Smith Books

i recently purchased this book and i must say-what a read!! after reading the other reviews, im glad i follwed the advice. the story was greatly put togeher and i was on the edge of my seat, waiting to figure out the plot. this is a great author who i hope continues to write these great page-turning stories!! if you dont have this book, buy it.

I just discovered Maureen Smith when I stumbled upon her book at Walmart A Guilty Affair...the term page turner has never made more sense to me because I was up until 2am just hoping this ten course verbal meal would never end. She is so detailed that I feel that I know the players in the book. The love scenes are to die for and her plots are nothing short of breathtaking you just want to know what happens in the end between the two lovers that you keep reading and rereading. Needless to say the next day I came onto Amazon.com and bought all her books and I have enjoyed every last one of them. She is my best Author to-date.

Over the years my taste in books has changed and it seems that Mrs. Smith knows exactly wghat it is I'm looking for. This book was beyond good. I used to shy away from anything suspensefiul, and strictly stick to books that I knew were going to end well, with little to no surprises. Well this book is the exact opposite to what I thouht I wanted, but turned out to be just that. Somehow, she manages to balance the suspense and the romance so well. You don't feel that she's putting too much of either into her writing. In this one, I particularly like how Nick and Rachel were initially enemies, but overcame their mutual feelings of distrust to fall in love and save the day. lol. I've reread a billion times.

How I let this book set for so long, I do not know; however, once I picked it up and got started I could not put it down.

When Rachel Calloway meets Nicholas Hunter, the prosecutor who will prosecute her father for burning down his restaurant, she instantly looks at him as the enemy, but doesn't feel that way. The same goes for Nick.

Not only did I want to know how long it would take Nick and Rachel to realize they were going to get together, but I had to know which of the three people I suspected was really the guilty party.

Ms Smith wrote a book with plenty of suspense and some hot romance. Though, she has received accolades for this book, I tip my hat, stand and applaude and say BRAVO.

I really liked this book. Usually most romantic suspense novels are all suspense and no romance. This book definitely had both evenly distributed. I also spent the majority of the book playing super sleuth to figure out who was after Rachel so the she and Nick and get their lives back together. It was a really good book.

Maybe, just maybe, if every law maker would read this book, and/or every voter held their feet to the fire, this nightmare could end some day. EVERYONE should read this book, whether from a moral (all the lies), health (all the DNA damage we will face), ecological (cross pollination, destroyed native plants), economic (talk about a monopoly; buy my seeds or starve), religious (Leviticus 19:19)...it is beyond the pale of human imagination that this is happening with government approval. No, more, with government running interference. Buy your openpollinted seeds now before it is FOREVER too late.

Nice DVD! Interesting concepts about GMO foods. Great Seller!!! No problems. Item as described. Will buy from this seller again!!! A+++++++

Actually this book not for me i bought it for a friend who is intersted in GM foods and how it affects human body and health. He told me to order this book. I think it's good book with alot of vauled information.

This is one of the best topics covered today by Mr. Smith and very in depth as well. He tells us who is and how we are being deceived through the genetic engineering of our main food supplies. He has very astutely pointed out the problem how to deal with it and what political means we can take to stand up for our rights to not be poisoned.

Most of us do not know what Genetically Modified Organisms are, let alone that they have been added to our diet, with potentially deadly results. As major food corporations have attempted to play God with our food supply, all in the name of more profits, they have made consumers their guinea pigs. Learn how these GMO's have not been thoroughly tested for long term affects on humans, yet have been allowed to be added to the U.S. food supply, though numerous countries worldwide have banned the same GMO's. There are also stories of scientists that have attempted to raise alerts regarding these GMO's and have been threatened for their efforts. All food is not created equal, and you need to learn why. Read this book.

I remain fascinated by Gullah and Daufuskie cooking. This book is a welcome addition to my ever-expanding collection. I'm glad I found it.

This was the perfect gift for my sister who lived on Dafuskie island for several years. She personally knew Sallie Ann and was sad to leave her east coast home and the lovely people she met there. The book brought back memories of a delightful period in her life.

I have tried to catch Ms. Robinson's t.v. shows when I was able. Having grown up poor and having to make ends meet by stretching the food, you appreciate any attempt to liven up the meals. Ms. Robinson has done this very well. I enjoy her, and I enjoy the book.

I grew up in St. Helena Island (Frogmore). Having and using this book brings back those memories

One of my favorite episodes of Sara Moulton's cooking show featured the author and included a visit to her childhood home. I was THRILLED that Ms. Robinson washed her green leafy vegetables in warm water. What a shame such wisdom (do Americans even know the term "nightsoil" anymore???) has been disregarded in the wake of carnival barkers who demonstrate their cooking ability by ripping open a bag of greens (prewashed, My Aunt Fanny!) and cooking raw meat straight from their styrofoam and plastic packaging. Ewwwww, you know no amount of cooking heat can clean that up. EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.

Thank you, Ms. Robinson.

This book is a terrific reference. It presents copious examples along with very thorough identification for sources. It allows me to quickly pick a style that fits the need and also provides enough information to allow me to dig a little deeper and investigate a particular style through other reference material. Just perfect for what I need and wonderful for my uses.

This is an indispensable resource for the novice or serious designer/painter. Some designs are very small, and others are so ornate that they would be difficult to reproduce without spending considerable time and effort. However, I found most to be easy to scan, print on a transparency, and enlarge with an overhead projector. The section called "bands" has beautiful designs that could be handpainted or made into border stencils. Chapters include geometric designs, natural forms such as foliage, fruit and flowers, mythical creatures, individual ornaments, capitals and bases for columns, decorative panels, vases, several lettering styles, and much more.

Not only does this book contain a huge assortment of extremely clean and scannable examples of ornamental designs from different periods and cultures, but also provides diagrams and information you can use to create your own original designs in a given style. This may be the last book I buy (except newer copies of THIS book!) on ornamental design.

Originally published in 1888, this book is the real deal. Honestly, this book renders so many others I have on the shelf useless. It goes through EVERYTHING ornamental from furniture, to alphabets, to architecture, to tracery, plain design, cutlery, and everything else you can think of. At first, I scoffed when I got this book because it covered such a wide range of ornamentation. I mean, what book have you ever seen that does a GOOD job covering a range? Then, when I got into it, I realized that it DOES go into detail in each section. Having 3000 images makes this possible, but what I like too, is there is a substantial amount of text explainig where the design comes from.

I think its nearly impossible to find a book this rich in resources for less than $20 USD.

This book has been in print since 1888! Yes, it's that good! It's a bound version of an earlier work that was a folio. Forty years ago, my art teacher showed me his copy. I went out and got one. It's still on the shelves, but price has risen. It a collection of drawings from many sources: Cathedrals, Estates, Chateau, public buildings, museums and their contents! All collected before the Franco-Prussian war. Many things that no longer exist in this world. If you wish to depict life in the dark ages, the renaissance, Atlantis, Troy, the enlightenment, Hyboria, Byzantium, Rome, Carthage, etc., YOU NEED THIS BOOK!!!

...Miller's plots almost manage to seem plausible, and the stories always are captivating. HERE AND THEN is no exception to her series of books. It is touching and riveting and hopeful, even though it clearly is make-believe.

I've never been one for sci-fi literature or any types of novels that suggest unrealistic events, but this book made me believe that it is possible to cross back to the past! I'd read the book to which this is a sequel, and couldn't wait for this book to come out. I went to the store weekly to check to see if it was out. I snatched it up and soon as it hit the book shelves. It did not disappoint! But don't read it until after you read the first book!

THERE AND NOW WAS MY FIRST BOOK BY LINDA LAEL MILLER THAT I HAVE READ. THAT WAS YESTERDAY! TODAY, I HAVE READ HERE AND THEN THE STORY ABOUT ELIZABETH'S COUSIN RUE WHO SEARCHES UNTIL SHE FINDS ELIZABETH. THEY HAVE BOTH FOUND THAT THEIR GRANDMOTHER WAS NOT FANATICIZING ABOUT 'THE PAST'. IF YOU AREN'T INTO THESE BOOKS FROM PAGE ONE, THEN YOU JUST DON'T LIKE TIME TRAVEL. THESE WERE MY SECOND AND THIRD TIME TRAVEL BOOKS TO READ. I HAVE GONE TO THE BOOKSTORE TODAY AND BOUGHT ABOUT 60 MORE TO HAVE ON HAND TO READ! ENJOY!
I ALSO BOUGHT ALL LINDA LAEL MILLER BOOKS THAT THEY HAD.

Linda Lael Miller never fails to write well. She pulls of this set of Time Travel series just as well as her vampire set. Time travel is difficult to write, but I found "Here and Then" steamy and suspenseful, and impossible to put down. What a well-written plot! You develop alot of real feeling for the characters. This is exactly what I feel a romance book should read like. A definite recommendation for romance readers that favor time travel and the other supernatural.

This book starts during the middle of the book "There and Now", when Elisabeth places a call to her cousin Rue. After receiving a mysterious phone call from Elisabeth, Rue goes to their aunts house to find out what is happening to her and ends following her back in time to 1892. Nevertheless, she ends up becoming Marshal Haynes suspect for the house fire that caused the disappearance of Elisabeth and her family during 1892. I do not want to spoil the story so if you want to find out what happens you will have to read the book. However, I can tell you that Rue and the Marshall went back and fourth through time a few times.

The well-known phrase 'for the term of his natural life' is used by Marcus Clarke to bring home the horrors of transportation and the Tasmanian penal system in the 19th century.
Richard Devine, an innocent man (under an assumed name of Rufus Dawes) convicted of a crime he did not commit, is sent for transportation and assumed killed in a shipwreck. In reality, he is heir to a vast estate (unbeknown to him) and the convolutions of the tale that evolve from this are wonderfully written; the gradual demolishing of Dawes, the unspeakable duality of Frere, the calculating guile of Sarah and the gullible innocence of Sylvia are woven together in a plot that does not end happily ever after. This I think, serves to underline the barbarism and futility of the transportation system.
Based on actual events, Clarke uses his 'hero' to illustrate the depravation and privations that prisoners (and their guards) had to endure. Graphically showing how degradation degrades and power corrupts, the narrative never dwells on gruesome details, instead it relies for effect on the imagination of the reader, which can be more terrifying.
A book that deserves a wider readership.

This was without question one of the most gripping novels I've read in many a day. I first ran across this work in a brief mention by British travel writer/popular historian James Morris, where he thought it akin to the gulag novels of post-Stalinist Russia in subject matter and philosophical content. Add to that a wealth of striking narrative detail, immensely memorable characters (Maurice Frere, Sarah Purfoy, and particularly James North leap to mind), some truly transporting (no pun intended) and incredibly creepy passages, mind-blowing plot twists and turns, and a persistent refusal to provide too pat solutions to characters' problems... Clarke wasn't better than Dickens or Eliot, but neither of the latter could have written this book.

Clarke's masterpiece was published in 1874, after being serialized in 1870-72. Critics have lambasted a few of the less believable elements and some of the pat characterization of a number of supporting characters, but these are flaws to be found in most novels of that time (and ours). Clarke redeems himself by taking the cliches and mannerisms of the nineteenth-century English novel and using them to illuminate a whole new society, one practically mythical to the metropolitan consciousness of the Victorian Anglophone world. This work is a great counterpoint to all those English novels of the day where the hero or villain gets packed off to the antipodes and returns mysteriously changed. The main thrust of the novel, though, was the need to tell the true story of (white) Australian society's beginnings. Clarke, in telling the story of the unjustly convicted Rufus Dawes (aka Richard Devine), provides a panoramic view of early Victorian Australia, from the hellish convict settlements of Macquarie Harbor and Norfolk Island to the nascent frontier towns of Hobart and Melbourne, from the aging memories of the "First Fleeters" (the original convicts who arrived in 1788) to the controversial Eureka Stockade Uprising of 1854. The narrative frequently moves at a deliciously whirlwind pace to accomodate the exciting interaction of characters and history.

Clarke's novel is generally cited as nineteenth-century Australia's greatest and points the way towards more nuanced examinations of the colonial experience in the twentieth century (Peter Carey's JOE MAGGS, about the "off-stage" life of Dickens antihero Abel Magwitch, is apparently very much in this vein). Don't read it just for this reason, though. Please be sure to find the longer, original version, as I was fortunate enough to do. Clarke was forced to produce a revised, shortened version for the original publication, one dictated by his editors that turned the novel into a much more "conventional" Victorian literary production (and has a longer title--FOR THE TERM OF HIS NATURAL LIFE). I understand a TV series was made in the mid-80s with Anthony Perkins as North. If this was the case, then it badly needs to be remade on celluloid, because I can't seem to find the series. It's a magnificent novel whose flaws, I think, are amply counterbalanced by its unexpected joys.

It's a collation of events by various persons involved in the penal settlement of early Australia. Marcus Clarke has interwoven these events into a novel of fiction. These are stark facts; and show, as far as I've researched, very detailed. L.P. Hartely said it all,in this case.."The past is a foreign country.They do things differently there." The more you read on, the more you want to know..

LEt me set the record straight first...I have never read this book. I had seen the mini-series almost 10 years ago on CBC Canada. The series was very gripping and always left me waiting for the next in the sequence. Following the end of the series I was determined that I had to read this book. My last attempt to find it was in 1991 when I was told it was out of print and could not be found anywhere. Luckily I have just tripped across the information again and it prompted me to start looking again. Needless to say (but I must) I am thrilled to find it and now be able to finally read it. I hope it is everything that I know it is and more. It is an epic tale of grand proportions. Now if I can only find the video series AND a hard cover copy to add to my library!

Well, as an Australian living in the year 2000, reading this book, written in the 1880s, is an emotional experience.

For it is through works such as this that we can see our past. We can examine the nature of the beast that gave birth to us. Who we are. From whence we came.

If you want to understand why Australians are they way they are, and have the attitudes and language that they do, then give this book a read.

I first ordered this book for my son-in-law, because he is such a Charlie Daniels fan. I then ordered a copy for a friend of mine who is going through a rough time in her life right now. Before giving it away, I flipped through the pages, and read the story by Jonny Lang. I am a 61 yr. old grandmother, but I have albums by him. I was just blown away, and had to order a copy for myself.

In the book, How Do You Know He's Real, you'll get an inside look into the spiritual lives of 34 celebrities. Hagberg has compiled testimonies ranging from Kirk Cameron to Rudy Sarzo (former bass player for Ozzy Osbourne). Each story is remarkably different and it's amazing to read how God has worked in the lives of each of these well-known people.

The author has collected very readable stories telling how celebrities have become Christians, and they share their low points and their joys here. This is a welcome peek into the lives of well known people who typically are more secretive.
Ricky Skaggs, Kirk Cameron, Gloria Gaynor, Bethel Johnson (34 people in all) tell about their struggles and their early days as new Christians.
Billy Ray Cyrus tells of singing in his grandpa's Pentecostal church when he was 4, and includes the touching lyrics to the song he wrote "The other side."
Jackie (Jacklyn) Zeman, star of General Hospital, advises that when you are at a crossroads "cry out to God and ask for His guidance."
Al Kasha's story resonated with me; this Academy Award winning songwriter overcame agoraphobia, and talks about how Hollywood is a tough place for a Jew who came to Christ, and how he started a Hollywood Bible study group.
There are stories here for anyone to enjoy and find spirit lifting.

(Hagberg has written a companion book with the same title, subtitled God Unplugged)

How Do You Know He's Real? is a collection of celebrity essays about God acting in their lives. The contributors include athletes, musicians, and actors. Their stories often follow a familiar pattern of fame leading to drugs and alcohol before hitting bottom and being turned around by an encounter with God. That's not to say the accounts are all stock and cliched, but rather that God meets each person in their need--and for celebrities that need will be similar. And many of the tales include growing up in stable Christian homes, but still needing to make personal decisions about God and Christ and how that decision impacted their careers.

The stories are collected alphabetically but Hagberg has provided a topic finder so a reader battling discouragement or frustration can find offerings from Billy Ray Cyrus, Nancy Stafford, Zorro, Gary Burghoff or John Schneider.

Each essay begins with a picture and short biography of the contributor, listing their accomplishments. Following the selection is God's Road Map, a few sentences about the issues raised by the author, with Bible verses for teaching and encouragement.

The essays themselves are as varied as the contributors. Some of them read as if they were written to be given as speeches. Several sound like the writer could be sitting at your kitchen table, chatting over the coffee pot. All of them are honest and share from their heart how God has acted in their life and how they know He's real.

Reading the accounts of God acting in both miraculous and mundane ways reminds us that no matter what a person does for a living, each of us are created beings who need a loving Savior and merciful God.

Armchair Interviews says: Up close and personal stories from celebrities.

I received this book as a gift and once I started, I couldn't put it down. Ms Hagberg has captured the beliefs of these well known and respected celebrities, sports figures, and musicians. I'm anxiously awaiting the next book in the series and can't wait to give copies of this one to all my friends. Order 2!

Found yourself dreaming of how to get ahead in the workplace? You aren't alone: Joel Weiss gathers not just the similar dreams of others, but the stories of those who have achieved their goals in How To Get From Cubicle To Corner Office. Every job shares some common skills and practices which speed up the entire process of getting ahead: Weiss' title is packed with professional and personal practices alike, all couched in real-life experiences which demonstrate just how to translate goals into achievements.

A good book with some very practical advise on how to succeed as a manager,but also how to deal with issues in everyday life. I think the managerial aspect of this book means it is more for those who already find themselves in lower management and want to move up the corporate ladder.
I appreciated the insight into life of the Author and the tips, quotes and "remember this" at the end of each chapter are well worth making note of.
Time will tell if it will get me a promotion ;-)

"It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Joel Weiss' inspirational book is geared towards career minded individuals who want to move from where they are today to a place of greater influence and success. The subjects covered in this book reach beyond the business world and can apply to anyone wishing to succeed in life. Some of the topics include:

Having a Positive Attitude
Being a Doer, Not Just a Talker
Putting in Extra Time and Effort
Being Gracious at Winning and Losing
Striving to be Fair
Being Responsible and Reliable

On the very practical side, this book teaches you how to prepare for meetings, map out your career, ask for what you want and communicate in a way that ensures success. Throughout the book there are tips like this called "Remember This:"

"The support and cooperation from the people around you will greatly determine your success. Don't try to go it alone. Use the best talent to brainstorm and help on projects. Delegate and recognize all contributions. Extend your network beyond your normal boundaries." ~ Pg. 41

After reading this book I can say I can think of a lot of people who would benefit greatly from reading this excellent book on living a more successful life. Even one quote from this book could change your life or send you in a new exciting direction. This book will be especially appreciated by anyone who intends to accept a promotion or who is already in management or a position where they have to make decisions for others on a daily basis.

This is the type of book you want to buy for all your friends as gifts because it will further their success and give them more job satisfaction over the years as they reach for their dreams. I especially enjoyed the "recap" at the end of the book, which has affirmations for success and it can also be used to measure your current success so you can make goals for your future.

"You realize you can learn from others and have become much more observant, identifying good role models for yourself." ~ pg. 139, Recap

~ The Rebecca Review

"How To Get From Cublicle To Corner Office" by Joel Weiss is the kind of book I wish I read when I was starting my business career more than 50 years ago. This is a practical fast-read guide to achieving success in the business world. There are no elaborate formulas or extensive theories. Rather,Weiss stresses the importance of basic skills that helped propel him up the corporate ladder. In a chapter titled, "Present the Unshakable Facts." Weiss quotes a memo from the late Harold Geneen, chairman and CEO of ITT, who wrote to him as well as 100,000 other employees under his command about "apparent facts. assumed fact, reported facts and hoped-for facts." Weiss cites his military experiences as an intelligence officer which enabled him to reach good solid decisions through a six-step process. And in a chapter, "Ask For What You Want," he related a story of sitting next to his CEO on a 3 hours plane ride, he presented his case that the company needed a chief adminisistrative officer and that he could do the job. The job was created for him and he became Chief Administrative Officer of the Burger King Corporation. This book is crammed with such examples and strategies on improving your status in a business organization . I particularly recommend it for the new college graduate and those in mid career.

This book is the accumulation of common sense from a very accomplished businessman, Joel Weiss.

Essentially, this book is all the important advice they don't teach you in school. I graduated from Yale in 2003 --it was a great school, but they didn't teach me a jot about how to succeed in business. This book has become my little bible for doing the right thing on the job. Some advice is common sense, like 'show up on time.' But other things I never would have known, like 'ask to read their business plan.' (You should have seen my boss's eyes light up when I asked to read the plan...)

My favorite thing about this book is the format. Each chapter is only 5-6 pages long, and covers a specific piece of advice. Joel backs up every piece of advice with a story or two from his own experience, which really gives the book a human element. Each chapter ends with a few famous quotes to back up the main theme. This is a book to read, and re-read for advice. It sits by my bed, and I'll read a chapter or two to psych me up every once in a while.

This isn't some new 'job philosophy'--it is about 30 specific suggestions for doing well, getting promotions, and even creating new job positions within a company. It matters less and less where you went to school--people only really care about job performance.

I have to say that this would make the perfect graduation gift to anyone planning to get a job.

Hydrogen is THE solution to our pathological greed, planetary trespasse, and cruelty to other species.
This book shows how to get there: not in thirty years, but in a few years.
It comports with the most recent scientific accumulation of
data which argues that with national resolve we can make a profound difference.
This safe, virtually emissions free alternative to oil
can and must wean the feckless consumer off petroleum, each and every one of
us, whilst providing a future, after all,
for our grandchildren. We urge you to read this book
carefully and commend its stalwart authors on a well-balanced,
brilliant, gorgeously produced and
seductively accessible book. No other work on hydrogen
has so trenchantly brought together the up-to-the-minute data,
the chorus of informed voices,and the readable prose to transform
what was an engineering conundrum into an everyday addition to our lives. And at relatively
minor cost to the planet. Zero, by comparison with fossil fuels.

"The Hydrogen Age" is an exciting illustration of where we are headed in our quest for energy independence. We as a society are so caught up in an environment of scarcity and limitation that we in the general public fail to literally see the "forest for the trees." This book points out there are so many alternatives to solving our energy challenges which are well within our grasp. Petroleum is a wonderfully useful commodity, but is not the be-all or end-all for our energy source. The sources pointed out in this book are unlimited and are not somewhere in the distant future, but are available here and now. We are in need of nothing but the truth and this terrific book shows us how we may accomplish our energy independence. When enough of us are determined to make a change the market place will take care of the doing, and the change will come so quickly we will all wonder why we dallied so long.

This wonderfully researched book is truly a way-shower to the future and should be a must read for the general public and especially for those who are teaching our young people. I am very proud of the authors' dedication to telling the truth about energy and illuminating the prospects for the less developed economies of the world.

I highly recommend this book.

The authors did a fantastic job of writing a book on hydrogen that is thorough and accurate. There is so much misinformation that is spread about hydrogen that it is refreshing to finally read material that covers the issue fairly.

I happen to work for a hydrogen company and have learned a lot about this issue over the past three years. But I can tell you that the level of detail in this book is beyond what I have ever seen. It obviously took many years to write.

Furthermore, the writing style is similar to what you would find in a really good magazine article which makes the book very readable. I also liked all of the pictures the book contained.

Although "The Hydrogen Age" is not likely to get the credit it deserves right now due to a few very vocal and misguided critics, it will get more and more attention as time passes and people realize hydrogen is one of the primary solutions to our energy problems.

Greg Blencoe
CEO, Hydrogen Discoveries

Any who would understand civilization's energy history and needs should have THE HYDROGEN AGE in their collection, whether it be for an easy college-level introduction or for the general-interest public. Here is a guide to civilization's passage from a carbon to hydrogen era, considering how such an age will foster new developments and how moving to water-based energy offers new hope and alternatives for the continued progression of civilization. It's an excellent pick for any who would understand the technology and applications of hydrogen, written in a manner any lay reader can understand.

It is far too common place these days to find books without any intention of providing a well-rounded and well-researched perspective to its readers. As many of us have experienced, it is far too easy to polarize over increasingly divisive issues like energy, its implications and its solutions. There are zealots on both sides of the fence using outdated and often outrageous statistics to bolster their claim for one technology or another; however, The Hydrogen Age does a good job of avoiding this trap. It is optimistic, yet realistic, providing a good sense of what is happening today and the role hydrogen technologies can/will play in our future. Remember that the "Silver Bullet" is a myth. Although there is no single solution, The Hydrogen Age provides excellent insight into one of the tools already being utilizing to meet the developing/developed future energy challenges. - Matthew Burks - President, Hydrogen Energy Center (www.hydrogenenergycenter.org)

IDEA 2004: A Parent Handbook For School Age Children With Learning Disabilities by school psychologist and parent advocate Shelly Smith is a straightforward guide for parents and professionals to the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act. Condensing everything parents need to know to be effective advocates in plain terms, IDEA 2004 covers practical applications of the law, disability laws in general as they pertain to schoolchildren, and the rights of both children and parents. Reducing seemingly incomprehensible bureaucracy into simple terms, and fully explicating both the letter and the spirit of the law, IDEA 2004 is an absolute "must-have" for any parent or guardian raising a child with learning Disabilities and seeking a positive, balance-of-power relationship with the public school system.

As a current Director of Special Education, I find Shelly Smith's book for parents to be the best information possible for the lay person. It explains to the parents their rights regarding their child's education in such a manner that is easily understood but comprehensive. Any parent of a special needs child must read Shelly's book. The complicated law that protects these students and their parents is so massive that such a common sensible approach is needed. Ms. Smith brings the language, terminology, and rights down to a level that the reader can comprehend. This book has a five star rating as far as I am concerned and should be distributed to all parents of challenged children.

Dr. Lynn Ahrens

The consistency of MS Smith's advice is wonderful. There is no need to remember situational models or hope that your particular situation is referred to in her book. If you don't feel "the system" is working properly to serve your child, you simply state that you don't feel they are fulfilling their legal obligation. It is a simple statement, it isn't
confrontational and best of all, it is our natural reaction as parents of a special needs child! Brilliant!!!!
Gwendolyn Borders, Texas

I am a Special Education Teacher. I know how difficult these laws are to understand. Administrators, teachers and families are still trying to determine what changes have been made what they mean and what is new. For those of us who don't have time to read all 200 pages of the law this book makes it easy to understand. With the help of this book it will be much clearer how, when and why the IDEIA can help you and your student(s).

Shelley Smith's book Idea 2004: Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act: a Parent Handbook for School Age Children With Learning Disabilities is a MUST READ for any parents with a Special Needs child. This book takes all the legal terminology that is supposed to be protecting our children and breaks it down into plain language that can be utilized by any parent in advocating for their child. This is a book that you want to keep by your side throughout your child's education! I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to get a better handle on their rights and providing their child with the most APPROPRIATE EDUCATION!