Collins Books

Robert Massi takes his detailed and understandable Fox Network legal analysis to print in this handbook for survival in the 21st Century. Mr. Massi is, first and foremost, a teacher and his explanations and guidance are invaluable to avoiding the modern day beartraps that effect so many. An engaging read that untangles those legal nightmares of modern scams. If you only have one book in your personal library, this should be it.

This is a great book and full of information needed by the consumer. Bob Massi has experienced first hand the bureaucracy consumers have to deal with in everyday decision making. The book is a great guide to help prevent mistakes others have made in dealing with purchases of all kinds. Take the time and learn from this informative book.

Robert Massi is a fixture on FoxNews, appearing often as a "legal analyst". I'm not a lawyer, but Massi's explanations have left me scratching my head more than once. Often it seems Massi is just filling time without much regard for what he's saying - and not much thought either. He's not dumb - he just seems way to willing to express an opinion on legal matters without thorough consideration of the facts.

In "Peopld Get Screwed All The Time", Massi writes of "real people" who run afoul in one way or another of the law. They also seem to be quite a collection of losers who could qualify for leading roles if Woody Allen ever does a remake of "Broadway Danny Rose", a movie about an agent who represents really weird performers.

Ostensibly, Massi is writing about "Potecting Yourself from Scams, Fraud, Identity Theft, Fine Print, and More". In truth, it seems Massi is simply trying to exploit his minimal fame as a television talking head.

The people, allegedly real, are apparently dumber than bricks. For example, we have one individual who doesn't do anything when fraudulent charges start showing up on his credit card account. For another man, Massi says "[t]he easiest lesson to learn from Milton's story is not to cheat on your wife", after the guy's wife left him and the new girlfriend also left him broke with a massive pile of debt. Of course, Milton didn't bother looking at his credit card bills and "would not have been surprised by Rachel's excessive spending - over $50,000 worth - or that she had failed to pay the monthly bills". In other words, Milton like all of Massi's other subjects is a jerk who put himself in his own misery.

Massi ends each chapter with a "How I would have counseled" the person. It's really bland stuff. Say, Milton, don't cheat on your wife and get her angry enough to leave you and don't be too quick to give the honey you just met full access to all your credit cards and not look at the bills.

On the whole this is a silly book. Massi describes a bunch of not very bright people who get ensnared in the kinds of situations not very bright people find themselves in. It is highly unlikely that such people are going to buy this book before they get themselves into trouble - and nothing in this book will help them out of their troubles.

On the whole, save your money and don't bother with this title.

Jerry

At least it was for me when I first read this book in Third Grade. I have fond memories of the official with " the kind, grave face" who patiently listened to the troubles of another man, of the the cripple who " showed off his pain" as he begged in the street, and of the mischievous boy who took an illict swig of alcohol as he was in his best white suit, and of the warning he received: " I'll give you such a wallop that you won't know whether it's Christmas or Thursday!"
What attracted me to this book when I was eight, was the color scheme of the paintings-subdued looking earth tones and brilliant shades of red. In addition, there is a photographic quality to Breughel's work. This book is a lovely tribute to the simple people that the artist lovingly immortalized in his work.

I have fond memories of this book from when I was in Third Grade. It was the first time I'd ever checked out a book that dealt with painting by the Old Masters. The bright reds and earth tones are very complimentary, as are the descriptions of the people that Breughel so fondly captured in his work. The painting of a little boy trying to get an illicit swig of ale and the commetary featured with it ("I'll give you such a wallop that you won't know whether it's Christmas or Thursday!")was quite an attention-getter for me when I was young, as was the official with "the kind, grave face".
Overall, this cheerful book is still a great way to give young children their first exposure to classic paintings.

I have fond memories of this book from when I was in Third Grade. It was the first time I'd ever checked out a book that dealt with painting by the Old Masters. The bright reds and earth tones are very complimentary, as are the descriptions of the people that Breughel so fondly captured in his work. The painting of a little boy trying to get an illicit swig of ale and the commetary featured with it ("I'll give you such a wallop that you won't know whether it's Christmas or Thursday!")was quite an attention-getter for me when I was young, as was the official with "the kind, grave face".
Overall, this cheerful book is still a great way to give young children their first exposure to classic paintings.

Before I start my review, let me tell you there is another book on the market that is identical to this, just a different cover, it is called Pilates at Home and sells for more. They are the exact same book, just with a different publisher and a different title, so beware.

The beginning of the book starts of by providing an overview of what Pilates is, how it works, the basic principles behind the exercise program, and how to complete the exercises safely and effectively. The rest of the book is divided up into the Basic Program which is especially for beginners, the Main (beginner & intermediate) Program, and an Optional Program with more advanced moves with weights. Even though the book is labeled as a beginners guide, it does include intermediate exercises as well so this is something to keep in mind.

The design of the book is very functional. The book can either be placed at eye level and stand up easel-style, or put beside your mat for quick reference. Then you simply flip to the beginning of the Pilates workout and follow the step-by-step explanations of each exercise along with the colorful photographs. Each page is a different exercise, which makes the workout easy to accomplish since you only have to flip the pages between exercises.

The book contains guidelines that suggest when you should adjust your level of difficulty including descriptions of how to do so. Other useful information that the book provides includes general health advice, cautions against physical injuries, and modifications for each exercise so that they can be completed safely.

All in all, Pilates for Beginners is a great book for those who have never before experienced Pilates and are purchasing the book as a self-teaching tool. It's a great alternative for those who cannot afford expensive private lessons with a Pilates instructor or group classes. Pilates can be a difficult program to learn on your own, but this book comes highly recommended as one of the best self-teaching Pilates guides on the market.

The author of the book, Kellina Stewart, is a professional Pilates instructor who learned about the Pilates Method from Romana Kryzanowska
who was trained directly from Joseph Pilates himself.

Another great book to get for your Pilates Library would be
The Complete Guide to Joseph H. Pilates' Techniques of Physical Conditioning: With Special Help for Back Pain and Sports Training by Allan Menezes, it is very indepth and leaves nothing out. Mr. Menezes, I found out has the dvds to go with the book. Every exercise that is in the book is on the dvds. There cheap, and if you need indepth instruction I would get these. You won't waste much money and get good instruction on every part of pilates.

Hope this helped.

The book "Pilates for Beginners" is just what it says. It is a great way to start, for someone who has never been exposed to this type of exercise. The book even gives you two ways to do the Pilates, one is the regular correct way, and the other is an abbreviated easy way. Perfect for beginners. It has pictures, easy description, everything.

Although I have practiced yoga for many years, I am new to Pilates. I am not someone who likes to go to classes, but I can't afford private lessons, so I have been looking at a lot of books to see which would be best for self-teaching Pilates. This has been challenging, because Pilates stresses precision, which is a difficult feat to accomplish on one's own. This is a unique book, as it is spiral-bound and stands up easel-style so it's easy to use and refer to during practice. The photographs are large, in color, crisp, clear, and very well done. There are visualizations and tips with each exercise and techniques for flowing one exercise into the next. The Beginner's program (the book is not just for beginners, despite the title, but it is probably too introductory for the advanced student) has a fair amount of detail, yet not so much that it confuses the reader. It is informative without being overly didactic, and answers a number of "how to" questions that are not even addressed in other books. As I embark on my Pilates journey, THIS is the book I will be keeping by my side. Highly recommended!

Very well thought through. Easy to follow and understand.
Clear instructions. Exercises flow one into another as you turn the pages, for a good pilates home session.

This is the book to have if you are identifing US Commerative Stamps. It has a "lay flat" coil plastic spine, and large colorful pictures with full item details. I've had the other books with the glued spine, and this is the best improvement I've seen. Amazon has the right products for all your needs, and at great affordable prices.

This book is a necessity to the serious stamp collector. Its ease of use when trying to identify stamps makes identification quick. The colors are bright and images are clear. This is my third year purchasing this item. A certain must!

When I first started looking for The Postal Service Guide to U.S. Stamps.
I found that there were a lot of choices to choose from. However this is complete with all the information needed for a Stamp Collector.

This book both extols and maps the art of storytelling. As is evident from the storytelling CDs and cassettes of Rives Collins ("We All Have Songs We All Have Stories" on the Louisa May Alleycat Music label and "Let's Fill Up the House with Stories and Songs" on the Southport Records/Louisa May Alleycat Music label--reachable at LMAMusic@aol.com), Rives is a masterful storyteller. He knows how to marshall the power of story and to share with his readers and students the craft skills required for the oral tradition. Readers are both inspired to--and guided in how they can--tell their own stories and create magic from thin air. Pam Cooper's special expertise as author, teacher and storyteller brings special depth to the book.

Collins and Cooper provide a unique approach to writing!! With this book you will gain activities, interviews and wonderfully writen works to use in a variety of ways. You will experience storytelling from those who tell it - GREAT BOOK, MUST READ!!!

Learn from Rives - the master storyteller who enchants young and old, taking each on their respective journeys of adventure through a whole gamut of emotions and thoughts in each of his stories - Pamela Cooper must be brilliant too otherwise Rives wouldn't work with her. This book helped me tremendously in my storytelling, especially in deepening my understanding of what it means to have a set of continuums to find yourself on in each story as a teller in general. Find your voice on the continuum, be it theatrical or conversational, understated or animated, fully memorized or improvised, first person narrative or third person narrative...
Each chapter ends with an interview with a storyteller, spanning in type from child to librarian to teacher...
This book also provides a wealth of teaching material - incorporating story into drama in the classroom, in the true spirit of Rives' grandteacher Winifred Ward!
A true celebration!

A Luscious book - with inspirational photos, in both quality and selection. A valuable book for educating those new to this trend in building, so they can abandon old ideas of prefab and look at the hot creative and even green possibilities.

PreFab Now

For me, this was a pleasure to look through. The variety of homes covered in the book are extensive; and the photography captured the Pre-Fab installations beautifully. I plan on building a Pre-Fab in the future and I found this book to be a great source of inspiration and visual information.

PreFabNow, $26.37 Amazon.com, is a two hundred page square-format book from author James Grayson Trulove. His recent hardbacks include 25 Apartments and Lofts Under 2500 Square Feet, New Sustainable Homes, and The Modern Townhouse. This volume highlights prime examples of striking prefabricated homes on the market today - and examines facets such as cost, durability, and sustainability. The book also includes drawings, plans, renderings, and sumptuous full-page color photography from various architects and photographers.

Resolution: 4 Architecture envisioned the Mountain Retreat that occupies 18 of the first 30 pages appearing after the Contents and Foreword. This 1,800-square-foot home was assembled in a factory before being erected on-site in the Catskills. Once the prefabricated bars were raised, exterior sheathing of cedar board and cementitious panels were applied; a deck for entertaining was also added. My favorite element on this house is the butterfly roof with clerestory windows.

English countryside homes like Cedar House - designed by Hudson Architects - are enviable. This 3,450-square-foot home (utilizing off-site construction) was erected in just one week. Timber-panel floors, roofing, and walls allowed for easy installation; 15,000 untreated cedar shingles complete the exterior. Because the roof structure was lightweight, roof beams were not required - therefore the residence has soaring ceilings and vast open spaces. My favorite feature on this structure is the cantilevered corner window in aluminum-frame.

Flexibility and portability are found in the Portable House from Office of Mobile Design. This California dwelling has ample living and sleeping spaces divided by a kitchen and bath. Once the 12-by-60-foot steel frame is trucked to its site and set on a foundation, the exterior is fitted with metal siding and translucent polycarbonate panels that serve as windows. My favorite detail here is the bamboo flooring, since bamboo is a sustainable hardwood.

Another home designed by Resolution: 4 Architecture is in rural Virginia. The Country Retreat is a 2,600-square-foot house with communal areas on the lower level and private areas on the upper level. Once its prefabricated bars were raised, exteriors of horizontal cedar siding and cement-board accents were applied; a ground-level stone courtyard conceals a swimming pool. My favorite attribute of this retreat is the view from the dining/living area onto the aforementioned courtyard.

Besides the Mountain Retreat, my favorite residence in PreFabNow, is the Red Cabin designed by Alchemy Architects. Perched in the Minnesota woods, a 750-square-foot house with two bedrooms and a galley kitchen evokes the image of a tugboat stranded atop a hill. Configured from two pre-built modules, the home appears spacious due to ground level and rooftop decks. Clad in rough-sawn siding, the house is painted firehouse red to mimic nearby cabins.

Next I'll discuss the X 1 which is part of the X-Line from Hive Modular. This 2,300-square-foot modular home - also located in Minnesota - has 15 foot ceilings in the dining, kitchen, living, master and second bedroom, and study area. Its exterior is covered with maintenance-free fiber-cement and metal siding, and the windows are all black-clad aluminum. I'd say the architects at Hive Modular are fans of the artist Mondrian, based on this prototype.

Of the houses featured here, I especially like the Mod3 Riverview. This green home was designed by Studio 804 of Lawrence, Kansas. All its ceiling, floor and wall cavities are filled with recycled cellulose instead of fiberglass insulation. The exterior is home grown Douglas fir used to reduce fuel consumption associated with shipping materials from overseas. Floor to ceiling windows utilized here also insure ample natural light, reducing the need for artificial light.

While I can't imagine living in a Mobile Dwelling Unit - designed by Lot-Ek - it does possess a certain post-Millennial charm. This unit is built from recycled shipping containers. Its interior and sub-volumes are fabricated from fixtures, plywood, and plastic-coated plywood. When all the sub-volumes are extended, the square footage of the dwelling increases by ten percent. Overall, I'd say this is an excellent coffee table book for anyone that's contemplating buying a prefab home.

16-year-old Jonathan Meredith really goes from the poor victim to the victor in this book. Any Junior to Senior High student would love this action and drama filled story. Jonathan is kidnapped on his way home from school and after three terrifying days is released only to find a sort of hostility at home about the ransom money lost. He finds and confronts his abductor and feels more confident about himself and proves to be a hero.

Prove yourself a Hero, though old, is a spectacular book whichI have read over and over. Peyton really sets you into the middle ofthe action with her words and descrptions of a kidnapping of a teenage boy. THIS IS A GREAT BOOK!

Mrs. Peyton approaches the well-worn kidnapping genre from a fresh angle, delving into the psychological aftermath experienced by the victim. Anti-hero Jonathan Meredith, featured in several of her other books, is compelled by a guilty conscience into seeking out his abductors. Peyton's prose is, as always with her contemporary ya's, fresh and clear. The ultimate resolution is clever and satisfying.

Originally found it at the library. My 2 & 3 year old loved making up their own story and pointing out the story in their own way. I look forward to owning this one and getting other works from this author!

"Rain" is yet another memorable work by Peter Spier.

Like "Peter Spier's Christmas!", "Rain" is a wordless picture book that beautifully captures the essence of the moment that Mr. Spier is trying to convey. Childhood memories are faithfully recorded in a montage of images that we all know and remember.

The amount of detail in Spier's work is staggering, but not overdone. Everything just seems to fit. Upon repeat viewings, the reader captures another hidden detail. Obviously, Mr. Spier knew what it was like to live around older homes, with all of their idiosyncrasies. Here we see an old, uneven brick doorstep. Ornamental decoration on the pillars of the family porch. The assorted flotsom and jetsom that fills the yard of a large, old home, and the children's room in particular. All of these and more are extremely accurate reditions of an older home.

We also see the child's viewpoint of rain. The standing in running water by the curb, the walking under a broken gutter with your umbrella, the colors that jump out from rain-soaked flowers, the wind, the warm cocoa Mom provides upon returning home to tell of your adventures. All of it is here, and real, and true-to-life.

The story follows two children as they spend the day experiencing their world during a rainstorm. Nothing more. Nothing less. It's that simple, and that beautiful.

Buy this book.

There is nothing more to say.

I want to own this book in hardcover. It is a keeper. You can look and look again seeing more each time you look at these scenes of family life and the natural world. Thanks, Mr. Spier.

An authentic way to teach children to enjoy words and sounds using movement and music. I purchased the Joe Scruggs "Late Last Night" CD and "Rockin'Reading Readiness" CD by Kimbo Educational. This is an important book for teachers who need to reach children of diverse educational backgrounds and special needs. It is ideal for the multisensory learner. The book recommendations, music suggestions, and activities really rock!
Andrea, K-12 Special Education Teacher/Preschool Program Assistant Director

It isn't often that you find a book that is so full of exactly what you need you almost want to stand up and clap. This one is it. With over 150 active literacy learning experiences there simply has to be many that either teacher or parent will use over and over again.
We have Developing Mother Skills, with activity and music and book suggestions, all the way over to Developing Literacy Skills. How great is that?
I am very impressed with this book. It seems to have so much to offer for child development and is so reader friendly.
Make sure you check this out, well worth your time.

Ably co-authored by Caroly Totsky Hammet (Elementary School Principle, Bend, Oregon) and physical education specialist Nick Collins Geigert, "Read! Move! Learn!: Active Stories For Active Learning" features more than 150 active literacy learning experiences based on more than 65 popular children's books. Each selection includes two or three activities specifically support a particular book's storyline and characters, with the accompanying physical activities are designed to enhance the development of basic motor skills as jumping and skipping, as well as dramatic play skills. Each activity also includes the lesson's objective, a vocabulary list, and a concept list. Thoroughly 'kid friendly' and classroom compatible, "Read! Move! Learn!" is a unique guide and enthusiastically recommended as a supplemental addition to elementary school physical education and classroom instruction curriculum materials.

James Champy explains very easily why many worlwide companies fail in their business ventures, some companies fail eventhough they had excellent and hard working "OPERATIONAL" managers, but they were not very good ADMINISTRATIVE (strategic) managers. This book should be a required MBA textbook , because it mentions the essential fundamentals of management, and it explains why managers fail when they re-design the work of their co-workers, BUT they do NOT re-design their own administrative work. This book also mentions the real job of the manager as a trainer , leader and strategic planner, trying to anticipate the moves of the world economy in order to be prepare and to have his people (co-associates) ready for the tremendous changes in the world economy. Most of the MBA's should read this book to avoid making too many mistakes (by thinking that they already know it all), this book will be quite an eyeopener for everybody (junior and senior management).. We must movilize, empower, define , measure , communcate and ACT to modify our business style and our personalities to be able to be more FLEXIBLE to roll with the punches. We must also form strategic alliances with our co-associates (co-workers), customers, clients, suppliers and all our friends to be able to succeed in this turbulent times, good luck and see you at the top

this book is on sale for .01 of a cent. That is less then a penny. meaning, that you could by ten of these books for a penny.

This book is a must read if you have read REENGINEERING THE CORPORATION, plan to do any reengineering, or are considering making any useful change in your organization. Although ostensibly about how to do reengineering better, this book is really about making successful change. I found it to be a helpful and accurate perspective on organizational change, and far superior to REENGINEERING THE CORPORATION. That book promised too much, as sometimes happens with books that are heavily rewritten by others (one business book writer pointed out that 9 out of 10 best selling business books are ghost written by one of two people in the last 10 years, and that REENGINEERING THE CORPORATION was one of them). If you are thinking of reading REENGINEERING THE CORPORATION, I recommend that you read REENGINEERING MANAGEMENT instead. This book deals with people, while REENGINEERING THE CORPORATION seems at times to be dealing with a broken pocket watch instead. If you are in a change project, I recommend that you pull this book out weekly and check to see if you are following its principles.