Independents Books

Dr. Johnson has written a moving portrait of Tinker v. Des Moines, a major 1960s Supreme Court decision. The "Struggle" that he discusses deals with the right of non-violent expression while in the confines of a public school. The narrative is richly grounded in newspaper articles, interviews, and letters to and from the primary individuals. This makes the story extremely personal and enlightening. An in-depth look into the workings of the Supreme Court may be the book's most profound contribution. Taking a controversial stand in time of war is never easy. The Tinker case shows that the heart of our democracy rests with those who dare to point us in a different direction.

In this down-to-earth guide to consulting, the authors provide tips, techniques, and hard-earned advice drawn from their successful consulting work around the world over the past 30 years. Before getting into how and why consultants do what they do, the authors walk you through a process of self-assessment and financial planning to help you decide if consulting is what you want to do. If it is, you'll find the balance of the book contains a wealth of do's and don'ts for identifying and marketing your services; finding and working with clients of all shapes, sizes, and personalities; and continuing to grow your business. As one who has done some consulting and taught courses on consulting to graduate students, I recommend this book as the place to start for people considering consulting. Experienced consultants will find the book useful as a way to assess and expand their practice.

Hi, I'm Nicholas Pino, a graduate from Evangel College (University) where Eleanor Syler used to teach. Not only do I own her textbook, but I had the privilege of having her as a teacher. This book is fantastic! How can they take it out of print? This book should be on every teacher's bookshelf...I have used the material more than once, both for myself and for my students. "Ellie" as we affectionately knew her has laid out the skills very plainly and clearly and in a fun way. I think many of the study skills I use to this day - that sometimes I take for granted - are indebted to Ellie's book. Please, please re-submit this manuscript for new publication - it's worth every page.

It's an excellent book for PhD students working on convergence theorem in stochastic simulation.

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times and NPR film critic, has traveled the world to watch movies at film festivals so that the viewing public can learn about new, upcoming films and the stars and artists that make them. Along the way, he has seen it all, from the upstart come mega-festival Sundance to little known venues in war zones like Sarajevo, Bosnia and Burkina Faso in Africa.

Now, Turan has written a delightful travelogue of his experiences, focusing on 12 of the more than 400 film festivals each year. The festivals he spotlights are divided into four sections: Festivals with Business Agendas (Cannes, Sundance, ShoWest), Festivals with Geopolitical Agendas (Burkina Faso, Havana, Sarajevo, Midnight Sun), Festivals with Aesthetic Agendas (Pordenone, Lone Pine, Telluride), and some failures under the section of the Politics of Festivals.

From the food to the people to the landscape to the cities to the films, Turan feeds us the flavors of each festival; but, that is not all as we get all the juice and details from behind the scenes of these festivals, and we really learn how they tick.

If you are a successful filmmaker, you will enjoy the nostalgic ride; if you are an inspiring filmmaker, there is much to learn before you visit your first festival as an insider; and, if you are a film buff, then you will enjoy the ride with Turan as he visits the festivals in ways we can't. Come along and visit the place where big Hollywoodland meets the independent spirit of film.

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

A Guide to my Book Rating System:

1 star = The wood pulp would have been better utilized as toilet paper.
2 stars = Don't bother, clean your bathroom instead.
3 stars = Wasn't a waste of time, but it was time wasted.
4 stars = Good book, but not life altering.
5 stars = This book changed my world in at least some small way.

This book is full of great tips for the single mom.....Easy read,
which is great for the busy schedule that comes with it! A definite
must-read for any mom looking for tips to save some extra $$!

In Taqsim, Zaid Shlah shows he has the ability to use powerful words and images to describe what is most fragile and precious to us. Shlah's poetry expresses a deep personal desire and longing, overwhelming your senses with physical beauty, powerful spicy aromas, and the rising crescendo of immigrant voices in North American living rooms recollecting memories of distant lands. But then Shlah doesn't stop there, taking you out of your comfort zone and calling into question your understanding to the root of what it means to belong to a particular place or time. You begin to yearn to find your own connection to great civilizations long ago destroyed, just as he does; with the mere stroke of his pen he takes you from ancient city spire to desert crossings and mountain passes. Shlah is as moving in his love poems as he is in his impassioned letters of protest, as convincing in his descriptions of fierce men cleaving the earth of the Canadian backwoods as of soft-spoken artists playing the Iraqi oud; he is as much in place in Calgary as he is in Baghdad. Taqsim, we hope, is but a taste of many more works to follow.

This is an excellent book on the history of oil and the United States and how the Federal government colluded with Big oil to wipe out Texas independents. A great history.

For anyone who wants to cut through the lies of 'just wars' and 'global cop' or 'the US supports democracy and freedom,' this book is essential. A long, close look at US foreign policy, based mostly on primary sources (presidential libraries), the book tells in the words of the decision-makers the prejudices guiding these wise men directing the course of 'democracy.' Mussolini, the Shah of Iran, Batista, et al., all 'our' allies despite the fact of democratically-elected governments the US had to push out of the way to make way for the strong-arm despots. Schmitz makes a good case that this was all due to paternalism (those little brown/yellow people aren't ready for democracy; anti-communism (the democratically-elected gov'ts the US replaced with dicators generally desired agrarian reform); and simple racism (see paternalism).

They didn't teach me this stuff in school . . .

A great bibliography represents long, hard scholarship, and the index makes this a great reference work.

i just received this book and it is excellent. Very informational and heart warming. Full of useful information. What a touching journey that this family has endured. kudos to the author and her Husband. This book will touch anyone with a special needs child.