not at all sorry I spent time with Bennie and the gang, and I'd recommend this book as a light and fun read.

Lisa Scottoline has an incredible background both personal and profressional. She uses them to write her stories. They are always
interesting, in-depth, and intriguing. I am a new fan of hers and have
read many of her books. None have disappointed me. This one is no
exception. Give this a author a shot at becoming one of yours!

I started reading Ms. Scottoline books in the middle of this series and decided to go back to the beginning of the series, I am so glad I did.

Great Series!

Bennie Rosato is a partner in a law firm with her recent ex, Mark. She is still trying to adjust to the fact that he has broken up with her to date their associate, Eve, when she finds out that he also has plans to dissolve the partnership and start his own firm. But any shock that she feels is overwhelmed when his body is found, dead, at his desk and Bennie is the number one suspect. Bennie must try to solve this murder if she is to save her firm, reputation, and most importantly, her life. But the bodies keep piling up and the police aren't looking in any direction but hers. Will she be able to stay out of jail long enough to catch the real killer?

Legal Tender is one of the earlier Scottoline novels that features Bennie Rosato. Like the more recent books, it is fun and fast. The story is somewhat contrived and unbelievable, but it is grounded enough in reality to let the fun carry the day. A very quick read, it will leave you reaching for the next in the series.

I thought this was a good pageturning book, but it was not my favorite of her works. I thought the book was going to be about Bennie's twin, Alice, but the book was more about problems with the firm and a potentially big and lucrative new class action case. Good book, great vacation/weekend read.

Bennie Rosato has a problem that could curtail her legal career and catapult her into bankruptcy. Several of her clients are having financial problems and are no longer able to retain her or--worse yet--pay her for services already rendered. In order to keep her law office open and pay her staff, she must mortgage her home.

Then a new client with a class action suit approaches her and Bennie has high hopes of unexpected solvency, an opportunity to protect the underdog and the satisfaction of taking on the established pecking order in Philadelphia.

As she begins to hope that she will once again be able to maintain her office, pay her staff and keep her home, she is broadsided by the totally unexpected reappearance of her twin. Alice looks like Bennie, walks like Bennie and even talks like Bennie, however Alice hates Bennie and her success.

Cruelly, Alice tries to kill her dog by throwing a ball out into a busy street knowing Bear will heedlessly chase it. When a jogger saves Bear, Bennie is grateful and he becomes a new friend. Then, as she begins to trust him, Bennie learns that he could be a killer.

This is the first Lisa Scottoline book I have read but it certainly won't be the last. The story was fast moving, the characters were well developed and her setting in Philadelphia was refreshing.

Bennie Rosato has more troubles than she can handle. Her law firm is in bad financial shape and it appears that her twin Alice is back in town and causing no end of problems. Because of her financial predicament, she decides to take on a class-action lawsuit, although she's never had any experience doing so. Bennie is one of my favorite Lisa Scottoline heroines and the feisty female lawyer does not disappoint in this book. Of course it doesn't hurt that she has an interesting set of supporting characters, including a new love interest. You can count on a good read and interesting courtroom action in Scottoline's books.

I didn't read this book but followed along on the unabridged Audio Cassette. I really enjoyed it! The actress reading was absolutely amazing! It was laugh out loud fun! The reader does every kind of accent, from wispy receptionist to Sexy Frenchman to Hottie David Holland. So do yourself a favor and listen to this terrific book, it is a great experience.

This is a really fun novel to read. The conversations are witty. The characters are loveable. The plot is unpredictable and exciting.

My only complaint is that the murderer's motive is too weak and it doesn't really make sense that the person wants to kill Bennie. Other than that this novel is great. Highly recommended!