Schools and Instruction Books

For somebody interested in art, a book with many pictures is easy to read and enjoy.

The convenience of the pocket edition is incredible and the quality of the images and analysis is excellent.

The Story of Art is a classic introduction to the history of fine art. The sweeping scope is matched only by the driven narrative that will fascinate the neophyte and the well versed. This book is THE introductory text for any study of art.

As his title indicates, in The Story of Art Gombrich presents the whole of western art history as a chronological narrative -- from prehistoric times on up to his own times -- clearly setting out everything from ancient sculpture to Renaissance painting to modern architecture.This book can change the way you look art.Intellectually and physically pure delight.

Having already been exposed to art history and criticism, I felt at times that this book was overly simplistic. (It was originally written for "young people" after all...) What was harder for me to appreciate were the frequent passages in which Gombrich gives vent to his own personal opinions (gushing on about Rubens for instance.) He makes a token effort to be objective but his Eurocentric bias toward the superiority of Classically-inspired Renaissance art is clear.

However, as an introduction to Art History and Art Appreciation, you could do a lot worse. Gombrich is easy to read, he states himself clearly, he presents the history of art (in Europe) as a steady evolution of ideas, rather than a compartmentalized series of Eras & Styles as so many academic textbooks do. He selected illustrations that most effectively elucidate his point. Useful as his book is, it would be a mistake to treat him as a final authority on the subject. _The Story of Art_ is merely an INTRODUCTION to art. Once Dr. Gombrich has opened the door for you, you should leave him behind and continue your explorations on your own, or at least with a different guide. Form your own opinions; that's part of the experience of art.

About the Pocket Edition specifically: The text is in the front (printed on very thin "Bible" paper) and the illustrations are in the back. Phaidon has provided two built-in ribbon bookmarks so you can keep your place in both sections. It's an interesting solution for making the book smaller. I can vouch for the fact that it's easy to carry around, since I took it with me on two trips while reading it, but the arrangement does have its drawbacks. Having to flip back & forth to look at the pictures as they are referred to in the text, and having to hold two places simultaneously while reading means that you have to use both hands. I like to read while I eat (yeah, I'm one of THOSE people) but found it was impossible with this edition. If portability and price are your top concerns, then this is the edition to get. Otherwise, shell out the extra $$ for the full-sized version.

I had this book as a kid and loved it - no written instructions, just step by step pictures that are easy to follow. My 11-yr old and 7-yr old both like it. The final pictures are full of character and are really fun. This may not be a book for a kid who's really serious about drawing, but it's great fun for the average artist, adults included.

I bought this book for my 4 yr old son. He has learnt to draw many animals from this book. He is able to follow directions and draw all by himself. He has been doing a pretty good job too. This is a good book if you or your child need step by step instructions to draw animals.

I bought this book for my 4 1/2 year old but really for myself since I'm a horrible artist! This book allowed us to draw the animals together and he was able to follow the steps easily. If you can write the letter "D", "C" and stright and squiggly lines you can duplicate any animal is this book. Pretty cool since my son used to not like art of any sort but now he is in this drawing phase. I'm going to buy some other of these books in the series.

I love this book. I had this book as a child (in the 80's) and I was so excited to see that I could purchase one for my daughter. My child is in pre-school and has been practicing drawing basic shapes. Ed Emberley's book teaches children (and adults) how to draw animals by piecing together basic shapes such as squares, circles, triangles, etc. The directions are easy to follow, and show you step-by-step how to combine different shapes into a final product. I would recommend this book for any age group, from a child who is just learning to draw to an adult who loves to doodle.

I had this when I was growing up and wanted to share it with my toddler. It is great because although he is too young to draw these things, he recognizes them in the book (and when I draw them) and we can make up our own stories together. When he gets a better handle on drawing for himself, the book will grow into that role. Yay!

Words Their Way is an excellent source for teachers to use for word study. It gives great insight into how kids learn to spell.

It's been shown that spelling provides a window to one's reading. This book explains the developmental stages children go through K- adult. The database software on one of the CDs that allows one to analyze the spelling inventories and sort the results is very easy to use. Classroom teachers appreciate the data I have been able to give them on their students. The word games and short videos on the 2nd CD are very helpful. The analytical phonics approach is very kid-friendly right up through high school. This is a very thorough resource that every ELA, SpEd, and Title I teacher should use.

The book is outstanding. The materials in the book is easy to read and follow. I use the activities and word sorts in my classroom each day. I have used the spelling inventory with my class, also.
I do have a problem with the CD that came with the book. I wish the word sorts involving words would be big like the picture sorts are. My students have trouble with the small size of squares.

This is a great resource. It gives many examples of how to impliment the program. One thing I really like about Words Their Way is the fact that is hands on. This will really help my students who are more concrete thinkers.

My children attended a public school where this program was used. When I brought them home due to their various LDs/allergies, I balked at the $40 price tag of this book and opted for the less expensive Spectrum Spelling books for their grade level. I found those to be rather annoying because often my children already knew the words. And the ones they didn't know, they would spell correctly on the tests, but they didn't necessarily continue to spell the words correctly in their writing. Mid-way through the year I abandoned the Spectrum books and purchased this one.

My favorite thing about this approach is how the kids really think about and interact with the words. It is a disciplined program, I require my kids to do a word sort and an activity in their spelling journals every day -- their choice. However, this typically takes less than 10 minutes a day.

The other thing I do is pretest the kids every week to find out which words they need to study. If they already know a spelling pattern, then I don't give it to them and move on to the next one. Sometimes I pull misspelled words out of their writing, and then find the pattern that applies and give them those words for the week.

I will say, that for most homeschoolers, this book is pretty heavy on the theory, and the "how-to" is mixed up with the theory so it may take more work up front to start the program if you are unfamiliar with the idea of spelling notebooks and word activities. But it is quite fascinating, and will give you a new appreciation for a young child's emerging spelling skills, as well as concrete strategies for helping older students with more complex words.

As for content, the book covers spelling from pre-K through at least middle school, perhaps early high school.

And the CD-Rom is a real time-saver too, with its words for sorts and activities.

All in all, quite effective, very interesting, and a great value - you buy this once and then purchase simple notebooks or composition books for their spelling journals, and you are set for years to come.

This is one of the, if not THE most solid animal book there is. Packed with drawings (as all of Jack Hamm's books are)...very clear. It's the book I'd recommend first for someone who wants to learn to draw animals. I'm a professional working in animation and this is a book that all of my coworkers own.

While Jack Hamm is quite well-respected, I have to recommend The Art of Animal Drawing: Construction, Action Analysis, Caricature (Dover Books on Art Instruction, Anatomy) for anyone considering this book. While this book does have a lot of useful information (like demonstrating the position of the ankle in different animals), some of Hamm's drawings are lifeless, stiff, and sometimes downright awkward-looking. This is most likely due to the use of taxidermy models (in some cases photos of taxidermy models) as the base for his drawings. This is most evident in some of his more exotic animals where the faces look malformed.

Even by looking at the images provided here, there is a bit of a difference in the feel his sketch images when compared to his finished ones. This is more pronounced in the book itself when you see the book in its entirety. The poses for the finished animals are routinely a little bit unnatural looking, just like how the lion on the front is, if you look at him long enough.

Hamm's instruction itself is valuable, but the images he presents with them are not always the best. I have personally found copying the images in a drawing book to be a good study to understand an animal and get an idea of what it is and how it moves, and that is where this book falls short. Basically you end up copying a copy.

I would not hesitate to recommend this to someone looking for a couple of animal drawing books, but if you're only going to buy one, Hultgren is the way to go. I speak as someone who owns both. This book has some useful information in it, but Hultgren is the one I carry around with me. In conclusion, it's a good book, but not the best.

The book was in fair shape. A little disappointed because it was less than advertised condition. But not enough to make an issue of it. It was OK.

Helpful when you must insert animals into a painting or drawing; well put together and a good variety of animals.

Every artist should own this book, it has great instructions, and illustrations, of animal structure, shapes and design

I love Ed Emberley and the techniques that he uses to teach drawing.

This book is my favorite because it's packed with all kinds of things to draw. Gumball machines, people in action, animals, trucks, planes, you name it.

You really can draw your own little world.

This would be a great gift with some paper and markers for the young budding artist.

I bought this for a friends son who is 7. This is the only Ed Emberely book that he didn't have. He loves them!

A world is right! So many things to draw in this book. Simple and colorful to enlighten young and old imaginations.

Great book for kids who like to draw but have trouble doing it freehand. Nice step-by-step instructions.

I was disappointed that the inside drawings looked just like the cover drawings... duh, I suppose, but I was expecting more. I gave it to the 9-year-old 'patient' anyway, but wasn't excited about doing so.

Have you ever spent money for a book that promisssed to deliver everything to get you through your daily lesson plans, and it didn't? Well here is a book that does get you in the door and on the road to happiness, without unnecessary verbal ramblings. This is your full course menu to successful, sequencial INTERESTING lesson plans. Choose your own side dishes of folk songs and games. Listening lessons are varied from folk songs, to symphonic works and the latest in Jazz recordings. So much research with real teachers went into this masterpiece of a teaching manuel. I have only had mine two weeks, have been teaching over 25 years, and I can not put the book away. So many AHA exciting lesson plans. This book is for you and every teacher young or experienced.

This is a must for every elementary music teacher. The terminology is clear, the "scripts" foolproof and the logic of the sequence undoubtedly the most logical ever. This is going to transform how much my students can learn. I just wish I'd had something like this when I started teaching.

"Kodaly Today" is a large book stuffed with everything you ever wanted to know about the Kodaly process. If you are knew to the process, this a great place to start to familiarize yourself with the process. This book contains songlists for every grade (Kinder through upper elementary) in addition to monthly lesson plans for each grade. It helps that I have been taking a class with one of the authors (Tacka), but this a great book by itself for those music teachers who need a solid Kodaly resource. This is a large book, it is a little cumbersome to lug around, but it has a lot of information about how to present music concepts to young children. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wishes to have a more thorough understanding of the Kodaly process.

The long awaited for guide to music teachers is worth the wait. The authors pack it with sound phylosophy and practical suggestions, as well as many examples. I hope that not only music teachers will read it but also school principles and music administrators. They are the ones who decide if and how much music education our children will receive.

I'm old to music teaching but new to the Kodaly concept and this book has me chomping at the bit to get back to school and try it! I've never been much for writing down a lesson plan but now I feel that using the templates in Chapter 9 and plugging in the teaching strategies from chapter 8 will make me the best and most organized I've ever been. Besides just using those 2 chapters for the rest of my life, the remaining zillion pages of the book are actually enjoyable to read with lots of historical/biographical tidbits about Kodaly and intelligent writing throughout. I love this book so much I want to marry it!

This book is a great book for children and adults who want a basic introduction to art mediums. DK always does a good job of describing and it is an enjoyable read.

I had to get this for school. It's not a bad book and certainly is useful. I flipped thorough it to get some ideas.

I've seen books like these on clearance at book stores, so I think paying full price for this was silly.

DK books are always a "best buy" when it comes to bringing clear, concise information on how to do almost anything.

The book is in wonderful shape! My daughter needed it for a college class so the price helped her out a lot. I am an art teacher and was very impressed with it. I told her when she is finished with it she needn't pay me back...just give ME the book.

We bought this for our 14-year-old nephew, who is just starting to exhibit an interest in art. It is truly a great introduction to drawing and perspective, painting (oil, watercolor, acrylics), and even mixed media. Don't expect great depth in any one area, but its easy to read and use, heavily illustrated to keep kids' attentions, has a nice glossary. All in all, a really really great value and a book that is exactly what its title says it is.

Striking It Rich is my bed-sided book. I used to live in Phnom Penh for a few years and understand the people as well as their culture. A society in which the power is Gun and Money. I really admire Doctor Sheftall because he dared to risk his life by playing golf with those military generals. The author is a super intelligent, talent and funny person. Through the very incredible, amazing golf stories and other ones in his life in Southeast Asia, Doctor Sheftall shared his life experiences in a very funny way but he really means it: My eyes darted between my beautiful angel, her husband, the AK-47, her nipple pressing against the front of her pajamas, the door, her husband, the AK-47, her nipples, the door... Then a strange calm came over me......

I couldn't help laughing with the way he wrote the stories. You will enjoy it. I would recommend to anyone to this book and of course to the golf players.

Rein Forest

Reid Sheftall, an American doctor who specializes in burn and reconstructive surgery lives and practices medicine in Cambodia, a country in which feuds are sometimes settled by splashing acid on one's enemy.

At 46, Dr. Sheftall wondered if he, a practicing surgeon, could return to the game of golf and play respectably on the professional tour, while keeping his day job. He had been a promising junior some 28 years ago when he quit playing golf to pursue other sports. It wouldn't be easy to qualify for the Malaysian Pro Golf Tour, but the temptation lingered. While running a medical center in Phnom Penh and treating children of unfortunate acid attacks, he practiced his swing by hitting balls at ships cruising by on the Mekong River.

How he became part of that pro tour is revealed in his recent memoir, Striking it Rich: Golf in the Kingdom with Generals, Patients and Pros. Sheftall utilizes his golfing adventure as the framework to chronicle his work as a surgeon, as well as the joys and pitfalls of being a 46-year-old bachelor living in Cambodia.

For instance, when he played in his second pro tournament, the Chevrolet Open, Dr. Sheftall was concerned about his travel expenses to and in Pattaya, Thailand, where the tournament was being played. An expensive hotel in a Thai beach resort could be a budget-buster for the third world surgeon. So, he found an inexpensive hotel - a real bargain at only $[...] per night - even if it was located down a dark alley. It did not occur to Sheftall that this was a house of ill repute until the all- female "bell-hop" staff appeared dressed in string bikinis. All night, he heard banging on doors and giggling girls running in the corridors. Due to the commotion and lack of sleep, he nearly missed his tee time the next day.

Striking it Rich includes numerous entertaining experiences and tips that are appropriate for golfers and non-golfers. What appears to be a story about a middle-aged fellow and his quest to become a professional golfer after years away from the game, morphs into a collection of stories of unexpected humor and heart-touching encounters. The reader is treated to a peek into the life of a struggling golfer on the pro circuit who is also a doctor that continues to treat patients. Dr. Sheftall must also learn dating etiquette in a foreign country. This is one of those rare books this reader hated to finish, knowing the story continues as the doctor continues to golf his way across Southeast Asia.

I recommend this inspirational book to anyone looking for more than mere entertainment in their leisure reading. Striking It Rich opened up new areas of interest for me, including a fascination for life in a part of the world I knew little about prior to reading this book. Dr. Sheftall's story inspired me to face new challenges in middle age and to provide assistance and awareness for the unfortunate victims of acid attacks in Cambodia.

Half the profits of the $19.95 book go to Operation Kids, a charity founded by Dr. Sheftall in 2001, to provide free surgery for burned and disfigured children of the developing world who otherwise can not afford treatment.



A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Reid Sheftall graduated with a physics degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. When he was only 21, he became a member of the University of Southern California faculty. Later, after a brief stint as a card counter in Nevada, he went to medical school. He completed his surgery residency and a fellowship in pediatric burn reconstruction. Dr. Sheftall currently lives in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he serves Director of the American Medical Center, Phnom Penh.

Dr. Sheftall is also the author of The Tour Player's Handbook: Strategic Decisions Under Pressure in Tournament Golf. Readers may email him with questions or comments at [...].

This is a fantastic book which combines a unique golf odyssey with some fascinating cultural insights on southeast asian culture. For a full review, please see my article on thesandtrap.com, at [..]If you aren't intrigued enough by the story line to buy the book, remember that half of all proceeds from sales go to fund Dr. Sheftall's charitable efforts in Cambodia. Happy reading!

With the exception of a handful of casual rounds at social events, Dr. Sheftall had not played golf for almost 30 years. When he started playing again in his late 40s, he found his game was still there. While on holiday in the US, he was encouraged by a pro golfer to consider playing professionally.

What followed was an intriguing adventure as he prepared and played on poorly maintained courses in Cambodia (where he works as a surgeon) with machine gun toting military officials. It was through high stakes games with these men that he improved to the point that the generals would not allow him to play with them anymore.

His experiences at the professional golf events throughout East Asia also highlight the main differences between professional and non-professional golfers. These philosophies and strategies he revealed has already improved parts of my golf game.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story and to any golfer who dreams of playing professionally.

What an incredible book. While there are a lot of Golf stories in this book it really is about so much more and can be applied to any sport or business venture. I couldn't put it down.I learned a lot about the importance of the mental aspect of the game/sports and how you must play it one shot at a time and forget the bad ones as well as the good ( something I had never thought of). I laughed out loud and was amazed at the incredibly awkward situations the author was capable of getting himself into ( over and over and I laughed harder each time). He must be brilliant, scoring 800 on the SAT Math, Physics degree from MIT, Med School and Re-constructive Surgical training and then decides at age 46 that he wants to become a PGA
golfer ....all while doing recontructive surgery on children in Cambodia.
I am making my kids read this book ....there is so much to learn here.
You owe it to yourself to read this one...you won't regret it.

My daughter received this book (along with I Can Draw Animals also excellent!) for Christmas (which was 2 days before her 5th birthday) and she LOVES it! Very easy directions she can follow all by herself and something she uses over and over again! Great book for little artists!

My 6 yr old gets this book out and starts drawing lots of things from it.. Good book to have.

This is a great book. I went to not being able to figure out what my 6 y.o.son was drawing in school. With this book it has helped him draw things all by himself. We absolutly love this book! My 4y.o enjoys this book also.

Although, we seem to use I Can Draw Animals and I Can Draw People more, this book is also great. My 4 year old daughter and my 4 year old nephew received these for Christmas. They both use these books for hours and we also do it as a family. These (I Can Draw Animals, I Can Draw People, What Shall I Draw Today) are the only ones we have so far, but they are super. Not only are these books teaching my little girl how to draw, but reinforcing time alone drawing, group activity, sharing and "Please pass the yellow", etc... Every child should have these books.

This is a great book to start to learn with. Colors are nice and small children like it.

This is an excellent book that shows how students can become great readers when they are given the chance to have independent reading time and be in control of their reading choices. This is a must read for all teachers!

How does a kid learn to read...by reading. Get your students into the Reading Zone. I was sucked into the guided reading, small groups, centers, rotations, strategies method of teaching too. However, my students just were not progressing or developing that "love of reading" that I wanted for them. Within a month of reading this book and changing my approach, almost all my students have jumped into the ZONE. This book will change how you teach. It's the next step in your evolution as a reading teacher. Happy reading!

I wish every LA/English/Reading teacher would read this book. Atwell, in her experience and wisdom continues to advocate independent reading and a reading workshop approach as the single most important element of any English classroom. Her language is more blunt and direct than in any of her previous books. Her argument here is that, like most things, if you want to learn to read, you read. All other "related" strategy, vocabulary, grammar, worksheet, book report type activities are a waste of time. Notice the title, though, if that sounds wrong to you. She clearly explains how having students read in a workshop along with teacher conversation, whole group sharing, and a written response in the form of a "letter-essay" are all that is required to create "skilled, passionate, habitual, critical readers." Also includes an excellent chapter on what reading/writing instruction should look like in high school. The book is written with clear, direct, concise language. It is a quick and important read. I agree with her position and her approach. Buy this book!

Another great work by Nancie Atwell. So inspiring and logical. Filled with practical suggestions. I wish my teachers had read this when I was in school. Will challenge all teachers of reading and literature.

Although Ms. Atwell teaches middle school students, this book applies to grades K-12. She devotes a chapter to high school teachers. The Reading Zone occurs when a reader becomes completely immersed in and engaged with a text. Atwell is convinced that this can happen only when students are given time to read and choice of books. She provides compelling evidence that "the only delivery system for reading comprehension is reading" from published research as well as her many years' experience in the classroom. There is healthy controversy for discussion to be found here, as Atwell argues that the place for reading strategy instruction is in the content area classrooms. With the plethora of reading strategy books out there, this is A MUST READ!