Guides Books

As a writer of character-based novels, I found this book to be a veritable fountain of perspicacity, chock full of pithy analogies and examples. As someone who was an actor before a writer, I really appreciated new insights presented by Brandilyn, an accomplished writer of gripping novels who practices what she preaches. This is not a book you read and donate to Goodwill but rather one that should take a prominent place on your bookshelf so it can be easily found and accessed for a refresher course.
Donald James Parker
Author of Reforming the Potter's Clay

It's true, writers often say it rather than show it. This book helps you take a look at a character and like an actor would show their action gives writers tips on how to make your characters look believable. The book also gives some very good suggestions on the use of color (emotional that is) and rhythm. Some of the book's material may be exactly what you knew before but then it never hurts to refresh you memory. I liked the book more as a look at acting and since plays are one of my favorite hobbies, it gave some nice tips on how to spot bad acting. I would recommend the book for all writers.

I don't usually write reviews, but I found this book too enlightening to not. Getting Into Character is full of excellent ideas and excellent examples. I am in the process of editing my National Novel Writing Month novel using Collins' ideas. Her examples are clear and illuminating. The recommended reading at the back of the book is extensive and well-explained.

I would have liked a little more on creating a good "Level A," but that is my only complaint.

If you write and are in the market to raise your writing to the level of such literary greats as Twain, Austen, Tolstoy, Dickens, Siddons, Dumas, Hugo, Mitchard, Foster, Waller, Martini or Saul, then this is a must have for your research library. From the fingers of Brandilyn Collins comes the experience of a best selling novelist and her adaptation of Method acting director/instructor, Stanislasky's words. Included are samples of contemporary and classic novels teaching you how to push your writing higher. You can learn how to draw the reader to your characters as their story unfolds. Don't miss this one!

The reviewers have said it all, and yet I feel the need to add my two cents as an author and a 'how-to' book collector.

I struggled with my characters from the beginning and since reading Brandilyn's book I can understand why. Never before have I read a book that gives such explicit examples of how to create characters of depth and motivation.

My copy is dog-eared, highlighted, scribbled, and has lovingly earned a spot on my shelf as a book I could not write without. I can't recommend GETTING INTO CHARACTER enough for new authors and those who think they have nothing more to learn.

Defin. a book worth buying! -very helpful & makes civil procedure really easy to understand.

Glannon's guide is God send. if you purchase Glannon's E&E, you must also purchase his guide to learning Civ Pro through MCQ's. It is great!

Love it!

The book was delievered in great condition, within a moderately good time frame. It has proved very useful in my 1L studies!

Glannon clearly and succinctly provides examples of possible multiple choice questions that could be found on exams. Unlike a lot of other guides I've seen...it's not confusing and it's not a chore to read through the book.

Without a doubt this is an essential key to success in civil procedure. I basically outlined this book along with my class notes and got an A on the exam. Very, very, very good aid.

Just wanted to give five stars.
Oh, yes, and I thought I was the only person to camp with no supplies save a copy of LOTR! You know what they say: great minds think alike.

This is a fascinating account of Andy Serkis's experience in creating the CG character, Gollum, as well as his actual "on screen" time as the ring-beguiled Smeagol in the opening scene of The Return of The King.

Andy's tale is engaging and honest, relating the hardships he endured in bringing the character to life and only increases my respect for him as a performer and a human being. It must have been a long, sometimes difficult job for every actor in the films, but Andy put in more hours than any other actor involved, many of them in isolation from the "moral support" of comrades.

Perhaps the most touching part of this book is Andy's dedication, which is to his own children, the Jackson children, the Astin children, and all the other "children of the ring" who were forced to sacrifice so much time with their parents during the making of these epic pictures.

A GREAT bet for some wonderful inside info and some pretty neato pictures!

Even casual film fans are now familiar with the character of Gollum and the groundbreaking special effects that turned him into one of the screen's most memorable characters. Now, we get to see Gollum from a different perspective: through the eyes of the man who brought him to life, Andy Serkis. This memoir, written by Serkis (w/help from Gary Russell) is an entertaining and eye-opening look at the production of both the character in general and the films as a whole. Andy had done mostly small roles in films and plays when he received an intriguing casting tip from his agent: Apparently, New Line was making a trilogy of films based on the "Lord of the Rings" series, and needed someone to voice the character of Gollum. Serkis, unfamiliar with the trilogy (though he had read "The Hobbit" in school) initially balked, until his partner (later, wife) Lorraine--who HAD read the books--urged him to try out. Andy agreed, and began to try different voices that might fit the character. He was stuck, having tried many different voices, until inspiration hit in the form of his cat. (His gagging, hairball-infested cat.) Serkis, who had decided to approach Gollum as a character so full of guilt and obsession (he also compares Gollum to a hardcore junkie) that he was literally choking on it, imitated his poor gagging cat in front of Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh...and the rest, as they say, is history.

Andy journeyed to New Zealand for what he though might be a bit of voice work. Instead, the role of Gollum turned into one of the most challenging undertaken to date: Serkis not only supplied the voice of Gollum, but also his movements as well (thanks to innovative motion-capture technology). Serkis would end up filming scenes multiple times: once in a blue suit, accompanied by Elijah Wood and Sean Astin, then again without them, and often again in a suit studded with dots (reference points for computer animators). Though tedious, this process allowed the animators to bring Gollum to living, breathing life, a genuine example of movie magic. (How detailed is the character of Gollum? A deaf man who saw "The Two Towers" was able to read his lips.) Andy studied the character, often referencing the books for little insights into the character and his psychological makeup in order to bring greater depth to Gollum. And perhaps a little bit of Gollum worked its way into Andy...because vegetarian Serkis suddenly found himself enjoying fish again.

Despite the frequent hardships of filming, Andy was able to keep a sense of humor and professionalism about him, and is able to look back at many of the more difficult moments and laugh. Indeed, his sense of humor sustains the book when it bogs down or becomes repetitive; Serkis felt the need to relate the details of motion-capture technology a few too many times, as if he were telling a multi-part story and needed to bring new readers up to date. He grouses a bit about his initial lack of recognition and appreciation, especially when he had to repeat long scenes in the blue suit while the other actors could relax. (The worst one: Repeating a scene that involved splashing in frigid water...and that blue suit was NOT insulated). But he chides himself for those feelings, and finds a great deal of humor in those difficulties now.

Serkis, who claims little knowledge of classical literature, belies it with frequent references to and quotes from Nordic literature, the Bible (Smeagol's murder of Deagol draws comparisons to Cain and Abel), Shakespeare's "The Tempest" (comparing Gollum to Caliban), Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein's monster, and more. His writing style is smooth, full of humor and frequent good-natured self-deprecation, especially when relating how he foolishly ventured onto a rapids-filled river with minimal supplies, only to be rescued by four Wellington city councilors. His feelings of unappreciation were greatly assuaged when he learned that he would actually be on-screen, playing the role of young Smeagol in a flashback, as we see how Gollum came into possession of the Ring. Though he would still find himself largely unrecognized: A flight attendant saw him reading the books and innocently asked him if he knew about the films, sighing all the while because Orlando Bloom had been on the plane just a few days before. Serkis resisted a strong urge to crawl on all fours and hiss in his Gollum voice. (I don't know if I could have).

This little book (119 pgs) contains all one would want to know about the creation and evolution of one of modern cinema's most unique characters, and is highly recommended.

I love Andy Serkis. I love his book. Go buy it. Love him too. Enough said.

Andy Serkis, the actor behind the character of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, takes us deep into the terrain behind this great epic of our time. Through his experience in creating a close reflection to Tolkien's Gollum, he comes forward in what seems to be a blunt honest story of his time on the set and creates a brief, enjoyable actor's account.
Beginning with a phone call and winding his way through the streets of New Zealand, the highways of character development and the psychological paths of his acting and character experience, we get a great bit of knowledge of what it really feels like to transform yourself into another person for the sake of showing the world a tale - or even a message. You could call it a diary, completely packed with bits and pieces that are extremely informative, but brief. Learn what it takes to be an actor or a psychiatrist, to completely envelope yourself into character and to be immersed in a wonderfully diverse land. With contributions from Gary Russell and others on set, this book has incredible illustrations, sculptures, design plans, photographs and passages from the crew. Hilarious Gollum faces are located on the top outer corner of each page as you read along, making a fun time in itself.
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of the movie trilogy, those who want a better glimpse behind the making of a soon-to-be classic, movie enthusiasts/aspirers, or anyone else if they just want a fun read. This is definitely a kid-friendly book (though some kids may get disgusted or confused at some of the sculptures of Gollum without his little rag around his waist. Ahem. . . :D), though I think it may tend to be slightly boring for younger kids. Definitely PG.
So I will leave you to your browsing and shopping with a song from Gollum,

"Rock and pool
is sweet and cool
so nice for feet,
we only wish
to catch a fish
so juicy sweeeeet!"

Happy Reading!

This book is more detailed than most I have found. It gave me much needed background info.

This author gives a comprehensive overview of everything to do here. The photos are fantastic and I love the snippets of history too. I only wish he wrote more guides for other places.

The Grand Canyon is universally acclaimed as one of the great natural wonders of the world. Now in a fully updated and beautifully illustrated third edition, James Kaiser's "Grand Canyon: The Complete Guide" is the ideal guide for novice visitors and a superbly informative reference for the seasoned visitor as well. A complete and 'user friendly' travel guide and planner for visiting the Grand Canyon, this ideal reference includes the Havasu Falls, topography maps, trail descriptions for both day trips and overnight hikes, mule rides, scenic flights, Colorado river trips, public campgrounds, historic lodges, the canyon's geology, native wildlife, history, and a great deal more. Compact and easily portable, "Grand Canyon: The Complete Guide" truly lives up to its title and is an invaluable addition to personal and community library travel guide collections -- as well as the supplemental reading lists of the armchair explorer!

Out of all the Grand Canyon guides I bought, this one was my favorite.
The color photos are amazing, and the background info about the
canyon's history, geology and wildlife is fascinating. If you're going
to Grand Canyon I would definitely recommend buying this book.

This guide had beautiful pictures, detailed maps etc... It listed lodging but no reviews of lodging, just a glorified description. Had I not seeked out advice and reviews about lodging at the Grand Canyon, I would have been seriously disappointed. This book is more of a thick glossy brochure than an actual "guide" to help you plan a trip.

I'd read this book in college and wanted to read it again as part of my research for a new book I'm writing.

Very informative, well-researched, and interesting discussion of the potential for human presence in colonies in interplanetary space. One criticism is the lack of attention to the need for a human presence on the Moon, for astronomy, for tourism, and for raw materials for space colonization. Another criticism is that the author was overly optimistic about NASA; this is partly offset by more recent contributions.

I read this wonderful book as an undergrad in the seventies. I found out about O'Neill from Stewart Brand's journal of the time, "The Coevolution Quarterly". O'Neill was the outer space guru of the age, just as John Lilly was the inner space pioneer. I assumed, as an enthusiastic youngster, that there would be millions of humans living at L5 by now. Unfortunately, we have a government run space program that, like any government bureaucracy, is inefficient and at the mercy of inferior minds (Congress and the White House). Nevertheless, this book is a good read and shows what one professor and a handful of grad students can come up with. For present day forward thinkers, review the ideas of Bill Stone (Stone Aerospace).

I'm writing this review of the review dated September 8th 2001, wherein the reviewer challenges us readers to implement the ideas of O'Neill's book RIGHT NOW.

I wonder if anyone took that challenge, or if we were all distracted by what happened 3 days later?

Looking back over the past 4 years, I think, like the other reviewers who have written since that fateful day, that those events and their consequences show us that getting off this planet, and what we will learn from the effort, is an idea that becomes more imperative day after day.

If anyone is involved in a "mini-biosphere" project called for in the September 8th, 2001 review, or knows of such, please e-mail me with contact info.

Congratulations to all who can see beyong the curve of our Earth, to the endless horizons of space.

This is the classic proposal for the human expansion into space by the originator of the idea himself, Gerard O'neill. In it, he shows how space settlement could be done using boring 1970's technology.

A very good and thought provoking read, it is the ONLY space book that presented a plausible way for the rest of us (not just the "experts" and scientists) could go move into space in style AND the only one to show a semi-convincing way to pay for it all (space-based solar power).

Very good review book for Step 1 neuroanatomy section - since this is very high yield. Cover all you need to know to tackle this field on exam. Covers more than FA but is not as exhausting as Kaplan notes.

First Aid is money for most subjects, but it's weak on neuro. This book is a very good balance between too little and too much for this overwhelming subject. The High Yield series keeps improving in quality, and in the newest edition is even better at showing clinical scenarios and integrating other subjects like pathology or physiology (I used an older version and it's still pretty good, though).

I would like to say this is great for course work, but at least at my school they tended to test on obscure minituae hard to find anywhere.

This is all you should need for Step, which does feature a decent dose of neuro (about 10, more like 20 questions). It's also very good at developing as essential foundation of knowledge applicable for future use, which sometimes gets lost when scrambling to cram for course exams.

My big qualm is the pricing. It's a thin book, not a main text. Use the library, borrow it from a friend, split the cost, etc. High Yield makes a nice line of books but they need to trim prices for medical students.

Getting confused with studying anatomy of the brain? This is a book for you! It is far better than dozen of other neuroanatomy books! It gives you a lot of details and it's easy to read, too! I'm studying for the USMLE step 1 exam and I will keep it handy all the time!

The USMLE has become increasingly focused on neuro over the past few years, and First Aid has become more and more inadequate with respect to neuro. This book is a great way to prepare for the neuro questions on Step 1. It's a slender book and is thus a very quick read --- heck, I'm a slow reader and finished it in 2.5 days. At the beginning of the book are several images of brain sections, with arrows pointing to the most important structures. The book also has radiologic images (MRA, MRI, CT) which were very helpful for me when I took Step 1 --- actually, I remember having 3 distinct questions with an accompanying MRA image. The book does a good job of explaining the basic function/organization of the different parts of the brain in a concise manner. There were a few sections that I thought were a little too detailed for Step 1 --- especially the cerebellum section. Overall, though, it's a wonderful book and it will help you to nail the neuro questions on the USMLE.

This is an excellent book and it's really all you need to prepare for your step 1. I used this book and answered every single question on neuro correctly.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is very detailed and contains many illustrations. It fascinates me to sit back and think about all the people and details of Jewish history that have played out over many thousands of years.

When given as a gift, this product was really loved- so much that we bought another one for ourselves.

great information, nicely displayed. i wish i got one for my bar-mitzvah!

Few of the world's peoples can boast of a history as long and as varied as that of the Jews, or one encompassing such a range of achievements and tragedy. It spans more than three millennia and has touched most parts of the globe. This text sets forth this history graphically-in nearly a thousand detailed and accurate maps, brilliantly reproduced drawings, photographs, and paintings; plus chronologies and commentaries by dozens of leading experts. The result is a triumph of the bookmaking art-a comprehensive and dependable reference work.
Beyond the strictly historical, the Atlas also deals with many fascinating and important aspects of jewish culture-languages, literature, art, and music.

Professor Barnavi has done a great service both to Judaism and any students who are inclined to further their understanding of it. As a Christian proponent of this ancient faith upon which our own is based, I have found it an invaluable resource in my ecumenical studies involving history and development of Ancient and Modern Jewry and the vast knowledge accumulated over the thousands of years of its existance. It is a concise coverage of every age of its progression, along with a magnificent garnish of photographs and illustations which bring the entire process to life. I highly reccomend this book.

If you're a moderately skilled programmer, a self-learner, and you want to get beyond just "getting started" deploying and using Sql Server 2000 Reporting Services, this is the book for you.

I especially found the chapters on customized set up extremely helpful. The installation wizard doesn't offer a whole lot of options, and most of teh time you don't know fully how you want to configure it until you've tried it out. You'll get some good starters on rconfiguring your installation here.

You'll get enough basics to be ready to dive in, and then some tricks well enough beyond that to give you well on your way to devleoping customized solutions.

For a total beginner (which I definately was) this is a FANTASTIC introduction to Reporting Services. Three months after starting my first job as a programmer straight out of University, and now I'm the main person in the firm with Reporting Services knowledge - and it's all thanks to this book.

The writing style is actually excellent for beginners, as I was terrified by the prospect of reading such a mammoth. But these guys make it fun and interesting to read (right down to the jokes and sidenotes) and really do touch on everything you need in a useful manner without boring you.

And excellent resource that now never leaves my desk. I can only hope these guys do a SQL Sever 2005 one. I cannot recommend this book enough for those starting on Reporting Services. It really is the book to read.

And if you are looking for a book on SQL Reportin 2005 - I would still recommend this book to give you the basics and introduction which is unbeatable thus far.

I really the beginning part on the setup and installation of the reporting services themselves. At my firm we needed to set up a seperate server for this purpose and the IT group was swamped with another project and this helped a great deal. I still am workign on development but the book has been very usefula and easy to understand.

Now that all the friends and family have promoted the book...

In order to understand something new, we all must relate that which we're learning to that which we already know.
Pete and Bill have a difficult time transitioning from campy comedians to thoughtful educators. To this extent, their writing style lacks any useful analogies whatsoever which might bridge the gap between the known and the unknown.

The book is full of droll and distracting fantasy references which are completely irrelevant to the subject matter, and are prone to taking the unsuspecting reader off task.

The potential purchaser should also be forewarned that the authors tend towards another immature trait of attempting to impress the reader with their linguistic abilities. Yet, to be effective at teaching they should have remembered to never use a complicated word where a simple one will do.

Many examples are rambling and inconcise, where step-by-step quickly degrades into an ambiguous and vague path.

Not every developer can obtain DOMAIN Authority in order to issue SSL certificates and it's too bad that the authors don't allow for this type of scenario, especially when a reporting system is on a VPN.

All of the content is there, but it's up to the reader to filter and translate most of it from the pitfalls aforementioned into something more to the center of the bell curve.

This book has been written from a VB programmers point of view. If you want to just start creating reports or if you're not a VB programmer (ie DBA etc) you may find this hard work.As another reviewer mentioned, you may find the authors' jokes and writing style to be a hit and miss affair.

Nevertheless, there is some depth on Reporting Services not to be found elsewhere that is quite handy.

Thanks Amy for a great resource that I have given to many people in my congregation as they battle cancer.

This book is a fantastic resource for all cancer patients, but especially for newly-diagnosed cancer patients. Written by an MD who has cancer, it provides common sense guidance for many aspects of treating and living with cancer. I highly recommend this book for patients who have just been diagnosed. Read this book before you do anything! It is also valuable for cancer patients who have been diagnosed with a recurrence. An easy read, it is well worth the few dollars you will spend to own it.

This book was educational, inspirational, and very helpful. Since the author is a cancer survivor, she offers hope and encouragement from that perspective.

Dr. Givler has not only the knowledge of a medical doctor, she has personally gone through a diagnosis and the treatment for cancer. When I first read this book, it was as a reviewer for several magazines. I have purchased many copies now to give to people and unfortunately, know there will be more as long as we have the dreaded disease of cancer. If you are facing a diagnosis of cancer, please think about getting this book--or get one for someone you know who needs it. It is warm without sappy sentiment, practical, and like having a trusted medical friend for the journey.

I'm writing to tell you what comfort I received from reading your book. I read it the first time within two weeks of my husband's diagnosis and the start of chemotherapy. I have reread it again recently, and take it out when I need someone to reassure me God is in control, and to have faith. I often read sections to my husband that I feel will be of the most benefit to continue his incredibly strong belief he can beat it, no matter what the statistics say.

There is so much out there to read that I feel overwhelmed by all the information. However, very few books make you feel BETTER about this very "sucky" situation. Thank you to someone who really needed it, and appreciates it.

I self studied the ap psych exam and got a 5, all thanks to this book. However, it has a few striking contradictions with the princeton review books of similar publication date.
It is somewhat minor, but still alarming.
This book has all the information, and then some. it covers all the bases. if you study this book, you will get a on the ap exam.

Buy the 5 steps to 5 AP psych book, this book sucked, just like the other Barrons text. This book is vague and boring, the 5 steps book would guarantee you a pass if you read it through.

This book is the only reason that I got a 5 on the exam. The psych teacher that taught us that year absolutely sucked - gave us no prep for the exam at all. I took my time to memorize the whole book and the multiple choice part was all very easy to answer. This book even covered information that I didn't know from the class - and they appeared in the exam. Great book, absolutely recommend it.

I took the AP back in 2002/2003 and my AP psych teacher wasn't up to par. This book is fairly thin but don't be fooled. I read this book from cover to cover and came out with a 5 on the AP. My friend went into the AP with what the teacher taught (nothing) and came out with a 2.

This study guide was very helpful in studying for the AP test and also studying for class tests and discussions. There was some material in there that we did not cover in class and it provided a more in-depth coverage on the themes. I will probably use this book in the future for a reference for future studies that may not be in the class book. Well written, organized, and over all prepared me for the test and all the other tests in the class. It was also very helpful to be able to write notes and etc in the book, until in the text book in class.