Family Resources Books

The book shows once again that the real opportunities and difficulties in management and in everyday life are directly linked to understanding human behaviour and culture. This is a good book for managers who deal with different generations in their workspace, with the differences and similarities the generations have. Real-life cases and recommended solutions can come in handy.

Bridging the Generation Gap: How to Get Radio Babies, Boomers, Gen Xers, And Gen Yers to Work Together And Achieve More is an excellent resource for managers who work with every generation in their workplace. It's a good reminder of the differences and similarities the generations have and how the workplace can be more enjoyable once the generations are understood. Academic admission offices should pay attention to Chapter Nine which describes the generation that will be entering college in the next few years.
The number of typos throughout the book were disappointing. Is that a generational thing?

This is a great teacher / parent resource book. It is full of bulletin board ideas. The patterns are simple and esy to use. Actually, as a pre-school teacher I use the patterns separtely for many projects. I use this book as a reference for many theme related activities as well as a starting place for bulletin boards. I only wish the patterns on the cover were included in the book (they aren't).

Good bulletin boards, practical ideas, easy to understand. Kids really enjoy them.

I was assigned the book 'God, Kids & Us: The Growing Edge of Ministry with Children and the People Who Care for Them' as part of my seminary training. There were elements that were familiar, and elements that were new to me.

The exercises from the book Janet Marshall Eibner and Susan Graham Walker were eye-opening from the very start. Perhaps the primary thing I learned from the experience was one not really intended from the class I took - I learned how devoid my life is of children. There are the occasional grandchildren and great-grandchildren visiting the retirement community where I am chaplain, but I generally only see them for a moment or so (when families are visiting residents, I usually try to stay out of their way, since the residents tend to see me far more often). At the seminary, the community college where I work, and at home, there are no children, save by `accident'. In order to accomplish the worksheets required for class, I had to ask students in the Tutoring Centre at my college to take them home to their children and bring them back to me.

Eibner and Walker discuss in their chapter on pastoral care and paying attention the different kinds of learning styles that can be adapted for individuals within a communal setting. This relates well to learning styles and pedagogical analyses such as Howard Gardner's 'Frames of Mind' - it seems like it should be obvious, but it is often overlooked in planning, that children learn differently one from another. One might respond to visual art, another to music, another to activity, another to reading, and so on.

This is a very practical book, intended to help the educator take stock of the current situation and plan from there accordingly. One thing that is important is not taking things for granted, or assuming that one knows because one is the adult, teacher or parent. Elements such as choosing appropriate curriculum, selecting and training appropriate teachers and volunteers, and continuing to look after the training and effectiveness of the education programme are all contained here. Eibner and Walker include sample job descriptions, questionnaires and recommended readings - this book is clearly intended to be the start of the process, rather than the full process in and of itself.

Children can come up with questions and insights beyond what 'normal' adult parameters may be - these are to be encouraged, fostering a mutual learning experience between educator and child. Throughout this text, the idea of mutual process as part of a whole community is emphasised, and including children as full members of that community is of paramount importance.

This is a great book to use for those involved in or thinking about children's ministry and church school. It is also a good book for parents and grandparents, to see what kinds of considerations go into (or should go into) the composition of effective and nurturing church school experiences.

I was looking for books to help teach my child re holy communion. This book was recommended, but really dosen't have any reference to communion instruction in it. It would be helpful for Episcopalian Christian Education Leaders.

According to the subtitle, the audience for this book is librarians and "health care consumers," but according to the introduction, the audience is both of those and "health professionals," as well. Its stated purpose is to introduce readers to where and how to find health information on the Internet, including the Web, newsgroups and related resources.

The editor and nearly all of the chapter authors or co-authors are librarians by profession, most of them affiliated with universities, usually working in medical libraries.

HIGHLIGHTS

The most thorough and useful chapter is the one by helen-ann brown [sic] and Valerie G. Rankow on various free and fee-for-service or pay-per-view gateways to searching the National Library of Medicine's MEDLINE archives of medical journal articles. The co-authors include two tables that compare features and advantages of six free services that offer access to MEDLINE, plus info on four fee-based services.

These charts help readers choose which services may be preferable for their particular purposes. When the authors explain how to narrow a search to a specific focus or to stipulate search criteria (such as the prognosis for a disease), they include a sample search that explains their search strategy, lists the key words that strategy translates to in Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), and shows one search result as an example. This chapter is far more valuable for the reader's long-term benefit than the many other chapters that suggest starting at megasites or Web search engines, and then repeat the same site info throughout the book.

The chapters on statistical information and medical journals are also good, although some of this information is included in others chapters where the authors didn't stick to their assigned topics. For instance, the chapter on government resources for health information digresses too far into statistical information, especially since that's the topic of the chapter by different authors that follows.

LIMITATIONS

One gets the impression that the authors or co-authors weren't aware of what each chapter in the book would cover, or at least that there wasn't sufficient guidance, oversight or actual editing to prevent the considerable redundancy and poor organization of the information. Lack of developmental editing aside, the book apparently had neither a style guide nor a copy editor, judging by the hodgepodge of headings and subheadings and the difficulty of following the presentation in some of the chapters. Even the Web addresses (URLs) aren't written consistently.

Because of the inconsistencies, redundancies and confusing organization, it becomes too tedious to read the whole book thoroughly, so most readers are likely to end up skimming, thereby perhaps missing useful how-to tips. Keeping the how-to info at the beginning of each chapter, followed by lists of annotated citations that adhere to a consistent format would improve the readability and usefulness of this book.

The hardback version was published in 1999, followed by a paperback in 2000. As nearly every chapter states, information online - what exists and, certainly, where to find it - changes daily. At the least, both editions should have included a CD-ROM with live links to the sites mentioned in each chapter, or else aggregated both by category and alphabetically. Better yet, a companion Web site that is updated at least twice a year, even as a paid-subscription service, would be far more useful than a print-only book that can't help but be outdated before it's even off the press.

The editor and five of the 17 chapter authors or co-authors are librarians in Pennsylvania - five of them, including the author, at Pennsylvania State University; four others among the authors are librarians at the University of Minneapolis; the rest are at the University of Maryland (two), the University of Michigan, the New York City area or in Florida. All have good credentials, but the concentration at certain universities and in limited geographic areas is bothersome.

SUMMARY

Despite the drawbacks of the organization and format, even readers who are familiar with the Web and other Internet resources are likely to discover several Web sites, and services offered through certain sites, that they would not have known about and may never have found without this book. Just a couple of discoveries like that can be worth the price of the book, because they could save time and help in other ways continually thereafter.

This guide for librarians and health care consumers discusses how to locate and search for health care information on the internet. Charts, figures and tables supplement details on specific web sites and their descriptions to help users both locate and evaluate health care sites.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. As a (future) pastor's wife, it gave me some insight into what to expect in this ministry I hope to embrace someday. The extraordinary women who share their experiences as pastors' wives are reflective, enthusiastic, and, perhaps most importantly, honest about the ups and downs of their unique ministries. Overall, their love for the Lord and His work is evident. This book piqued my interest and encouraged my spirit!

I enjoyed reading the experiences of each of the women. I don't have anything against the written content of the book - it was very good. My struggle came in when as a pastors wife of color, I went from chapter to chapter seeing pictures of these wonderful pastors wives but not one of them was a woman of color. That was painful. As a beleiver, I feel pretty certain that the author did not intend to offend or hurt anyone. The author, however, leads a ministry to support pastors wives. Does that not include women of color? If so, then how come none could be found worthy enough to be an encouragement in this book. If you don't understand my point of view or heart towards this matter then you need to connect with God's heart on this. Because these types of issues not only hurt people of color but the Body of Christ as a whole. Blessings to you all!

As a homeschooler, I found this book to be very educational for parents, both those considering homeschooling as an option, and those who are already homeschooling. It may also be enlightening for non-homeschoolers to read, to dispell or confirm any opinions they may have about homeschooling.

The contributors invite the reader into their homeschooling experiences through their descriptions of their various homeschooling styles. I thoroughly enjoyed peeking into their lives, and being allowed to consider each lifestyle for myself, at my own pace. Often when socializing with other homeschoolers, we only get glimpses into their daily routines. This book allows the reader to savor each style presented, and to consider whether each style would or would not match one's family lifestyle.

With new homeschoolers, there is always the lurking suspicion that there may be a "better way" of doing things - this book helps clarify and define each style, with great candor and personal detail. Some styles I related strongly to, and a couple I reacted strongly against. But having the benefit of being exposed to ALL the styles represented, it reaffirmed that we are on the right track for what suits our family's lifestyle, taught me tolerance for styles that don't suit us, and it also gave me the privilege of knowing that there are other homeschooling families out there just like ours, so we needn't feel isolated in our homeschooling journey.

The author's introduction and closing chapters, as well as the vast collection of resources, were of particular value. Mrs. Steimle addresses and neatly summarizes many important issues to homeschoolers, such as scheduling and research supporting the fact that homeschooled children are more appropriately socialized than their peers.

I found the lack of standard editing to be a distraction, but overall, I was greatly enriched by reading this book. I enthusiastically recommend it to others, especially those wanting to "try on for size" different homeschooling styles other than their own.

Home Is Where the Learning Is:
Homeschool Lifestyles From Homeschool Moms
Valerie J. Steimle
Booklocker.com
Genre: How to
ISBN: 1591139387, $14.95, 204 pp, 2006

This book is about homeschooling-about parents taking the time to educate their children. The information is presented in a logical, understandable manner and begins with Chapter One: The Basics of Homeschool by Valerie J. Steimle. Valerie has written the Prologue, Chapter One, Chapter Ten: The Final Word and Chapter Eleven: Homeschooling Resources.

The other chapters were written by other women homeschoolers: Cherie Logan, Lisa Odaffer, Gail Thomas, Donna Knox, Caren Gibson, Debbie Hanson and Lisa Hyman Johnson, plus a chapter by the Baldwin County Homeschoolers.

This is an excellent book if you are considering homeschooling your child/children and provides just about everything you'll need to know to make an intelligent decision. The Homeschooling Resources chapter is extensive and includes books, magazines, catalogues, curriculums and websites.

Valerie J. Steimle has been homeschooling her children since 1990 and has had numerous articles about family issues published. She is also the author of Home Is Where The Heart Is.

I'm certain this book will be much appreciated by those considering such an option.

Reviewed by Kaye Trout - May 15, 2006 - Copyright

This book offers good practical advice, but could have been a pamphlet rather than a book. I'm sure the book is best accompanied by the enthusiastic author who understands the subject and the need for the information.

At last there's help for those of us that don't have alot of interests, and don't know what we're going to do in retirement. Other books tell you to follow your dreams and passions. But they don't tell you how to figure out what they are. This book does. And in a simple and easy-to-follow way. It is very helpful.

I was trying to find a "picture cookbook" to give my brother for a Christmas present. This book was under the list for "picture cookbooks" along with Betty Crocker... I thought Betty might be too boring or basic and wanted to give this a try because our family loves Italian. Well, there weren't really any pictures in it. The recipes do look good and interesting and it has some suggested menus that look like fun. It just wasn't what I was expecting.

This is an excellent collection of authentic Italian dishes. The "Pennette al Salmone" (Mini-Penne Pasta with Salmon Sauce) is one of my favorites and one that you won't be likely to find in an Italian-American restaurant. If you're looking for traditional recipes that you can make for your whole family this is the book for you. Warning: There is no recipe for spaghetti and meatballs in this book! :)

Jessica doesn't want the school to cut down the schools forrest area for a stupid soccer field..she has liked sitting among the trees,talking to a funny little bird.So she even goes as far as to tie herself to a tree...hmm..dont try taht one at home.

Hi! If you haven't read Jessica Saves the Trees, you should! It's awesome!it's about this girl with no life who goes to save trees in her spare time cuz she's got nothin better to do. thats aboutit!

I read Mr. Rogers book, and thought this must be the ultimate nice guy, who finally triumphs and gets the girl. However, I noted he never talked about his own relationship, and wondered did it work for him?

A tremendous guide to the tricky business of online dating. There's a wealth of detail on chatrooms and online dating agencies and even advice on how to progress your relationship offline (the trickiest part.) I found the tips invaluable when meeting a woman I had met online. The first date started terribly, with her taken aback by my pronounced gynecomastia, and conversation was more or less non-existent in the restaurant. But I followed the author's advice and we skipped dessert and headed on to an internet cafe and the juicy chat started flowing. First rate.