Guides Books

This is a very good reference book with tons of information. It is well written and easy to use.

Anybody who knows anything about mushrooms will most likely have this book! This book tells you EVERYTHING you need to know about mushrooms, including regional lore and legends about the mushrooms. This book is also very good for identifying mushrooms. has something like 300 color pics in which at least one of the mushrooms in those pics will resemble the one you want to identify and point you in the right direction. the keys in the front of each section are also very useful for identification.

it would be nice, however, to have more pictures. i also have Audubon field guide for the pictures and for the small size for a field guide. its a good combo. i look through the pics of the Audubon and read the short description and then i look that up in arora's book for a much more detailed description and to compare with other similar species.

I have owned this book for many years; and, through may hunts, it has proven invaluble for classifying mushrooms into their proper categories. However, I would caution buyers to know something about mycology BEFORE they buy this book! This is an area which requires experience!
David Auora is a mycological authority, and this is mostly written to the WEST COAST varietals and people who are familair with the basics.

While the variations from the west coast to the east coast are similar, the differences are what can kill you!

Remember, mushroom hunting and identification can be DEADLY!

This book arms you only with enough information to get you in the ball park unless you are an experienced hunter with many varieties.

Excellent reference, but not for the beginner!

Everything went smoothly with this transaction. I bought it used; it seems brand new except for some rather deliberate-looking permanent marker dashes on the unbound sides of the book (on the page tips, whatever that's called). Shipping time was on the fast side of the range of days.

Excellent guide, however primarily for western states. Could easily be used as a college textbook, but easy enough for a novice to use.

In volume 3, a variety of new reiki aura attunements are presented. All attunements have photos and clear instruction. Auras are briefly discussed in the beginning and should one want more information on auras, a nice sized bibliography is included. I found this book to be exactly what the title says with no fluff. A very good reference book to have as one progresses through their Reiki journey.

My review for VOL. 3 will read close to that of VOL. 1 & 2 - as I had the same wonderful experience reading this book as I did the others: In my 10 years of non-stop study in the healing energy arts, especially Reiki - these books are the best I've read. Steve's approach is open, honest and straight to the point. Sure with different Reiki teachers you are going to get some different minor points here and there. This is the nature of Reiki at it's core anyway. We are all connected to this great source of healing energy, and we all have a different use and way of reaching for it. The good part is simply to take that reach. Steve's entire course is hand crafted to spell out the knowledge and give the guidance needed to heal yourself and others. This guide enhances the personal healing approach to better Reiki usage by us all. Without healing within, we cannot heal with-out. I felt so "self empowered" after reading this book. And isn't that the point of Reiki? To feel your own life enhanced and heal? I highly and with pride say to each and everyone of you, take the chance to read his work - you only have healing growth to achieve! Only YOU can stand in the way of what his books and Dvd's have to offer. And I say that because I stood in my own way for years and years - so glad I finally opened my heart & mind and moved out of my own way!

Empowering!!
I am by nature open minded but cautious. I read Steve's website top to bottom and was inspired by the truth as I read it. It resonated with something deep inside me. I was very drawn to his openness and perspectives on Reiki and decided that this was the right path to follow. I have not been disappointed at all!! Very congruent in all his writing and his mission statement.
His DVD's and books empower you on whatever level you are interested in learning. He is a true teacher. You can read it, see it and feel the energy.
Thank you so much Steve for all your insightful information and for sharing all your knowledge with everyone in an affordable way. This was a smart investment for me. I am truly grateful and much more knowledgeable.

I was already a Reiki Master, and purchased Steve Murray's, Reiki Ultimate Guide, Ultimate Guide Vol. 2, Vol. 3, and Vol. 4, along with the DVD attunements for each. The attunements were very powerful, and the energy flow is no doubt stronger. This program has to be the most convent, and realistic way to get started in the Reiki healing practice. I have tried several other Reiki programs in the past, and Steve Murrays Reiki Ultimate Guides, are the very best I have found yet. You will not be disappointed.
D. White

I would love to detail all of the specifics of what I found interesting and helpful from the books and DVDs in this system, but that would surely take up more time and room than this space allows, lol. Suffice it to say that those Reiki recipients whom I have been working with for some time have commented that they notice an increase in Reiki power -- and they didn't know that I had been doing further study with Steve Murray's Usui Reiki system products; they simply knew something was different. As a newly-signed author myself, I love his writing style; Steve is straight to the point without unnecessary wording --- I like and appreciate that.
Steve Murray's books and DVDs are absolutely priceless and will remain in my personal library as invaluable reference materials in the years to come. I do and will recommend them to anyone that I believe would be interested. I also see that his new book and DVD will be released soon. I plan to purchase and study those also ;)
Namaste,
Raine

I purchased this book as an expectant toy breed mother. It is a light hearted but informative book on the joys and pitfalls of having a toy breed in your house. I was a little disappointed in the lack of information on my particular puppy, a Chinese Crested, but then I didn't expect a lot of info on the Cresteds since most people know little about them. For more breed specific information, it's advisable to get a breed specific book. However this is a great reference for those who are looking at the toy breeds and don't know a lot about them. It's an easy read and the general information is great. The breed specific information is just enough to perhaps help someone choose which breed is a good fit for their family.

This well researched book covers all of the information that is needed before acquiring a small dog. Darlene Arden covers all of the breed specific information, including temperament, challenges and attributes for all of the small and toy dog breeds.

It is well written, fun to read and very thorough. And... it is a must read for choosing the right breed of dog.
Marilyn Krieger, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant

What a wonderful book! This book explains every concern imaginable for the small dog owner. From basic socialization, to common health problems, to reproductive issues; this book has it all. To top it off, is it loaded with some of the most heart-warming photographs I've seen in a while. You are doing yourself as well as your pint-sized buddy a huge disservice if this reference book is not the most read book in your collection. Reading this book allows you to feel the passion of the author. Feel the passion...read this book.

I was very anxious to get this book. In fact by the time I realized there was a second edition of the Irrepressible Toy Dog, I had been waiting several months. This lead me to several other small dog/ breed specific books. This book is definitely top notch However, I was a little biased having read similar information in several other books before reading this book. This made me less excited about its content, however I have to say that it is extremely well compiled, lots of good information and has the best health section on small breed specific disease that I have seen to date. The picture sections are cute, however it could have included more breeds instead of the same breeds over and over. It however was not as much fun as other books, and lacks in the training section when compared to other books. It is a great overall guide on toy dogs and every toy dog owner should keep a copy for a reference guide.

As the owner of 4 small dog rescues, I have found all of Darlene Arden's books extremely helpful and "small dogs, big hearts" is certainly no exception. It is filled with valuable information and should be a must read for anyone who has or is even remotely thinking about getting a small dog. Like all her books, this one is well written in Ms. Arden's easy to follow and understand style. I especially like the fact that this book contains mixed breeds and all the pictures are a wonderful addition.
I applaud Darlene Arden for emphasizing that these small breeds are not toys to be played with, but real dogs with real dog issues and needs.

I just received my copy yesterday and I have to say I much more than pleasantly surprised. The book doesn't seem extra special when browsing through the info about it on Amazon or looking at it through Amazon's "Look Inside" feature.

However, I bought the book anyway due to the strong reviews and to quench my yearning for a nice guide to the universe. Boy was I takan aback when I got my hands on this book, it looks soooo much better in real life, the pictures are absolutely stunning and there's so many of them. Also this book is massive, it's not one which can be carried around and read on the train, it is a large and heavy coffee table book.

The sections are divided into space exploration, detailed information on every heavenly body in our solar system, asteriods and comets, galaxies and lots of star maps. This is an amazing book and practically constitutes as an encyclopaedia on all general universe subjects. Every page has been 'decorated' with beautiful high resolution pictures, whether they be large or small, it definitely adds to the overall presentation of the subject.

All in all, this book is an absolute bargain. For those of you living in Australia, Dymocks sell this book for around $90 and even then it is the paperback version. This hardcover version is an absolute bargain, even after the conversion to Aussie dollars.

I bought this book 4 weeks ago after trying out quite a few books about universe. This is by far the best book about the unimaginable universe. The things that I liked about this book are:

The book is divided into 4 sections. First one is overview of the universe. Second section goes into details of the solar system. Third talks about rest of the universe. Last section has guides to watch sky in the night.

It starts off with a few pages about technical understanding of forces that build universe. Excellent information about atoms, bonds, Bohr's orbits, photos, gravity etc. These basic concepts of physics are tied in to how the universe functions. If you are not a technical person, don't get scared by this since it is explained in a very neat and simple manner. I wish this kind of explanations were available in my high school.

It has few of the best ever pictures of celestial objects. Its not only a picture book though. It has lot of textual information about the object. There are lot of great illustrations to describe each planet in detail. I have not yet reached the part where it talks about rest of the universe but so far, I am loving this book.

Things I did not like? Not much really. I would have liked to see information about how these pictures are taken or from where the pictures are obtained but understand that it would make the book less appealing in terms of asthetics.

Great book overall, not just an eyecandy but a definitive resource about universe.

Thanks
Abhay Joshi

Visually intoxicating! You can learn the secrets of the universe in this one volume. I have numerous DK published books all of which are excellent. However, this is the paragon that all the other books are judged by. Simply, it is the best book that they have ever published. It should be the standard text book for astronomy classes!

This is quite simply a magnificent book. It contains an incredible wealth of information, ranging from leptons, bosons and variously flavoured quarks right through to galaxy superclusters. The planets of the solar system are covered in-depth, and every other known type of structure in the universe besides. Apart from this description of the universe on every scale, this book contains pages covering the history and methods of astronomy, space travel, the question of life in the universe, and likely scenarios for the beginning and the end of the cosmos. Even string theory is touched upon. The final quarter of the book is taken up by an extensive collection of star charts, inviting the reader to actively involve him- or herself in some stargazing.
But it's not just the breadth and depth of the information covered that makes this book such a gem, it is also the way it is presented. Every single page is visually pleasing, through a clever merging of text and illustrations. With text often broken up into numerous, succinct, thematic lemmas, many pages almost feel like a book in themselves. The layout and design is stylish as well as colourful. Many of the images are absolutely dazzling. Once you open this visual guide, anywhere, chances are you'll be glued to it for the next hour. A must-have for anyone who likes to be immersed in the endless wonders of our universe.

The information and illustrations inside the book are wonderful. Every page you turn to has something that sparks your interest. Only downfall was that I purchased this for my husband for Christmas and the second time he opened the book to read out of it the binding broke.

The book is perfect for my 6 year old. She had to read it for school..and we truly enjoy the Frog and Toad books. The seller sent it in a timely fashion and it was in excellent condition :)

The Frog and Toad books have helped my 8 year old grandson learn to read--he has been having trouble and these books were so interesting and fun to him that he finally realized how reading could open up whole new worlds for him. He loves these books.

I've read this book over and over and over again to my kids... they're now adults, but they still remember Frog and Toad.

An absolute classic book of short stories - my favorite is the one where one of them is in bed all winter, and the other one is bored, so he tells the sleeping one to wake up because it's spring, even though it isn't quite spring yet... just too cute. They're friends, they love each other - what more could you want in a story that you'll read to a child? One of my family's favorite bedtime books. I look forward to reading this classic to my grandchildren.

And Remember: all Toads are Frogs, but not all Frogs are Toads.

'Frog and Toad Are Friends' by Arnold Lobel is a story is most appropriate for children ages 4-8. This is a great story of friendship between Frog and Toad. Toad tells stories to Frog when Frog is sick, Frog helps search for Toad's lost button, and Frog writes a letter to Toad because he never receives any mail. This book is full of tales of friendship and adventure. Read this book to see all that Toad and Frog do on their adventures.

The books were in excellent condition and arrived earlier than expected. I had checked all local used bookstores. They were not available because of the high demand in our district. Similar books were the same price as Amazon's including shipment. I will not be going to used bookstores again. Amazon saved me time, money & gas!

An extremely useful book - has given me a lot of useful background information and been absolutely invaluable helping us out with customer questions.

She likes this book enough to buy it, which is unusual, so her opinion speaks for itself. Especially since she crochets, not knits.

This book is gorgeous. It's well-bound, full-color, and printed on thick paper. Now, I know that how a book looks doesn't really matter, but in this case, the quality of the craftmanship is a definite bonus, as I can see myself using this book for years.

Parkes has written a wonderful book on everything you could ever want to know about yarn. The first part of the book has focuses on natural(both plant and animal) and synthetic fibers, including info such as where it's from, how it's made, what characteristics the fiber has, what it's good for, what its weaknesses are, and so on. After reading this book, you'll be completely prepared to make the appropriate fiber choices for the project at hand. Want to know which fiber would be best for a light but warm scarf? How about a yarn for a sweater that's both easy to care for but knits up without stretching and sagging too much? This book answers these questions and more.

In the second part of the book, Parkes has included a number of patterns that emphasize a particular yarn's highlights. All of these designs are beautiful, classic pieces that will stand the test of time...there's nothing in here that would look dated, so you can be assured that the sweater your worked on for months will, with care, last you many years.

I can't say enough good things about this book. It's chock full of useful information for anyone that works with yarn, it's organized beautifully, the quality of the book is high, and Parkes writes in a conversational tone that makes you feel as if you're being guided by a close friend. It's definitely something that should be on every fiber crafter's bookshelf.

This book is the equivalent to a college course on fibers and their characteristics. NOW I know why some of my projects were not what I had hoped they would be; I substituted yarns that were the same gauge, but that wasn't enough. The patterns in this book are examples of each type of yarn (not just the fiber, but the number of plies, etc.) and are very user-friendly. I've already completed a small project, and this time my yarn substitution worked extremely well. I've knitted for many years, but feel that I've graduated to a new level because of this book.

This is a good, well-written book.

My beef is with the description, which led me to expect 256 pages of in-depth information about fiber properties, fiber blending, the effects of bleaching, dye and other processing on the fibers, and the benefits and drawbacks of various yarn constructions. I was very excited about getting such a book.

Which is why I was so disappointed when I got the book to find so much of the space was actually devoted to patterns. The patterns are certainly good, but there are pattern books by the hundreds---that wasn't what I was shopping for here, and space given over to patterns was taken away from the information I had expected and wanted.

The shame of it is that Clara Parkes is a fine writer with wide exposure to yarns and yarn types, and access to the people who create them and the people who use them. As someone who neither creates nor sells fibers or yarns, she is in perhaps an ideal position to synthesize yarn and fiber information in a readable, unbiased way - precisely the book I expected and wanted.

What appears in the book is more of a survey of fibers and yarns for the advanced beginner or intermediate knitter, while I was expecting more of a true fiber-whisperer master class. I would have bought this book anyway had it been more accurately described, but I would have been a much happier owner had my expectations not been raised so high by the description. In Sheep's Clothing: A Handspinner's Guide to Wool by Nola and Jane Fournier is closer to what I expected this to be as far as reviewing specific fibers, although it deals only in wool and does not discuss the issues of chemistry or yarn structure.

I do like this book, but I'm also still waiting for someone (maybe Clara?) to write the book I thought it was going to be.

I LOVE Jan Brett's books! I buy them anytime I see them whether on sale, old ones on Amazon as remainders, or new.. They make great gifts. I have a backup of many to give to children, particularly my granddaughters. The illustrations in this one are so beautiful it is really a keepsake to save as well as enjoy. Give it as a gift and you will make some child very happy and a parent happy,too.

Beautiful illustrations reprinted from over 40 sources. All illustrations are credited on last page. Book measures 9"X11.5" Only down side was that the price changes by the day. One day it's almost $11 another it's $8.97. But that's just the way Amazon works; something to be aware of. (It's worked in my favor often while shopping at midnight--price suddenly went down!)

it's a classic, so of course you can't go wrong, but as far as the best one being out there... well, I'm sure there are much better illustrated ones out there than this one

I bought this for my grandchildren last Christmas. The wording is traditional, and the illustrations are wonderful! This has become a part of the Christmas Eve tradition at my daughter's house.

These illustrations are the best ever for The Night Before Christmas...Stunning even! A worthy heirloom Christmas Book. The illustrations cover both sides of the page for a large panoramic view seldom seen in other books...

This book has many useful suggestions and shows a deep understanding of the challenges of caregiving for someone with dementia. It was comforting to read the short descriptions of situations and how to react to them. It made me less irritable with caring for my relative. I plan to get another copy to have available for when I meet other people who face the same issues.

A truly remarkable and instructional guide for care givers of people with dementia or alzheimers. So much of what was going on in my mother's life at this stage, began to make sense to me and I was better prepared to help her. Great book!

Nuria Fernandez
Chicago

An extremely helpful book for those who are experiencing dementia and/or Alzheimer's with a loved one. You are not alone! And all those strange things that are happening are not out of the ordinary for the condition. This book covers the basics, and provides helpful suggestions for living with, caring for, and coping with dementia and your love one.

This is an excellent book. It is written in a warm and caring manner which is easy to understand. It is full of information not just for anyone dealing with a dementia patient, but for anybody who is caring for another person, (or who may think at some point they will). It covers subjects which apply to the caring of anyone who is ill and/or elderly, even if it is not dementia. I would recommend this book to anyone, before they are faced with the illness. I wish I'd read it sooner, but better late than never. Absolutely a great book, it should be in every library. I plan to buy 2 copies for my library, I will definitely NOT donate mine. I can't say enough good things about this book.

This book, now in its 4th edition, is absolutely one of the finest books that has been written regarding Alzheimer's Disease and the process of care giving. Full of detail about the disease, this book also takes it a step further, providing very practical information on care giving, making a home / care giving setting a safe place, and, frankly, providing suggestions for periodic care giving to the care giver. Throughout the several editions, I have come to recommend, loan, give, patients and care givers this book perhaps 50 times or more, and, every time I hear the same thing - "what a helpful, fantastic book!". Published by Johns Hopkins and holding a 95% 5 star rating on Amazon, it's unbeatable. it's 600 pages long. that might, at first blush, seem like a lot to read. none of us who give care to others can set aside 10 to 60 hours (depending on your reading speed) right away to read it all and made sense of it all. Take your time. It's not a race to get through it - it's a race to understand the contents - take your time and begin to put into practice an additional suggestion each day. This book is a labor of love and is worth the price, used, new, and way more (oh no - don't tell Johns Hopkins that or they'll start charging us a lot more!!). Best of luck, and be sure to find for yourself a support group in your community or on-line.

Our quilting guild put on a program on vintage aprons. Members brought in their aprons and shared their memories. We used many of the quotes and sayings from the book, The Apron Book, giving credit of course. We included the tips for caring for vintage aprons--not unlike caring for vintage quilts!

The program was warmly received. So many members had happy memories about aprons. We also shared some contemporary aprons some of us had made more recently.

I decided I was going to make aprons for my female family and friends for Christmas and ordered this book hoping it would give me lots of different ideas. It is actually more of a history lesson on aprons but did have lots of pictures and patterns and instructions. There does not seem to be a glut of books on Aprons so this was a good choice. If you are the least bit creative you can go with some of their general ideas and expand on them. Makes a nice coffee table book too.

Love this book!
I am always recommending it to others who love Aprons and apron stories.
It even has a user friendly pattern in the back of the book.
A must have as well as a great gift to send to friends who are apronistas!

I love this book - it brings back great memories. Very interesting information, photos, patterns, a great book to add to one's library.

I had to make an apron in Home Ec class many (many) years ago. I didn't enjoy it at all. I didn't care for the fabric, didn't really get the hang of using a sewing machine, just felt it was a waste of time. Nobody in my family wore an apron, anyway, somehow they miraclously stayed clean during food prep.
Flash forward a few decades. I like to cook and bake and I did not inherit the miracle of not getting messy while I cooked. Most aprons you can buy in a store are servicable - but not exactly flashy or pretty. One of my supervisors whipped up aprons as Christmas presents one year. I was amazed because I knew she was a very busy woman. Slowly, I began to gather fabric to make aprons. And when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. That's how I feel about this book. I recommend it highly.

One of my college professors recommended this book. It is fantastic. Good descriptions great pictures. Very good buy.

I am very pleased with this book. It is well written and the illustrations are fantastic. I've learned more about birds since this purchase, it's terrific. I've been eager to understand more about the birds that come to my feeders as well as recognize exactly what kind of birds they are. This book provides me with everything I need at this point in my hobby. My teenage son has been able to use it as a reference guide for some of his homework assignments, which proves it's worth even more to me. I would recommend it highly!

This book is first-rate. I tend to favor wildlife books that depict their subjects in paintings and drawings, rather than photos, and this book is rich in mini-masterpieces. I haven't yet gotten into bird-watching, but the book transcends those who use this as a field guide. Now I can sit in the comfort of my den and enjoy all the glory of Nature's bird treasures. Whether one likes to explore on-foot, or by flipping pages in a book, this is one volume in which you can't go wrong!!

This is a well organized field guide with an excellent index. The illustrations are also very well done.

CHUCK FULL OF GREAT PICTURES, RANGE MAPS, QUICK FIND INDEX, AND THUMBNAILS FOR EASY ACCESS. BEING THAT WE LIVE IN A FAIRLY LARGE WOODED PART OF THE OZARKS, WE GET TO SEE MANY SPECIES OF BIRDS RIGHT IN OUR OWN BACKYARD.