Miller Books

I'd recommend Digital Storytelling to anyone interested in a new medium for their message--it's both accessible and practical.

With an MBA in marketing, I was most interested in the use of digital storytelling for promotion, advertising, and branding. I am a board member of an opera company; like many arts organizations, we are trying to entice a younger audience.

For the opera company, putting our young singers online is a very accessible way to lure a younger audience already familiar with Facebook. I would like to set up a MMOG (Massively Multiplayer Online Game), a type of game I learned about in the book. In MMOGs, people take on the appearance and persona of make-believe characters and interact with each other. In one for the opera company they could portray the drama and events of opera. Who wouldn't want to be the Duke of Mantua or Don Giovanni! An ARG (Alternative Reality Game) would be terrific, too. As explained in the Digital Storytelling, ARGs tie together several forms of media to tell a story, and intimately involve players in the narrative, where they help solve a mystery or prevent a crime.

Digital Storytelling also speaks to the challenges of a Rice University chamber music presenting organization of which I am a member. While the performances attract students, this audience will not have longevity that young subscribers will. Ergo we must reach these potential members through media with which they are familiar, like the Internet.

I loved the section of the book about the kiosk as an avatar. While it is terrific for hospitalized kids, it would also be a great way to communicate with shut-in geriatrics. The kiosks could incorporate pets, family, connected adults, games, physical exercises, etc. The possibilities are without limits.

I feel that Digital Storytelling provides a detailed, articulate guide for those interested in using a new methodology to convey their message; it is a fine tool.


Barbara Kauffman, M.A., M.B.A.

I read the first edition of Digital Storytelling cover-to-cover and continue to use it as a reference book. When I picked up the second edition of this valuable resource, I knew I was in both heaven and in trouble. Here would be brand new jewels of information I could use in all my storytelling (that's the heaven part) and I would be compelled by my own curiousity and desire to stay abreast of the developing multi-media industry to read this new edition cover-to-cover (the trouble part is that once I picked it up I'd be ignoring other projects in order to absorb all the great insight and information Carolyn offers).

Sure enough.

Digital Storytelling has far surpassed the typical pattern of a second edition, which offers 20% new material. Miller's second edition offers 80% new material! If you want to keep up, or even have a glimmer of what's up on the frontiers of storytelling, you've got to read Digital Storytelling.

For those who pooh-pooh new media as shallow and unintelligent, read what Miller has to say about the history and provenance of the art form - including James Joyce.

For those who're only interested in the action and the creation of same, entire sections of the book are devoted to how-to's, with "Idea-Generating Exercises" in each.

For those whose interest lies in the business aspects of new technologies, Carolyn explores that as well.

To practice what she preaches about interconnectivity and multiple media sources, the book also offers additional materials and links on a couple of different websites.

All-in-all, Digital Storytelling is a comprehensive analysis of and approach to the creative and commercial aspects of new media that reflects the rich storytelling tendencies that make us human - and that makes stories so compelling.

Buy it, read it, and refer to it whenever you're working on anything digital.

Carolyn Miller is extremely bright and highly accomplished in her field; what she had to say about digital storytelling is worth listening to. The editorial reviews accurately reflect the great usefulness of this singular resource. I think you'll agree that it's "worth the price of admission."

I'm 21 now and I've been an avid reader since age four . . . I vividly remember gazing for hours at this book as a small toddler. I think it hatched my interest in books, despite an intense fear of parrots (haha).

This book was the first to teach me to associate colors with words. It is so wonderful, I buy it for each of my friends' children when they turn 2.

To my surprise this book has been my sons favorite since he was 10 months old! The illustrations are quite appealing. Although he does not understand the concept mixing colors, this book has helped him learn colors and he will identify concepts in the real world that he learns from the book. Pretty good for a one year old. This book is a big hit.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

For some reason, when I was younger, I found this book sitting on my bedroom shelf, untouched. Over the years, i've read this book many, many times and every time I read it - it amazes me. This book is simple and sweet...like a cozy home in the snow. It provides all the essentials needed for a realistic book. Lou Emma has a wonderful family, although frequently feeling less accomplished than her smart, outgoing younger sister. She also deals with her boyfriend, and of the uncertainty of their relationship. She also deals with teachers, parades, woman rights, and so much more! :) I would recommend this book to any person in this entire world - thats how great I think it is. But don't misunderstand me, it's not a long classic like THE TALE OF TWO CITIES or somehting..it's a simple short to the point book that everyone will enjoy.. I hope you enjoy it!

I don't remember how or when I discovered the three books on the Miller Girls but they quickly became favorites among the many, many children's books I've read over the years. Ms Constant has a deft touch with portraying thought patterns of adolescents and it shows well with with Willie and the Wildcat Well and Miss Charity Comes to Stay. The illustrations in the Miller Girls books by Beth and Joe Krush enhance the whole aura of the era and I have learned to look for their names on books. This is a highly underrated author.

I really related to this book when I was young. Lou Emma deals with sibling rivalry, first crush, and learning to be your own Woman...all in the early 1900's, but it correlated to my life in the 1980's so well. I love this whole series of three!

With all the fiction masquerading as fact in the world of Dracula studies and the unsubstantiated rumors about what Bram Stoker knew and didn't know, Miller's book should be required reading for any "serious Dracula scholar." There is much unreliable information about the novel "Dracula" and its author and Miller's book is about questioning the assumptions of many of the most relied-upon "Dracula" works. Miller argues that there is an "anything goes" attitude toward "Dracula," as though the novel is not worth serious consideration. She contradicts this argument and manages (with much humor) to weed through many popular misconceptions and trace them to their sources, refuting them most convincingly. From the idea that Dracula cannot walk around in daylight to the notion that Stoker's novel was inspired by a nightmare to the belief that Stoker based many elements in his novel on actual people and places to the linking of Count Dracula and Vlad Dracula, Miller explores a wide variety of mistakes, rumors and misleading statements. Miller points out that a statement of fact regarding the novel, or its author, requires proof to support it. Her's is the scientific approach to Dracula studies: if it isn't in Stoker's Notes, you have to prove it some other way. If you cannot do this, you should not state an argument as a fact. Bravo! Through more than two hundred pages, Miller takes us on a journey of discovery and we find that anyone researching information about Dracula must be aware that the source they rely on may be riddled with inaccuracies. With a copy of Miller's book at your side, however, you can approach these sources with a critical eye and avoid perpetuating the nonsense. This is a wonderful book, extremely well researched and a great resource for anyone interested in "Dracula."

For fans and scholars of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" who don't know what to make of the abundance of contradictory and possibly fanciful information about Stoker and his novel that is floating around, Elizabeth Miller offers a solution. "Dracula: Sense and Nonsense" attempts to address, piece by piece, the pervasive unreliable information about "Dracula" that has been passing as fact for the past few decades.

Miller doesn't challenge interpretations of the novel in this book, only outright errors and unsubstantiated propositions. Each piece of "information" that Miller has identified as a misconception is quoted, then followed by an explanation of the error and the facts of the matter, when they are verifiable. Much of the misinformation about "Dracula"'s origins can be cleared up by referring to Stoker's Working Notes for the novel, housed in the Rosenbach Museum & Library's collection in Philadelphia. Miller makes extensive use of the Notes and has also done impressive detective work tracking down sources of misconceptions. "Sense and Nonsense" addresses misinformation and unsupported supposition from a variety of scholarly and popular books on "Dracula", as well as the occasional documentary film.

"Dracula: Sense and Nonsense" is organized into 6 chapters, each of which addresses a different topic of misinformation: "The Sources for Dracula", "Stoker and the Writing of Dracula", "The Novel", "The Geography of Dracula", and "Vlad the Impaler". Miller feels a particular need to dispel the popular idea that Stoker's Count Dracula character was based on the 15th century Wallachian Prince Vlad "Dracula" Tepes. The last chapter is a "Source Alert", in which Miller critiques a number of works of "Dracula" scholarship -annotated editions, bibliographies, biographies, and miscellaneous studies- in terms of their accuracy and value to researchers.

"Dracula: Sense and Nonsense" is readable, interesting, and probably essential to obsessed "Dracula" fans. It's great to get the facts and to know their sources, which Miller documents meticulously. You may agree or disagree with some of the suppositions that have been made about the novel, but at least now you will know where they came from. Considering the ever-increasing popularity of all things Dracula in the popular press and academia, and all of the hype that comes with it, this book is indispensable.

Elizabeth Miller's latest book is a welcome relief for people like myself who are continually annoyed by the unsubstantiated theories and just plain incorrect facts that have (and continue to be) passed off and have become generally accepted as "facts" over the years. In Dracula: Sense And Nonsense, Miller (to use her own words) "...challenges dozens of errors and misconceptions about Bram Stoker and his famous novel..."

The book is divided into five main chapters which cover: the sources for the novel, Stoker's writing of his classic, the novel itself, the geography covered in the book and Vlad the Impaler. A sixth chapter covers the strengths and weaknesses of other (non-fiction) books that deal with the novel Dracula in some form (bios of Stoker, studies of the novel, etc.) Each chapter is also extensively annotated.

In each of the first five chapters, Miller quotes an error or misconception surrounding the chapter subject, gives the source for the quote and then presents her evidence as to why the quote is "poppycock" (one of my favorite expressions used in the book).

Ms. Miller sprinkles some welcome humor into the book with her initial reaction(s) against given quotes. Also, you can tell that every explanation was carefully and thoroughly researched. One comes away with an immense respect for the time, effort and thought that she put into presenting her case. Her writing is succinct and scholarly, although never written above the heads of her readers.

To truly appreciate the importance of this book, a little explanation is in order. Bram Stoker kept an incredibly comprehensive record concerning the origins and sources for the writing of Dracula, many times known as his "working notes and papers". These notes were discovered in the Seventies. Thus, to establish any true facts concerning the novel, one need only look at the novel itself and Stoker's notes. Any information or "facts" that do/did not make use of these notes (since their discovery), can truly only be considered theories or assumptions.

In debunking the myths and errors related in her book, Miller uses Stoker's notes as her evidence. If the proof for one of the quoted "facts" cannot be found within said notes, Miller (correctly) identifies it hearsay, improbable, misinformed, or just plain incorrect.

Of the many inaccuracies Miller corrects, perhaps no other will cause more controversy than her severing the ties between the fictional Count and the real-life Vlad Tepes. According to the author, Stoker merely borrowed the name Dracula and any statement of fact that Stoker based his vampire Count (or even had much knowledge) on the bloodthirsty Vlad is irresponsible. Many more deep-seated, but less shocking assumptions and beliefs will likely be shattered by this book.

This won't be an easy book for many devoted fans of the novel. Old established beliefs can be hard to shake and many may simply dig in their feet and refuse to accept Miller's rebuttals. But serious fans of the novel owe it to themselves to give this book a reading. Miller only presents the best possible evidence: what Stoker himself wrote concerning the origins of his book. If it isn't in the notes, where's the proof?

My 6 and 3 year olds both love this book and ask me to read it over and over and over again. We have several books from this series and love them all, but this is the one that they get out the most and ask me to read to them. Its not really tailored for a 3 year old, but mine is absolutely fascinated with it!
Its got some funny/cute pictures. For example, my kids think its hilarious that in his bathroom medicine cabinet, he has 'Fangpaste'

I bought this book for my second grade nephew and I think that it is very educational and informative. It states interesting facts about blood, and how important it is to the body. I think that the illustrations are colorful and cute. I love these Read and Find Out Science books for second and third graders. Appropriate for them at a level where they could understand about science. Contains lots of vital information.

As a college physiology professor and parent of two young children, I am very impressed with this book. It makes advanced physiological concepts readily accessible even to very young children. It covers some of the same concepts that I teach my college freshmen- platelet plugs, fibrin clot formation and retraction, the role of red blood cells in carrying oxygen, the role of white blood cells in fighting infection. I suspect that even some adults might learn something useful and interesting from this book. It never would have occurred to me to teach these difficult concepts to early elementary age children, but this book does a terrific job with it.
A natural intro to this topic is anytime a child falls and gets even a minor cut. I first read this book to my 5-year-old when he fell and injured his mouth and knee. It was so empowering for him to understand what was actually going on- why his cuts eventually stopped bleeding, how they turned into scabs, etc.
Highly recommended!

Ordering a Dell for my kids this past Christmas was the easy part. The hard part has been figuring out how to make it a peaceful part of our daily lives. (Why can't they share? Where are they surfing to? What does POS mean? And oh yeah, who might be stalking my kids online?!) This book provides some answers...



The "just a regular mom" author knows precisely what matters most to other parents when it comes to technology. Yes, the Internet is full of wicked information (i.e., "the average age of exposure to online pornography is 11 years old"). But rather than an issuing an all-system shut down, she recommends ways to stay safe by using kid-friendly browsers and filters. Her down-to-earth tone not only takes the mystery out of techno-speak, but it also encourages having fun with all of the new toys available.



In fact, my favorite parts of the book are when she lets her ample creativity shine. For example, who knew that blog isn't a four letter word when it comes to kids? She says that blogs allow kids to connect with others, practice commitment to keep the blog updated and build confidence in their writing skills. (Of course, she lists the possible dangers of blogs, too, such as not sharing too much personal info.) She encourages parents to go beyond just learning about the technology, and to find ways to incorporate it into a family's routine. After reading the book, you'll no longer vilify video games, but be ready to grab a joystick and play alongside junior!



Even though my kids are too young (by a nano-second) for text messaging and cell phones, this book has prepped me on what to expect when that time arrives. The extensive resources section lists web sites ahoy, including a "fun for kids" age-by-age guide that will stay perched by their computer as a reference.



I thought that teaching my kids manners and math would suffice, but I now realize that my responsibility extends to places that before never even existed. Responsible parents, take note! This is a wonderful, fun and important resource.

At first glance, even the most involved parent might think, "I'll never be able to keep up with my tech-savvy kids, so why even bother trying?" But author Sharon Miller Cindrich takes an otherwise monumental task and breaks it down into the manageable necessities for keeping parents and kids connected in our newly wired world.

Not only does she cover the basics--internet, television, cell phone--she even ventures into the fascinating-if-you-don't-already-know-about-it territory of global positioning technology, podcasting, and text messaging. Best of all, Cindrich is funny, often cracking jokes and making puns and anaogies that keep the prose lively and entertaining. E-Parenting such a pleasurable read, I bet you'll forget it's a how-to book!

Seems like bringing the whole family into the 21st century with the greatest of ease is what Cindrich had in mind all along in this quick read, which obviously required mountains of research on her part. Don't be surprised if you get halfway through this book and want to start taking advantage of the technological advances for yourself as well as for your kids!

A handy resource guide for parents, this book is written in simple non-techie language interjected with a bit of humor to teach parents about internet safety, cell phones, video and computer games, instant messaging, chat rooms, digital cameras, GPS devices and more. Tech-Tips are featured throughout the book to summarize important information. Each section of the book highlights a type of technology and provides tips on how to use the technology with your children as well as great ideas for using it to get your kids involved in family projects and activities such as creating digital memory books, family blogs, geocaching, and more. The index is full of online resources for homework help, safe websites for kids grouped by age, and more.

Bought this book for a college course. They obviously know that's what it's used for, else it wouldn't be so expensive! Quite a crime how much extra they charge for books just because they're required for courses - but hey this is a book on economics so you learn all about how supply and demand work!

This book was exactly what I was looking for, just cheaper then my school was selling it for :)

The product came very fast, was packaged very well, and included all the very important features (Interactive Web Access), which were necessary for the class I needed it for. A very good product!

Great volume, combining the most desirable aspects of a non-fiction account of Life Magazine's "Man of the Millenium," with the precise information normally found only in a credible academic research volume. This book brings an important segment of history alive, in an interesting, unique and intriguing way. Excellent book!

Any student of Edison ought to read this well-researched and carefully detailed description of his days in Fort Myers. This book, drawn from exacting investigation by a lawyer who grew up near Edison's home, is full of minute details that bring Edison alive in a new way. It shows his leisure time activities, and is particularly interesting in describing his inter-action with the 'locals' in this then-remote location. It's a perfect book to read if you plan to visit the Edison-Fort Winter Estates in Fort Myers.

I have always enjoyed the rich history of the great state of Florida. Mr. Smoot captures a wealth of this rich history in his book about Thomas Edison and his time spent in, and getting to, Fort Myers, FL. In carefully crafted detail he gives a sense of what Florida was like at the turn of the century and of the colorful characters who lived here. He also provides a wealth of detail regarding Thomas Edison and his second wife Mina. This book is packed with interesting excerpts from the Edisons' personal letters, diary entries and archives from the Edison Estate. If you enjoy Florida history and want to learn about the private life of one the great figures of American invention you will love this book.

[Review by Larry Blumenfeld, Blumenfeld & Aswsociates, Post Office Box 2831, 660 Circulo Nomada, Tubac, AZ 85646-2831, (520) 398-3371, published in COUNCIL FIRES, The Publication for Western Americana Enthusiasts, Vol. 8, Issue #1, January, 1998, p. 16-17.] E1 Llano Estacado: Exploration and Imagination on the High Plains of Texas and New Mexico, 1536-1860. Written by John Miller Morris. Austin: Texas State Historical Association, First Edition ($39.95). El Llano Estacado is an extremely well written new work of Southwestern History, brilliantly revealing the historical core and heart of one of America's most history-packed regions--the mesaland of the Southern High Plains in Texas and New Mexico. From the Canadian River in the north to the Edwards Plateau in the south, from the Pecos River in the west to the awesome canyonlands of the Red, Pease, Brazos, and Colorado Rivers in the east, these 50,000-square miles of what is commonly referred to as "the Llano" are here chronicled over a period of 300 years, revealing the history, cultural grandeur, and mythic wonders of this special ruggedly beautiful land. A knockout read for both historians and buffs alike, Morris's new book is his song to this unique environment, revealing, melding, and analyzing a diversified series of Spanish, French, Mexican, and Anglo-American explorers and adventurers and how they made their mark on this remarkable land. The book opens with an examination of what is known as the Lost Coronado Trail, pursuing the question of where did the Coronado Expedition go in 1541. What follows is nothing short of a breakthrough analysis of what they saw and how they remembered it as revealed through their personal accounts and journals. The second part of the book, which deals with the Llano Frontier, continues its unique approach to the study of the three centuries of Spanish exploration and imagination following Coronado. Here we revisit this extraordinary land through the eyes and imaginations of the conqueror, Juan de Onate, the accounts of the French explorers, Pierre Mallet and Paul Mallet, and the travel diaries of trailblazers Pedro Vial, Jose Mares, and Francisco Amangual. Part Three then explores and analyzes "the invention or discovery of the Llano through the Anglo imagination," including the "prose of the poet Albert Pike, the grand deceits of Alexander Le Grand, the reasoning of Josiah Gregg, and the legendary collapse of the Texan-Santa Fe Expedition" as chronicled by George Wilkins Kendall and Thomas Falconer. Together the author analyzes what he calls the "American rhetoric of romantic discovery." The Great Zahara, the last of four parts, deliciously delves into the "perceptual approaches of classic U. S. Explorers James W. Abert, Randolph B. Marcy, A. W. Whipple, Andrew Gray, and John Pope...." Powerful, unusual, stimulating, and nothing short of brilliant, El Llano Estacado is one of the finest works of cultural and mythic history of a region I have ever read. Morris has penned a great work of both history and imagination, pushing the boundaries on historical scholarship to limits that I would have never thought possible. This book should change the way history is not only written but perceived. You must read this mmagnificent book!!

Using historical writings of early explorers, the author captures the mystery and magic of the great Llano Estacado or "Staked Plains" that begin in West Texas and extend north and west. Particularly amusing is the efforts of early railroad surveyors to find underground water at the edge of the Llano (aka the caprock) only to miss one of North America's largest aquifers (the Ogalla) by a matter of miles and in some cases yards.

We were going on a trip to see the Llano Estacado and the canyon in west Texas.This book gave the trip so much dimension and understanding at how hard the life was for the explorers and the pioneers in this harsh land.Very cleverly written,holds one attention. Wonderful

If you are new to Dickinson studies, or if you simply want to read the most current thinking about the poems, The Emily Dickinson Handbook is a must. It contains essays on subjects ranging from the historical context of the poems to the poet's metapoetic sensibility. This text is also a wonderful introduction to the writings of the finest Dickinson scholars extant. Richard Sewall, Paul Crumbley, Christanne Miller, Sharon Cameron, Martha Nell Smith, and many other great thinkers offer the reader a glimpse into the realm of magic and poetry. If you love Emily Dickinson, do yourself a favor -- read this book.

If you are a person like me who always has been bewitched by the poetry and legend of Emily Dickinson, but who has been busy living a life for the past 30 or 40 years and has not kept up with Dickinson criticism and scholarship, this book is for you.

The edition I bought was first published in 1998 and was slightly updated in 2005. It contains 22 new essays (including an introduction by the great Dickinson biographer Richard Sewall). The essays are the work of many of the most-published Dickinson-scholarship authors of the last few decades. All the 20- to 30-page essays are scholarly, but all but one avoid the dense impenetrability that too many other literary scholars seem to find necessary in order to get tenure. That makes this book well worth your time.

Essays range widely, including an overview of biographical studies, the poet's historical context, her manuscripts, and her letters. In addition, about half the book deals with Dickinson's poetics and her reception and influence.

The essays don't waste a lot of time chin-rubbing about Emily's possible lesbian love, or just who the "master" is. Instead, they discuss just what you want to know, including what I consider the best-ever reading of "My Life had stood - a / Loaded Gun" in an essay by Margaret H. Freeman. (Is there a Dickinson scholar who hasn't tackled that enigma?)

"The Emily Dickinson Handbook" also contains an impressive bibliography for those moved to dive into the poetry and her strange and wonderful genius. It is now (December, 2007) 121-plus years after her death. Criticism of her work has matured, especially in the last few decades, but it remains fascinating and delightfully unfinished. This is a great way to catch up.

THE EMILY DICKINSON HANDBOOK : Edited by Gudrun Grabher, Roland Hagenbuchle, and Cristanne Miller. 480 pp. Amherst : University of Massachusetts Press, 1998. ISBN 1-55849-169-4 (hbk.)

For anyone who is seriously interested in Emily Dickinson, this is a marvelous book that provides up-to-date information about her life and works, her letters and manuscripts, the cultural climate of her age, her reception and influence, and what is going on in current Dickinson scholarship.

The book's 22 essays have been distributed in eight sections : Introduction; Biography; Historical Context; The Manuscripts; The Letters; Dickinson's Poetics; Reception and Influence; New Directions in Dickinson Scholarship.

Although I've read many critical collections, several of which were devoted exclusively to Dickinson, I can't remember ever having been so impressed. Usually an anthology will hold one or two outstanding contributions, with the rest being humdrum and of little real interest, but here pretty well all of them are outstanding, and I found only one that struck me as being both pretentious and obscure.

I was especially impressed by Robert Weisbuch's brilliant 'Prisming Dickinson, or Gathering Paradise by Letting Go,' by Josef Raab's 'The Metapoetic Element in Dickinson,' by Martha Nell Smith's 'Dickinson's Manuscripts,' by Paul Crumbley's 'Dickinson's Dialogic Voice,' by Roland Hagenbuchle's 'Dickinson and Literary Theory,' and in fact by many others. So much so that this seems to me the single most valuable book on Dickinson that I've ever seen, and the one from which I've learned most and continue to learn. It really is that good.

The book is bound in a full strong cloth, stitched, beautifully printed on excellent strong smooth ivory-tinted paper, has clearly been designed to withstand the heavy use it will be getting, and is excellent value for money. No serious student of Emily Dickinson should be without it. Weisbuch's essay, serving as it does to provide one with a whole new way of understanding ED, is pretty well worth the price of the book itself.

So don't pass this one up! It's a gem!