Teaching Books

This smart and funny book teaches girls that it's OK to be smart, and that they are perfectly capable of kicking a little pre-algebra butt.

The topic is serious. In the prologue, McKellar writes that "lots of people change their majors and abandon their dreams just to avoid a couple of math classes in college." Girls in particular often use their fear of math to keep them from learning the skills they'll need to succeed in life. It's tragic that these decisions start in middle school.

Youngsters often don't see math's relevance, how they'll use math once they get out of school. Testimonials in Kiss My Math fight this. Stephanie Perry, the finance director for Essence magazine, explains how she uses algebraic formulas to stay on top of the magazine's financial performance. And Jane Davis, financial strategist at Polo Ralph Lauren, was hired as an assistant buyer because of her facility with math. She describes determining inventory over time by finding the mean of a list of numbers.

McKellar -- none other than Winnie Cooper from "The Wonder Years" but also a summa cum laude math graduate from UCLA -- uses simple language and lots of illustrations to teach pre-algebra. Each chapter covers a single topic, such as the distributive property or exponents. McKellar clearly and thoroughly explains each topic, and includes actual problems for the reader to solve (answers are in the back). She is generous with helpful notes and shortcuts.

What makes this book different is the lively, breezy writing. Girls will feel as if McKellar is sitting next to them, explaining how math concepts work. She uses examples girls can relate to, like clothes shopping, working on the school play, blind dates, parties, kissing and breath mints. It's like having the perfect funny math tutor.

Especially good are the entries called Danica's Diary, which are true stories from the author's life as a student, actress and mathematician. One is titled: Dumbing Ourselves Down for Guys: Why is it so Tempting? McKellar gives practical advice on how girls can avoid this common pitfall.

I can't think of a better book to buy for a young girl taking math classes in seventh through ninth grades. What a great message... girls can be both smart and feminine, and math can be fun.

Here's the chapter list:

Part 1: Number Stuff
Chapter 1: Breath Mint, Anyone? Adding and Subtracting Integers (Including Negative Numbers).
Chapter 2: The Popular Crowd. The Associative and Commutative Properties.
Chapter 3: Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall... Multiplying and Dividing Integers (Including Negative Numbers!)
Chapter 4: A Relaxing Day at the Spa. Intro to Absolute Value.
Chapter 5: Long-Distance Relationships: Are They Worth It? Mean, Median, Mode.
You Said: Most Embarrassing Moments in School
Poll: What Guys Really Think... About Smart Girls
Quiz: Are You a Stress Case?

Part 2: Variable Stuff
Chapter 6: The Blind Date. Getting Cozy with Variables.
Chapter 7: Backpack Too Heavy? Adding and Subtracting with Variables.
Chapter 8: Something Just Went "Squish." Multiplying and Dividing with Variables.
Chapter 9: Do You Like Him Like Him? Combining Like Terms.
Chapter 10: The Costume Party. The Distributive Property.
Chapter 11: Didn't That Guy Say He Was Going to Call? Using Variables to Translate Word Problems.
More Than 20 Ways to Beat Stress
Math... In Jobs You Might Never Expect!

Part 3: Solving for X
Chapter 12: The Art of Gift Wrapping. Solving Equations.
Chapter 13: Nope, She Never Gets Off the Phone. Word Problems and Variable Substitution.
Chapter 14: Can a Guy Be Too Cute? Intro to Solving and Graphing Inequalities.
You Said: Your Horror Stories About Procrastination
Poll: What Guys Really Think... About Talented Girls
Quiz: Do You Pick Truly Supportive Friends?

Part 4: All About Exponents
Chapter 15: Champagne and Caviar. Intro to Exponents.
Chapter 16: Excuse Me, Have We Met Before? Intro to Variables with Exponents.
You Said: Well... That Didn't Work!
Do You Sudoku?

Part 5: Intro to Functions and Graphing Lines
Chapter 17: Secret Sausages. Intro to Functions.
Chapter 18: Creative Uses for Bubblegum. Intro to Graphing Points and Lines.

A Final Word
Math Test Survival Guide!

I gave this book to a niece and she absolutely loved it. Danica makes math fun, accessible and memorable. Her favorite parts are the testimonials where young women show that it is okay to be successful. This women such as Martha Tellez and Crystal McKellar are now her roles models. This book is highly recommended for all girls approaching pre-algebra.

I think I'm in love with Danica McKellar.

As I type, my 13 year old is not only reading a book (something she is loathe to do), but it is a MATH book and she's giggling and saying "OH! Well, that makes sense!"

7th grade math was HORRIBLE. Absolutely horrible with a horrible teacher. By the time school starts in 3 weeks, my daughter will be through "Math Doesn't Suck" AND "Kiss My Math". She will be CONFIDENT she can tackle 8th grade math. Her confidence has already been boosted.

Where was Danica when *I* was in middle school? Oh. Right. I don't think she had been born yet!

I am simply amazed at how my daughter is absorbed with Danica's lessons.

My oldest daughter used to like math; she could tear through and do her homework in no time. But after a couple of bad math teachers (who favored massive doses of homework instead of spending time explaining and helping students understand) she simply burned out. She didn't understand anymore, had no reason to believe it applied to her life, and felt math was a punishment. I can help explain it each evening, but for a pre-teen i, hearing that math applies to her life as well only carried so much weight coming from her father.

I heard about this book from a science blog i frequently read. I was skeptical but got a copy for her. On the surface it looks kinda "girlie girl" for her taste, but looking inside i saw there are good explanations that are more engaging to read. It's well written: not only does it explain without condescending or just inserting "So, like, omigod!" language here and there, but the book provides understandable examples tailored to concepts more appealing to a young girl. Obviously it doesn't explain everything (a book like that would be so thick it would scar away even Tolkein) but instead this book says just what it needs, and provides the encouraging support that textbooks lack.

She rolled her eyes at first, but politely gave it a try. A few weeks later, i found evidence that she was still consulting the book, even jotting notes in the margins. After six months i still see it hovering near or on top of her stack of books, and fresh notes appear inside from time to time.

I will not pretend it "cured" her and that her grades have skyrocketed, but she is far more willing to push through the piles of handouts. Math doesn't seem as scary to her as it once was. And, remembering how she felt when i was in grade school, i believe that confidence is a huge step for her in the long term.

This book is absolutely right on target. It contains math concepts put into a form that is friendly, fun, and engaging, and written in a way that perfectly reaches girls entering middle school math classes. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

This Danica is as good looking as the racing Danica and a great actress. She's a math whiz too. Well as a trained mathematician I can assure you that she proves in this book that she knows math, is proud of it and want other high school and junior high school girls to appreciate it too. The book is filled with interesting ways of teach junior and senior high school math that makes it fun and exciting. She would be a great teacher too. I think her goal is to be a role model for other girls who have an aptitude for mathematics. Girls have always been discouraged and discriminated against in this field. I remember at my high school I was the best math student but Linda Cirillo was a close second. Yet I was the one who got the encouragement and her talents were ignored. Years later I came back to my home town and found that while I was now a professional mathematician she was a house wife raising children. I hope things have improved over the last forty years.

This is a great book to give a child in high school who needs a little help and boost of confidence in math. When an author ahs the art of making things exciting rather than boring the student may develop an interest and capability that he or she never dreamed of!

...most of the book is devoted to fractions and related expressions such as ratios, proportions, decimals and percentages...the explanations offered for doing various mathematical operations on these expressions are no more lucid than those found in your average math textbook...and once you remove the "girly" sidebars and glitzy drawings, the presentation of these explanations really isn't much different either...I also found the presentation to be rather degrading to women -- implying that "girly" sidebars and drawings of pencils with flowers on them are somehow necessary to coax enthusiasm for math out of a woman...I suggest that for teaching math you should stick with a good basic math textbook -- most nowadays have supplemental workbooks and CD's as well as internet sites offering a variety of activities...supplement with diverse approaches like Jacobs' "Mathematics: A Human Endeavor"...and for additional tutoring in specific areas look at Edward Zaccaro's books...and if your looking for something to stimulate interest in math then I strongly recommend Sarah Flannery's "In Code" -- although a couple of grades above middle school math, it is a remarkable story that should be read by all young women...my qualifications: homeschooling two daughters.

While the Wongs have created a well-written, nicely-detailed and generally-helpful how-to for teachers, especially new ones, the book also can be maddeningly frustrating as well.
The book, as other critics have noted, is focused on the elementary school teacher, not the middle/junior or high school teacher. Some of the strategies and techniques do, indeed, work at the upper levels.
For example, all teachers, regardless of grade level, need to use a seating chart, an attention-getting signal and a daily "do-now" exercise. And the Wongs outline these ideas effectively.
But the Wongs have, unfortunately, based many of their ideas on the assumption that a teacher has his or her own room, to do with as he or she pleases. Such is not the case with most upper-level teachers.
I used this book during my first year of teaching, which wasn't that long ago. I still use it today. I found it helpful back then, and still find it helpful now. Taken with the proverbial grain of salt, there is much here that will be helpful for the beginner as well as for the novice.
Still, as other critics have noted, there are several cheaper, better books out there. For beginners, I recommend "Rookie Teaching for Dummies" -- yes, it's part of the now-famous "Dummies" series. There's good stuff there, and not just for the beginning elementary school teacher.

I received this book from the alternative certification program that I was enrolled in and found it to reiterate everything they told us in training. I would never purchase this book for myself but I guess it was good to hear the same information more than once!

these books came when ordered. No gliches. We like the material in this book and we have the videos of Harry K Wong as well. Great stuff.

This is a excellent book for any first year teacher. It is full of highly
useful information on how to deal with your first days of school. Rate It
A++

I am absolutely enjoying "The First Days of School." I am a teacher with twenty-seven years teaching experience. After an illness and a change in teaching assignment, I found that I had become stagnant and overwhemed with new job requirements, including techology systems and grade reporting. "The First Days of School" is great for new teachers, as well as veteran teachers who need the motivation to continue doing the job of educating young people. It rekindled a spark that had become dormant after many years. This is a great roadmap!

This book is well written and provides a great guide to setting up a functioning literacy program in the classroom while empowering students to work independently. I can't wait to use it in my classroom.

There are many great ideas in this book which I can't wait to use this fall! I especially loved the sample lessons. It is a quick read; plus, I couldn't put the book down!

This book is an excellent research for primary level reading teachers! It clearly outlines ways to support children's development and organize a literacy block.

This book had so much information about workshop AND classroom management. It was worth the price I paid and it would have been worth double the price. Excellent for anyone who teaches children whether you are new to teaching, have many years experience, do workshop in your classroom or not.

The Daily Five: Fostering Literacy Independence in the Elementary Grades is a hands-on, practical book that can be readily implemented in any classroom. It's an easy read with great ideas, and a step-by-step guide. Thank you to the Sisters!

I was interested right away in this book because I taught at Columbia Business School several years ago, and wondered if the same crazing, hard-driving lifestyle existed at other ivy-league schools. Delves Broughton is brutally honest in this insider's look at Harvard's B school, including his admission that he never got a job offer after his 2 year stint (which may explain his cynicism).

He wrote his book when the school was headed up by devote Mormon economist Kim Clark, who has since left for another challenge -- making Ricks College (now called BYU-Idaho) into a top rated 4-year college.

His main conclusion is that MBA students at Harvard are insecure overachievers and "a factory of unhappy people" who, when they graduate, work too much at their jobs and don't spend enough time with their families and outside interests (p. 268) He said most of the famous CEOs who came to speak at Harvard were successful in business but failures in their home live (multi-divorces). On p. 270, he tells the story of a Goldman Sachs exec who came to Harvard to talk about leadership and values, and then confessed he had four ex-wives. However, he fails to mention that dean Clark has managed to have a successful career and a good family life with seven kids and a loving wife.

I'm citing the page numbers because shockingly this book, published by Penguin, doesn't have an index. Talk about behind the curve!

If you want to know what the author thinks of dean Kim Clark, go to pp. 5-6, 19-20, 28, 85-86, 111, 164, and 208. "Clark has whittled his life down to just four things: work, family, faith, and golf." (p. 85)

As far for his suggestions for improvement at HBS (at the end of the book), I thought he had some good ideas. One was that professors who teach entrepreneurship should not be pure academics but practitioners who have had lots of real world experience. Amen. I found that at Columbia B school, over half the professors had no experience running companies, and the micro they used for microeconomics was a standard micro text, not a managerial econ textbook.

The reason for this strange situation is that years ago top B schools decided they should compete with top academic departments by hiring PhDs who write abstract papers in top journals rather than running successful businesses.

The other major drawback to today's top B schools is that they don't teach hardly any history of finance or business, other than case studies (and those are usually from the recent past). Robert Heinlein wisely said, "He who refuses to study history has no past and no future."

What a sad commentary on today's ivy-league B schools. Fortunately, other B schools, such as Acton and Market-Based Management at Wichita State do teach applied courses by practionioners, not just academics.

The author cites a delightful statement by Jack Welch when he visited HBS: "Government generates no revenues. Government lives off taxes generated by business and people that work in business. Don't ever forget that." (See p. 233)

I could find only one sin of omission: Broughton never discussed the "Biggie" course at HBS, the macroeconomic course on "Business, Government and International Economics."

And one sin of commission: I liked his writing style, but he overdid the use of 4-letter words and vulgarities. Isn't it a sad commentary on the business, finance and academic world that top graduates can't control their tongue?

Not only is this book written to amplify the negative and hide the positive, but the author's entire experience seems predicated on looking for one-off stories to write about his classmates. It's not only not the full-story, but also misleading to the point of being a fairytale. Perhaps next time the author is unhappy with his own life he should focus on actually trying to improve it, not on cutting down the successes of others.

A must read for anyone thinking about getting an MBA. It will give you an idea of what things will be like.

As you know, the French culture is different from ours. In Paris, you pass by the street cafe. Three Frenchmen debated with one another at 10 am. By 4 pm, there are still there debating on the same subject. Any time you said something good, then the French will say it is bad, or vice versa. The whole country is generally negative toward anything that is American.

I taught two groups of French college students in New York (40 total). They claimed that the French fashion and wine were the best. They are very proud to be French. Coming to USA for jobs? No way, over their dead body!

The author has a good job in Paris. He came to HBS for two years of study. He never tried to fit in. He was always a French. He spent a lot of money, made sacrifice, and got his MBA. He was interviewed at McKinsey and Google. Guess what, he did not fit in. I am not surprised.
What else can he do? Of course, write a book to vent his anger.

Go back to Paris. We do not need another bashing French in this country.

I found "Ahead of the Curve" very interesting and enjoyable. I enjoyed the author's insights into the challenges of attending Harvard Business School. I found Delves Broughton's anecdotes on the professors, guest lecturers and classmates particularly interesting. The author painted a general picture of what attending Harvard Business School was like. I found myself relating to the author's challenges in dealing with his family life at the same time he was attending Harvard Business School. This book was looking at Harvard from the eyes of the author. Surely if some of the author's classmates had written about their views of Harvard Business School, they probably would have painted somewhat different pictures. I found certain parts of the book more engaging than others, but overall I would strongly recommend the book to others.

R. Reise

Product was shipped quickly (as requested) and arrived in the exact condition as desribed! Excellent seller!

A Dictionary of Nursing
Human Anatomy and Physiology Edition 7 is excellent in defining what is needed when you are studying.
studying nursing you need a book that can deliver the message quickly and precisely
the pictures make all the difference and the size of the pictures can help you understand what the part of the body's function is.
I have not covered a full science course but i am finding this book has helped with the understanding of the complexity of the body.

I used this book for two semesters of college (A&P I and II). It is thorough in its explanations and gives you a clear understanding of all of the subject matter. It has great illustrations and the chapters are broken up well. It has question and answer sections at the end of each chapter that aid in learning. My professors where both well known from Wash. U and the course was quite difficult but, I recieved A's (and I am no rocket scientist). I had the 6th edition but I have worked out of the 7th, both are sufficient. ENJOY!

Anatomy & Physiology was really difficult for me... but with this book and the study guide (which wasn't used at my school but I got on my own) made a HUGE difference in learning the information. The book made the subject interesting and you wanted to learn more. It had helpful tips and analogies for remembering key points. I like the book alot and was able to pull off a "B" which for me was wonderful. The study guide is a helpful tool that I think is a "must have" to go with this book if science is a challenging subject for people.Human Anatomy & Physiology (Study Guide)

First let me say that Human Anatomy and Physiology is not an easy subject. I'm a good student and I appreciate a good textbook. The level of detail in this text is very good. The problem is the way the author presents it. First because there is so much detail, it would be helpful if the author had indicated some way to discern the trivial from the essential. Do I have to master every detail? Second, the information is given in a chatty style of writing. That's fine but it takes too long to piece together the relevant details when they're scattered non-linearly around the page. And time is what you don't have when you're studying A & P. Third, the author doesn't know when to end a chapter. Sometimes it felt like she was getting paid by the word. Or perhaps she was trying to stay ahead of her competition and didn't want to miss including every bit of info however trivial, if her competition was including it in their textbook. Fourth, the author tended to use substitute terms for the same thing - way before the topics were presented in later chapters. For instance, neuron, cell body, and soma all mean the same thing - and once I got to the nervous system section, it became very basic. But way back in epithelium, connective tissue, and muscles it confused the heck out of me. Marieb does this a lot, probably to keep her writing from becoming tedious and boring. But, it's a text book - it's perfectly okay to be tedious if it makes things easier to understand!

I purchased this book for my CIS 120 class (that is intro to micro-computers). This book is an excellent teaching guide to learn everything there is to know about Microsoft Office software. It is very detailed and it gives you examples and you will learn hands on. This is an excellent book for anyone that need to learn or even need a refresher course. This book have step-by-step instructions. I highly recommend this book.

I was on crunch time at Northeastern Illinois University and was really in a bind with books, expecially the prices. So of course, Amazon had a great price for this book and I was saved by it. The book is EXCELLENT and I think even after the class I will keep it because it has a plethera of information. Thank you.

I had to purchase this book for an introductory/orientation computer application class for an online program for Nichols College. I have concidered myself very computer literate, and was affraid this class would be boring and a waste. However, I am finding with this book working through the walk-through exercises and labs that I didn't know everything. I have discovered many short cuts and easier ways to perform tasks I have previously labored to do like letter formatting. I have also learned many new keyboard shortcuts that help alot. Not having to switch back and forth to the mouse and back to the keyboard as much is a bonus.

Don't get me wrong though, it is still broken down painstakenly into every individual step and keystroke, so for me, that is overkill. However, someone who has never laid eyes on any of these programs before, this book can take them a long ways in learning how to navigate the office suite, make striking letters, charts, and leaflets.

I had wanted to get this book because of my having taken the college course for Office 2003 and wanted to update my skills. Very important and informative reference book. Practical, too.

This book gives valuable detail to ensure that your school year gets off to a great start. It covers songs, games, rules and procedures to be used during the first six weeks of school. It is the best of many books I've read. I highly recommend this one!

This book provides exactly what it says it will. It gives you a week-by-week schedule for all elementary grade levels and the rationale behind doing each thing. This would be really helpful to have before the first week of your first year teaching.

This book is a great source of information and guidance for new teachers or teachers whose school is encompassing the Responsve Classroom Approach.
IT IS AMAZING! It is explained clearly through out and the student's adaption to the concepts is simply wonderful to watch.

The First Six Weeks of school was a useful guide to designing my first few weeks of school. There are good activities for the kids and practical procedural strategies for the classroom.

I began using Morning Meeting [ASIN:1892989093 The Morning Meeting Book (Strategies for Teachers, 1)] as a part of my teacher education program last year and found it to be a great benefit for encouraging positive social interactions between my elementary students. This year, I began following and implementing The First Six Weeks of School's suggestions and my students LOVE it! They enjoy greeting each other, sharing and doing the activities. I have likewise seen a decrease in the amount of behavioral issues within my classroom. The program will work with your own ideas of discipline, rules and expectations and I have found it to be invaluable as I begin my teaching career. I would recommend The First Six Weeks of School to any teacher (new or experienced) who wants to encourage a positive, socially interactive classroom experience for their students.

I just started studying yoga to better round out my workout routine. I picked up this book as something to help me better understand how to perform the asanas.

Pros: Well drawn anatomical drawings, clear descriptions of how the muscles work to enable you to perform the asanas

Cons: Requires some knowledge of anatomy (I have had anatomy classes so this was not a problem for me), descriptions don't tell you how to get INTO the poses, just how they work

I would not get this book to learn yoga. You would be more frustrated than helped (see the low rated comments). But if you are studying with a yogi then I think this book will help you better understand the processes that are happening when you do your poses.

This text is a wonderful way to educate the patient's and families about the benefits of yoga to strengthen and sustain muscle mass and agility.

A detailed book showing just what muscles are effected by each yoga movement. Alot of detail and excellent graphics

Not exactly what I spected but I supose If you have enough knowledge about yoga you will find it usefull.

This was the book I had wanted to write myself!

Having read Strength Training Anatomy by Frederic Delavier when I studied for a Gym Instructor's course, (ironically so that I could go on an Exercise Referral course which I felt would help me when I teach Hatha Yoga to people who have problems;) I was certain there was a need for a similar book that would show clearly the major muscles involved in different asanas.

It is clear. The diagrams are excellent and it will help any hatha yoga teacher who is seriously interested in helping students who have particular physical problems.

Well done and many thanks. I will certainly be recommending it to my students.

Helen Lloyd Jones Cardiff Wales