K Books

If I could give this book more than five stars, I would! After dealing with the pain of Al-Kitaab for years, I was relieved when I began studying out of this book. All of the major authors in the Arab world are featured inside: Nizar Qabbani, Mahmoud Darwish, Imru al-Quais, Ibn Khaldoun, etc. It is perfect for the upper-intermediate/advanced Arabic student.

Dr. Bassam Frangieh's Anthology of Arabic Literature, Culture, and Thought is an indispensable tool for the advanced student of Arabic. Since the advanced student expects to be able to converse with educated Arabs, he or she must be familiar with all the great names of classical Arabic literature and, with very few exceptions, the names with representative texts are all here: Imru' al-Qays, Ibn al-Muqaffa (whose "Kalila wa Dimna" is a brilliant marriage of Machiavelli's "The Prince" and "Aesop's Fables"), Al-Jahiz, Ibn Jinni, Abu Nuwas, Al-Mutanabbi, Ibn Rushd, Ibn Sina, Al-Hallaj, al-Ghazali, Ibn Taymiyya, and Ibn Khaldun. More importantly, Dr. Frangieh has devoted almost half of the book to modern Arab poets, novelists, and critics. Any student conditioned to seeing the Arab-Islamic world through the lens of 9-11 and the issues of radical or political Islam will find enlightening and refreshing the selections by Adonis, Hisham Shirabi, Sadiq Jalal al-`Azm and their respective secular critiques of Arab society. Mahmud Amin al'Alim's "The Arabic Novel" and Idwar Kharrat's "Three Faces of Ghalib Halasah" will provide the student whose native language is English with exemplary models of the modern, expository styles of Arabic expression. Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of this collection is the heightened sense the student gains of the expressive and metaphorical potential of Arabic. For the student accustomed to associating the "poetic" in Arabic with the rich and florid classical style, Nizar Qabbani's "Arabian Love Poems" will introduce the student to the poet's modern metaphorical style that in a sense recaptured the secret of Abu Nuwas-that metaphysical and abstract truths are best expressed through creative juxtapositions of the immediate and sensible. All the selections in Dr. Frangieh's anthology are no more than 4-5 pages, easily readable in an evening's study, and will send the reader running to find the originals.

This book is exactly how I rated it, 5 stars. For a student studying Arabic, it's the best way to expand your vocabulary. All of the literature in the book is in Arabic with a glossary after the passage to help the student learn new words.

As for the diverse material covered in the Anthology, it has everything from Jahilliya love poetry to the Prophet's (pbuh) last sermon to certain excerpts from Andalusian and Medieval Sufis such as Ibn Rushd and Hallaj. It even covers some stories from Kalila wa Dimna.

The attached CD with the book is awesome as you can read along with the speaker to learn the proper pronounciation and rhythym of certain poetry. If you are tired of reading the same old Al-Kitaab part I/II/or III and you want to finally test and use your Arabic skills, get this book.

An awesome buy and highly recommended!!

To a student who has used in one form or another the Elementary Modern Standard Arabic book for more than 2 years, and who appreciates its usefulness as a grammar book, it simply cannot rival Frangieh's new book in terms of sheer challenge and enjoyment. Frangieh seeks to inform the reader not only of the language, but of literary works that have been pivotal in Arab culture. The works chosen span an inredible range in time and style, include the modern novel, as well as pre-Islamic poetry, and energize the reader with its invitation to discover the deftness and clarity of some of the language's most accomplished authors.

This is a solid, serious anthology of Arabic literature for advanced students and other intellectuals. The choice of authors and texts is excellent, as is the organized layout of the entire book. No detail has been spared in this authoritative and engrossing collection of Arabic texts.

The CD presents a scholarly reading of Arabic poetry, filled with musicality and artistic sense. Frangieh's reading captures the unique power of Arabic verse; each selection flows like a river of eloquent language.

Highly recommended!

Although we did not chose to hire an Au Pair at this time, the advice in this book was invaluable in helping us decide what type of person we wanted coming to our home daily, what questions to ask and what we could and could not expect from in home childcare.

The sample calendar's, task lists, and operating procedure forms were great for getting organized before the big day. We will definately review this book again when we are ready for a true Au Pair.

Au Pairing Up is a terrific resource for anyone even considering the Au Pair option. You will get candid insight into both the pluses and minuses of the Au Pair option; a lot of great information on how to select an Au Pair; and many ideas on how to get the most from your Au Pair. Perhaps most of all you benefit from the author's, Ruth Liebermann's, extensive (20+ year) experience with Au Pairs and her very insightful comments. While the book is extremely extensive and comprehensive I also found it easily accessible--the oversize format, the concise wording and the interesting layout all help. I'd highly recommend this book to people considering getting an Au Pair, approaching the interview stage, or even people who already have an Au Pair and want to maximize the experience.

If you are thinking of hiring an au pair or even if you already have one - you simply must buy this book! This book has been an incredible help to me in creating a comfortable and effective environment for our family and our au pair.

When we hired our au pair we didn't know what we were doing at all. We purchased this book after we already had our au pair. But after getting the book, we realized there was so much incredible information on the process of hiring an au pair (that we had no clue about), that next time we would definitely follow Ms. Liebermann's advice in this area. While we were perhaps lucky with our hire, I can see how following her recommendations would greatly aid in getting the "right" person into your home.

I like things done a certain way for my daughter but I wasn't always sure how to get my points across to our au pair. Again, Ms. Liebermann's book outlined so many great ways to increase the communication levels between us that it has really made it smooth sailing around here. Communication is key - it can be difficult having someone new living in your home - this book makes it possible to have a great and rewarding au pair experience for both your family and your au pair. I knew I wanted some sort of "manual" to help explain things but I didn't know how to go about it - it was great to get this book and have an "operating manual" already done.

Ms. Liebermann's speaks from years of experience in this area, and it shows. Her recommendations are excellent and spot on. I highly recommend this book.

I have given this book to many new mothers, some having second and third babies. It is universally well received. Even for the family that has no intention of hiring an au pair or access to an au pair service, this is an excellent resource. The how-tos and list of questions to ask any child care provider are worth more than the price of this book. The CD works great for today's families. It's quite easy to read and well organized.
Au Pair companies and other provider agencies could use it as a registration incentive/gift. Early Childhood Education at the high school, community college, and university level needs this resource included in the curriculum.
It is wonderful!

Where was this book six months ago when my husband and I were considering getting an au pair?? This book does it all! From the application process to choosing an applicant to preparing for your au pair's arrival to making the relationship successful, this book covers everything you need to make the process as smooth as possible.

If you are just starting to think about what type of childcare best suits your family, read this book. If you already have an au pair and are struggling to make it work, read this book. If you have an au pair and things are going well but you want to make the situation even better, read this book!

It has everything you need and you won't have to start developing forms and a "standard operating procedure" from scratch - like I did!

Had I ever received my order, I could have read the book I paid for and shared my thoughts about it with other customers. TZM Books has never replied to my e-mails, and Amazon has been less than helpful in rectifying the situation. Be wary doing business with either; they'll take your money and waste your time.

I bought this book for my kids the year it came out. They loved it and treasure the memory of every bit of the story.

No matter how many times they read it or what their reading level was they felt for the bear, suffered his frustration, ached for his situation and laughed at the people who could not see a bear for being a bear.

The pictures tell their own story. A child doesn't even have to be a reader to appreciate the situations the bear encounters. Among the more memorable are the one where the bear is looking at a bear skin rug, the look on his face is something that is hard to forget, in a series of pictures the bear works his way up the corporate ladder, each person in the series is more expensively dressed until finally he meets the biggest boss of all... who has a hole in his shoe!

I've used this book to teach about social class, capitalism and the construction of self. The real beauty of this book lies in its accessibility... the youngest children hear the story and root for the bear, older kids find themselves seeing injustice being done, those more politically aware are exposed to environmentalism and issues about how the world works. Adults find so many messages, about being who you really are, social injustice and ultimately freedom.

I can see why therapists use it. I can also see why someone might find it subversive. But it is delciously subversive in the way a great dessert is, satisfying to the mind and soul in a way that only the greatest books are.

This is a great book. It is loosly based on "The Bear Who Wasn't" which is widely available in paperback. It is lovingly illustrated and talks about being "real" even when the world won't allow it.

I had never seen it before I was in therapy, which is where I was introduced to it. By the time I could afford to get a copy, it was out of print, and considering the prices on places like Barnes and Noble. com, people really don't want to part with their copes

I read most of the reviews of this "classic" children's book. My parents read this book to me when I was a kid in the mid-to-late 1940's. I bought an edition for our son in the 1980's. I am now trying to buy two more copies for my grand-nephews. Forget the the politics & philosophy. This is purely a treat to read and to have!

I just received a copy of the book on the weekend as a 30th birthday present from my Dad, who used to read this book to my brother and I when we were growing up. It is easily my favorite picture book from my childhood. My Dad didn't want to part with his copy of it, one of his more prized possessions, so he tracked down one for me on Amazon.

In my opinion, the book is far more than a simple children's book. It is a work of art, combining a multilayered story that comments on industrialism, identity, and the world of work, with astonishing drawings by Jorg Muller.

If folks know of other works of Jorg Muller or Jorg Steiner (the author), I'd love to hear from you at paul at hainsworth dot com.

This is such a good book. It had me from cover to cover. Exciting at every turn. Will keep you hanging from chapter to chapter.

With "Bleak House?" The novels of Tolstoy and of Dostoyevsky, certainly. Some would mention Proust. Possibly Thomas Mann. Balzac and Flaubert? I don't think so. Aside from the great Russian novels, I cannot think of any 19th century work of fiction that can compete with "Bleak House." The terminally earnest will suggest "Middlemarch,"but Dickens's great anatomy of high Victorian society is so much more attractive, more intriguing, even more intellectually nourishing than George Eliot's portrait of the mesalliance of pedantry and priggishness. When we have unravelled the plot of "Bleak House," we understand how D'Israeli's "two nations" were connected--occultly and with shame.

Another Dickens Masterpiece. This book expresses Mr. Dicken's opinion about a legal system that has become self serving and self justifying. The story is set in Old England but could just as easily apply to today's involuted Tort System especially as it applies to class action suits.
Mr. Dicken's distrust and disdain for self serving people in the legal profession comes out.
This book shows how destructive it is to place one's hopes in that which is undeserving.

Written in 1853, when Dickens was at his peak, Bleak House is often considered Dickens's best novel. Set in the 1850s, the novel tells several interconnected stories involving dozens of characters from all levels of society, giving a broad picture of life in London and in the countryside during this period. As is often the case with Dickens, his satire and humor enliven his sometimes dark subjects, without blunting his criticism of bureaucracy and the mistreatment of children. The novel is huge, not just in terms of length but in its universal themes, its characterizations, and the magnitude of its reach.

Esther Summerson, the illegitimate daughter of Lady Dedlock and Captain Hawdon, an early lover, is raised in secrecy by a resentful aunt. After the aunt's death, Esther joins the household of the kindly Mr. Jarndyce, who is also mentoring Ada Clare and Richard Carstone, Ada's cousin. Richard, Ada, and Mr. Jarndyce have been involved for years in a lawsuit, Jarndyce v. Jarndyce, about the terms of an old will, and this lawsuit, which has continued interminably in the High Court of Chancery, is the inspiration for the satire Dickens directs toward British bureaucracy and the paperwork which paralyzes it.

As the lives of Esther, Lady Dedlock, Ada, Richard, and Mr. Jarndyce unfold, the reader also learns about the lives of those who come into peripheral contact with them. Capt. Hawdon (Nemo), for example, is found dead by a sad, little street waif named Jo, whose miserable life offers little chance of improvement. An unprincipled lawyer is murdered, adding mystery to the novel. Dickens emphasizes the way characters actually behave, paying scant attention to their inner thoughts, but he individualizes them and brings them vibrantly to life through their actions (though some, such as Esther and Mr. Jarndyce, sometimes appear too saintly).

Humor permeates the novel, with some characters, particularly those involved in law, serving as caricatures. The touching romance of Esther and Allan Woodcourt, a physician, echoes throughout the novel, despite his long absences and her bout with smallpox, and contrasts with Lady Dedlock's sad remembrances of her own past. Symbols, such as the ever-present London fog, emphasize the theme of isolation.

Thoughout this doorstop-sized novel, Dickens's treatment of the characters and his ability to bring the period to life create lively reading. His empathy with the underdog and his depiction of the inequities of the society combine with mystery, romance, and Esther's coming-of-age to make this a vital novel, full of life, conveying a dramatic picture of mid-19th century British life and the lessons to be learned from it. Mary Whipple

Barnaby Rudge (Penguin Classics)
Hard Times (Bantam Classics)
The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Penguin Classics)
Nicholas Nickleby (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)
David Copperfield (Modern Library Classics)
A Christmas Carol (DK Classics)

I've read most everything from Dickens but happend to pick this up in a book store, craving some good British literature. Though this book was some what predictable, it was a page turner and suspensful. This is one of my favorite Dickens works, and will keep you entertained for hours.

Considering that several Texan cults are currently in the news (like the FLDS and that creepy guy who lays down naked with virgins,) Callous is spookily prescient and yet hauntingly timeless.

The action centers around a cult, the Country Congregationalist Bible Church. (Get the reference to Our Town?) This church isn't *predicting* the end of the world. It's *instigating* it. The church's pastor, while not a POV character, is a cross between Barack Obama and Charles Manson: witty, smart, and charismatic enough to get people to follow him to Hell.

The five main characters are varied and all at odds with each other. Diane, the DA, and Zeke are members of the cult. Zeke's daughter goes missing on the first page.

Diane's husband, Max, is the head deputy and the best investigator in Texas, and he investigates the girl's disappearance, even though he thinks she's probably just run off with some boy.

Vanessa, the Cassandra and the vamp, is the missing girl's childhood friend and now a forensic scientist. She's convinced that the girl was taken by a serial killer because she sees all the signs, but no one will listen to her.

The last major character, P.J., is the only witness, maybe. She's a Goth and a high school girl, adopted from India when she was small child.

This missing-person mystery segues artfully into an inquiry into the nature of evil and memory. I'm an MD, and the careful and accurate reaches into neuroscience are all correct and startling. This is another example of a novelist, like Proust, scooping the neuroscientists, except that Kenyon is a neuroscientist and is writing about the soul and pack of neurons that we think we rise above.

There is one lovely section that does for neuroscience and memory what Primo Levi (in The Periodic Table ) did for carbon and the period, this one, right here.

Veronica

Okay, I'm not so much into mysteries and thrillers. But this book is a "genre-bender" in the best sense. It offers so much, in both depth and edge-of-seat storytelling. If you like to be simultaneously entertained and challenged, this book is for you. I enjoyed the HECK out of it.

This book is the ever-lovin' bomb! I checked it out and it's a checkered flag with a check-mark and an exclamation point! Just when you think you know what's going on, WHAM! That crazy-mass author hits you with annuther big bomb of plot twist that knocks you off your feet BADA-BING! The ending isn't just da bomb, it's an explosion!

T K Kenyon is launching a literary career from small town Texas. Like the best mystery writers, she has created a unique geographic niche with characters that are every day believable. CALLOUS is hardly a stereotypical mystery where the only plot motivation is to figure out whodunnit. The characters and plot are complex. There is more in the lives of the husband and wife detectives than solving mysteries. You care about them as people as they sort out the differences in their lives. CALLOUS is for those who enjoy mnystery, for those who care about characters, and for those who just enjoy a good can-t-put-it-down read. Highly recommended.

What is it about small towns? Are they magnets for outrageous murderers or what? Or, maybe it's just TK Kenyon's over-active but well-expressed imagination that makes you want to look inside the brain of every slow-talkin' hayseed you meet to see if there's mayhem lurking around somewhere in there.

Like Kenyon's first novel, Rabid, this one draws convoluted lines of battle between science and religion. There is also a big dose of small-town intrigue and some really smart law enforcement folks, although you don't always notice that right away. Kenyon has a way of painting vivid characters with a broad brush, although she also keeps a few character traits in reserve to keep things interesting.

The book starts conventionally enough, with the disappearance of Ester, the adult daughter of a rancher in Texas. Chief Deputy Max, an old-fashioned cop if there ever was one, is on the case with his wife, County DA Diane, who is a secret Bible reader. You can't have a murder mystery these days without forensics, either, so Ester's childhood friend Vanessa carries on that theme.

The tension and suspense build throughout the book, which makes it a tempting one-sitting read. If you get hooked on it, though, take time to enjoy Kenyon's characters, who offer a lot of detail to study. There's an unconventional ending, too, but I better not say anymore about that.

Glory Harper, adventurous, skate-boarding, tramboline jumping, grandma is confined to a wheelchair because of a broken leg. While spying on the new neighbors, Glory spots a foot hanging from the end of rolled up carpet. When she alerts her family and the police, they don't believe her. Instead, they try convincing her the foot belongs to a mannequin. Glory decides to investigate on her own, bum leg or not! When handsome detective Rick Spencer enters the picture, Glory finds herself torn between a possible romance, or solving a murder.

In a humorous "Rear View" fashion, A.K. Arenz has crafted a wonderfully entertaining mystery complete with a quirky heroine, unforgettable characters, and a healthy dose of romance. I can't wait to read the next mystery involving The Bouncing Grandma

Wanna have some fun? What could be more enticing than helping a skateboarding grandma, currently wheelchair bound (guess why), solve the mystery of a foot dangling from a rolled carpet? Twitch the window curtain with Glory Harper and sneak a peek at the new neighbors moving in across the street from her. Do you see what she sees? Do you hear the raucous words, the harsh, screaming voices?

You will laugh at Glory's witty words and stubborn behavior, the kind that constantly either gets her into trouble or gets her chastised by her prim and proper sister and her recalcitrant daughter. Fortunately, young grandson Seth truly appreciates his grandma's antics. As Glory befriends the lovely young adult twin girls who appear to be semi-captive by the strange newcomers, she begins to unravel a secret that is decades old.

Besides Arenz's clever use of dialogue, she blatantly names one of the protagonists Rex Stout. One wonders what Nero Wolfe would think of that, or is old Rex squirming in his grave? Join Glory, the bouncing grandma, a.k.a. Bouncy, for a fun ride; unravel a mystery that only she believes in; rescue two beautiful ladies; and find yet another body part! A big plus is a possible budding romance for Glory with the police detective who may, or may not, believe her dangling foot story.

A delightful story, a soft mystery (well, not too soft considering the body parts) with just enough faith to convince you that God really is in control. Thoroughly enjoyable!

What do you get when you combine I Love Lucy's Lucy Ricardo and Murder She Wrote's Jessica Fletcher? The answer to that would be Glory Harper, the middle-aged amature detective, who is the heroine of A.K Arenz's first book in The Bouncing Grandma series. Glory Harper is a funny, likable character and has an interesting mystery. Filled with mysterious noises next door, suspious sightings and suspect neighbors, the first installment of this series leaves the reader waiting anxiously for the next book in this interesting combintation of comedy and mystery. This fist book includes a hunky Harrison Ford look-a-like detective that one hopes will make a repeat appearence in the sequel. If you enjoy a light hearted fun mystery make sure to check out this one!

Glory Harper is not your typical fifty-something grandmother. Rather, she is known as the "bouncing" grandma because - well- I don't want to give away all the secrets!. Now, Glory is confined to a wheelchair with a broken leg and bored out of her mind after trying her hand at skateboarding.

No one really believes Glory's theory that there's a dead body next door, based on her observation of a foot dangling from a rolled up carpet belonging to the new neighbors as they move in. Despite skepticism from her sister, Jane, her daughter, Andi, and even the handsome blue-eyed detective who investigates her claim, Glory is determined to prove her case.

Suspense deepens as the new residents of small town Tarryton appear to be tied to a crime far more elaborate than harboring a dead body. Glory obtains her evidence simply by extending Christian friendship to the new neighbors along with a little internet surfing.

Glory and her sister Jane share a deep bond as sisters and best friends. The relationship between daughter Andi and grandson Seth is presented with humor intertwined skillfully with drama and real-life emotion. The promise of a potential budding romance for Glory adds depth to her character. Throw the town scoundrel and a past national scandal into the mix and you have a book that keeps you turning the pages until the end.

A. K. Arenz has done a fine job of delivering a great story in this debut novel. I look forward to more work from this talented author.

THE CASE OF THE BOUNCING GRANDMA
By A. K. Arenz
Reviewed by Marion Kelley Bullock

Glory Harper, stuck in a wheelchair with a broken leg, after a skateboarding accident, is bored-- itching for excitement. So when she claims she sees a foot dangling from the back of a carpet, as it's being carried into her new neighbor's house next door, who's to believe her?

Her sister and her daughter think she imagined it. But what about handsome Detective Rick Spencer? Is he taking her suspicions seriously, or is it simply her he's interested in?

You'll enjoy Glory's antics in The Case of the Bouncing Grandma.

I was only recently introduced to Harry Crews, but this memoir should be required prior to reading any of his compelling fiction. One does not need to know about Mr. Crews to enjoy his fiction, but to read this book first is to build an affinity for the author. His memories of southern Georgia during the great depression and war years are the most accurate in tone of any non-fiction that has come out of the South. He has been linked to Flannery O'Connor, but to me he seems to be a more existential William Faulkner.

Although this book is not a typical work by the literate master of the hard South, it is a testament to his talent. This book made me see and feel the life of a 6 year old dirt farmer in Bacon Co, Georgia, and also give some insight into the basis of characters in Crews' fictional works. This is one of the best quasi-memoirs ever written, and even has a slight belief in human goodness not seen in his other work. Mr. Crews' more typical works (such as Feast of Snakes or All We Need of Hell) are very good novels in their own right, yet Childhood stands apart and above all of his other books combined. If you read nothing else by Harry Crews (which is not a good idea--you should read many of his books), this is the one to choose.

I would suggest this book to anyone who has ever read anything published by Harry Crews; specifically to those who haven't read anything by him, but who are interested in this magnificent author. After reading it, I found myself wondering how Crews was able to escape childhood, much less become of the the greatest Southern authors since Faulkner. Truly a fantastic book that will stand the test of time and inevitably cast Crews as one of the greatest authors of the 20th century!

Several associations, as I was born in Bacon County in the unincorporated community of ScuffleTown.I have never written A review of a book before. I really enjoyed the book because of all the associations of the area of my birth. My qeestion in my review would be. "How does one get from Bacon County to becoming A Professor at the UF?"

I was assigned this book in a tutorial class on the "mind of the south" by a professor during my senior year of college. I was immediately drawn to the author's experiences with tenant farming; being the son of a mother whose own father was a farmer that oversaw several tenents to his own farming operation prior to, and shortly after WWII. Crew's accurate depection of tenant farmer life was valididated, to this reader at least, by his portrayal of an agricultural system that was difficult to not only rural agricultural African Americans, but their white supervisors. Crews has done a wonderful job of incorporating the distinctly southern phrases and dialogue of the rural, agrarian south. I though my own mother was the only person who pronounced "hurricane" as "harrakin". Charachters such as Willalee Bookatee and his family were strikingly similar to those poor blacks, and whites, described in my mother's stories of working in the tobacco fields of rural NC. This book will shed some much needed light on the fact that the hard-core, rural south is not so far removed from the remodeled "New South".

Chen has done a great job in compiling this book. Nearly a must have for the eastern adn western information contained therein. Only thing i wish it had was an actual stand along index for pinyin names as opposed to the names being contained within the entire index.. Great book either way.

Before I bought this text I had checked with my friends who owned this and other herbology textbooks. I eventually decided to buy this textbook.
After really have my own, I spent a lot of time to review everything thoroughly and I was so delighted that my decision was right.

The reason...first of all this book has colorful picture of herbs (not the fresh plant but the dried one that is the actual thing you practice). Secondly, it has Chinese name written in both old (full) and new (simplified) Chinese. Well, if you don't know Chinese, this may mean nothing to you, but it is somehow helpful if we need Chinese name for searching or reference. Thirdly, it is written by a Pharmacist (the author John Chen) who blends his conventional pharmacy knowledge together with Chinese Traditional Medicine knowledge. The author also mentions about any scientific research related to any particular herbs so that the therapeutic effect of such herbs will be more reliable. I like the part that with this book we can learn more about Chinese herbs (medicine) in a systemic conventional way.

There are more positive aspects about this textbook. I wish I could write more but with the limited time now I would say that you should have this book.

This book deals with individual herbs. It has a TON of information about each herb including Chinese energetic actions, Western medical actions, dosage, preparation, and usage, indications, contraindications, chemical structure, drug interactions, identification, cited research and authors commentary on usage and possible combinations.
There's not much talk about formulas but as a reference this book is tremendous.
A+

This text has full, easy to read information on the medicinal uses, interactions and properties of a vast range of herbs. My understanding of oriental herbal medicine is limited to say the least, but this book has piqued my interest as well as being an in depth source of ready information that is usable in my business today. The book is that readable, that it has yet to get to the office as I cant seem to put it down at home.

Excellent book. It's not small, actually its HUGE!

Instead of repeating what most of the reviewers wrote, here is another great reason to buy this book.

I use it frequently when working WITH the patients Primary Care Physician (aka MD).

It's very easy to understand why we "usually" get the "eyebrow" look... (think of the wrestler.. the ROCK). Instead of "attempting" to explain TCM concepts, its far easier to "translate" the explanation of how the herb works, in WESTERN TERMS.

Not only do you have chemical compositions, but you also have case studies and treatments in WESTERN Diagnosis.

I also love the "reference" SECTIONS at the end of the book which divide the herbs into western diagnosis, key signs/symptoms and even gives full detail on contraindications with other herbs/supplements.

After reading this book, you really should get an automatic PhD. Blows away the book we used at school.

P.S. Go to Kinkos and make COLOR COPIES of the picture of the herbs and use them with your other books (paste them!). Far easier going to China town showing pictures and characters instead of ATTEMPTING to speak chinese.

I had read several of Alistair Maclean's novels, and had an 8 year break when I got a hold of this. This novel is a prime exhibit of why I enjoy him so much. A mystery, revealing tid-bits here and there, leaving you guessing who the good guys are and who are the bad guys.

If you want to be on the edge of your seat for a while, this book will do it.

To recommand for all readers to buy, read, and re-read for n number of times. fantastic book

There are lots of surprising twists in this story including a final surprise in the last sentence. MacLean did a very good job when he wrote this book.

I'm not a fan of the circus and I hate clowns. Being a MacLean fan, but with my current mentality, I figured he had finally run out of ideas (at this point in his life). But the cover of the 1975 Fawcett Crest edition (see "customer images" for the paperback edition) was intriguing: a man falling off a high-wire, the bicycle tumbling after him. Is someone killing off circus people? I had to read.

It turns out that the circus plays as a backdrop for a secret CIA mission. Believe it or not, but the agenda in this tale is about an incredible circus performer recruited by the CIA to break into a prison (that the circus "moves" next to) to steal -- as the back of the book explains -- "a formula capable of annihilating the earth itself." Sure enough, MacLean was like the Crichton of the 70s and managed to weave an entertaining yarn around the idea of anti-matter (certainly not new in 1975).

MacLean refrains from delving too deeply into describing anti-matter or how this formula will end up being used. His somewhat amusing approach to it takes place as a discussion between semi-ignorant CIA agents and Bruno, the acquired circus performer, all of whom are frightened by the power of anti-particles.

As the title may suggest, the book is a slight deviant from other MacLean adventure tales, but I rank it up there among his best works. The book is full of extremely original death scenes that, despite being accustomed to MacLean's formulas, took me completely by surprise. There are more twists in the last chapter than there are in some of his better books, and MacLean pulls it off realistically, and without creating a convoluted mess.

Keep an eye out for Carter. While no first name is ever given, he is the doppelganger cameo of Chief Officer John Carter of MacLean's "The Golden Rendezvous." (MacLean has done this with other characters throughout his novels.)

Another great MacLean classic. In this book the hero is an American athlete, an immigrant from eastern Europe. He is recruited by the CIA and is to undertake and unimaginable mission. He, of course, succeeds, but not without the extreme difficulties that macLean's heroes always face. The story twists are awesome and the ending is both expected and surprising. A great read.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this book. As someone new to collaborative learning, this book was a great complement to my class on collaborative learning and provided a ton of ideas for my class project.

The book was sent in excellent condition in the time frame promised. I would higly recommend this seller to anyone.

This college handbook for group learning techniques is practical and common sensical. It covers basic information on the formation of groups, ideas for various classroom situations and settings, and methods of evaluations. Instructors should use various forms of evaluation in the classroom, and this text gives the instructor concrete methods to carry out the collaborative learning method. It is a wonderful tool for any college instructor and answers some of the questions concerning this form of evaluation.

Collaborative Learning Techniques is an excellent resource that highlights practical strategies that can be realistically implemented. The implementation of group work can be very challenging, but the authors have provided (throughout their book) very clear examples. Such illustrations contain great
in-depth details so that other faculty can easily understand how to implement these different techniques. These strategies also seek to improve numerous types of outcomes including writing, problem solving, and class participation in discussions. Overall, this is a very rich resource providing a comprehensive overview of important collaborative learning techniques.

Collaborative Learning Techniques is both a "how to" and a "why to" guide to collaborative learning. By providing simple, easy-to-follow examples of 30 collaborative learning techniques, it provides a starting point for faculty who wish to experiment with collaborative learning in their classrooms. Each technique is described in detail followed by several examples from a variety of disciplines. I particularly appreciated the observations and advice section and the tips for adapting to on-line environments. More importantly, however, this text goes beyond describing a few teaching tricks. By exploring the theory and research on collaborative learning it also facilitates "deeper learning" about why we do what we do in collaborative learning classrooms. Even faculty who have been using collaborative learning techniques for years will gain new insights from the authors' discussion of the nuances of a truly collaborative classroom.