Hill Books

Quick-Start Spanish is a fun and interactive resource for learning the Spanish language. It brings the basics of Spanish language alive through stories. As you go through the book, the learning is natural and easy. Arlene Jullie uses teaching strategies that are fresh and effective. You will enjoy this experience.

I am currently a freshman in high School and taking Spanish 3. Quick-Start Spanish has helped me learn Spanish at a faster pace. This is a great book for students to use as a reference along with their school books. The book makes learning Spanish fun.

I found the Quick Start Spanish book to be a very helpful resource before, during and after taking spanish courses. It has a way of giving hints and reminders that stick with you to help you remember important spanish speaking rules. Arlene uses fresh, innovative ideas incorporated into the learning of spanish! Espanol es muy divertido!

This is a fantastic way to learn Spanish. The book is very user-friendly and self-explanatory. Its use of activities, play-on-words and humor help the lessons become easier to commit to memory than the "high school classroom" method. Arlene has a talent for making languages fun and easy to learn. This book is a great tool for beginners, intermediates or those who want a refresher course in the language.

I needed to learn Spanish for a trip to Mexico. I wasn't sure this book would work but a friend of mine said "trust me" so I bought it. I just got back and I had a Great Time! The best part was that people understood me and I understood them!

I can't recommend this book more. It makes learning Spanish fun and easy. Buy it, use it, Love it.

This is a great little book. After receiving it as a gift, I went out and bought a ton to give to all of my friends with kids, (including the mailman cause we always talk about our kids to each other). Makes a great gift for someone who loves kids. Nice cheap Christmas gift.

Some of these remarks are so pithy they have made it into our everyday speech. "Sometimes your best move is blocked by your own checkers," is one. "If you don't like the birthday girl, don't go to the party" is another. This book makes a nice small gift, too.

This is a great little book to give new moms, teachers, social workers, and anyone who loves children. It will bring smile after smile!

I gave this book to my entire business unit. I think most books on business, how to make a company better, etc. make things too complicated. If you really read each point in this book, it just applies to everything we do in both our personal and business lives. It's how I want my co-workers to behave and treat others. Take for example, the first one- "Jump right in or you might change your mind about swimming." In other words- Sometimes don't anaylze too much, just do it. Or "Ask why until you understand"- In other words, if you don't understand, keep talking until everyone does.....etc.. A GREAT BOOK!

So CUTE!! I felt like I was sitting in a school yard listening in on children talking!! Made me fell young again... lol.

I purchased this text book for my sixth grader to use with a private Spanish teacher. It is a very comprehensive and well compiled textbook. It covers all necessary topics (grammar, reading/comprehension & writing) in a organized and easy to understand format.

If you had Spanish in high school but it's been a while since you've used it,then this is the perfect book for you! It begins with the simple present tense then progresses to the more complicated preterite and subjunctive. At the end of the book you will find interesting cultural tidbits to enhance your experience of learning the Spanish language. Have fun!

Although I agree that this book is certainly a bargain when compared to the standard textbook options that often cost 3-4 times as much, I was disappointed to find that no solutions to the exercises are provided. One must purchase ANOTHER book before the exercises in this book can really be said to be useful. I am a firm believer in immediate correction when it comes to language review and acquisition--spending time on exercises without knowing which you did wrong will only reinforce what are your misunderstandings of grammar. However, if you are willing (and able) to buy the solutions manual along with this book, then it will make a good review--though it won't be the bargain that it at first appeared.

As a Spanish 2 and 3 teacher I highly reccomend this book. I use it as a reference myself because it has great explanations and the order of the grammar structures is useful. I would reccomend getting an answer key along with the book. This is a great book to refresh your memory on grammatical structures.
I am glad I bought this book!

Repaso was used as my school textbook for higher level Spanish courses in high school. Everything is great about it. The instructions are in English which makes it even more compatable. The book is able to review old concepts, but has enough to teach the little proper things about Spanish. It is a great purchase for any student that is just learning Spanish or has been taking it for many years and needs a reference.

Most of the robot books I've purchased rarely explained the detail of how you could create some kind of "intelligent" program and expand it as you need. This book give you an example using pseudo code so basically you could implement it in any programming language usually found in embedded programming such as C, Basic/Stamp or Assembler. I would highly recommend this book for robotics enthusiast who wants to make their robot behave like it has some kind of intelligent.

The book aims squarely at teaching the concepts of behavior based robotic programming without being simplistic or being overly technical. A good example is PID controllers -- the ID stand for integral and differential. He doesn't dive down into the mathematics of it but does point out that those two stages of the controller a not separately tunable.

The book doesn't present a lot of pseudo code nor does it focus on an type of microprocessor or language.

It gives very good conceptual descriptions of how to create architectures that allow multiple sensors and actuators to act together to produce meaningful and emergent behavior while pointing out pitfalls and problems that may crop up. The book is chock full of block diagrams showing the setups being discussed.

I have read dozens of robotics books over the years and most of them suck. They were either too academic or too basic. This book is excellent and was a refreshing change.

Written by one of the designers of iRobots Roomba, this book is indeed a practical guide to robotics. It is easy to read and full of practical advice that one would only get if they spent the last 20 something years working with robots. For example, the author repeatedly warns you to expect the unexpected.

Even though this book incudes access to a simulator tool, the author constantly reminds you of what could occur in the real world. This book is for anyone attempting to build a single-purpose mobile robot (whether as a commercial developer or a hobbyist). Rather than focusing on a specific language or platform, the author uses pseudocode to explain concepts. The pseudocode should save you hours of frustration. At the very least, the authors good sense of humor makes reading the book quite enjoyable.

The book is easy to read and a good introducion to behavior based programming. I always like it when the author uses some humor to turn a book that could have been a boring "must read" into an entertaining experience.

This is a nice little book. It introduces some important concepts in an overall very readable text. Of course the book doesn't offer much technical detail or any real code but sometimes it comes close. If you already have any experience in programming you can easily get the point in the example pseudo codes and adapt them for your own use.
There is a major problem about this book though. The online robot simulation program was available from the link given inside the book but this website is not active anymore so you can not practice the ideas using the "bsim" program.

The book was new, and a terrific buy. Will always check with Amazon before purchasing at other locations.

An excellent quilting book different to any others. Patterns are colourful and unique

some good ideas to use also for borders..I plan to do a little now and then on this quilt between other projects

I saw this on Simply Quilts and was so intrigued I actually wrote to the author asking if she gave lessons. Then I got the book and found you don't need a teacher. The instructions and illustrations are absolutely so clear that a child could make this quilt. Several reviewers mentioned using these designs on borders -- thanks, I had not thought about that -- good tip. One last thing, I have a sister who refused to learn to quilt. Guess what, she is making a "Simply Seminole" quilt. Gotta love that.

This book is fantastic!. The instructions are easy to follow since it is so visual. It is also a great source of inspiration for designing beautiful blocks and borders to use in quilts, fashion garments and creating elegant and unique home decor.

When I was a young girl, I wanted to be a missionary to Africa. Now I find myself in the interesting position of having these wonderful African teachers - Sobonfu Some & husband, Malidoma Patrice Some - being missionaries TO ME.

I have wanted the kind of intimacy Mrs. Some describes in her inspired little book, my whole life. It is my earnest hope and prayer that the western world will learn from the West African culture, and find the true happiness we have declared the right to pursue.

I couldn't possibly recommend the book more highly.

Such a well balanced sharing of spirit.

Also check out:

Living Deliberately: The Discovery and Development of Avatar
Resurfacing: Techniques for Exploring Consciousness
Love Precious Humanity: The Collected Wisdom Of Harry Palmer

This is a wonderful book that offers many little gems that encourage and facilitate the willingness to be open to intimacy in relationship. I think for many people who have struggled in relationship the author offers very useful, practical and enriching ways to let ones' relationship grow and develop. I love that the book is from an African perspective and though it's not geared only to Africans shows that African people have a workable approach to relationships that is spritually centered and life affirming.
I especially liked the authors' discussion on the use of rituals in African culture. The author made them come alive for me and helped me recognize that ritual is something we do anyway though we do not call it that and why. Her discussion on it's value and power in African culture was very empowering because she shows how we can open ourselves up on many levels to healing ourselves and our relationships by consciously utilizing rituals in our lives.
I also liked the author's emphasis on the importance of community, in helping build intimacy and supporting healthy relationships which is especially important for African people.
I would have liked more information on how some of the rituals or concepts used in ancient ways could better translated or modified for the present time.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like a spiritual, african centered approach to building healthy relationships.

This book reminds us what a real intimate relationship between a man and a woman should be, the pratical and spiritual dimensions of it. Thank you Sobonfu Some for writing this lovely and useful book.

Sometimes the words you're looking for come from the most unlikely places. Sobonfu Some's contribution is absolutely crucial if we are to find a counterbalance to our consumer culture. Singles, couples, adults and teenagers alike will find rewarding activities in this book which warm the heart more than going shopping can, and it's a gasp of fresh air. I hadn't realised the import of how we connect to other people until I read this book.

If you are serious about becoming a screenwriter, this book will be a valuable addition to your professional library. Lucy goes into depth on subjects other authors ignore or treat lightly. Usually if you can learn one or two things from a screenwriting book, it's worth reading. This book clarifies subjects other authors fail to explain. Lucy not only explains all the loose ends, but ties them together. There are a lot of good books on screenwriting, and this is one of them. Cynthia Whitcomb has a couple of books on screenwriting that you might also want to read.

This book should be a mandatory read for writers of all types and all levels. Story Sense offers the tools to develop an entertaining, clever plot with emotionally and psychologically dimensional characters. It takes you step by step through idea, plot, and character formulation, as well as explains how to develop structure, dramatization, and everything else you need to write the perfect screenplay or fictional story. You will find yourself highlighting passages and constantly refering back to this "bible" throughout your writing journey. Keep this book close by, it has all the answers you need as a writer.

This should be required reading for any type of writer--novelist, screenwriter, playwright. The sections on plot and character development are worth double what this book costs.

Too many "how-to" books on writing perpetrate the image of a writer as a conduit for mysterious creative forces. While I'm not entirely discounting that image, there needs to be a balance between writing as an art and writing as a craft. This book falls firmly in the craft column. It demands you cast aside any artistic pretensions and get down to the plumbing of creating a story. And it doesn't stop with the obligatory pep talk--Lucey shows you how it's done. And he shows it better than any other writing how-to out there.

If I could give this ten stars I would. Highly recommended.

When ordering several books on screenwriting this book caught my eye because of the high ratings afforded it by others. After reading it I fully concur with what others had to say. I went out and purchased DVDs of the four main example films (The Verdict, Terminator, Sleepless in Seattle, and Witness) that Mr. Lucey focuses on and they allowed me to pick up the fine points described in the text. His vast experience in script writing shows through in each of the topics discussed. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. For a detail-oriented individual such as myself, this book met all my expectations. If you are interested in this topic, this book is a "must have" by all means.

I have read many screenwriting books and this is the most complete. It takes you by the hand through each step of the process. I would recommend it to anyone interested in screenwriting. The book even states that if you follow the steps in the 12 chapters it should take you 120 hours and would be equivelent to a college course. No need for any other training. This book is it!

you positively must.

Rarely have I ever come across anything as uplifting and inspiring as this book. If you have a dream, whether it be to own your own business, or to help starving children around the world, or simply to have a healthy happy life, the keys to finding and unlocking those things within yourself are contained in this book.

I'm still in the middle of this book. Some of it is a little silly, and I gleam over those parts in a rush. They are relatively few and far in between, and the wealth of useful knowledge and insight throughout the rest of the book is worth it. I am beginning to apply many of the principles for the first time... its not a magic formula, but it has initiated noticeable progress where before I was stagnating for some time. Its small and easy to carry around to read when you only have one or two minutes available.

The only strange thing about this edition is that authorship is credited to Napoleon Hill, but much of the book speaks of Hill in third person, as if the revising author (who I think is W. Clement Stone) takes liberty to speak on behalf of the original author.

The first batch of significant books that had the greatest influence on me in terms of attaining personal achievement includes mostly Napoleon Hill's books:

- The Law of Success;
- Think & Grow Rich;
- The Keys to Success;
- Success through a Positive Mental Attitude;
- Succeed & Grow Rich through Persuasion;

The others were from Clement Stone, Dale Carnegie, & Earl Nightingale.

That was the early 70's when I had just started work as a young engineer.

The author, Napoleon Hill, had impressed me most by his relentless dedication in spending some two to three decades of his life in pursuing & researching the success secrets of the rich & famous...with a little help from Andrew Carnegie, of course.

As matter of fact, many of the famous people he interviewed were also favourite role models of mine e.g. Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, just to name a few

Till this day, I have never forgotten what he said:

"The most powerful instrument we have in our hands is the power of our mind."

I have never ceased to be fascinated by the simplicity & the potency of his ABCs of personal achievement: CONCEIVE, BELIEVE & ACHIEVE!

It is certainly enlightening to note that even Stephen Covey had drew inspiration from Napoleon Hill's work even though he never made that credit. He only admitted that the
7 Habits had its origins from "200 years of success literature in the United States." That remark itself is self explanatory.

Anthony Robbin's Mastery program as embodied in his books as well as his audio/video resources is no exception, even though he has been influenced in larger extent by NLP.

If you look at & compare the 17 principles of personal achievement in 'The Law of Success' &/or the 13 Steps to Riches in 'Think & Grow Rich', one can obviously see the uncanny resemblance of the 7 Habits & the Mastery principles...in one way or another.

At this juncture, let me outline the principal theme of each book:

The Law of Success: the original course on the fundamentals of success - all the seventeen essential principles of personal achievement;
Think & Grow Rich: The seventeen essential principles are reframed & condensed in terms of thirteen concrete steps to wealth creation (in actuality, this is a condensation of the Law of Success);
The Keys to Success: a further elaboration of the seventeen essential principles with concrete suggestions, exercises & advice;
Success Through Positive Mental Attitude: joint authorship with Clement Stone, with a further emphasis on developing a positive mental attitude;
Succeed & Grow Rich Through Persuasion: joint authorship with Clement Stone, with a further emphasis on developing master salesmanship & networking;
[It is pertinent to note that Clement Stone actually built his insurance business empire with these principles.]

My most productive, personal learning experience from Napoleon Hill's work is the understanding - & application - of his success principle #1: Develop Definiteness of Purpose.

[Very surprisingly, J Y Pillay, former Chairman of Singapore Airlines, - who had been credited for building the airline to what it is today, A GREAT WAY TO FLY! - also credited his work axiom to this same success principle, but he attributed it to an ancient Hindu scripture known as Bhagavad Gita.]

I am certainly gratified to note that Napoleon Hill's work had casted so much influence on - & empowered - so many people in the world, including myself.

I have to admit that I am a confirmed fan of Napolean Hill. I love Think & Grow Rich, have bought many copies and recently added the new and revised hardback to my library.

Succeed and Grow Rich Through Persuasion was one of those books that was collecting dust on my library shelf. I had browsed t his book a couple of times, but never read it completely. In fact, I have been doing that with a lot of my books recently.

The principles in Succeed and Grow Rich are like the principles in Think & Grow Rich. They are timeless. And they work. If you want to master persuasion, read this book.

In this book by Hill, you have the principles to become a top persuader. COnsidering what Hill accomplished in selling his philosophy with no compensation from Mr. Carnegie, don't you think Hill has something to offer in salesmanship?

This book will show you the person you have to be and offers exercises and tips to reach your goals. Another classic by Hill and must reading for all salespeople.

Your strategic planning must incorporate the people who work for you, says author Edward L. Gubman in a book that gets high marks for its easy, bullet-point organization, but scores in the middle of the curve in terms of originality. Grubman preaches that you must create a strategic alliance between your company’s mission and competencies and the people who work there. Then, he describes how to motivate and involve people, and finally how to assess their performance. He uses research examples and starts each chapter with a bullet-point summary of key information. The book includes questions to ask yourself, and many useful charts and summary lists. However, the theoretical discussion of how to engage and reward employees seems oddly dry and analytical for a how-to guide on how to motivate and excite people. The areas of job matching, motivation, and assessment have been covered in many other books, but we... recommend Gubman’s authoritative approach to these topics.

A well thought through book written by a consultant with a vast amount of varied experience. The illustrative brief case studies were most helpful in understanding the thoughts, concepts, ideas and strategies. In a global economy where talent is an increasingly scarce resource, HR practitioners will find the book a very valuable resource to craft, adapt, adjust or align their practices to be more organisation and employee friendly. Mr Gubman strategic perspective of people in terms of organisational development and growth of people is indeed a very commendable effort and very insightful. The "Creating the Talent Solution" at the end of each chapter should provoke readers to critically look at their own organisation with a fresh perspective. It will help you draw a better road map in your talent search!

"This book is about why it's essential to connect strategy and people to manage talent, and more importantly, how to do it. It rests on three key concepts: alignment, engagement, and measurement. Alignment means pointing people in the right direction. Engagement means fostering commitment to your basic purpose and direction. Measurement means providing connected and balanced ways for your company and employees to keep score about how you are doing. When you do all three things, you will be managing your talent and company to achieve extraordinary results" (from the Introduction p.9).

In this context, Edward L. Gubman introduces 'Improving Business Results with People (IBR) Model' used by Hewitt consultants as an alignment model. He argues that "The IBR model is designed to ensure you line up all the critical elements in talent management. If you pay attention to these pieces and execute them right, you will create alignment that enables you to achieve extraordinary business results" (p.32). Thus, he elaborates this model in more detailed throughout the book.

The stages of the IBR model can be outlined as follows:

1. 'Business Results and Strategies' describe the outcomes you are trying to achieve as a company and the strategies you are using to get there. Thus, he defines strong business results as:

* great value for customers,

* rewarding work situations for employees-including psychological, social, and financial rewards,

* high returns for shareholders. (more detailed discussion see Chapter 2).

2. 'Business Capabilities' refer to your distinctive abilities as an organization to use money, technology, information, people, and other resources to create a competitive advantage. He argues that "Your goal in developing these capabilities is to build unique abilities that competitors have difficulty copying so you have the advantage" (p.46).(more detailed discussion see Chapter 3).

3. 'People Requirements' are the things you demand from people to exercise your capabilities-what you need from them to be successful. He describes these requirements as the Three Cs: culture, competencies, and contract, and argues that "These three are interrelated so it's hard to separate them completely" (p.57).(more detailed discussion see Chapter 4).

4. 'Employee Priorities' are the 'bottom-up' of the equation. In this stage, he focuses on the changing nature of the employement relationship as a context for engaging employees, what engagement is and how you can increase it, and the psychology of engagement and change.(more detailed discussion see Chapters 9 to 11).

5. 'Workforce Strategies' are the distinctive plans you have for acquiring, developing, deploying, and retaining your people for competitive advantage. He argues that "Smart companies build plans for their workforce just like they build plans for the other parts of their business" (p.75). Hence, he describes elements of a workforce strategy: (a).people requirement-the cultural values, competencies, and contract, (b).employees' needs, fears, and goals, (c).the resulting employement relationship, (d).organization design, and (e).priorities for change.(more deatailed discussion see Chapter 5).

6. 'Management Practices' describe the ways you enact your workforce strategies. In this stage, he examines (1) three major criteria for excellent management practices-alignment, integration, and execution, and (2) five management practices-staffing, organizing, learning, performing, and rewarding.(more detailed discussion see Chapters 6 to 7).

7. 'Business Interactions' is where all business results occur. He argues that "All business results come from interactions-leaders with employees, employees with employees, and employees with customers. These interactions are changing, and some are becoming much more electronic. Sometimes the 'employee' now is an ATM machine, a voice-mail box, home page, or voice response circuit" (p.143). Hence, in this stage, he examines these interaction processes.(more detailed discussion see Chapter 8).

8. 'Balanced Measurements' are both the business and individual measurements that gauge how well you and your employees are doing. He argues that "Measurement is the last of the three processes you need to connect talent to strategy to deliver outstanding results" (p.225).(more detailed discussion see Chapters 12 to 14).

Finally, as conclusion, he rightly argues that "The growing effects of the information economy, globalization, and changing demographics are coinciding to create a new era in business-the era of talent. Your ability to attract, manage, and retain talent will determine whether you succeed. This wasn't always true in the past. Before, you could succeed if you controlled enough physical resources. Today, talent is the fundamental resource in business" (p.292).

Highly recommended.

The key theme of this work is that the competitive advantage goes to those companies that are best at finding, motivating, and retaining talent to fill critical positions-especially in high technology sectors. The book is filled with good advice on staffing, recruiting, motivating, managing, and retaining people. Adding to its value, Gubman gives many references to what leading companies are doing. Plenty of sound advise and examples make this worthwhile reading. Reviewed by Yvette Borcia, co-founder, Stern & Associates, author of Stern's Sourcefinder: The Master Directory to HR and Business Management Information & Resources, Stern's CyberSpace SourceFinder, and Stern's Compensation and Benefits SourceFinder.

Mr. Gubman provides some of the best, most straight-forward information I have read on the subject. His simple, clear, discussion was extremely refreshing. His method of aligning the HR practice with Company strategy is excellent. I most enjoyed the little nuggets of wisdom located in the tables throughout the text. They are an superb summary of the text material for those with limited time or who decide to only scan the material.

This was a required book for my client relationships course and I found it well-written and very applicable to anyone dealing with customers on a daily basis.

Building a technology-based service business is certainly no walk in the park but Mooney and Bergheim help make that walk a little less treacherous. Follow the ten demandments of the demanding customer and you will be rewarded by those customers.

Don't be so sure your company - or ever yourself - is all that consumer friendly because after taking Kelly Mooney's self-assessments at the end of each chapter, you might be depressed. While its a cliche, it is true: the rules of engagement have changed. Today's exceptional, differentiated products and services are tomorrow's expectation and demands in the age of the well-informed, technology-empowered consumer. While not a book about the internet, Kelly Mooney's book here illustrates how the internet has armed today's consumer with more information, options and price comparisons - all at the speed of light. This is just one factor that has led to the consumer calling the shots more and more and who now just does not have needs, but true DEMANDS. And the businesses that understand this and empower their customers with the information, privacy and control they now demand will emerge the most successful. Those who do not will fall by the wayside.

Lots of marketing books are from the reference point of a business or brand forward: how to get more sales and increase brand awareness of your product. But, Kelly Mooney shows the view only from the stressed-out, untrusting and impatient consumer's vantage point. And we all are consumers who can relate to good and bad experiences. And guess what? Today's demanding consumers don't like, appreciate or trust all you have to say or offer them if they are not asking to hear it. They are suspicious of your uninvited emails or requests for personal information (a big point of discussion in this book). They want straight talk ... they hate all that fine print ("Lose it" is the recommendation) ... they want it all fast (or forget it) .... they want to consistently experience your brand the same way regardless of channel ... they want to be rewarded for their loyalty ... and they want complete control of their information and want to remain as anonymous as possible (so forget information requests that do not offer them something in return).

Each chapter is dedicated to one of the ten "demandments" - complete with a self-evaluation at the end of each chapter. As Mooney colorfully illustrates in her many examples, today's consumer wants - umm, demands that your business:
- Earn their TRUST
- INSPIRE them by your company or product
- Make things EASY
- Put them IN CHARGE of the process
- GUIDE them as they ask
- BE AVAILABLE 24/7
- REWARD their loyalty
- EXCEED their expectations
- RESPECT them as in any relationship

This is an engaging, easy-to-read book that is not a textbook monologue nor an analytical Harvard Business Review article, but really a 'street-smart' approach to serving your customers according to the "new demands on the street." It is chocked with many simple but insightful examples (termed "the voice of the consumer") that keep the flow lively and drive home the basic (but often difficult-to-master) principles. Sometimes Mooney is a bit repetitive, but some probably need that to get the points. Many companies don't realize they probably give a certain amount of "lip service" to the idea that "the customer comes first" or "without the customer, our purpose for existing ceases to exist" (haven't we all felt this way as consumers ourselves after a frustrating interaction?). But, after reading this humble, but enlightening little book, they probably will see how much room there is to improve and truly serve today's demanding consumer. So, overall, this book is a fresh, pretty different and important view point worth the time to read. Certainly the price should not deter anyone from getting it.

As my company begins 2003, #1 on the radar is our customer experience. So I was delighted with The Ten Demandments and have already begun thinking about how to incorporate several of the "demandments" into our own strategy. Easy to read, fast paced and insightful! Highly recommend.

This is the first book I've read on the topic of customer experience and loyalty that truly inspired ME! This is a lively and engaging book with a great point of view. It's written from the customer's perspective- a very interesting and refreshing twist on an important topic.

But why aren't companies doing a better job of providing the exceptional experiences the author talks about in her book? It was certainly an eye opener for me! Glad I found it when I did.