Guides Books

Our recent trip to Mexico City was greatly enhanced by our reading of "An Opinionated Guide for the Curious Traveler". Its perspectives on Mexican culture, art, architecture and food are presented with humor, perceptiveness and intelligence by Jim Johnston. The "Guide" made our visit to a city which can seem overwhelming and frightening to the first time visitor more manageable. It focused our sight and attention on aspects of DF we otherwise would have missed. Post trip, I find myself re-reading sections to better appreciate aspects of the city and to plan for a return visit. We also purchased National Geographic's "Traveler Mexico" which I also liked very much.

Jim Johnston's book gives you the personal approach you would get from a friend who moved to Mexico City years ago and is willing to take you around to his favorite spots. It's not comprehensive, nor does it try to be. But - first time or multiple-time visitors who want to get a feel for the unique cacophony, artistry and paradox that is Mexico City will find a helpful guide that addresses practical issues and throws in some quirky delights, too. My husband and I fell in love with Mexico City 7 months ago and just returned to get another fix, using Mr. Johnston's book as our primary reference. We were also pleased to see that he updates information on his web site, so we checked for closings, openings, etc. before the trip. Maybe most important is that the ethic and personality of the author come through, revealing him as someone you would like to know - and you will, with this book.

Jim Johnston's guide to Mexico City took us off the usual tourist path and led to parts of the Centro Historico we would have missed. The walking tours are easy to follow and include some not so heavily visited sites. We followed #3 in the Centro and had a great time finding the places mentioned and finding other interesting places along the way. This guide will be a permanent part of the Mexico City bookshelf. And now we know what "pb" means in the elevator!

We travel to Mexico twice a year for business and pleasure (shouldn't travel always be a pleasure?), and we are always looking to explore more deeply this great world-city. I would recommend this book for both novices as well as experienced visitors, as Mexico City has so much and is so vibrant, that you take away something new each time. Jim's arrival tips and hotel listings are great, and I cannot wait to check out the walking tour and dining insights on our upcoming trip. The size is great as it is easy to carry around without looking like too much of a tourist. It is also a great book to use to take off the intimidating edge for a first-time visitor.

I began planning an upcoming trip to Mexico City and went looking for some current information about the city. The mainstream guidebooks are fine, but seldom up to date. I came across a positive reference about this book on [...] and checked it out on Amazon. Luckily, I bought it.
The author apparently knows and loves his city, and shares it the way a friend would. The level of detail is great, from how to get "there" (landmark, restaurant, museum, etc.), to what to expect, to what you might want to look for around the corner afterwards. I've explored Mexico City several times and thanks to this book I have many new intriguing options to augment my old favorites. This is the guidebook I'll take with me on my upcoming trip, and one I'll recommend to anyone I know who might be planning visit the City, and to some who haven't considered Mexico City as a destination - yet.
As a bonus, the author has a website where he posts updates: [...] . A revised walking tour of the area behind the cathedral (revised due to the exit of the throngs of street vendors) is already posted there.
Great book. Buy it.

I have taken this book apart and used it in the classroom. I bought it used and didn't receive a CD-ROM with it. My students are able to glean many ideas from it for our school newspaper.

Tim Harrower provides a very practical guide to newspaper design. The art of newspaper design tends to be very subjective, so this book lays down some facts and guidelines to put to rest some of the indecisive elements of design.

For a beginner, this is a book that will give you the confidence and understanding to conquer page layout.

The CD gives the novice an even more practical guide than the book can deliver.

One criticism is that the book is printed on light gloss stock and is spiral bound. I am not sure how it was survive rough treatment.

Brian Hurst

This textbook is awesome. I've never seen a better textbook. It lays everything out, and makes it simple to understand. It tells you what to do and what not to do in simple language and clear pictures. It's one of few textbooks worth keeping for future use in your career (provided you're going into the newspaper industry)!

When I accepted my first "real" job in journalism as a page designer for a local weekly I was struck by a horrifying thought, I really knew nothing about newspaper design. I had done it before for my college paper, sure, but this was the big time. I needed a refresher course and I needed it fast... Tim Harrower and this spiral-bound book came to my rescue.

Although it was first published in 1989, this book will be relevant as long as newspapers exist, even in this age of computer design. Harrower explains and shows why certain designs are good and bad and he approaches it in a situational, problem-solving format. For example, he explains what should be done when you have to design a page with no art, when you have butting headlines, or two horizontal photos etc. Harrower says that most page designers stumble into the job and from this point of view he explains what exactly, a good design is. This book will always be on my desk.

(I wish my publications professor used this instead of the worthless $105 monstrosity he made us buy (and that we never used by the way).)

So, after some mild freaking out followed by a lot of reading, I can start my new job with confidence thanks to this book.

I am an editor these days.
I came on this book quite a few years ago when I was a sub. It was recommended to me by an old hand in the newspaper game.
Without doubt, it is the single best aquisition I have made in terms of newspaper design.
In the places I have worked, I have been regarded extremely highly for my layout skills.
This book, with a little creativity, is the basis of almost everything I do in terms of layout.
If you are serious about the newspaper game, get it, study it and then apply what you learn. It will help our career enormously.

From the first page I couldn't believe that she was describing my daughter to a tee. All of the other information and books on Asperger's was so rigid that my daughter did not fit their ideal of Asperger's, yet she fit most of it. But, because of this book I could see my daughter completely. I am about to re-read it. It's a library book but I will be soon ordering my own copy and telling her therapist who have no clue about Asperger's about it as well.

What an eye-opening experience it was for me to finally find an explaination to my son's behaviors! Wow, we would have been stuck with an AS child being treated for ADHD and still having no success in the social adjustments.

The first night we recieved our book, my husband and I stayed up half the night screeming, "Look at this . . . This is my son"! It set us on our way to see a specialist that knew something more than our family pediatrician did about this neurological complex.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, AND THANKS AGAIN!!!

This isn't a book, it is a "good deed" (no, make that GREAT deed). And even that isn't high enough praise. Page by page, we have found answers to dozens of questions that we have been asking, but previously finding no answers. We went to therapists, psychiatrists & psychologists, but until Barbara & Patricia came along with this book, our family was sinking fast.
We are buying additional copies to give to family members and for the staff where our kid goes to school.

I'm the co-author of this book and I'd like to recommend that
visitors purchase our revised edition: THE OASIS GUIDE TO ASPERGER SYNDROME: COMPLETELY REVISED AND UPDATED which became available March 29, 2005.

Click on one of the authors names above and you'll be led to the newest edition.

-Barb Kirby
OASIS

My son was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome two years ago. Of the 5-6 books devoted to Asperger's which I have read, this book is by far the BEST! It is very readable and easy for the layperson to understand and digest. Issues that were barely mentioned in other AS reference books were given time and space in the OASIS book.

I received the book quickly and in perfect condition, and it has been extremely helpful in learning difficult concepts in human physiology. Thanks to this textbook, I've done well in the course!

Costanzo is the best phys book ever! It offers the material at the PERFECT level for medical school. Everything is explained very well and is an easy read. This is one book I would say READ THE TEXT! Another good point is that the text reinforces what you have already learned so it becomes thoroughly integrated in your mind. I used her 2nd edition for graduate school, and purchased her 3rd edition for medical school (the 2nd edition got destroyed). The new addition has some slight changes and more color which makes it more user friendly.

It is one of the best books I've used in med school so far. It gets right down to the point, so you don't have to read through all of the fluff to find what's important like in other books. However, in the same respect, it's not overwhelming like in some texts where you read a paragraph and then wonder if it was even written in English. This is a must for any med student.

While drinking from the firehouse of knowledge this book is your best friend. It's really a must buy for any med student. Her other book is less helpful. Boron & Boulpaep (etc) take WAY too much time.

This physio book is great. It easily and effortlessly breaks down the physiology that occurs in the human body without getting too technical or clinical. It delivers the basics and little fluff. Great book to read.

When a dear friend recently lost her husband in an accident, I did not have personal experience to relate. I searched Amazon and picked four of the highly rated books to send her hoping at least one would be helpful to her. She enjoyed them all, but called me especially thanking me for this one. She said that, out of all the books, this one was the most practical, helpful book. She said it made her feel that her feelings were "normally abnormal" - meaning that they were very normal feelings for an abnormal, unplanned situation - she said it helped her feel that the immense emotions associated with her loss were not hers alone but were "normal" for such a very difficult situation and that others had survived the grieving process. I told her I would put her thoughts here so others who want to reach out to a friend in a similar situation would feel comfortable purchasing this book. God bless all who have lost their dear companions. Our prayers and thoughts reach out to you.

Widow To Widow: Thoughtful, Practical Ideas For Rebuilding Your Life

A must read for new widows. Written by a widow, it helps you to understand the emotions you feel, the ups and downs, and helps you transition into widowhood. It is light hearted and you will even laugh a time or two. I've given this as gifts to 3 young new widows and it helped them all face their new futures and challenges as a widow. I've read other books, but none helped me as much as this book. It's very easy reading.

As a recently widowed woman, I found this book of great help, support and comfort. I recommend it wholeheartedly to any widow, recent or of long standing as I feel I shall refer to it often as I tread this strange new life path.

This book is very helpful to me. It validates all the range of emotions I'm experiencing. Being a widow can feel very lonely at times, and this book is helping me feel less alone, seeing that other women are going through a very similar process. I continue to read and re-read parts of it. I would highly recommend this book.

This book is well written and has many helpful suggestions for coping with widowhood. A friend shared a copy with me and told me that she had ordered copies for the minister at her church to share with new widows. I ordered six copies. Two were sent to recently widowed friends, one went to the church lending library and the other copies went to my minister to share with new widows. I also had the chair of our church widow's support group write a letter describing the group that would be placed with each book.

I have been reading Acts of Faith for several years and find it to be the perfect morning read. It sets the tone for my day and helps me remember how blessed I am and how much I need to grow. It often reminds me of lessons that I have forgotten.

I lost my copy at a hotel a few months ago and missed it tremendously, so I had to reorder.

If everyone could learn these lessons, we would be a better world.

GET THIS BOOK! READ THE MEDITATIONS! We need inspirations and meditations and affirmations...THIS BOOK IS A TRIPLE HITTER!!!
I purchased this book when it first came out (Over ten years ago) and at that time I read each meditation daily and FAITHFULLY. Over the years I have had to tape the cover to protect the cover from wear and tear. I also marked the dates of my affirmations, and as I re-read the meditations/affirmations (yes I continue to read the daily affirmations-life doesn't change, there will always be stuff to go through)
I had a chance to see how God has moved me through the various situations I found myself confronted with and also to reflect on how I have grown. I thank God for this book and for giving us Iyanla, who had the wisdom and discernment and OBEDIENCE to write it. I often give this book as a gift when I see folks who are at a place of contemplation; So I recommend this book 100%. Don't be afraid to use it during the happy and not so happy days that will come to past. I have two copies one at home, and one at work. Enjoy!

I had read several other books by Iyanla before I started with this one and I have to say that I have never read another book that give's one so much information and yet is so accessible. Iyanla has a way of making seemingly esoteric issues very relatable and very understandable, and very easy to apply to your everyday life. "Acts of Faith" is definitley in that vein. I would also recommend 'Until Today' by Iyanla which I believe is a more developed version of 'Acts of Faith' in that the daily passages are longer and she give daily affirmations and activities to complete on each day.

Excellent collection of opinions and advise for inspiration and reflection for all aspects of life.

This book has inspired me. I have found several meditations that apply whole heartedly to my life. I have retyped and copied several of the quotes and taped them to my refrigerator or put them on my bulletin board at work. This is a book I needed years ago.

This book has given me insight and inspiration on several different topics. Since I bought it a few years ago, I have yet to put it down. I'm always reading this. I have become more pleasant in certain circumstance because of something I've read here.

For anybody facing lifes highs and lows or debating whether or not to start meditating this book is one you should have. It's so nice to have a book that focuses on the daily ins and outs of being a person of color.

This is by far the most fun beauty book I've ever read. It gives you great beauty advice. It's written very well that it keeps you wanting to read and read! It's hard for me to finish reading books but this one was easy, entertaining and I actually finished reading it, something I don't do with most books. It has some funny remarks that made me laugh as well, which made reading it that much easier. If you're a beauty addict this book is a must read, the advice is so helpful!
- Patty

This book was amazing and I highly recommend it for all the girls out there who feel like they were out of the room when the "How To Be A Girl" Book was handed out to all the other girls. I never wore makeup and was honestly afraid of it before reading this book. How do you know what to wear, what colors work for you, and dear God, how do you apply it? Being to shy to ask my friends, because a 30 year old really should know these things, I foud my answers in Nadine's book after a beauty expert friend of mine mentioned it on her blog. What a difference! I am no longer terrified of going into Sephora, wear makeup daily and actually feel naked without it on, and feel so girly! It boosted my confidence because I tried new products that have helped my acne and made my skin shine! Overall, I've started taking care of myself, inspired by Nadine's book and pointed in the right direction by her. She gave me the tools I needed to take the initial steps towards beauty. Thanks Nadine!!!

I purchased this book because I was planning on doing my own wedding make-up, and though I thought I was well-versed an make-up application, etc., it turns out I didn't even know what I didn't know! Beauty confidential is chock-full of useful and time-saving tips, as well as information on what you should splurge on and what you can buy on the cheap. It is also entertaining and adorable. Nadine, herself, is also very willing to answer any personal beauty questions that you may have.

Of all the beauty books I've read this one is the best to actually learn something from. The breakdowns on products is wonderful and the author even takes the time to list where you can find the products with a price range. I've given this book to many friends as gifts and they love it as much as I do!

Bought this on a whim while looking for something else. The reviews won me over and thought I'd give it a try. WOW am I glad I did. It has changed my "beauty" world! She is so smart, so funny, so practical, I can't say enough about this book. I read it straight through, made a list, went shopping and my skin is SO much better! My husband is pumped because he says I look great all the time, and the cool thing is with her "under 10 minutes" guide, just a few minutes and I am super cute! Love her, love the book, can't wait for the next one! Thank you Jolie!!!

After reading this book and doing what it said, I saved over $4,000 on my new Camry. If you're looking for a new (or even used) car, this book will teach you what discounts the dealers receive, what the kickbacks are, what you should expect to pay for your new car and how to get the best deal possible. The book will teach you how to pit the dealers against each other and give you the upper hand when it comes to negotiating. No more sitting in a dealership for hours while they play their waiting games, no more high-pressure sales, no more haggling. The "fax attack" portion of the book tells you where to get the information about your car, how to present your deal, and who to fax your information to. It's that simple. With just a little research on your part, you can make a really great deal. Simply put, do the research, create your fax, send to the dealers in your area (the more the better), wait for the phone to start ringing with great offers on the car that you want. Take the lowest offer and call the dealers who will, in turn, try to beat the offer. Do this until all of them are done bidding. Go pick up your car.

If you are reading this review then your must be considering buying a new car. Don't even think about walking into a dealership and talking to the salespeople. Except of course to test drive and see which one you really want. After that run out of the showroom. I highly recommend using Mr. Bragg's strategy for buying a car. It is so easy and stress free and you will have the dealers eating out of the palm of your hand. I also highly recommend visiting his web site fightingchance.com and purchasing his information package. Actually if you get the package you may not even need the book. But the book is a good read in any event. I was looking for a compact car which typically doesn't have a lot of wiggle room for dealers because they generally don't come with expensive extras like leather seats, real wood trim etc.... I was able to get mine for $1150 under dealer invoice and maybe could have even gone a little lower but I had to stop the dealers from chasing me at some point. It was crazy. I finally just said enough. It works that well. Before finding Mr.Bragg's information I probably would have been happy to get a couple hundred of the MSRP. I can laugh about that now. One word of caution would be if you use this method and have a trade-in the dealers might try to really stick it to you on your trade. They won't be making much if any money on the sale of the car to you so they will most likely try to make it by low balling you on your trade-in. That was my experience until I told them I'd take it some where else and sell it. Bottom line is if you think you can walk into a showroom and negotiate the best deal, you're CRAZY. Buy the book or buy the info packet. And pocket the rest of your hard earned money.

James Bragg has made a successful career out of helping people through the intimidating process of buying cars. And his success is well-deserved. I just recently bought my first new car. I had put off the process for a long time, because:
(1) I'm young and could be seen as an easy target by car salesmen
(2) I was intimidated and had how idea how to even approach the car buying process.

So I began to do my homework, researching car buying on the web. I found a lot of advice out there, much of it conflicting. One thing people never disagreed upon was the value of the Fighting Chance, the information service by James Bragg. When I finally decided that the time was right, I ordered the Fighting Chance and bought this book. Armed with the all of the knowledge and preparation I needed, I now knew exactly what I needed to do to launch a successful "fax attack" on dealerships surrounding me. I knew exactly how to field every response from car dealers. I knew how not to fall into their traps. I knew how to defend myself and control the situation. I was doing everything on my terms and not letting the salesmen know too much or dictate any of the terms. I got a great price on a car (way below invoice price). And when I went to the dealership to sign all of the papers, I knew exactly what to do and what to look out for. I drove away feeling happy, satisfied, and NEVER taken advantage of.

This book will arm you with all of the knowledge you need to buy a new car. You'll know exactly what to say in every situation. And you'll know how to not fall into playing a car salesman's games. Whether you've done it before or not, you will be amazed by how effective the techniques taught in this book are. James Bragg's writing is entertaining; you'll breeze through and thoroughly enjoy this book. As one reviewer said, this book does somewhat play out like a long infomercial for the Fighting Chance service. But it fleshes out a lot of areas that Fighting Chance doesn't. And for someone like me who has never done this before, it helped me walk into the dealership with full confidence that I would get what I want.. with no surprises. It is a vital companion piece to the Fighting Chance package.

If you're in the market to buy a new car, you need this book. If you think you can get a great deal by walking into a dealership (or a few) and negotiating well, you are greatly mistaken. Buying a car is like a high stakes game of poker. And the dealership is holding most of the cards most of the time. This book will give you a chance to level the playing field. And it will enable you to have the upper hand in getting the best price for the car you want.

This book provides good practical advice for buying or leasing a car. It is clear and easy to understand and takes all the mystery out of the process. I also learned about my own motivations for buying a new car and how car stores are ready to separate me from my money. The book, however, is a couple of years out of date. It's not critical but more up to date data and more info available on the internet should in my opinion be included. The techniques offered for saving money are sound.

The "fax attack" method for purchasing a new car is genius. I not only got my 2007 Honda Civic for the least expensive price out of the 18 dealerships I faxed in Illinois (darn near the whole state, excluding some northern Chicagoland dealers), but I was able to sleep at night. Not ONCE did I wonder, "could I have gotten this at a lower price?" because I knew for a FACT that the price I got was not only the lowest at that time for that model, but was also fair. Ever get burned by a dealership? (Don't lie, everyone has, even if it was just a waste of time.) Well, buy this book, study it well, and you won't get burned again.

I found that this field guide filled a critically needed niche in insect identification. Modern and up-to-date, excellent photos, and filled with information concerning life cycles, habitat, and food preferences, this guide will dove-tail perfectly with the increasing numbers of field guides to moths and butterflies. This guide is a MUST for anyone interested finding, observing, and photographing butterflies.

Finally I can look up all the Caterpillars I find here :)

Great book !!..............

Margrit

This is a good reference book for identifying caterpillars with lots of information, I'll be taking it to the garden.

This book is a wonderful addition to the nature library. It has so many crisp, detailed pictures. It would be helpful if the caterpillars we catergorized by features instead of by family, but this is still a wonderful book to have.

I have been looking for a book exactly like this for many years. There are pictures of a vast number of caterpillars (often complete sets of from a family rather than "representatives"). There are also several general sections in the beginning of the book, some of which are tactics for collecting, etc. and also solid entomology written in real English. The best part, though, was the field identification guide with wonderful photographs. It made me wonder how they could get such an enormous collection of photos without consuming a lifetime doing it.

Everything you wanted to know about sharpening. This book is very thorough in describing in some detail how to sharpen pretty much everything in your house and garage. It is a good balance of enough information to get started without going too overboard in topics that are not of interest. I think that the book is worth reading, especially if you can only pick one book.

This book provides a very detailed look at the physics behind sharpening blades. I would highly recommend this to anybody who wants to learns the fundamentals of sharpening.

What should I say? No need anymore to write other books on sharpening. It is well written and very informative on every detail. If you would like to know everything about sharpening, buy this book and you're done.

I was looking for more of a how to book. This book does have a lot of information, different angles, types of stones and hones, and a method of sharpening for any edged tool or knife. It just doesnt really show how to do it all.

You have to admire the author. He packs a huge amount of detailled and easily read information in this book. The electron photomicrographs, showing various sharp (and not so sharp) edges using various abarasives are excellent. Leonard also seems to know everything there is to know about the history of steel making, and abrasives. There are excellent chapters on just about every kind of woodworking tool imaginable, with plenty of excellent photographs. If I were a woodworker I would regard this book as being the one and only complete reference text.

BUT... my personal interest is in sharpening kitchen knives. And the chapter on knife sharpening is the least informative in the book, and really tells the reader nothing new that is not already available on many web sites. In fact the Mr Lee actually says he only included this chapter because nobody would take his book seriously if it didn't have a chapter on knife sharpening. As a result, the chapter is not not very good. and in fact contains some wrong advice. eg using plastic book binders as edge guides: - Sorry Mr Lee, but they just do not work.

For a complete knife book, you would be far better off with Chad Ward's new book "An Edge in the Kitchen", far better than this book by Mr Lee.

I don't mean to disrespect the author, or this book. But it is really for woodworking tools, not kitchen knives.