Schools and Instruction Books

I've been a Suzuki teacher for 12 years. I found that this CD is really out of tune and in many cases sloppy. It has one cool feature and that is it's Suzuki playing Suzuki and he was in his 80s (I think) when it was recorded. The two other CD's available, however, in some cases have lightning fast tempos. The new Midi CD-ROM seems to have solved that issue.

I received my delivery in a timely manor and was able to enjoy The Suzuki Violin CD Volume 1 I ordered. It was exactly what I expected being from volume 1, it concentrated on strings A, and E. This CD was recommended by my daughters Suzuki Violin Teacher to help her learn by ear what the these two strings used in various songs sound like. It was worth the purchase since my daughter is a beginning Suzuki student, ... I may have to go out for volume 2 soon since she's fallen in love with her violin.

I have been taking a lesson from Suzuki method teacher, and this CD has been a great suppliment in my busy life. Just listening to this CD for 5-10 minutes a day ( during the commute or cooking time) has been helping me to understand what I need to work on. My daily practice time is avarage 15 minutes or so, but I have been making good enough progress because of this listening program.

Several people have commented on this recording sounding sharp. I suspect it has to do with different tuning standards. the standard tuning pitch here in the States is A 440, but in other parts of the world A 445 is often used. It would sound sharp by comparison, but is not necessarily "wrong".

It's really unfortunate that the performance on this CD does seem to sound too sharp as pointed out by a previous reviewer, who's a Suzuki teacher. Our violins (both mine and my daugther's) always sound quite a bit flatter than this CD after being tuned by my daughter's Suzuki teacher, who has perfect pitch. One time earlier on, I also tried tuning our violins w/ this CD as aid (thinking our violins had gone too flat), and the teacher thought they were oddly out of tune more than usual (or in an odd way I guess since they were sharp, not flat) -- well, she didn't really say so, but her facial expression and gesture said it all. :-) I never really brought this up w/ her before, but I think I will in our next lesson. And perhaps, I'll buy a different CD for this series as well -- maybe the David Nadien version as suggested elsewhere.

It took me several days to bull through the first 50 pages. I found out that must cultures used some sort of "drying oil" -- linseed or other for oil painting. This discovery astounded me so much, that Ii have been unable to continue reading. Perhaps the people who gave it a high rating could tell me something to encourage further reading.

By the way this system won't let me give this book a zero star rating.

A seminal work - referred to by authorities (Ralph mayer, etc) on painting technique. A must have if you're interested in painting technique throught the centuries.

Okay...the title is a little bit misleading but truth be said....its not a difficult book for the Artist who knows what he or she is at and its certainly not for the hobbiest who would be lost with this book.This for me is a great book as it has enrichened me....information is always good.

Out of the thousands of dollars I've spent on art books over the years to understand and improve my knowledge as a realist artist, this has to be the only one I've ever bought so far that I found completly useless.
If you want to impress another artist, sure, hit them over the head with it. But apart from that I can't really see the point of it being marketed to modern day artists. Written in 1847 with language to match, it just simply describes what most realist artists can usually figure out for themselves by looking at the pictures. And come to much clearer conclusions. Something that your average artist without a generous income and the time to travel round europe during that time period probably couldn't do. Hence the reason I imagine, this book was written.

As a teaching aid for your modern day realist artist, in my opinion forget it. If you want a book this thick and scholastic that will actually help you, get Ralph Mayers 'The Artist's Handbook of Materials & Techniques' instead.

Beware of impressive, studious sounding reviews - I'm sorry I wasted my money on it.

My initial reaction on receiving this book was "Bloody hell is it big enough!?" At 1024 pages you're certainly getting a lot of information for your buck.

Eastlake (1793-1865) was a former president of the British Royal Academy, director of the National Gallery, and in his day an major expert on painting techniques. Do note the book was first published in 1847, hence the writing style can be somewhat turbid. Perseverance pays with there being more information in here than you can shake a stick at.

My comment about caution is based upon recent studies of old master paintings. The old masters would typically have a team of apprentices working alongside them, mixing paint, painting parts of the painting that the master was probably too bored to bother with (as well as good training for the apprentice) etc. The Master/Apprentice setup allowed for a continuous stream of knowledge being passed along the generations. However as oil paint technology advanced, in particular the ability to buy premixed paints off the shelf, the painter no longer needed a team of apprentices. He could pretty much get by on his own. Hence there was no longer anyone for the painter to pass on his knowledge to. This resulted in a considerable amount of technical knowledge being lost. (A good example is the recent theory promulgated by David Hockney that the old masters were able to paint such realistic paintings as they used rudimentary projection techniques to place a guide image on the canvas, overwhich they painted. No one knows if he is right or wrong).

From the 1800's on, technical experts such as Eastlake and Max Doerner ("The Materials of the Artist") began to impart their wisdom on how the old master paintings were created. But the techniques thay had available were very rudimentary, more often than not being a case of the expert trying to reproduce a certain style and looking at the painting surface close up. The experts proferred their theories and techniques, often with much aplomb leaving no room for doubt. Unfortunately they were often quite off the mark - they could emulate a style somewhat but never 100%. There are too many variables involved even for a discerning eye. It has only been with recent advances in scientific analysis, chemical and visual, that a truer understanding of the old master technique is finally being determined. Van Wettering's excellent "Rembrandt - the painter at work" book details the findings of extensive research carried out on a number of paintings considered to have been painted by Rembrandt. The book is 340 pages, and they still haven't got all the answers. But what they have done is to throw in to doubt the theories and techniques of the 19th/20th C experts.

There is a welter of information in this book, but if you are trying to perfectly replicate a certain old master painterly technique, and failing to do so, then be warned the experts might not be such experts afterall.

All said and done, I do recommend this book for the wealth of information it contains. Numerous recipes for mediums, varnishes etc. along with many techniques that it lends itself to study in its own right. Dover books have once again provided an excellent product at an excellent price.

This was a pretty dumb book I already knew all of this stuff!

I bought this, along with several similar books, for my 11 year-old son. The Q&A format of this book made it easy to read, but many topics were handled in a clinical, vague manner and spent way too much time on trivial subjects (e.g., a whole chapter on "Crushes.") I actually checked the copyright, to see if it was written in the '50's. (It's 1988.) I was very troubled by the section, "What Happens if a Young Girl Gets Pregnant?" It ignored the boy's role & responsibility, and glossed over the topic with vague statements such as: "Her whole life will change, and not usually for the better." And, "She may feel upset for a long time afterward." There's even a section, "Why Would a Girl Let Herself Get Pregnant?" which suggests "Sometimes a girl secretly wants to get pregnant..." The section ends with: "The surest way to prevent pregnancy is not to have intercourse." I found a much better book for my son: "What's Going on Down There." Silly title, but much more thorough, balanced and practical.

As a mother and a teacher, I appreciate Cole's sensitivity and frankness with a difficult subject. I am afraid, however, that the adolescent audience for whom the book is intended will be distracted by the many graphic illustrations. This is unfortunate because the book has many good things to say. I especially appreciated the chapters on AIDS/STDs and sexual abuse. Children need this information. I would like to see this book reprinted with fewer illustrations. Descriptions will often suffice as children have vivid imaginations!

Joanna Cole gives straight answers for preteens' questions concerning sex. Parents and child should read the chapters together. The book will open lines of communications on this very important subject.

I bought this book hoping to have an early broad conversation about sexuality with my 9 year old boy and found this book to be too detailed for someone that young. The illustrations are over-simplified and may be good for younger kids, but it doesn't jibe with the text which is more complex and biologically, fact-based. A great book- but I found I have to leave it on the shelf for another year or so. I don't think most 9-year olds will get this stuff yet so I'd advise you to hold off buying this unless you have an exceptionally mature child of this age. I'm sure it will be an excellent reference at 10 or 11.

This book explains concepts in much greater detail than other music theory books I have read without being cumbersome. The exercises, quizzes, and exams help commit the information to long term memory. It's a great self-study resource. I highly recommend it.

The previous edition of this book was set up in such a manner that the pages on the left side of the book were upside down. You would work through the book one way and then flip it over to work through the other way. Since you use a little card to cover up the answers on one side of the page it made it very easy to work quickly and drill yourself without revealing the answers until you needed them.

This edition while retaining the division of the page between answers and questions puts the instructions and information on the full page and is printed 'normally'. It takes a great deal more effort than the last edition to situate the card over the answers and you are constantly forced to remove it to read the instructions. A quick glance is all that is needed to come to ruin questions for drills. Also you have to write along the middle hump of the book which was not necessary in the previous revision due to everything being on the right side of the right page.

I am disappointed that they changed such a useful book and made it so cumbersome and poorly thought out. I would recommend tracking down a used (but unmarked) copy of the last edition as none of the information has really changed inside the book.

The latest edition of this book has lost much of the classical simplicity and directness that made the previous editions so successful. Ugly icons crowd the page, statements are watered down, but still the text is far clearer than the other popular programmed text by Harder & Steinke. A student considering entering a conservatory or music school would be well prepared having worked through this book.

I'm dissapointed to see Norton's changes, and the increase in price, but I still recommend this text--it still is the best self-instruction program out there.

The information is laid out in a nice step-wise way. Repititions make it easy to assimilate the material. I am confident that working my way through the material will help me understand the music that I enjoy playing.

I have a degree in music performance and have used this book successfully many times with my fellow homeschool moms and their kids. In private lessons and in more formal group settings this book has been most helpful, even with those who have had no musical background at all. Children from age 10 to 18 have learned the lessons from *cover to cover* with weekly instruction over the course of a year with me.

Additionally, once the lessons were completed we moved into sight-singing and ear training books (also from the Norton editions) and early part-writing. I feel that this book is actually better organized than the texts used in the theory classes at my conservatory (it was published after I graduated). There are some typos in the text and I would prefer that the answers were not quite so readily accessible(you might feel differently though), but other than that, I highly recommend this text.

I found this book so easy to follow that I was cutting the hair of my two daughters in no time at all. My husband was so impressed that he let me cut his hair, too. I just followed the simple steps and illustrations within. If you want easy and simple, then this is the book for you.

I was having trouble learning how to cut hair in cosmetology school. I just couldn't get the feel of cutting. Then I bought The Haircutting School Book and my haircutting got much better. It puts how to cut hair into very easy to understand terms. I recommend this book to anyone who is starting hairdressing school or for someone who just wants to cut their family's hair.

Personally, I found it helpful, but not that helpful, if that makes any sense to you. And I also thought the illustrations were vague in my opinion and not very well done. They are just good enough that you can make out what she is doing, but barely and I really didn't care for that. I wanted something with good instruction and illustration, so I could see exactly HOW I should be doing it and HOW it should actually look. I felt these illustrations were not very helpful at all. But, all in all, if you are not really in need of pictures, then her instructions are fairly decent and you could go by them. I know this may be confusing, but it is just the only way that I could explain it!

This book might be OK as a supplement to a haircutting course, but one sure couldn't learn haircutting with it alone. It's just a 40 page teaser, leaving you with many more questions than it answers.

I found the illustrations confusing

If you know the ABCs of programming already, this book is useless for you. Alice is soooo simple, it's absolutely easy for you to figure out on your own how each element in Alice works. On the other hand, if you don't know what "Java" or "C++" is, ummm ... buy this book.

Actually, even if you don't know any programming language at all, but are moderately smart, you can figure out how Alice works since Alice has an inbuilt tutorial, which is fairly simple to follow and covers almost everything you need to know in Alice. (The rest 20% that is left out in the tutorial, you can figure out by trial and error.)

I got the books quickly and in good shape. However, I did not see the Brief Edition explanation. The brief only has 5 of the 10 chapters. If I had seen this I would have ordered the full version.

I will admit, there are some good definitions in here for the different concepts in programming. However, this is NOT a good way to actually learn Alice.

The exercises are not explained in the text unless they are an extension of the chapter problem. The text teaches very little about how to use Alice. If the Alice interface wasn't so clunky, it would be easy to figure out. None of the examples relate to any of the actual exercises. A case in point is the fish problem in chapter 2. There is no explanation given on how a fish can supposedly "jump" in Alice.

The CD does not include a Mac version of Alice. If the computers being used in a course do not have internet connectivity, this is a problem for Mac users. Also, the index is poor and there is no glossary.

Don't waste your money on this excuse for a programming manual. Get yourself a real textbook on the subject.

"One of Alice's real strengths is that it has been able to make abstract concepts concrete in the eyes of first- time programmers. " - Forward to the book.

I used this book as a textbook in a one-semester introduction to programming course in my high school. I intend to use it again next year. Here is why:

Each chapter begins with a motivational overview of the chapter's topic and end with exercises and projects. Storyboards are used to provide an algorithmic step-by-step description of the example animation. Screenshots of code and visual setting allowed students to recreate and closely follow the covered topic.

Student had their copies of the book open next to their workstations. Throughout the course, they were focused, on task and having fun. This made my experience teaching the course very rewarding. Answers to end of chapter exercises, projects and instructional support material are available to instructors on [..]

With no hesitation I give it 5 stars.
M. Kadri (High School Teacher, New York, NY USA)

I used this book as a textbook in a 'Programming with Multimedia Projects' college class. I thought it was very easy to understand, and I liked the way the material is presented: Using the Alice program (included on a CD-ROM with the book), each chapter walks you through each new topic in a few different 'lab exercises'. You are then able to apply what you have learned to 'project questions' at the end of each chapter. The only problem would be that if you are not part of a class when you are going through this book, questions would remain unanswered as there are no solutions in the back of the book (such as all odd-numbered questions, etc.). I believe it would be difficult for some to use this book as a stand-alone learning tool.

I found this a good book for an older mature teen. It is very refreshing compared to other books on the market for advice to teens on sexuality. It's very important that our kids are taught about sexually related diseases and unwanted pregnancies. They also need to be warned of the emotional consequences of getting physically involved with a partner before they are ready. Most books cover these topics, and advise abstinance until marriage. Which is all fine to a point. I have been searching for a book for older teens who are mature and in a loving relationship, that would introduce to them how to begin slowly and cautiosly intergrating a little sexuality into their realtionship. One day their sexual relationship should be a very fulfilling and enriching part of their lives. I feel that if we "scare" them too much,they will learn unhealthy sexual outlets (such as pornography), and will then be incapable of developing a healthy loving sexual relationship with their life partner. While this book is not the perfect answer, it's the best I've found so far, and I intend to give it to my teenagers when the time is right.

This book suffers from the unfortunate modern thought that if a book uses a lot of technical and explicit sexual terminology, then we can rely on the good doctor's words. Dr. Stoppard tackles many important topics for sexually curious teens, but her advice generally is a soft-sell on sexual risks and an encouragement to teens that any and all sexual behaviors are enjoyable, `when you are ready.' She repeats the popular line, "Contraceptives can prevent pregnancy, and condoms in particular can prevent STD's from being passed on." The emphasis is on PREVENT. Cute cartoons then suggest "some" people do get an STD from sex, but there is never an honest discussion of failure rates for condoms or a loud warning about the STD's like HPV or herpes which can be transmitted to a partner, even if a condom is used. In fact, in a chart on contraceptives, she lists the condom as 98% effective, when industry experts agree the effectiveness is 87% in reality, with teens turning in the lowest rates of all. (Contraceptive Technology Update, 2000) In spite of the medical community's authoritative warnings against the term "Safe Sex," Dr. Stoppard tells teens, "Always practice safe sex. You want to relax when you have sex; you don't want to have to worry about pregnancy and STD's." In order for teens to decide for themselves if they are mature enough for sex, they are given a short list of 12 simplistic questions: "Would I stand up for a friend? Do I keep promises? Can I accept criticism?-and others." Her "Guidelines for Responsible Sex" begin with, "No sex unless you really care about him, and he cares about you." How many teens "care about" each other? Is this truly when we want them to decide sex is permissible? When discussing HIV, she cautions teens to never have sex with a stranger, implying that teens are protected from AIDS if they "know" the person. This advice flies in the face of the fact that HIV and many other STD's give no outward symptoms, even to the infected person. And she tells teens to try mutual masturbation and oral sex as a way to avoid the problems of intercourse, (including the statutory rape laws in many states, she points out,) while, in truth, mutual masturbation and oral sex are highly effective ways to transmit STD's. In a book targeting pre-teens and younger teens, this is woefully inadequate advice. Finally, at the end of a book that honors any and all sex as permissible for a "mature" person, Dr. Stoppard drops the bombshell of teen pregnancy with this understatement, "An unwanted pregnancy is difficult for everyone concerned...If you're pregnant, it's too late for regrets." In the United States 40 percent of all females will become pregnant before their 20th birthday, and up to 95% of these pregnancies will be unplanned. (CDC Fact Sheet) This unfortunate statistic can be understood in light of the sexually permissive and encouraging advice contained in "Sex Ed." This book ends by reminding teens that everyone "has the right" to basic freedoms. Number 4 on the list is, "Freedom from repression by the older generation." In spite of earlier suggestions in the book that parents are important, this basic freedom No. 4 gives teens complete freedom to ignore their parents. This is the kind of duplicity in "Sex Ed," by Dr. Stoppard, that will allow teens to gain whatever type of permission they seek for whatever type of sexual behavior they want to explore. If teens are truly mature enough to be considering sex, they deserve better than a lukewarm, `be careful, but enjoy,' served up with cute cartoons. Any adult concerned for the health of a child will pass this book by.

This book is GREAT! It realy helps teens like me understand sex isnt just a game, its a step that will affect your whole life. The info is given in a way that teens actauly take seriously. I love the little cartoon scenarios. They help show things clearly. The illustrations are good too. I feel this book should be used by schools when teaching about sex. From a teens point of view it would be way more effective and would lower the levels of sleepers of people who just dont pay attention.

This is a wonderful book for teens. It is much, much more than the title implies. Dr. Stoppard encourages her readers to act in a mature, responsible action, and to treat sex seriously. She encourages her readers to wait, to think before having sex, and to talk to their parents or other adults about what's going on in their lives. She doesn't make readers who have chosen to have sex feel guilty, and she doesn't talk down to teens. She includes frank discussions about the risks of sex, birth control, and protecting yourself against STD's. There is also plenty of good advice for teens on making and maintaining non-sexual relationships and the changes going on in their bodies as they mature. In a few years I'll be making sure my son sees this book.

Sex Ed is a good book for teens that are going to become sexually active not pre-teens like me. The book gives a lot of good information on puberty, birth control, and STD's; but toward the end the book turns into a so called sex manual! Dr. Stoppard actually explains how to have make foreplay more enjoyable. how to get an orgasm, and how to have better sex. I don't like those type of things in a book that teens read. Besides all of the that type of stuff the book is actually pretty enjoyable. Not great for pre-teens but pretty good for teens starting a sexual relationship.

Leaves out Rosa Bonheur, Judith Leyster, Helen Frankenthaler completely, only a small space for Cassatt and Morisot.

As Frankenthaler is the creator of Stain painting, and Rosa Bonheur's "The Horse Fair" is in EVERY art history book, it is hard to believe this is an oversight.

"There is something in painting which cannot be explained, and that something is essential. You come to nature with your theories, and nature knocks them all flat." ~Pierre-Auguste Renoir

If I had not been reading this book, I may have never seen the little black cat standing at the end of the bed on the pictures of Olympia by Edouard Manet. The cat is almost invisible, blending in with the background and only visible when you realize those are two little eyes peering out at you.

Each chapter of this compact book on art is color-coded. The chapters include:

Materials and Means
Early Art (2000 BCE-1300 CE)
Gothic and Early Renaissance (1300-1500)
High Renaissance & Mannerism (1500-1600)
The Baroque Era (1600-1700)
From Rococo to Neoclassicism (1700-1800)
Romantic and Academic Art (1800-1900)
Modernism (1900-1970)
Contemporary Art (1970-Present)

Key symbols are used throughout to indicate birth and death dates, nationality, countries were the artist was active, principal media in which the artist worked, where to see main collections of an artist's work and record prices achieved at auctions.

Some of the beautiful pages in this book include Claude Monet's Waterlily Pond. Short descriptions of each artist is given and then you can do more research if an artist captures your attention. Perhaps you've always been intrigued by the convex mirror at the back of the Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck. Here we find Latin text on the wall, a bride in green and a stunningly detailed chandelier, shimmering with metallic luster. Isabella and the Pot of Basil by William Holman Hunt is equally magnificent and the painting is filled with symbols that are fun to unveil.

The "Forked Forest Path," a form of installation art has beautiful lighting effects glowing through a forest of natural wood. The interior of Abbey Church in Ottobeuren, Bavaria is stunning!

While looking at The Birth of Venus by William-Adophe Bouguereau, I noticed the same pose had been used in a painting for a book cover of romantic poetry I'd just reviewed. This book will not only inspire you to visit art museums more frequently, it teaches you about how to look at paintings in a deeper way. You may also feel inspired to go find a museum-quality reproduction, like The Kiss by Auguste Rodin.

The marble statues really caught my attention and if you have any interest in mythology, you may find yourself reading this book and then looking online for more information. I would have loved to have found more information on Cupid and Psyche, or even the mention of butterflies and the soul. Five pages could just have been dedicated to Antonio Canova alone, but we must then go buy another book to do more research and truly, I'm not complaining. ;)

"Art is the path to knowledge." ~Leonardo da Vinci

~The Rebecca Review

This is another fine entry in the "Eyewitness Companions" series. A lot of material is packed into each of the volumes. These publications cover the waterfront, such that the tradeoff is breadth of coverage at the cost of depth. But, whether the subject is beer, cheese, wine, cheese, opera--or art, the end result is a nice reference work.

Here, the focus is art. The author, Robert Cumming, begins by noting the four questions that he is so often asked about are (page10): ""What should I look for. . . . What is going on? What is the story?. . .What is its value?. . .Is it any good?" He goes on to note that (page 11) "I have tried to capture that kind of involvement [that his readers enjoy with art] and to address the four basic questions. . . ." The book begins, appropriately enough, with a discussion of what art is, and other interesting facets of the subject (record prices for artists' work, best art museums, etc.). Then, media and materials of art. This is followed by an historical organization of the history of art, from early art (3,000 BCE to 1300 CE) to contemporary art (1970-present).

Many have seen the art work associated with Tutankhamen's burial; this is one example from the era of early art. Within that larger category are displays of art work from ancient Egypt, the early Aegean world, classical Greece, and so on. Other eras of interest: Gothic and early Renaissance, Baroque era, romantic art, modernism, and contemporary art. Within each of these eras a selected group of artists is singled out, information about them presented, and examples of their work displayed.

Some of my favorite artists are included in this encyclopedia coverage, such as van Eyck and da Vinci (I still remember the thrill I got when I entered the gallery at the Louvre and saw for the first time his Mona Lisa). One of the nice features of this book is represented by the discussion of da Vinci, where Cumming speaks in an understandable way of the artist's life, his techniques, what to look for in his works, and so on. Many other artists are represented, from Brueghel to Rubens to Rembrandt to Delacroix to Courbet to Monet to Rodin to Chagall to Pollock to Kiefer to Lichtenstein to. . . .

All in all, a nice little book to curl up with when you want to just enjoy the fruits of the human artistic imagination.

Very basic book to reference painters. I bought it for use while traveling in Rome and Florence but when it came to packing--this little book is far too heavy. Too heavy to bring out for a day of sightseeing in another country when there is so much else to carry.
If you're into art history, it's good for a quick reference.

Like all books of this nature, this work is not the beginning nor the end all of all art books. It is though an absolute delight. I paint, granted, I do not paint well, but that is not really all that important. For me the study of art and the participation in art is a way of making my life richer and it causes me to become much more aware of all that is around me; shapes, colors, shades, details and the ability to observe all these things. This work helps greatly in these areas...it simply has made me more aware of just what is in any given painting and given me more of an appreciation for what I am looking at.

Robert Cumming has given us an insightful look at some of the greatest of our paintings and works of art and some of our greatest artist throughout history. Bruegel, El Greco, Caravaggio, Rubens, Rembrandt, Poussin, Steenwyck, Claude, Vermeer, Monet, Hunt, Picasso, Degas and quite a number of other. An example of each artist's work is shown and a detailed description is given along with a short history. Inset notes are abundant and point to items and parts of the painting that the normal observer might well overlook. I know I have been guilty of that time and time again. Techniques such as under painting, symbolism, composition, background details, the angle of a hand, the set of the eyes, color combinations and contrast, imagery, all are addressed and much more.

Now this book is not an advanced text suitable for the advanced student of art or even art history. It is not a guide book to be lugged around to help identify different paintings. It is not all conclusive as there are hundreds of artists, both male and female, who are not addressed. Good grief, that would take several thousand books and a life time of reading and study. What the book is, is a very good overview. It is something to stimulate, to cause you to look at art a bit differently, to be more observant, to motivate you to further study. Only 45 paintings or studies are given here, but I did like the selections the author choose. All of the paintings are in color and as true to the originals as it is possible to get with mere photography.

For an enjoyable and informative read, I cannot see how you can go wrong with this one. Just remember to place the book in its proper prospective, and do not expect to become an instant art expert after reading it. Do expect to learn and do expect to enjoy. I highly recommend this one.

In 1993-94, Ruhlman returned to his alma mater, University School in Cleveland, to explore the workings of an all-boys school and study its headmaster, the famously idiosyncratic Rick Hawley. In this context, I'd be hard-pressed to outline all my issues with Ruhlman's project, but his "fly on the wall" presentation of teachers and classes is consistently evocative--real, familiar, and true to the private school life I experience as a private school teacher. However, Ruhlman stumbles as he explains. When he tries to make something of his observations--to comment on what's distinctive about boys schools or what Rick Hawley represents or what anything adds-up to--he teeters on rationalization. If, as he says in the book, Ruhlman wanted his readers to "fulfill" the "dramas" he presented, he should have let them. Better yet, he might have left this task to someone who was not an alum of the school.

I am a University School alumnus and attended the school when many of the people described in this book (including Richard Hawley) were there. Ruhlman has definitely caputured the ethos of the place. I question, though, whether the portrait makes a compelling case for boys' schools. In reading the book, I was reminded of undercurrents of intolerance and "group thinking" that may be part of all adolescents but which seem particularly pronounced when boys are amongst themselves. The book also reminded me of how a provincial, almost smug muscular Episcopalianism is the school's unofficial culture (the school is theoretically non-sectarian). While these negatives came out, there was nothing presented that suggested anything positive about an all-male environment. We are given a case study with little analysis of the importance of the all male culture. As a result, one sees the merits of prep-school, i.e. resources, small classes and attentive faculty, but is left with no sense of why being all male is relevant. And one does see some demerits of not having a coed school.

Boys Themselves: A Return to Single-Sex Education by Michael Ruhlman

This book was written by Mr. Ruhlman before he gained fame with his "The Making of a Chef" and "The Soul of a Chef" combo; it was his first effort at reporting and writing a full length book. The method Ruhlman uses here is similar to the two later efforts; he spends the same amount of time as his subjects at their craft. In this case, that means he is present at University School, a boys only school in the Cleveland , OH area, from just prior to first class, day one, through graduation and a faculty party afterwards.

The difference in his approach in this effort is the lack of infiltration. Mr. Ruhlman is not posing as a student, or a faculty member; he has the Headmaster Richard Hawley's permission to wander as he wish, taking notes, asking questions, observing. This is completely different than the efforts Ruhlman takes to retain his anonymity from his subjects in "The Making of a Chef," and the first section of "The Soul of a Chef." One cannot help but wonder if a layer of two of self-consciousness wouldn't have been removed from some of the students and/or faculty members throughout if they were unaware of his intentions.

Another similarity is the writing itself; Ruhlman does a great job of taking real people and developing them as fully three dimensional characters throughout his books. We see development in students, faculty, and the headmaster as well as observations by the author himself which show his developing ideas regarding his topic. Through his eyes, Ruhlman makes these people become ones that you care about; you want to know what has happened to them since graduation day in the same sort of detail that he has given you with this school year.

In situations where there are large issues at the school, the problems are shown by every conceivable angle; student, faculty, parents, headmaster and occasionally his own thoughts. Philosophy and morality take up a great deal of time at the school. Some of the topics, as well as smaller issues amongst individuals, are followed throughout the book as they proceed and develop through the year.

The one problem I had was a slight lack of confidence Mr. Ruhlman had in his own writing sporadically throughout the book. He would follow up a well written paragraph with a blunt recap as if he felt he was perhaps too subtle in his descriptions. The full text of the book is reminiscent of this as well as we get 18 chapters of the school year, with wonderful descriptions of the differences between Single Sex and Co-Educational school systems. This is followed up by an explanational 19th chapter that wraps up his opinions on the topic.

This problem was a minor one however when compared to the lyrical writing, "character" development and subtle observations spread throughout the book.

3.5 Stars.

Ruhlman brings the complexities of prep school to life in a manner in which few writers have accomplished. I both attended and have worked within some of the country's most notable prep schools. After my first year as an Upper School Head, I sat down one day and read the book cover to cover. Ruhlman's protrait of the teachers and students is fascinating. He takes the time to develop characters, especailly the indefteabable head of school, Richard Hawley. Ruhlman goes beyond just reporting what he sees. He engages himself and others in a dialgue that constantly questions the ethos of the school. In one interesting scence, he describes how a senior speech got out of control. Ruhlman gives us the fallout from this display of "entitlement disorder" from all the angles; students, teachers and administrators. Ruhlman also takes the time to venture into the debate over single-sex education. He handles this challenge with grace. However, for me this book was more like an ethnography of a school. Ruhlman provides the reader with a fascinating behind the scences account of a most interesting school. The appeal of this book should be wider than prep school audieance. However, if you are interested in independent school education this is a must read. Bravo to Ruhlman for doing justice to such a complex subject.

I own both the paper-pack & hard-pack versions of this wonderful book. I was introduced to it by my PhotoReading instructor/co-developer, Patricia Danielson from New England, MA, during the early nineties. It is pertinent to mention that 'The Everyday Genius' is synonymous with PhotoReading, as far as the ultimate application is concerned. In fact, Peter Kline has contributed quite substantially to the early development of PhotoReading, according to the principal developer of the technology, Paul Scheele.

From my personal perspective, the principal theme is nurturing learners in the world. As such, it has great relevancy to parents (the primary audience) as well as to teachers & employers/bosses/managers in the workplace.

The author, a true learner himself, has an amazing gamut of practical ideas for developing & nurturing learners at home & in the workplace.

During the years I have owned a small bookstore from the early nineties up to mid-2004, this book happens to be one of my anchor books. I often recommend it to visiting parents to my store as well as to managers/bosses who are responsible for many people working under them. The feedback from them has always been tremendously positive. Many have returned to buy further copies to be given away as gifts.

There is an everyday genius in all of us. Sometimes, we need to rub the Aladdin lamp rigourously to get the genie out. This book, packed with insights, games, activities & exercises, can serve that purpose.

Yes, I must add that the book can be intellectually quite intense for some people to read. Neverthelesss, I strongly recommend reading it.

Let me conclude this review by recapitulating an observation made by John Naisbitt, a futurist/thought leader, many years ago, "In a world that is constantly changing, there is no one subject, or set of subjects, that can serve us for the foreseeable future, let alone for the rest of our lives. The most important thing for us is to learn, unlearn & relearn." I maintain that this book can definitely help to pave the way for all readers in the quest for learning.

[To Parents/Teachers who want more specific tools & strategies to help their kids/students in attaining school success, please get hold of the author's 'School Success: An Inside Story'. To Managers/Professionals, please get hold of the author's 'Ten Steps to a Learning Organisation.' These are excellent & insightful productions!

What an absolutely dreadful, boring, useless book. I bought it based on the reviews above, and boy am I mad that I did. As a teacher, I thought I would take away something, anything, from this book. Instead, my mind is slightly more numb because of it. This author says the same thing 800 different times in only slightly different ways. He could have pared the whole thing down to one inspiring quote. Instead, his repetitive rambling takes all inspiration out of his words. Truly, I love any book that inspires me or gives me ideas for working with children, but this book was AWFUL. The author also spends a lot of time tooting his own horn. I tend to roll my eyes when he does, because he makes ridiculous claims like, "I spoke with this child for ten minutes and he went from a high-school dropout to a brilliant doctor." I made that up, but that's the gist. He's full of it. Save yourself time & money and leave this book alone.

I sometimes forget to slow my life down enough to pay attention to the lessons that children can teach me about how to live my life. Every child that is born into this world is a laughing, singing, creative and powerful individual. Often it seems that by the time we reach adulthood we have lost the ability to laugh and sing. Peter Kline seriously addresses the process of learning from all angles. Extremely instructive to adults!!!

Some favorite passages:

"Creativity is a function of our whole personality and its interaction with the world, not something we turn on or off. The more we see ourselves as innovative and original thinkers, the more creative we tend to be"..."So whatever else we may say about creativity, these three things are essential to it: we must value our uniqueness, we must trust the worth of our experience, and we must be able to draw freely and widely on the full range of that experience, which is the content of our memory." P 190

"Experiencing disharmony between what we say and what we feel leads to a vague sense of anxiety and not being at home in the world - a sense that some philosophers assume is an inescapable part of the human condition. However, the origin of this anxiety is not human nature, it is in our withholding or even becoming unaware of what we really feel - in failing to live our lives fully. Accepting emotions helps us get beneath the surface in order to discover the rich and wonderful process of being." P 219

"Whenever you feel you are learning nothing from the person you are with, or the situation you are in, it is time to return again to whatever springs inspire in you the development of new learning skills, and drink as deeply as you can. Then you will be better able to discover that each person you meet has a fund of experinece so rich that no matter what thier differences in worldly accomplishments may be from yours, you can learn from them and they from you. Some of my own finest learning experiences have come from those who had lived long lives without the advantage of education or even literacy. Experience of any kind is always richly and uniquely instructive." P 252

As a student, I was assigned this reading. I found the latter half of the book to be the most useful. However, I thought that the first eleven chapters could have been revised to approximately three chapters. The most impressive part of this book is Kline's examples of his learning philosophies. These examples include games, activities, and exercises that are applicable in the home and classroom. Overall this read was intelligent and insightful. Kline has some truly amazing ideas.