Hobbies Books

This product has helped my vocabulary expand. You do need to use them to see the difference. I have not taken the GRE yet, but I do know I will be going into the test with a more developed vocabulary.

I think these cards are a great value.

They are the perfect flashcards for a lazy person who wants to learn new words and does not want to drag around a huge, heavy book. The box is pretty small and easy to carry around. Plus, the flashcard format is less daunting than reading through a lot of material in a book. I do, however, think it is wise to supplement these cards with another study guide. I purchased the Barron's book, but it's still sitting on my desk, unopened--ha ha. The cards are easier. :)

The only downside is that the cards themselves are are bit smaller and more flimsy than I expected (they are roughly the size of business cards). But I can deal with that.

Seriously, these cards will help you learn a lot of words in a short amount of time. I give Kaplan credit for coming up with such a simple, yet brilliant idea.

As others have written in, while the cards cover most of the frequently used GRE vocab words and are an extremely helpful way to study, be wary of the some of the definitions. Kaplan doesn't always provide the best definitions or example sentences. They often define the word as a verb and then use it as an adjective in a sentence, for example. In addition, they often don't provide all of the possible definitions, and it's the secondary definitions that get you on the GRE. The card design is extremely helpful, but I had to relearn many words from other vocab sources.

Embarrassing quality from Kaplan. The words they have chosen may be appropriate and certainly seem like "GRE Words", however, the word choice, sentence examples, and even the definitions are terrible. Did they even have an English instructor take a look at them?

The example sentences often use an obscure or not-intuitive usage of the vocab word. For example, "inimical":

"Even though a cease-fire had been in place for months, the two sides were still inimical to each other."

The point being: You would NEVER see this sentence in a newspaper or book...why didn't they use a more common usage of the word as an example? Like "...inimical to good health...".

More examples abound. This terrible work and an embarrassment from Kaplan.

I purchased these cards in an attempt to build my vocabulary for the GRE. However, they proved to be pointless. I took the time and the effort to memorize all the words, as well as the synonyms for each word. When I took the GRE practice tests from Kaplan, the words showed up, I knew the answers, and I did well. When it came time to take the GRE however, only one word from the entire box showed up, and I ended up guessing on majority of the questions. Needless to say, I did not do well. While these cards did build my vocabulary, it did not help for the GRE.
I had glanced over the root list that Kaplan gives in their GRE Premier Program book, but didn't study the list as much as I should have. I will say that it would be much wiser to study the root list that they give, and not concern yourself with knowing these words too much. Plus, their Premier Program book gives much of the same words, so all you have to do is make flashcards yourself.
For some people, these cards seemed to have worked, so perhaps it was just me that didn't work for. But it should be noted that a common theme among all these reviews is to study the root list. Studying the root list will get you through a lot of questions, whereas memorizing 500 words and definitions, as well as all synonyms, didn't really seem to have a big impact on my performance. I leave the decision up to you.

It is a Dangerous, if you want a helpful book try U.S. Army Survival Manual.

This is a great father/son book. There are things in there that I was never taught to do, so both my son and I are learning. Great stuff to do together!

My son bought this book (9 yrs old) with his Christmas money and has been glued to it. He and his father will be building a tree house next year. He loves it!

I am a geezer and things like this were taught when I was young and had to run from dinos to avoid becoming supper while going home for supper BUT
The IGGIES put everything right here!!
--------
Get 2 copies of this book, one for the young man who needs to know these things because... a mans gotta know what a man should know.
--------
Get the other copy for yourself because you've forgotten things you should not have.
-------
Zeke

My nine year old twin girls love the book. Sure, they have no interest in hunting rabbits (they're vegetarians) or famous battles in history (at least not yet), but there's a lot in here for any kid who is not on too tight of a parental leash. Get this and the girls' book too. A lot of worthwhile bits in each.

An interesting collection of words you never hear before and alternative spellings of words you have heard. I would not use it as the only dictionary when playing, because the word choice is limited and the spellings are bizarre. It does not contain many of the words used in everyday language. It is good to use when you have letters that you think you cannot use to make a word!

Wife is of "that age" where she WONT wear her glasses, but couldnt make out reliably the print in the old paperback-book sized edition.

Now she challenges me MUCH more often (with no better result!)

You must own this book if you enjoy playing Scrabble as it is better than any other dictionary you can use for playing this game. I prefer the hardcover as it will last longer, but do need a paperback for my travel Scrabble.

We love Scrabble at our house, and it's even more fun with this dictionary in hand. Since part of our playing goal is to learn new words, "our rules" state that you can use the dictionary to find words that fit the letters you have. We wouldn't play without it.

The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (OSPD) 4th edition is a must have for anyone looking for an edge in the game of Scrabble. Whether for competion or a friendly game you'll be glad you have this to refer to once a challenge is announced.

Another great read from Rollins. He keeps the story moving at such a good pace. characters are engaging. The premise is a blend of the past and present and flows well together.

The first thing any reader needs to know about this book is that it is a work of 'escape fiction,' meaning that you have to be prepared for anything and everything, and you have to be ready to enter into a state of suspension of disbelief. That is, you have to tell yourself that you're willing to accept anything and everything, knowing that it's probably a bit far-fetched or over the top -- and in return, you get a few hours of sheer entertainment to take you away from the mundane. So having made that statement, I can say that within that particular context, this was a pretty decent book, well worth the time that it took to read. I have the other Sigma Force series novels, but haven't yet read them all, but you can bet I'll be going back to them as soon as I have a chance. I want to see what I missed in the meantime, which leads to my second bit of advice: I feel like I missed something having not read the complete series up to the time of The Last Oracle and I might have felt a bit better about the action in this novel had I been more up to date on the exploits of Sigma Force.

"The Last Oracle" refers to the Oracle of Delphi, beginning with the destruction of the temple by the Romans. Fast forward to the 20th century in the Carpathian mountains, where a group of children are being sought after by some not-so-nice KGB-ish type people; then we finally land in the present, where a scientist's death sparks an incredible adventure story that doesn't let up once it starts. Without trying to summarize the plot (it will give away the whole shebang if I do), I will say that Rollins has an ingenious mind ... there are layers within layers of action between the covers of this novel, some very unexpected twists and turns and some very nasty villains.
I would recommend this one to readers who are into escape fiction, to readers who have acquainted themselves with Sigma Force (or other James Rollins novels), and to anyone just wanting something very different to read. It's nonstop action all the way -- never a dull moment.

The number of neural circuits in the human brain is in the order of ten followed by a million zeroes. How big is that? The total number of atoms in the entire universe is only ten followed by eighty zeroes. Astounding scientific facts like these underpin this complex and fascinating thriller. They make its incredible premise seem perfectly possible--even, in some form, inevitable. Rollins is an amazingly inventive writer. An awful lot of those circuits must be blazing away in his head...

I absolutely loved the earliest Rollins novels, and im always ok when things get a little over the top heavy. My disbelief can be suspended to a point, but with every novel now, Rollins just seems to try to amp the over-the-top aspects to a crazily unbelievable level. The Sigma novels started out fairly decently but have now deteriorated into a cross between the most outlandish James Bond movies, with a healthy does of X-men, Star Trek and maybe some Dr. Who mixed in as well.

If you like movies such as this years Wanted, or the latest Indy Jones movie or think The Transformers are for real, then thats what you get when you read the Sigma novels these days. If its totally over the top crazy, then thats what Rollins will give you. Of course, in his authors note, he gives you factual footnotes to what occurs in the novel.

Perhaps its not totally fiction, but when you indulge heavily in the metaphysics along with every other thing thrown into these stories, from the impossible escapes, the superhuman feats from the heroes and villains alike, and all the cool little ultra secret and out of this world techno-gadgets which dont seem to be in mass use just yet, then it just tends to be too much for believabilitys sake and i havent even scratched the surface as to what hes thrown into his books now.

At least the characters are the same, with the same emotions, the same super-cool and tough female assassins, the ultra nutso lead conspirators, and always some gorgeous new female lead for one of the characters to hook up with during the storyline. You know, the same ole same ole. Always look for a thick dosage of sap too to go with the ending of the Sigma stories, esp. concerning Kat and Monk (nope, no janes or johns in superspydom).

I read these novels to get away from real worries and the current grim situations in todays real world, but sometimes a little bit of realism can be entertaining as well as the sci-fi stuff.

Maybe im being too harsh, and maybe im just not the target audience for his style writings now. Im sure he prob. has a larger fan-base than ever. HIs newest novels probably do him well but count me out now.

Ill stick with Daniel Silva or Vince Flynn, they seem to be a bit more down to earth. Sometimes thats not such a bad thing.

This is a very good story with a lot of it based on facts. I already knew of some of the nuclear waste problems in Russia and a bit about autistic people. Rollins did a great job tying the story together about Sigma force personnel working with the autistic children and trying to prevent a major catastrophy. I think he also did a good job making the characters in the story seem believable. The only problem I had was with all the luck both Monk and Gray seemed to be having in staying alive. If I had half that luck I would be winning the lottery this weekend.

The book was interesting but didn't keep me interested. I gave it to my sister who is studying Fashion design and she thought it had very usefull info on the subject.

If you like InStyle magazine, then you will be disappointed with this book - there aren't any style photos!
Instead, buy the book "Harper's Bazaar Great Style: Best Ways to Update Your Look", a wonderful book to learn how to dress well and have style!

Out of all the books on fashion I have read, this is best hands down. Unlike many other books on style, the author succeeded on articulating intelligently just exactly what style is about. All the advice was clear and so true. I originally borrowed this book from a friend but I later bought this book; love it!

I love this book. just when i was looking for ispiration, Nina said it plain and clear for me. I took some items out of my closet and turned it into something awesome. That same day I walked into a coffee joint in Seattle and immeidietly the baristas commmented on my outfit! Thanks Nina!

If you're fat like me, stay far away from this book. The advice in here only applies to skinny girls. From the "little black dress" to "you can't have too many high heels." Only skinny girls can pull these looks off. And of course she tells the usual like that it's "all about confidence." No it's not. We live in a world that only cares about physical appearence, not personality or confidence. Trust me, if you're fat like me, the only thing this book is good for is starting fires.

This is the sweater book I have been searching for. She provides clear, precise and friendly directions. Her explanations make sense. The designs are very appealing. This book has given me the courage to design a cropped, V-neck sweater that will look good on ME, not some model in a magazine. I also appreciate that she has sections that will appeal to the newer knitter, as well as some more complex stuff for those with the experience (or moxie) to go for it. This one has earned a permanent place on my knitting shelf.

I am absolutely IN LOVE with this book and have ordered yarn for a bunch of projects. It is the most stylish seamless knitting book I have ever seen. I hate to sew in sleeves, and this book uses all the classic Elizabeth Zimmerman techniques (raglan, etc.) to make the most beautiful, luxurious women's sweaters. My favorite patterns are the classic tank, the lacy beach coverup, the lion's neck cardigan, the retro pullover and the cute little ruffled short-sleeved top. I'M IN LOVE, I tell you.

Also, as some other readers have written, there's a wonderful section at the end of the book for creating your own projects to your specifications. Maybe I will be brave and set my own sleeves in the round into some of those Interweave Knits patterns.

I give this review with great passion. I have knitted dozens of Wendy Bernard sweaters and several of the same ones over again. Her designs are simple and very fashionable. To boot the patterns are easy to understand and many are top down construction so there is little seaming. I have been waiting for 2 years for this book to be published and when it arrived ... it did not disappoint. Classic designs with a kick!

I read Wendy's blog Knit and Tonic - Not only do I like Wendy for her knitting designs but for her witty perspective on life!

I spent more time reading this book than I usually do with knitting books - vs. flipping through them. I tend to be a collector of them for the knitting porn factor (if you are a knitter, you know what I mean.) There are several patterns in here I'm eager to start and have already added them to my queue on ravelry.com.

That said, I "ditto" much of what's been posted by other reviewers. I have always been afraid to be a maverick knitter, and Wendy does a great job in showing us how. My favorite part of this book, beyond the lovely photos, witty prose by Wendy Bernard and exciting and fresh designs, is towards the end, in which she shows you how to design, size and develop a pattern for your own sweater. Fabulous!

The book suprised me very positively with its quality, content and size. The proyects are very special because they are based on traditional, but timeless patterns and few details make them so modern looking. That is true, you don't know which one to begin first. The designing course is fantastic, after reading this book you will be able to transform any pattern you see into your very own and unique version. I agree with the opinion of another reader that the book misses the patterns index, but I made it on my own. I also glued white sheets between the book pages to draw and make comments about my changes to the patterns.
The photographs are awesome in this book!

This book contains a wealth of information on the strategy needed to succesfully play Texas Hold Em poker. Through the use of real-life example hands the author explains not only what a good bet is, but why to make specific plays in certain situations. A very valuable tool for the poker player tring to increase his odds of winning a Texas Hold Em tournament.

All 3 books in this series are great. I wish it was possible to award more than 5 stars because these books are much better than the typical book that gets a 5 star rating.

There have been many in-depth reviews of this book so I will make this short. If you spend time going through this book it WILL improve your game. The strategy is well laid out and the explanations in the examples gives insight into a top poker players thought process. Many examples state that some of the other answers are also plausible for certain reasons, but he states clearly why HE thinks one play is better than another. A must read for any No Limit Poker Player. str

This is the best poker book i've read so far. Very well written, cover all the aspects of the game, specially No Limit Tournaments and SNGs. Everyone who wants to play really well should read this.

I think Harrington's book and it's sequels are the best books ever written about no limit hold'em tournaments. The first part of the series covers strategic concepts about tournament poker, the second part tells how to play in the ending of a tournament, and third part is the workbook for reviewing the concepts of first two books.

Before reading this book (and the sequels), I have been mostly playing online cash games and occasionally some sit'n'gos, but I am still a beginner in NL hold'em (mostly concentrated on limit games). Totally I have read some 10+ books in poker. Well, after reading this book series I finished 14th out of 2000 players in my first large NL hold'em tournament simply by following Harrington's advice, and slightly adapting in some points.

What's best here is that Harrington is quite a practical guy, and practical guys win. For example, compared to Sklansky, one of the finest authors in poker, Harrington is actually able to teach how to play poker in practical level. In my opinion, Sklansky provides theoretical foundations for some very advanced strategic concepts, but more responsibility about how/when to utilize them is actually left to reader. I think these approaches complement each other very well, and both are great poker authors.

I would say that the first book is also good reading for NL hold'em cash games, especially if you're a beginning player (I am not sure anymore though, since Harrington's cash game series is now out as well). The second book (excluding first chapter) relates only to tournament concepts.

I love, love, love this book! I preordered and couldn't wait to get it. When the book arrived it did not disappoint. So many times a book does not live up to expectations but this one does. The how-to's are great - I have been struggling to get that layered look and now I think I can. The inspiration is, well, inspiring. The pictures are fabulous. I keep going over and over this book. So happy with this book. Thank you Kelly Rae for your gift of flight!

When my book arrived in the mail, it hasn't left my side! It is filled with wonderful pictures, techniques and creative inspiration! Kelly Rae shares her heart and her art with us, and it is truly a must have treasure!! Whether you dabble in art or not, it is something that will give you inspiration to find your nitch, your happy place to create. Its addicting!! :)

I've been waiting for this kind of soaring inspiration for a long time! Kelly Rae's book is not only soulful and beautiful, but it also offers you clear examples and practical information on how to give your creative life some wings. Artists interviews and mixed media projects will certainly get you playing and having fun doing your Art! Get ready to fly and make your dreams come true!

Absolutely love her work I've seen in the past, and the fact that she is willing to show the rest of us how to learn the methods and develop our own style I think is awesome! Incredibly giving of herself.
Wonderful pictures, how-to's, step-by-steps, and just plain fun to look at. This is going to be one of my #1 books to refer to when I hit a stumbling block in my creativity.

There are many art books on the market, but few that offer great ideas as well as inspiration. I have purchased many art books and I must say that this new book is one of the best! Kelly's openness, encouraging thoughts and fabulous ideas are so inspirational. I can't put it down--but I did to pick up my paint brush. This book is a must have for any creative person.