Family Resources Books

I found this book a little bit out of date, since software described in it it has changed the book isn't very useful: And it only talks about software, not other techniques.
It doesn't explain virtual communities.
In this issue, I think the best book is Cyber safe kids, Cyber-savvy teens.
Best

This book not only has a lot of great information in it to keep your kids safe, it is also a great reference guide. It points you to websites that you can go to and report cyberbullying or any other unscrupulous website.
Highly recommended.

What a wonderful book! Our children's safety should be one of our major concerns in our lives. With all of the ways a predator can get to our children, a book like this helps us stop one way they can harm our kids. It is also a good reference/source in suggestions on which software is available, how to find it and how to use it, as well as web sites to visit. Many times I have wanted a software but wasn't sure which one was the right one for me. This book helps eliminate those types of questions. I do wonder just how many parents don't know about the helpful software available or that come with the computers of today since parents are so tied to computers through work. I am 55, I have a child that is 40 and that child has a 4 year old. All three generations know and use the ways Mr. Johnson has described in this book. For those who are not computer-wise, this is a MUST HAVE book even if you don't have children.

Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet talks of VOIP and IRC. These are two programs that I was aware of but have never explored. With this book as a guide, I would be willing to try them out. The book also talks about being careful with what information you or your child provides at Internet sites. A generation or two ago, we used a Public Library to ferret out the information. With anything and everything being so easily found on the web, the only difference between the library and the Internet is the quickness with which the information can be obtained. The same goes for cyber-bullying. I grew up with a bully bothering me and the kids of today get it on the web. Both these problems have always been with us, it is just easier with the net and something that children as well as adults need to not have in their homes.

Mr. Johnson has provided two things I will be using in the future. The first is how to view headers in Outlook. I had always been able to do it in Outlook Express but when I switched to Outlook, I was lost. He also talked about www.cybertipline.com. This site has information on Child Sexual Exploitation and how to report it. There you can also read about Amber Alerts, Megan's Law and ways you can get involved.

Windows Messenger Service not to be confused with MSN Messenger, Internet properties, pop-up blocker, five pages of Internet Chat Room Acronyms, and content advisor are a part of the short list of topics Mr. Johnson has included in this book. And the last chapters of the book talk of various types of software and how to use them such as filtering, email junk, firewalls, antivirus, malicious and windows update. For these chapters alone, "Keep Your Kids Safe.." is worth the price of $19.99 US. And don't forget to visit http://www.keepyourkidssafe.com/index.htm to read about the author and his very important reason for writing such a highly useful book.

KEP YOUR KIDS SAFE ON THE INTERNET
By Simon Johnson
Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Osborne
© 2004
ISBN: 0-07-225741 - 5


A Book Review by Frank Dobrowolski
For the Hobbyists Unlimited Computer Club Jan. 2005

AND KEEP YOURSELF SAFE TOO!

While this book is aimed at the parents of young children, most of the Internet dangers and protective measures that it discusses are pertinent for all users of whatever age. In fact, the author even has implemented similar procedures for business and governmental agencies. The book has received a host of favorable reviews from publications and people worldwide.

The scope of the book is indicated by the Chapter titles:

1. What Is The Internet.?
2. What Are You Threats To Your Children And How Serious On Day.
3. How To Avoid And Reduce The Risks To Your Kids.
4. Content-Filtering Software.
5. Using Filtering Software To Keep Out The Junk Mail.
6. Internet Firewall Software.
7. Antivirus Software.
8. Malicious Software Detection.
9. Putting Your Defense Into Place.
Appendix - info on various Spyware & Adware programs

The book points out that malicious Internet efforts targeted at children are frighteningly common, with its web site, www.KeepYourKidsSafe.com, offering the following data:

* 1 in 5 children (5.7 million children) have received unwanted sexual solicitation in the past year.
* 20% (1-1.5 million children) were "very or extremely upset" about receiving such solicitations.
* 25% (5.4 - 6.4 million children) received "unwanted exposure to pictorial images of naked people or of people having sex".
* 71% of "unwanted exposures" occurred while the children were searching or surfing the Internet.
* 67% of the unwanted exposures happened at home.
* 80% of children between ages 7 and 18 in the USA receive inappropriate spam each day

Obviously anyone who has youngsters [including visiting grandkids] using their computer should be aware of the dangers and the protective steps available. But we all need to protect ourselves from the various intrusions and dangers of the Internet.

Some of the recommended protective steps are:

1. Avoid presenting personal information unless the site has a legitimate use for it.
2. Don't assume anyone on the Internet is truthfully identifying themselves - it is too easy to adopt an alias identity and personality
3. Don't give your password to anyone.
4. Do not respond to unsolicited e-mail (SPAM), including not activating an "Unsubscribe" option. This is used to identify valid e-mail addresses.
5. Use a nickname or alias for a screen name
6. In Chat rooms, on Message Boards and elsewhere your postings can be read by anyone who can access the site.
7. Discuss with children the dangers of the Internet
8. Don't post personal pictures on the Internet
9. The Internet is global and is *not* governed by any entity. This means that there are no limitations or checks on the information posted and accessible to Internet users.

The book has an extensive discussion on Malware - software that invades the user's privacy or attacks the computer. The variety of ways used to obtain information from our computers is almost staggering. One cannot read this book without resolving to maintain Anti-Virus, Firewall and Spyware Protection programs

There is a good presentation on ways to filter the content reaching our computers, including browser and e-mails filters - make sure to implement these protections. The book presents an extensive detailing and comparison of protection software products and filtering options inlcuding Firewall programs, Anti-Virus programs and Malicious Software protection programs. The last chapter discusses how to put these various defenses into place and keep them effective.

The Appendix includes a description of many malware programs. This a good reference when using the protection programs which usually list suspicious programs and allow the user to select whether or not to delete them.

Another interesting site covering much of this material is Are Your Children Safe from Spyware? at http://www.pcpitstop.com/spycheck/kids.asp. That site also lists Anti-spyware resources on www.pcpitsop.com .

Free eTrust EZ Antivirus Software for one year is offered with Purchase of the Book--a $29.95 USD value. However, it appears one only needs to go to the Computer Associates website, www.ca.com/freeav, to get the free download

This book is available through the Bergen County Library system, www.bccls.org.
It also is available at Ridgewood's Bookends at the List Price of $19.99 and
at Amazon.com for $ 13.59 plus S/H - waived for orders over $25.

"I didn't write this book to scare you. Nor did I write it to persuade you not to let your child use the Internet. The Internet benefits your child too much to warrant it being banned. I wrote this book to arm you with the knowledge and tools you can use to ensure, as much as possible, that your child has a positive Internet experience..." ~Simon Johnson

Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet is a book dedicated to keeping your family safe from a variety of predatory elements lurking online. Everything from viruses to cyber-bullies. As an adult you have no doubt met many of these issues when you were first online and through experience you have been able to work through the chaos to get to the helpful sites and information.

Children don't have the time to deal with these issues (childhood is already stressful enough) and so parents have to protect them by putting in protective computer elements like firewalls and filtering software. Issues addressed:

What is the Internet?
How is the Internet Regulated?
What are the threats and how serious are they?
How to Avoid and Reduce the Risks...
Content-Filtering Software
Using Filtering Software to Keep Out the Junk Mail
Internet Firewall Software
Antivirus Software
Malicious Software Detection
Putting Your Defense into Place
Spyware and Adware

Lists of common acronyms and emoticons are interesting; parents can learn about blogs, viruses attached to your child's e-mail and search engine filtering. Comparisons of programs like Net Nanny and McAfee are helpful for everyone. Simon Johnson has written a very helpful book to protect your entire family against threats lurking online.

~The Rebecca Review

Parents of kids newly diagnosed as having autism are often concerned bout how to interact with their child for maximum effectiveness. Playing, Laughing and Learning with Children on the Autism Spectrum is more than just a book about how to play with such a child: it shows how to break down activities into manageable stages, gain a child's attention, and build on play-oriented achievements for broader impact. Any parent with an autistic child will find this a winning guide, as will educators working with special education kids.

there are a few good ideas in this book, not exactly for me, but perhaps for others. I always find that it seems that they reach to hard to try and fill these types of books with activities, just take the concepts here and apply to each individual child is what I say!

There was some good info in this book, but mostly common sense. I am a early childhood teacher with a child with autism, and most of this is common practice in early childhood. It does give you a reason for the skill difficulty in children with autism, then gives you some ideas. not bad.

I thought that this was a great book. it really focuses on younger children, most other books that I have read are geared towards older kids. There were a lot of practical ideas and simple things that you could do with your child.

I found this book to be a great resource. It's a very gentle, child-centered way to promote interactive play with children on the spectrum. The examples are creative and easy to follow and most of the materials you can make yourself. Highly recommended!

what I liked about this book is that it's not a "how to" about internet dating, and it doesn't try and give advice. instead, this book gives you an overview of the whole online dating phenomenon, peppered with "fly on the wall" anecdotes from people whose experiences aren't always the most positive. a real-world view of online dating as told from a journalist's perspective.

A pretty-much content-free collection of anecdotes: this person met a few total creepazoids online, this other person met the love of her life, this third person finds online dating to be a handy way to cheat on his wife, and this little piggy went to market. Is there a point? Are there any insights? Is there any real information to be found? Not that I could see.

Orr delineates one of the few surviving business models from the dot com time. She describes how Match, Yahoo Personals, Date, eHarmony and others have attracted many. In fact, Match having garnered over 8 million by the time of the book's writing in 03. The basic human urge to procreate has led to these sites being some of the few that could charge membership fees and get away with it.

She gives case studies of several people that she interviewed. Only some of these found what they were seeking, by the book's end. But that is real life, eh?

The book points out that the biggest problem faced by Match and Yahoo is that their most successful customers meet partners and leave the websites. No repeat business from them. Fundamentally different from eBay or Amazon. Plus, the major dating sites have no feedback on their members. Quite unlike the auction sites, where this is now regarded as standard and necessary. Yet anecdotally, the amount of exaggeration in a dating site's member's description of himself or herself is probably more so than a typical item description in eBay.

Orr skillfully weaves together stories and data into a poignant narrative about internet dating. Lonely-hearts, Middle America Moms and dating gurus populate this entertaining landscape of love hunters. And its windows onto the world of Muslim dating are fascinating. Highly recommended.

I don't think I could give it a more enthusiastic recommendation. I just read here that another reviewer compared it to an episode of Sex and The City, and that is very true. Like the TV show this book, has many hilarious and very moving stories of the ups and downs of the dating game that anyone can relate to. Unlike Sex and the City, it's not all about spoiled New York City girls. There are stories of people from the heartland looking for love, middle aged small town people who have been divorced three times before finding true love online, lonely grandmothers, even people in China. The book also manages to impart some useful advice about writing your online dating profile, and about which sites you might want to consider joining.

The vast misrepresentations of scripture are only overshadowed by the misogony and personality disorders seeping from the text. Psychiatrists, take note! Undereducated hyper-fundamentalists are on display here to make all Christians look like Neanderthals, providing a wonderful case study for phychotherapists, or more fodder for liberal pundits.

Those seeking comfort, Biblical understanding, or divorce = RUN!

I bought this because my son is going through a divorce and I wanted something to help me so I could help him..... I STRONGLY recommend this book to anyone going through or has someone going through a divorce...

I never imagined I would be reading this book. I have cried rivers of tears this year upon facing the reality of my wife choosing divorce. Words simply can't describe how helpful this book was, on so many levels. I deeply appreciate the emphasis on Scripture. I just finished it and I am starting again now that my emotions are not so raw. I highly recommend anyone facing the indescribable horror of divorce, particuarly if you are the "non-initiator," to find an understanding friend in this book. Thank you, Joseph Kniskern, for having the courage to share your brokenness with me; I have thanked Him as you requested!

As we get older it seems that our time becomes even more precious. With every resource being depleted emotionally and physically during the divorce process time and attention is one of our most precious assets. There is no end to the books or the time we could spend reading on the subject of divorce. Make your time count by using this book as a support. I now personally recommend this to anyone in such a horrible situation. I will not re write the other great comments on this book but will simply say "it's worth every penny" as well as every moment spent with it. Good investment!

12/27/00

It has been exactly a year since my wife had an affair with her girlfriend's husband, filed for divorce, and hired my city's most notorious Family Law attorney to attack me. There are now five attorneys involved (2 custody, 2 financial, & a discovery referee) and four accountants.

If you are going through a divorce, or contemplating one, I must tell you, this last year has been the most difficult in my life. I have a strong faith in GOD, I am the father of two wonderful children, and I am the CEO of a large holding company.

I have always read 50 books a year. And this year is no exception. Only this year, 25 were on divorce ranging from "When a mate wants out" to "Moving on when your mate moves out". However, by far the best book I read was Joseph Warren Kniskern's book, "When the Vow Breaks".

I am the leader of a large organization and I teach as well. One of the greatest compliments I can get, is for someone to say, often many years later, "You made a difference in my life".

This is exactly the compliment of a lifetime that I want to give to Warren. His book made a difference in my life and it will in yours as well.

The book is full of practical advice and thought-provoking quotes and ideas. It may make you want to go out and strike up a conversation with a stranger on the street and apply the concepts. If you recognize that people are importnat and are seeking ideas of how to help them and be helped by them to produce better results, this book is a reliable reference. It is taught through a highly biblical tone as the Bible is quoted often and biblical stories drawn upon to illustrate concepts. If you prefer biblical illustration this book is great, if not you may get a bit frustrated with the constant references.

This is a very short, yet very comprehensive book on how to improve your view on life, people around you, improve their view of you, the art of persuasion, the art of bringing the best out if yourself and others around you. best short self-improvement book i've ever read.

I realize this is not the very latest from the genius of John Maxwell, but it the latest one I read. If I see Maxwell's name on it I will buy it and read it immediately. I could not but notice one review in particular that express disapproval of Maxwell writing a "religious" book in disguise. I wonder if this person ever thought that many of the social graces and principles of success are "religious" in origin?

All that aside this little book plainly, and smartly reminds people that if they are to be a successful leader and reach goals in whatever endeavor they choose within OR outside the church being a people person will bring you success as a leader. Basically Maxwell encourages readers to be other-centered and not self-centered. He shows us that when we help others to become better we all become better and we can achieve great things together.

When it comes to learning leadership principles John Maxwell stands head and shoulders above the rest... He is the real deal

Pro: It gives helpful advice on how to deal with difficult people from a Christian perspective.
Con: A lot of the advice is just a re-inerating of what is said in Dale Carnegie's book, "How To Win Friends And Influence People."

Maxwell has written an excellent title on how to get along better with people, whether at home, work, church, neighborhood, community involvement, etc.

Among the points covered include:

1. Helping people to solve their problems.
2. Establish your worth according to God's value system.
3. Effective leaders are leaders who are disciplined in their daily lives.
4. How to become a person who people trust.
5. Characteristics of winning teams.
6. Tips for taking criticism.
7. Putting yourself in other people's shoes.
8. Loving difficult people.

Read and be encouraged to have better interpersonal relationships!

Hi, i cant say enough about this author, i have most of his books and honestly all r gr8, its so good Detailed w/o, simple and easy to follow.

This is a virtual encyclopedia of exercises to target the deltoids, trapezius, biceps and triceps.

Unlike a lot of books, this one doesn't hand you a pre-fab workout for you to follow mindlessly. It's perfect for anyone who's looking to create a tailor-made workout based on their fitness level and available equipment, including barbells, dumbbells, and pulley/weight-stack machines. Its encyclopedic approach also helps alleviate boredom when your routine gets 'routine.'

While beginners might need a more structured approach starting out, this is still a good book for advanced beginners who have already integrated weight training into a regular fitness regimen.

I bought this book after I bought the "The complete book of ABS" by the same authors. I was so impressed by the thoroughness and effectiveness of the first book, that I decided to try this one and "The complete book of butt and legs".

Here you will find every you need to: understand the muscles involved, how to warm and stretch them, how to perform all major exercises, and of course complete routines designed to fit the needs of almost everybody.

If you liked "The complete book of ABS", you will love this one.

If you have read the authors other book on abs then this is the same thing only dealing with the upper body. Same format, same nutritional advice, etc.
But seeing as how the authors Ab book rocked I have to say that this book rocks equally as well.

I have a dozen or so workout/wieght lifting books and Kurt Burngardt "Complete Book" series is by far the best. Follow his workouts and advice and you will get excellent results. When is Kurt going to finish the series with a "Complete Book of Chest and Back"? I will buy the first copy. I hope it is comming.

This collection is great for early readers. My son loves these mini-books. I just need to open it up and he'll pick one w/ words or pictures that catch his eye and we'll make it.

It's a nice way to spend some fun learning time together - he likes to cut, help staple & fold, then read the book - all at his pace. He doesn't write yet, but we do the last part- fill in the missing letter page, verbally. We both get a nice sense of accomplishment!

Maybe I didn't read the description closely enough, but I didn't realize that the books needed to be cut out and assembled. The book is still sitting on a shelf waiting for me to find enough time to figure out how to assemble them. Not a good product for a busy mom with a lot going on.

Each of the little books not only uses a different word family, but also offers one or two new sight words. These are very short little books, great for the beginner reader that gets discouraged easily.
A snake
A snake wants to bake
A snake wants to bake a big cake
A snake wants to bake a big cake on a lake.
The last page offers the child a chance to fill in the first letter of the "ake" words.

The "eep" book goes like this
The Sheep
The sheep drove the jeep
The sheep drove the jeep and went beep
The sheep drove the jeep and went beep in his sleep.

Well you get the idea.

Children are excited about making and reading their own little books which they make. Funny pictures help them enjoy making additional words in each word family.

I have found this book to be helpful for using with my kindergarten class to work on word families. The children are very excited to learn that once they can spell (or read) a few words in a word family, they can spell (or read) many others with that same ending.

Each mini-book can be copied double-sided onto one page, and then cut apart and stapled to become an 8-page mini-book. This makes them a good choice if you are concerned about using too much paper or going over your copy budget.

BUYER BEWARE: I purchased this book and Adopting Online: Your #1 Guide to a Successful Adoption (also by Mardie Caldwell) and to my surprise THEY WERE ACTUALLY THE SAME BOOK, PUBLISHED LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS APART UNDER DIFFERENT TITLES! Nowhere did it say that one was a minimally updated version of the other.

While the information that these books contain is very good, I find it a very shady practice indeed to publish two books in this manner less than 4 months apart without informing potential buyers of the duplication. It has left me very wary of the author and the publisher. In fact, I would guess the US ISBN Agency would be interested in knowing these books are the same...

This book takes you through each part of a domestic adoption, and is vital for people who are considering a private adoption. It literally walks you through the steps and decisions you will need, and addresses concerns that many adoptive parents don't even consider until they are overwhelmed, in the middle of a situation.

If you have to buy one adoption book, this one should be the one!

Easy to read, full of helpful tip sheets & forms.

Probably best value is the directory in the back. Use it again and again!!

Adoption: Your Step by Step Guide is an easy-to-digest guide book on adoption in the 21st century. If you're looking for straight forward, honest, experienced, and encouraging information on how to pursue your adoption dream then this is the book for you. It is a quick read and filled with tons of outside resources to help you complete your adoption journey. Not only was it helpful, but the anecdotes and examples really helped make the process seem less overwhelming. Adoption is such a huge process, but this book helps make adopting a child seem within reach. Thank you!

Mardie Caldwell's wonderful book is the only one to answer all your questions about adoption. Whether you need help finding the child of your dreams or have been touched by adoption and would like to know more this book will provide the support and wealth of information you need.

EVERYTHING you need to know about adopting IN ONE BOOK, I love the authors ability to capture each situaton that can come up (including financial),lessening the fear of starting the adoption process. Many resources (if not all) are listed for every state and Canada! A must have guide if you are considering adopting.

This gorgeous gem of a book has some of the most beautiful and colorful illustrations I have ever seen, much like the colors of the cloth woven by Esperanza and her grandmother. It's a beautiful, touching look at the traditions of a women in a family and a culture we so often take for granted.

The book is great, but it was delivered to me and completely bent. Could have been prevented had a piece of cardboard been slipped in with the book.

This is one of our children's favorite stories. Especially since 5 of our children are adopted from Guatemala. It is a beautiful story of love and family. The illustrations are lovely as well. My Guatemalan born children love to have me read this story to them as well as my birth children.
I highly recommend them book to all families hoping to share a little bit of guatemala with their children.

Abuela's Weave is a very good, accurate book about how the Maya people actually live. I've travelled often to Guatemala and visited many villages. The pictures in Abuela's Weave depict life as it really is in the villages... the Mayan dress, the houses, work, animals. Very good. I read this book often to my 4 year old granddaughter and use the opportunity to educate her on Guatemalan culture and to teach her some Spanish. My cousin, Dominga Sic Ruiz, was born in Guatemala and adopted in the USA. We sell weavings made by the women of a village in Guatemala. The weavings go great with the book...hand in hand...to buy a weaving write to domingasic@hotmail.com Thanks. Mary P.

A beautifully illustrated book written by Omar S. Castaneda who was born in Guatemala and teaches writing at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. The artist, Enrique O. Sanchez was born in the Dominican Republic and has worked as a graphic artist for Sesame Street. Together they create magic.

Esperanza is a girl who is learning to weave with her grandmother, Abuela. On the day of the Fiesta de Pueblos in Guate, they decide to reveal their work to the world.

"Esperanza, however, wore her favorite huipil: it was a white blouse with red, blue and green threads in the rectangular collar. Under that, the colors bled into silver and blue, and hidden within the intricate designs of the blouse were tiny quetzals flying freely in the threads the way they once flew in the great forests of Guatemala."

They have to take a bus and then finally they arrive in the city. Once Esperanza starts to hang up her work, people start to look at the elaborate weavings and some even take pictures. She sells all the items and her grandmother is very proud of her.

A loving story that follows in the tradition of Guatemala's legendary artisans.

~The Rebecca Review