Roberts Books

After reading the stellar reviews I purchased this book for my 13 year old sister. All I can say is "Blah". This is some of the lamest young fantasy I have ever read, needless to say she never got this book. Falling prey to a host of storybook and fashion cliches Emily the spunky loveable red-head, Adriane the quiet and mysterious raven haired guide at the Raven's Wood Animal Preserve, and Kira the blonde valley girl princess tromp about in a terribly typical manner discovering magic from another world and befriending a host of magical animal companions. Perhaps I've been spoiled by J.K.Rowling, but Rachel/Shelly Roberts writes as though the young women reading these books are stupid. Upon reading "Circles In The Stream" I was a little surprised that it was considered appropriate reading for a 13 year old!

On a less negative note, if you have a little girl about 7-10 that enjoys reading- this will be right up her alley. Certainly not a classic novel but one that is a "safe" fantasy book that younger readers can handle with ease. For all you not so little girls out there try "Howl's Moving Castle"- a charming fantasy novel and love story- or if you prefer a series Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums are an excellent age-appropriate set of fantasy novels.

This book is the best I have read ever!
The book is mainly about, friendship,magic, and the love of Animals, for those parents out there if you want to know more about this book and the series, go to....

http://avalonclubhouse.piczo.com/

This book a no put down, something to treasure. Shelly Roberts has a true talent for book writing!

Highly recommanded to Magic lovers everywhere!

this book is awsome!! Right now I'm middle of reading trail by fire but anyways this is a must read! I love all the magic in the book and friendship. Every thing is so magical. If u lov magic well this is a book for u!!

this book is the best its nice and thick and super interesting i wish i had the auctal book i took it out of the libray if you cant decide to buy it or not buy it you wont be disaponted also another good seires isw w.i.t.c.h.

I loved it! Emily is this new girl in town and is lonely but doesn't mind as her mom is a vet so spends most of her time with animals. As she gets adjusted to the town one day this sick animal comes with these brutal green gashes that everybody thinks is pioson. Not just that but dogs are soon found dead by the wildlife perserve. Emily decides to explore until she finds a stone that later turns beautiful like in all differnet rainbow colours. She later meets a girl Adriane and becomes fast friends. They learn to except the magic that entered their lives and most of all they learn that magic is strongest when your friends are there to help, and not to mention a magical world with evil lurking everywhere.

I was fortunate enough to hear Dr. Maurer speak. He is an excellent speaker and I knew I needed to buy the book. It reenforced what he said and was easy to follow. I recommend it to anyone who is trying to make a change in their lives.

What a powerful message that helps to reframe the age old question "Why?" Instead Robert Maurer demonstrates how to ask productive questions that will bring successful answers. Kaizen is a remarkably simple technique that I share with my clients to bring about the life changes they desire. It's a small book with enormous results.

I finished this book yeaterday and immediately started implementing it in my own life which I am sure I will do for the rest of my life. What really has my mind working overtime on though, is the thought of using these techniques in education. I always have tried to take small steps, starting at the beginning with my students and have small rewards, and those are the things that worked. I hope to figure out how to package this for teachers, schools and for use in the classroom.
Send me an e-mail if you have any thoughts on the matter.

Great Book with great ideas on how to strat major changes in your life with small steps.

Well written, easy suggestions, essentially the message is clear - take small steps toward positive outcomes and keep taking them until they become part of you and your life. In that way, over time, you will find it possible to make major changes in your life. All the kaizen references are a bit annoying, and, as another reviewer stated, the kaizen program is all about manufacturing and as such using kaizen in this way has no real relevance... however, despite that, a very good little book!

I was new to some of these stories. And I was sorry I had not read them years before.Since they date back to the 1950s in many cases, you would think they would seem dated. And some are...but there are so many gems that are worth reading, and reading again. They have aged well. What is a good yarn, written well, will never go out of style.

This book is an amazing read and a must for all sci-fi fans and a possible entry into the genre for the uninitiated. The stories were selected by the science fiction writers of America and represent the stories they feel have shaped science fiction from the 1920s-1960s. Some of these are classics that the average person may have come across in high school english class, like 'Flowers for Algernon', while others are relatively unknown to today's average sci-fi reader.
If you are a sci-fi fan and haven't read the stories contained in this book, then you owe it to yourself to either buy this book or borrow it from your library, because these stories have laid the foundation for all the sci-fi that has followed. If you want to get your teenager into reading, buy them this book...the stories are short, but they are extremely enjoyable which makes it great for teenagers.

This book, Volume 1, is well worth getting. The stories are the best and many are classics.

This is a great book, if you are a sci fi fan. The vendor was first rate. The book arrived quickly and in excellent condition. There are some true sci fi classics in this volume, and the authors from the "Golden Era" of Sci Fi are all represented here. I intend to keep this book on my shelf forever.
Myron

A great collection of stories that should be a catalyst for readers to further explore the works of those included. But, how could the members of the SFWA leave out the noteworthy works of SF giants Philip Dick and Jack Vance? Volume size must have been an issue; or could it be the case that Dick and Vance are more appreciated by the cognoscenti? Any "greatest" volume should include these two names as masters of the genre, in my opinion and readers not familiar with their work should reward themselves with an excursion into their richly crafted worlds.

I have been interested in the Titanic story most of my life, and this still taught me things I did not know about it. The illustrations are beautifully done.

"Titanic An Illustrated History" is an excellent title for anyone who wants to know more about the Titanic from building the ship to the investigations into the sinking.

The book is around 225 pages, has numerous photographs and colorful illustrations, and contains around 12 chapters and focuses on the following main areas:

1. Inception and building the ship.
2. The maiden voyage and details of the sinking.
3. Evacuating the boat.
4. Rescue efforts and memorial services.
5. Investigations into the sinking.
6. Discovery the Titanic on the ocean floor several years later.
7. Some of the Titanic artifacts found during the discovery.

The narrative was smooth throughout the book and was very enjoyable to read. The book also served to dispel myths presented in the latest Titanic movie from Hollywood (1997?) that starred Leonard DiCaprio and others. In particular, while people of different social classes were pitted against one another in the struggle for survival in the movie, the book was full of examples of people who willingly sacrificed their lives so that others may live. While the movie was okay, Hollywood did seem to twist some of the facts. Thankfully, the book was more accurate.

Read and enjoy this great account of an unfortunate episode in maritime history. Recommended.

This book is great! The art work by Ken Marschall can't be topped! What can be said about the history within those pages?!

OKAY NOW I AM 24 YEARS OLD AND HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN TITANIC SINCE I WAS 14. SO A GOOD 10 YEARS. I READ THIS BOOK FOR MY SENIOR PROJECT IN 1999, MY PARENTS AND FRIENDS WEREN'T SUPRISED. THIS ONE BOOK WAS THE ONE THAT HELPED ME THE MOST. THE DETAILS WERE EXCELLENT, AND I LOVE READING IT. I CHECKED OUT OF THE LIBRARY ABOUT 30 TIMES THAT YEAR. THERE'S ONE MORE BOOK THAT IF YOU CAN FIND IT ITS GOOD READING TOO, I FORGET THE TITLE IT HAD REPRODUCTIONS OF NEWSPAPER ARTICLES OF THE TIME (1912)AND THATS ALL IT HAD.

This is my favorite Titanic book. It includes everything to a dinner with Bruce Ismay discussing his idea of 3 olympic class ships, to try and try to beat out the Cunard Line to how it affects us now. The pictures are amazing and leave me in awe, everytime I look at them. This book is on the top self, in room, and am very proud to say, this is my alltime favorite book.

Outstanding look at new palaeontology and dinosaur work. Taking the various papers that Bakker wrote for scientific journals and converting them to a book that is slightly more understandable to the public. The basic premise is that dinosaurs were not cold-blooded lizards, but warmer blooded and quite fast at times. See Jurassic Park for an example of the theories in action. Really great work.

Bob Bakker book describes so brilliantly why Dinosaurs were so successful and ruled the Earth for 150 million years. The Dinosaurs were so successful that mammals throughout this time never grew larger than 1 meter long and many were rat sized. If it wasn't for a giant asteroid that hit 65 million years ago, they would be still around and we would not.

Bakker in this book describes how the Dinosaur's warm blooded metabolism was integral to their success and how cold blooded animals like reptiles back then as now were limited. He also goes to show us how Dinosaurs were fast growing, dynamic animals that were constantly changing, how bird evolved from dinosauts and how dinosaurs were key the spread of flowering plants.

A book you must read before you die.

In the second half of the twentieth century the current thinking about dinosaurs completely changed, so that they are now accepted as warm blooded, vigorous alternatives to the mammals, and in fact the ancestors of birds (though not all that bright, whereas birds can be). Bakker was a major player in this change of views, and offers some fascinating anecdotes on how various experiences led to insights which permitted proper interpretation of the fossil evidence. The reader comes away not only with an understanding of the dinosaurs, but with many insights into evolution in general, and all the types of reasoning and analysis necessary to glean the truth from fossil evidence. Bakker has a lively style, giving detail without getting bogged down (well, I occasionally skimmed a bit, but that is because I have little interest in anatomy). There are many illustrations, but I was not always happy with them. Some illustrations serve as hand drawn alternatives to Power Point slides, and are very good. However, the drawings to illustrate anatomy were often not simplified enough for me to better understand the point. I do wish Bakker had speculated why, in the world of the dinosaurs, it was the mammals who apparently occupied all the really small ecological niches, comparable to current day mice and squirrels. Also, his final chapter on the demise of the dinosaurs was stimulating, but not as well thought out as the rest of the book. He points to the development of land bridges (as water levels dropped) which permitted worldwide migration of larger animals, and the consequent extinction of many species which could not compete, and also the spread of pathogens and parasites. Interesting, but competition would not eliminate all species, and no arguments are presented as to why small animals, e.g. mammals, would be more likely to survive than large animals (great numbers?). While this book was published in 1986, I read it based on Richard Dawkin's recent recommendation, and I do not believe it is outdated.

This book talks about new theories(at the time) of dinosaurs and their extinction, ranging from warm-bloodedness all the way to dinosaurs evolving into birds. There are five parts to this story.

Part I:The Conquering Cold-Bloods: A Conondum
Basically this part describes reptiles and their advantages/disadvantages when it comes to either cold blooded or warm blooded animals. It even compares mammals to reptiles. It talks about how cold blooded and warm blooded reptiles/mammals how active and how their eating habits are different. Also talks about dinosaurs if they were warm or cold blooded. Here is a short excerpt from this part. "Ornitholestes was an impressive little dinosaur, and even the diehard defenders of orthodoxy yield a little to admit that perhaps Ornitholestes and its kin might have had high metabolism. Such a concession, however, would lead to yet another incosistency in the theory of mass homeothermy. Big dinosaurs, all of them, evolved from small-dinosaur ancestors. The idea that little ancestors had high metabolism and their bigger descendants didn't, would be tantamount to arguing that evolution reversed itself"(Bakker 98).

Part II:The Habitat of the Dinosaurs
This section discusses dinosaurs with their habitat and how their diet/body features adapt to their environment. It discusses dinosaurs who helped use gastroliths for digestion. Also talks about the evolution of plants in relation to dinosaurs. Here is a short excerpt from this part. "Brontosaur teeth, moreover, confirm the heretical idea that they ate a tough vegetable diet. If the brontosaurs dined only on soft water plants, then very little wear would appear on their teeth. But infact the teeth of Camarasaurus, Brachiosaurus and their kin manifest very severe wear, which could only have been produced by tough or gritty food"(Bakker 136).

Part III:Defense, Locomotion, and the Case For Warm-Blooded Dinosaurs
The third section discusses the locomotion of dinosaurs in comparison to lizards,crocodiles,etc. Discusses dinosaur defense, like Triceratops' horns and the "boneheads" of the Pachycephalosaurs. Also talks about Pterosaurs. Discusses Archeaopteryx and it's feathers helping to support warm-bloodedness.
Here is a short excerpt from this part. "Anchisaurs' tails were stoutly muscled and they could easily have reared up, foreclaws at the ready, to face their enemies. Anchisaur hind claws, especially the one located on the large inner toe, could lash out with even more powerful blows than the foreclaws"(Bakker 256).

Part IV:The Warm-Blooded Metronome of Evolution
Talks about dinosaur sex, with threat displays of intimidation. Discusses growth in dinosaurs who were probably warm blooded. Talks about dinosaur lungs, heart, and large brains. Here is a short excerpt from this part.
"How can the dinosaurs' growth be measured? An accurate estimate can be derived from the texture of the fossil bone. A thin slice can be cut from a fossil-bone chip and glued to a glass plate"(Bakker 350).

Part V:Dynastic Frailty and the Pulses of Animal History
This final section discusses the Kazanian Revolution. During the Kazanian Revolution, warm blooded animals exploded in population. Discusses the dinosaur extinction and the animals who died along with them. Talks about the evolution of the Dinosauria and that they should be in their own class. Here is a short excerpt from this part. "A truly scientific skeptic would start assuming neither cold-bloodedness nor warm-bloodedness, and then reevaluate the evidence without prior terminological bias. So long as the DInosauria remain stuck in the class Reptilia, this type of analysis is impossible. Let dinosaurs be dinosaurs. Let the Dinosauria stand proudly alone, a Class by itself. They merit it"(Bakker 462).

Overall, this book is excellent. Bakker did all his own illustrations(which are very artistic) and even assumed dinosaurs were feathered even before they were discovered. Even though some of his theories may be outdated now, I still recommend this book to anyone. I read it back in seventh grade and it took me a while, but reading this book is surely worth the time!

Incredibly compelling book about the possible evolution of velociraptors into birds.

Dinosaur Heresies goes beyond mere dinosaur evolution, however. As an enthusiastic gardener, I was bemused and delighted to learn of the powerful link between Cretaceous herbivorous dinosaurs and the rise of flowering plants, how it was BECAUSE of these saurian herbivores that we have flowering plants instead of a world of gymnosperms (aka pines, cycads, ginko, etc.).

It was a FUN read!

It's been 15 years since I first encountered this book - part of a vocabulary challenge in the sixth grade. I still remember most of the stories, and I must have infuriated my parents using each word incessantly as I learned it. I can't recommend it highly enough.

This animated book gives children a new way to learn the definitions of words. It was highly recomended to me, and I loved it!

I love this book.This book is one of the best books ever.The reason why I gave this book five stars because its funny and senstive. My favorite word was laxcity.Laxcity means that you dont even care about whats gioing on.I think that this book is good for all ages. I hope that you read this fantastic book.

I use this book with my third grade students. We read a story per week. Many of their parents tell me it becomes a topic of conversation each week as the child teaches Mom and Dad a new word. It is fantastic.

This book is one of the best books I had ever read in my life.I would recommend this book to every one because its funny and great.

My background: An engineer with an aspiration to learn more physics.

It has been over 3 years since my last college physics class, and having heard from friends and reading online about these lectures, I finally bought them here instead of spending twice as much at the local bookstore. I own a copy of Serwey's physics book, and the difference between the two is remarkable.

I can read Feynman's book with excitement. He writes or lectures in a way that keeps me engaged with what he has to say, and he also provides excellent examples of interesting cases. For instance, in his treatment of gravitation, he numerically calculates the trajectory of the earth given an initial velocity and position. I knew it was possible to do such a thing, but the fact that he provided a table of numbers and just went ahead with the calculation without skipping the detail brought me great enthusiasm. I don't even remember my astrodynamics book covering the simple calculations of such things from the fundamental principles in such detail.

Aside from the nitty gritty, his reading is enjoyable. I pass out when reading Serwey's book, simply because it isn't written in a very enthusiastic and engaging way.

However, Feynman's lectures are good for refreshing your understanding, not doing problems. I imagine that someone with a copy of Feynman's lectures for the understanding and Serwey's problems and examples for the nitty gritty, who works the problems, will understand physics well enough to continue studying more in-depth subjects on their own. That says a lot about both volumes.

Not much to say. I bought this set for my boyfriend for x-mas and he loves it!

Caltech had unbelieveable foresight in knowing how good Feynman would appear to future generations. The teaching techniques are still unbeatable. Worth spending six months reading these.

Physics is like sex - it may lead to practical results, but that's not why we do it.
^_^

Feynman doesn't just teach physics in these books: he teaches you to think like a physicist should. One complaint I've heard is that there's not enough math in them. "Too many words." (Kinda reminds you of Armadeus.) There are plenty of books that have the math. These books offer insight -- something that is very hard to come by in formal physics education.

The introductory material in Volume 1 is highly quotable. You can get your money's worth right there.

When I started Volume 2, I'd had undergraduate electricity and magnetism and found it dry and boring. After Volume 2, I was so pumped, I wanted to teach the subject.

I read Volume 3 when I was starting graduate quantum mechanics. My first final was oral, two-on-one. The professor had a second prof sit in with him to quiz each student. They opened with a few questions on the uncertainty principle. I started rattling off some of the insights I'd gotten from Volume 3. These guys must not have read it, because they were blown away. They'd ask a question and I'd answer and then follow with a hook to keep them coming back. I spent an hour of the two-hour exam on the uncertainty principle! Talk about getting off on the right foot with a new prof!

These books have been an inspiration to me for the last 40 years. Whether you're a student or a Ph.D. -- and especially if you teach at any level -- you must not be without them. They will improve your understanding of physics, and they'll equip you to better communicate it.

I realize that I've sounded a little over-the-top in this review. If I said less, I'd be understating my honest opinion.

Tim Naff, Ph.D.

I have read many books on combat in Vietnam, but not one compares to Low Level Hell. Hugh Mills writes much like he talks -- with a rare combination of wit and wisdom that makes you want to say "tell me more!" I eagerly await his next book.

I was a Crew Chief on an OH-6A and sat behind my pilot each and every time the aircraft left the ground. We flew many a mission for Captain Mills and you will not find a truer account of the life of an Aero Scout Pilot and his Crew Chief as you will in his book Low Level Hell. He was there, we were there, and when you read the book YOU will be there! An excellent account of what we went through in Vietnam.

Very, very good book. Gave me a good idea as to what my father might have went through as a scout pilot flying the OH-6 with the 2/11th A.C.R. Blackhorse in Vietnam.

I recently read Low Level Hell, and I want to say it was one of the best books I've ever read!! Hugh does a great job of captivating the reader from the first chapter to the very end. Every chapter has you on the edge of your seat, taking you through the drama of fighting in Vietnam. I honestly felt as if I was flying with him! At times I was howling in laughter and others crying at the loss of fellow officers. Hugh's last chapter sent chills down my spine. I honestly cannot think of a better read on one man's experience in Vietnam. Great job Hugh!

Angie Chirnside

absolutely a must read if you love flying helicpoters and enjoy the action of combat flying in the nam....could not put it down...scout pilot flying in vietnam had to be the most intense and insane mission that one could imagine...loved every minute of this read.

Begnini's account of a father who makes the ultimate sacrifice for his son is beautiful, touching, and, at times, comedic. Family Pick.

Life Is Beautiful the movie concerns the triumph of the human spirit over the horrors and attracities committed against the european jews during the holocaust. It shows the extraordinary lengths that people will go to protect the ones they love. Although the film is set during the holocaust, the film is about compassion and love and desperate forcade one man must invent to firstly protect his son and secondly spare his mental anguish. As a result of having watched this film, I have realised that life is precious and life can be a living hell. Somehow though, life is still beautiful.

One has to admit, Miramax makes a lot of darn good movies, from SLING BLADE to GOOD WILL HUNTING. LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL is another great movie. In fact, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL is one of the best movies of 1998. However, this is not the movie. This is only the screenplay. Sure you have all the lines that are in the film and a few pictures, but that's it. Frankly, if you haven't seen the film, I wouldn't recommend you reading or buying this: the words on a printed page are nothing like the movie. However, if you've seen the film you're probably a fan and it might be worth your while.

Guido, the central character in Life is Beautiful, is one of the most poignant characters in literature. He chooses to create an illusionary world for his son so that Giosue will survive the horrific conditions in a concentration camp. It becomes clear to the reader that Guido makes a decision as soon as he and Giouse are taken to the camp that he will, if necessary, go so far as to sacrifice his own life for his son's strength and survival. The theme of unconditional love transcending pain, horror, and incomprehensible ignorance is the ultimate message of the book. And, if anything, the reader empathizes even more with victims of the Holocaust because of Guido's presentation of his experiences. There is no "making fun" of the Holocaust in this book; there is only a celebration of love and the beauty of life. Everyone should read it and watch the movie!

This is an insult to the intelligence of anyone that has any knowledge of the history of WW2 and the events of the Holocaust. I guess the allied forces should have invaded Normandy with a bunch of pies, rubber noses and floppy shoes. Sometimes clowns simply don't have a role to play and this is one of those situations. Benigni bringing up the name of Primo Levi was an insult to all of Levi's philosophical attempts to explain what happened to him and Europe's Jews.

I read the book in one day. It was very engaging and I went through the whole array of emotions as I read it. Reliving alot of similar moments for I am a Mom with twin boys that have been diagnosed with ADHD. I love to read, however the books on ADHD that I have read have been of little value. As Robert shares his story and his perspective it helped me understand my boys even better. The book may not have all the answers, but it did share some of the discoveries that Robert made on his own. In order to find ways to improve their self esteem, it helps to understand how society tears it down. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand a person with ADHD traits.

This book was phenomenal!! It is the story of my life and I am glad I am not alone.
I encourage all adults who think or know that they have attention deficit to read this.
The book encouraged me to accept me for who I am and start my own chapter for ADHD in my own city.

The Little Monster: Growing Up With ADHD
The Little Monster by Robert Jergen is a great read! The book takes the reader inside the head of Dr. Jergen, who has ADHD, and lets the reader see and feel what is like to have ADHD. This story will both touch and delight you as you read it. Most importantly though, this book will both teach and give you hope whether you have ADHD or are a parent or teacher for someone who has ADHD. Dr. Jergen gives the reader workable solutions to everyday problems as well as other referral sources for parents and teachers. When Dr. Jergen entered into his doctoral program, he discovered and wrote this, "The question became, not how to "cure" my ADHD, but how to utilize it."

I found this book to be very useful in seeing the world from an ADHD child and adult's perspective. But the author seems to feel that the entire world needs to shift to accommodate what seems natural to him. It seems that everyone must tolerate and indeed celebrate behavior that makes life unpleasant and difficult for the non-ADHD person who has the bad luck to work with an ADHD adult.

I came away from the book feeling sad for ADHD children and their parents and their poor teachers who have delivered into their classrooms the "gift" of an uncontrolled child. And I am profoundly grateful that I don't work with an ADHD adult.

It would have been nice to read more about how the author tries to accommodate others and less about how the world must warp to fit him.

I highly recommend this book to parents, teachers and anyone interested in learning more about ADHD. I am actually currently taking my Masters in Special Education and this book was a wonderful source of information. It is a very powerful book where the author talks about his personal experience growing up with ADHD. All parents of kids with ADHD should read this book because after this experience they will definitely understand better their kids' behavior. I congratulate the author for sharing his personal experience and for showing through his writing how parents and teachers have a crucial role in developing kids' self - esteem