Independent Books

I got this book for my daughter in 5th grade who will soon be taking the SSAT. I liked that it explained the test and included a practice test, the answers and explained the answers. Getting to take a practice test will be a big help to my daughter so that she will not go in cold. It would be nice if the book had the practice test on seperate sheets or a cd rom.

I love Katharine Hepburn and this is a absolutly terrific, especially all the pictures. Oh and it has her correct b-day, May 12, 1907.

I liked the description of travel across the english channel. I've had a couple of rough crossings myself and can relate. The descriptions of life in Paris make a pleasant change from the settings of London. I enjoyed the characters of the Earl of Thurrock, Miss Louisa Finsham's maid Betty, the groom Pershaw especially.

The detailed analysis was a bit over my head (not my field), but the graphs and charts DID support and clarify the points and stories the writers (and editor) were telling. I've often seen such 'Third World' entrepreneurship successfully at work in Asia, and it's about time we learned these lessons from the (only materially) poor. Such people are usually, in fact, a delightful, profitable investment!

Samir Amin's autobiography is rich in so many ways! It will be a revelation for most readers having so little exposure to the "third" (and "fourth") worlds; to scholarly and development activities of the U.N.: to Africa, Egypt, and France; to Marxist economics; and to the world from any perspective but that of the U.S.

Amin's family includes Egyptian and French parentage and a grandmother who felt Jesus was the first communist in his concerns for the underprivileged. A humane economist, trained in maths and econometrics but understanding through social and historical context, Amin is a refreshingly independent Marxist. (For many Americans labeling and our own form of brainwashing will dismiss rather than engage any such views - our own loss.)

My only complaint would be that there are too many unfamiliar names listed of those with whom Amin worked. That can be easily overlooked because there is also the sometimes fascinating and instructive personal anecdote. A Christian in Egypt, Arab in France, Francophile in Egypt, economist scholar in developmental planning, administrator among scholars, `Westerner' in Senegal and Mali - Amin always manages to be something of an "insider" with connections and understanding that enriches the story.

There is enough here of essential ideas to introduce matters that can be further elaborated by reading the short (112 pages text) "Liberal Virus: Permanent War and the Americanization of the World" and the `intellectual itinerary' "Re-Reading the Postwar Period". Samir Amin has been a creative and important force in Economics far more than any college course here would recognize.

(As of this date the picture of the cover is of the wrong book!)

The photography in Ralph Gibson's Light Years take items, which normally would not be unique, and translates them into photographs that capture beautiful lines, shadows, textures, shapes, and contrast. His use of black and white enhances the clarity of the photo, but it also diminishes any known fact of a particular scene, object, or body part, providing his audience with the ability to imagine for themselves what the photo is about. You can also tell that Gibson specifically photographs a section, providing a lot of consideration to composition.

Jean Bunnell's 'Living On Your Own' is an excellent model to follow for either a consumer and family education (AKA: Home Economics!) class curriculum or for a special education transition classroom. The book leads the student, step-by-step through living in a mock city, starting with map skills. The book includes surfing the classifieds, filling out forms, finding an apartment (and maybe a roommate!), and balancing your budget. While it requires significant adaptation and some additional materials to be useable with students with special needs, it is well worth. This book can then be used as the "final assessment" to see if the student has learned the necessary skills. I have used this book for close to ten years with varying types of students with special needs including those with learning disabilities, cognitive impairments, autism, physical disabilities and behavior disorders. The students typically respond well to the various units because they have a vested interest in being independent in their communities.

A good look at the history of relations between the Soviet Union and the United States in the period between WWII and the mid 1980's. Lack of information from Soviet sources (because they weren't available) a drawback, but good perspective from the NATO side.

This book represents one of the few texts available that address the changes in the role of the principal in the American school. It is thorough and insightful. Anyone interested in the role of principal should read this text.

4 stars because these are good books, but not the home-run-great-can-I-give-this-more-than-5-stars-please books that I have come to expect from Gaydos.

These are basically just counting books. After you've read the first one, you know all the other books. Which is a shame because one of the main strengths of Nora Gaydos other books is the quirky stories that grab the reader. No real motivation to read these other than to get the sticker (and that can be a great motivator for your early reader, can't it).

See my other reviews for some of the GREAT Gaydos books.