E Books

IF YOU WERE THINKING OF BUYING THE BOOK "NAPPY HAIR", GET THIS ONE INSTEAD. ITS BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN.

This is an excellent book for building confidence in African-American girls about the natural beauty of their hair. The pictures are wonderfully done and contribute to the feeling of pride you get when reading this book. My daughter especially related to the part where the little girl makes music with the beads in her hair, and I try to remember to be as compassionate as the mom in the book when I comb her hair.

I purchased this book for my 3 year old daughter. She is only 1 of two black girls in her class of 16. This has been great for her. She asks me to read the book all the time. The book was also good for me too. It helped me to remind me to be proud of my hair and all of the wonderful styles and the great history of our hair. I just love it when my daughter says "I Love My Hair."

This book was like a breath of fresh air! Compared to the many children's books out there about 'nappy' (coiled/African) hair, this one is the most positive and affirming. While other books dwell on the 'N' word (i.e. the term 'nappy') and try to put a positive(?) spin on it, this book doesn't even use the term. Instead, it focuses on the reality of a young African-American child who is learning to love and accept herself by loving and accepting her unique hair texture. I love it!

My daughter is 10 years old and I have kept her hair naturally curly. She is mixed and gorgeous. She was at school and a little girl told her, " You need to tell your mommy to perm your hair, its a mess." She came home crying because this little girl, who is like her (the girl is african-american) said that to her. I talked to her about it but I don't think she believed me when I told her that her hair was beautiful and special. I came to good ole' Amazon and saw this book. I bought it for her and when it came we read it together. She smiled at the similarities between her and the little girl in the book. Like how she asked her mommy to stop doing her hair until the ouchies went away, the same as she does with me, or that fact that every hair style in the book has been done to her hair too. She LOVES her hair now. And she wants more books about little girls' hair. This is hard but I am looking right now for another one. This book is an inspiration to all little girls of color or mixed race. It truly has been for my daughter.

This book is just awesome....one can read it over and over and it has such a simple , sweet ending that you're left satisfied and happy....

the characterization is just apt and there are not to many characters to confuse the readers... the best part is David himself...

this is a must read.. hope u all njoy

My mother told me about this book shortly after I began my studies to become a school teacher. It had been one of her favorite books and she had loved reading it to my older brother and sister when they were children. She tried to find a copy in local book stores but had no luck. My sister, upon hearing about Mama's search, got caught up in the nostalgia and located two copies of the book from the original printing in good condition and had them shipped right away. It turned out to be money very well spent.

David is a most unusually happy, contented, naive, talented and loving boy. Almost everyone tries to change him, but the only one to stay the same is 'Just David'. Not as famous as her great 'Pollyanna' but nothing more perfectly typifies this wonderful author's warm and tender work. Eleonar Porter writes characters that do not exist - but should.

When I was young my mother told me that I was named after the boy in the title of this book. My mother loved this book and wanted her only son to be like its title character, whom she admired greatly. It pleased me to be named after someone who was the subject of a book but, for some reason, I never bothered to ask my mother for details about either the book or its principal character, although she often spoke glowingly about the David for whom I was named. After my mother's death I regretted not having queried her for more details about Just David and its hero whom she so admired. When I found that Just David was available from Amazon.com I immediately ordered a copy and read it as soon as it arrived. To my pleasant surprise I found that I shared my mother's love both for the book and for its hero. I also understood for the first time why my mother had raised me as she had. I won't pretend to have all of the virtues possessed by the hero of this wonderful book, but I believe that I have more virtues than I would have if my mother hadn't used Just David's hero as a template for rearing me. I'm deeply grateful to my mother and to this special book which I recommend highly to others. I'm also grateful that in my career as a NASA scientist I had occasion to edit a book, Heterogeneous Atmospheric Chemistry, which is also available from Amazon.com. Although my mother was not alive when this book was published I like to think that she knows of its existence and is pleased by it.

As the other reviewers, I was given the book, by an aunt, back in the 60's when I was in seventh grade. She said she had been searching for a copy for me to read because she had loved it. I remember doing a book report on it for my 7th grade English class (I got an A)--and it was one book I never forgot. I thought it was out of print & had been looking for it for years at garage sales and used book stores. Now I will have a copy to pass on to my new grandson. It is a special treasure of a book!

This book would be an invaluable asset to have handy to anyone who reads a lot.It is a large book ,1144 pages.It is the type of book that will be turned to frequently when you come across something in your reading that you would like to know a bit more about without going to a lot of trouble or checking a lot of sources. The book covers a lot more than literature and authors. It is an encyclopedia in every sense of the word.For instance ,if you have never heard of an author,or a book,that is mentioned somewhere ;there's a good chance that here you will find enough to serve your needs.However;if you do know the author and his works ,you will probably basically know what is in this book.
Although most of the reviewers are very "well read";don't assume this is not the book for the "ordinary reader".I consider myself in that second group;and I can vouch that it is very down to earth and jam packed full of information,usable for everybody,regardless of their background or knowledge.
I must also warn you that when you pick it up there is a great tendency to flip around it from one thing to another. It is no problem to spend an hour or more glancing through it. It is also the type of thing that can be left around for anyone to pick up,open at a page at random;and they will find something to interest them.
It's difficult to say what all's in the book;because it covers all types of things other than literature.
Just a few for instances;

Pg 321..we get all the rulers of England from 829-
present,including their time in office.
Pg.44..explanation of Gordian knot.
Pg.434.. background of the guillotine.
Pg.491..Huguenots
Pg.581..Last Supper
Pg.717-718..Napoleon I,II &III explained.
Artists are covered.I found it interesting that max Ernst is included but not M.C.Escher. We get definitions such as epigram,epilogue,epinicion and epiphany on Pg.325.A flip of pages to 1020, and we get a short explanation of the Thirty Year War,mixed in with authors and book titles.
What I've been trying to convey is the wide range of entries in the book and that it covers much more than literature and authors. It is a bit of a guess what you will find;but that is part of the enjoyment you will getfrom this book.You'll find "whore of Babylon" but not "The Butcher's Apron".The Pulitzer Prize winners are all listed.
I could go on forever;I'll quit now,as most readers have gotten my pointby now.I hope so,anyway.
If you buy this book,or buy it for someone who reads a lot;you'll never regret it.

This is the kind of work which when first dipped into leads to the temptation to dip into it more and more . The sheer amount of information is so great, the entries so various in subject that endless delight is to be found in learning more and more. There are however as with most things, a few problems and limitations.
Take for instance the opening entry of the Encyclopedia, the entry on 'Aaron'. We truly learn important things about Moses' brother and mouthpiece. But for anyone who knows Biblical literature not to speak of its commentaries, the entry is a shortcut of shortcuts. And thus misleading. For it does not tell of Aaron's role as leader of the Temple ceremony worship, does not explain his connection with Moses in a deep way, nor even mention their sister Miriam, does not tell of the death of Aaron's son in offering up strange fire, does not tell anything about Aaron's role as ' man of peace beloved by the people'. One of the great farewell scenes of world- literature Aaron's climbing to the top of Har Ha-Hor is not mentioned.
I take this one example to indicate another simple truth. An encylopedia of this kind is always best on a subject one does not really know much about. Then anything we are told , adds to our knowledge if not necesarily our understanding.
In checking out a number of articles I did not find ' inaccuracy' here. In confronting other subjects I knew nothing about I did have a sense that I was getting reliable information.
This is again a good tool and source for attaining first knowledge of a subject.
However if one really wants to know and understand the meaning of a particular subject my recommendation would be to supplement this work with other sources of information.

I love my 4th edition and am glad I've kept my 2nd edition as now I have the best of both worlds. New info in 4th and the deleted info in the 2nd. The only thing I would do to improve the next edition is go back to the alphabet tabulations.

He drove an ambulance during World War 1, before becoming one of America's most famous novelists. Who wrote "Death of a Salesman"? Who wrote "Manhattan Transfer? Who created the character, Sherlock Holmes"? Holden Caulfield was the main character of what famous novel? Who wrote "Catch-22"? These are just some of the questions that "Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia" can answer. Bruce Murphy's book offers biographical notes on writers, synopsis of famous books, plays and poems, descriptions of characters and detailed explanation of literary terms and movements.

I have had my copy of Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia since its publication in 1987 and have found no better reference tool for writing research papers and for general literary inquiries. Although "Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia" is over-due for a major facelift, it continues to be a valuable tool - I keep my copy at arms reach along with my copy of "Oxford Companion to American Literature", by James D. Hart.

I purchased this for myself my second year of college. Being an English major especially interested in the Modernists, it soon became the most used volume in my bookcase. A fantastic quick reference when crunched for time and excellent for understanding those oh-so-esoteric literary allusions. It's wonderful, with references for historical and artistic events and movements, novels, epics, authors, poets . . . a must for any lover and/or student of literature. This would make a fantastic gift, too!

My Special Education class loved this book. The pictures are delightful and the story is fun and exciting for my Kindergarten/First Grade Class. This book was selected by my department as a suggested book for use in my class.

The warmth and openness that the authors convey in this book makes you feel like you live in that neighborhood yourself. Cute story; beautiful artwork. Children as young as 2 are drawn in and fascinated by the magical storyline. Great read-aloud book!

This imaginative little fantasy is sure to bring a smile to the lips of the smallest children and start a playful exchange of ideas. This is beginning imagination at its coolest. However be sure that you playfully talk to them about the book and get their ideas on what happens to snowmen during the night. Do not leave them with thre impression that snowmen are animated.

Even though we live in Florida and don't have snow my 3 year old son enjoys this book. It has good rhythm and cute story. This book was one of his preschool teachers favorites so we bought it. I am glad we did.

I've received this book & given it as a gift several times. It is good for young childrem, simple to read & the illustrations are beautiful. It is a great gift for new parents or grandparents. Also the the other book Snowmen at
Christmas is just as great.

I have to admit, living in the Midwest has made it difficult to catch LSU sports. I have actually become an SEC sympathizer. I'll watch any team in the conference. Enter this book. A really good history about the programs of the SEC. All of the folklore about Bear Bryant, Gene Stallings, Vince Dooley and the "evil" genius. I read this book from cover to cover and really understood some of the fierce rivalries in the SEC. You also begin to understand the rich tradition that is SEC football and why it is important to alumni. I'm still a devout LSU fan, but will follow the SEC in any contest!

This book is great for anybody claiming to be a SEC Fan.
I love the thoroughness of it and the recipes are yummy for the tummy. Buy it. You won't be sorry.

Do you know the history of your alma mater? I am a Georgia Bulldog and I had no idea I knew so little about the Dawgs and the rest of the SEC. Learn about it all here. The tailgating recipes are great too. A perfect gift idea for the SEC Football crazed fan in your life. I have considerably boosted my water cooler bragging rights with this book.

This book is really something if you are an avid southern football fan. If you are an SEC alumni, it is a must-have. In addition to a history of college football in the South, all of the unique histories and traditions of the schools are there...along with some very tasty Cajun tailgating recipes named after each team. Great bowl games are mentioned and each of the alma maters and fight songs are listed as well. This is one of the best sports books to come around in quite some time. Purchase your copy of "A Tailgater's Guide To SEC Football." It has something for everyone and it will not disappoint. An engaging read.

Well written and informative, Warner's book is a great reference source for any SEC football fan. Each chapter covers the important players and coaches from each school. However, if you are looking for anything deeper, go elsewhere. None of the big issues, i.e. segregation/integration or cheating/NCAA violations are covered. The book does a great job of accomplishing Warner's goals. I only wish he'd have been a bit more ambitious and tackled questions tougher than, "who was the best QB in Florida history?"

So far I've only gotten throught the first chapter. It's a dense amount of information, but it is incredibly well written and informative. No extra words just to take up space and get something into book format. It's definetly a text book. The first chapter gives you an extensive review of the human relationship with drugs since the beginning of time, and forty pages later, I feel enlightened and full of ideas. Incredibly insightful and well worth the price for someone with a deep interest in this field.

This is a wonderfully written book with lots of great information. However, I really dislike the newspaper column width of the text. It is very hard to read from such a thick book with this layout.

The item shipped quickly and was brand new as I was told. I am not impressed with the Study Guide, and the book itself is rather disjointed. It's hard to find the information within all the quotes from addicts. I would set it up so that the information came first and then the quotes would be placed at the end of the text in each section.

If you work in human services or if you're just interested in learning about substance abuse, this is the only book you'll need. This was my text in grad school and a decade after I'm still recommending it to clinicians.

The authors, Darryl Inaba and William Cohen do a great job of keeping this book very open and simple. They cover almost every drug (5th edition) which a counselor may run into when talking with his students. As a research or higher level order book though, this would not do as it is just too brief on most subjects to really get to know indepth pharmacology or pharmacodynamics on most of the psychoactive drug actions. There is a lot of history, and even a CD-ROM to help you familiarize yourself with many topics of addiction in a very short period of time. In some sections, there is some really good information on drugs I have not seen on the pharmacy shelves for at least 12 years. If you are someone who wants to quickly get to know the subject of psychoactive drugs, then I highly recommend this book for you. His vocabulary is such that it is easy to read, without too much of a serious tone-- and you will not even need a highliner to remember the facts. This book is packed with knowledge. Very enjoyable reading for a change, with lots of good and interesting photographs that make you think. You will enjoy this book, for it is written in a very unique format that makes you want to relax and just turn each page and learn. guyairey

I enjoyed this book. It reminded me a lot of "Grey's Anatomy" only it takes place in the early 1970's so it's interesting to see how many things have changed since then (women in the surgical field, major technology differences, etc.) Good character development, I felt like I really knew the characters by the end of the book. Sequel! Sequel!

The struggles, challenges, and rewards of being a medical intern are realistically and graphically portrayed in Pierce Scranton's "Learning Curve". The vivid accounts of medical conditions and procedures described in the book are offset by the constant reminders that doctors are, after all, human! The downside of that humanness is that medical mistakes can and are made, resulting in adverse affects on patients...sometimes in death. The upside of the humanness of doctors is that most of them really do CARE deeply about healing their patients, and they work so very hard toward that end.

The author has given us a very honest and insightful account of the everyday high drama that surrounds our physicians as they practice and learn how to blend their professional skills and knowledge with their humanness and love and respect for life.

Thank God for duck hunting!

A really excellent book for anyone interested in the medical field. A true insight into doctors in training.

Dr. Scranton's book is a candid and realistic portrait of internship in the 1970's. Although some things have changed, many more things have remained the same. His attention to details makes this story very real and delightfully entertaining. This is a wonderful read for anyone in the medical profession, but medical knowledge is certainly not needed to follow the story line and thoroughly enjoy.

I lost sleep while reading Death On The Learning Curve! That's because I stayed up until all hours of the night reading it, unable to put it down! It is a fast-paced, entertaining story of the life of interns during their intern year at General Hospital in 1971. It is a touching account of what interns are faced with on a daily basis. Life and death decisions that have to be made in a split second. If you like "ER" and "Grey's Anatomy", this is a must read! The author, Dr. Pierce Scranton, captures the humanity, panic, fear, doubts, exhaustion and jubilation that surrounds these interns like a cocoon during their intern year. The book is written in a fresh and entertaining style with Dr. Ned Crosby running across his old journal that he kept during his intern year, and reflecting on the scenarios as they happened 25 years earlier. The story is chock full of humor, adventure, and yes, even a tender love story! Thank you, Dr. Scranton, for writing such a wonderful and entertaining novel that allows us "lay" people to get an eye-opening view into the life of an intern and the bizarre, heart-wrenching human medical drama that an intern must face and do his best to fix; that "sometimes you have to hurt someone to help them". Now go pour yourself a Scotch...at least three fingers...you earned it!

A great quick guide on drug information, perhaps, the best one. Full monographs of almost all of the drugs, including interactions. Much necessary to the pharmacists and other health professionals.

Excellent, concise, just the facts, ma'am, and easy to look up just what you need. Why wade through the Physicians Desk Reference when this handy gem has all that you really desire in drug information, presented efficiently by pharmacists. Boils it down to the facts. 2-3 pages per medication, in table form often. Once you buy this book, you'll ditch the PDR. Guaranteed.

this is a great resource. as a pharmacist, I use this quite often for basic questions.

The charts in the back are very comprehensive and useful; the drug monographs are very up-to-date and accurate.

While other people in my class waited for their DIHs to arrive, I had mine in no time! Thanks!

You gotta have this book if you're a Bruce fan. Great history and old photos. Great back stories and nostalgia. I was a bit dissapointed with the reproductions - both in terms of relevance and also the quantity of them, but all in all it is well worth the money. I mean, people actually paid $50 for the Madonna book a few years back. Puh-lease.... there is only one BOSS!

I recently took my 10 year old to a Springsteen concert and he is hooked. At his urging we went to the local library to see if they had a book on the Boss..we found this one and he loved it so much I ordered it..the great thing about it was that I loved it too !! Nothing better than something you can enjoy with your kids. I give this a thumbs up !!

My daughter got this book for me for X-Mas,
and it's the neatest thing !
Great chronological history of Bruce and his
various bands, along with the cool artifacts
placed throughout the book, including 2 great
posters !
Great bargain and must-have for any fan of the Boss !!

It's one of the greatest gifts you can give a Springsteen-fan. It holds the hole story from start til today and includes som replicas of tickets and posters

I bought this book not knowing what to expect. Talk about a labor of love. I highly recommend Greetings From E Street to any serious Bruce Springsteen fan. It's chock full of nifty things and some good information, as well. I was very pleased with this book. It has replicas of tickets, backstage passes, concert posters, and other memorabilia. The writing, which is fine, is secondary to the entire package. Just a real treat. If you have a die hard Springsteen fan in your house, he or she would love this book.

I received this book as a Christmas gift from my brother. I was so impressed with it that I bought three (from Amazon) for each of my grown children. They now use it as a daily devotional. very interesting and educational. I have learned alot about the origins of my faith.

I continue to be inspired and delighted to read the stories of Christian men and women who are part of the multitude of witnesses to the life of faith. The 366 biographical/historical sketches are extremely well written and thought provoking. My wife and I use it as part of our morning devotional time.

This book offers something you won't get out of just about any other devotional: it gives you glimpses into how God has worked through the lives of ordinary and extraordinary people all throughout history. Most devotionals give you good thoughts or introduce you to some significant people, but this book will give you a broad introduction to scores and scores of Christians throughout the ages and how their lives reflected God's plan. If you ever thought that God wasn't doing much with you, reading the stories in this book will remind you that God's plans often unfold over the long term, and that He uses unexpected people in order to do great things.

The Rustens have an entry for each date, but they don't just give you a little snapshot of an event; they give you an overview of the life and achievements of the person involved - all in two pages! These stories are helpful reminders that the Kingdom of Heaven is worked out little by little through many different people who simply did what the Bible taught them to do and who listened to God. This is far from a "trivia" book. Instead of dry facts, you'll get a great introduction to lots of wonderful Christians whose stories you might not know, and you'll get to see how God worked through even their most painful and discouraging times in order to bring about great blessings and spread the light of Christ to others.

The best part is that the Rustens have put a lot of effort into telling the stories well. Although you will pick up a lot of knowledge about people, places, and events, the entries are interesting to read even for those who don't want to try to remember a bunch of facts. I had trouble keeping myself to one entry a day! But for those who want a source for information, you'll be glad to know that footnotes and sources have been provided.

I got this book for my in-laws who really enjoyed it last year, so I got a copy for myself and am finding it a wonderful way to digest a little piece of history each day. The two pages per day can be read in 5 to 10 minutes and are very informative.

What a remarkable and inspiring book this is on some of the historic events of Christianity and of Christians, both famous ones and not-so-famous ones! I read this book daily in 2007 and was inspired each and every day to continue to stand for what is good and right in this world. We bought this "textbook" of Christian history for my husband's parents for Christmas, and they are already enjoying it and being blessed by it. I should not be, but I am, amazed every time such evil and unjustice is done to those who call on the Name of Jesus ~ I should not be, because He told us in His Word that we WOULD be persecuted. This book helps me to know I can stand strong just as those others before me did, even those who ended up in martyrdom. It's an amazing "read" ~ be blessed by it.