Teaching Books

Thank you very much for having this wonderful book that my studens and I have enjoied so much.
Proud to be your customer any time,
Danelys.

This is an amazing book. I am a children's yoga teacher. This book has changed how I teach. The children love the stories. Their attention is totally on the story. Then when you add yoga to it, it gives the children a chance to embrace and act out the story. I would highly recommend this and Sydney's other book to everyone. You don't have to be a yoga teacher to enjoy this. The art of telling stories has been lost and I'm glad Sydney is bringing it. it is a great way to connect with others.
Sandy

Written for teachers, librarians and yoga instructors, author/yoga instructor Sydney Solis details how yoga is beneficial for young children and how incorporating this ancient spiritual practice into storytelling can help to achieve a deeper level of understanding. The book gives excellent concrete examples of how to deal with real situations that might arise with children including how to maintain control of the class and how to set rules. A class curriculum is outlined including folk tales, their theme, country of origin along with corresponding yoga poses for each character or action. A chapter with black and white photographs and detailed explanations of how to do the various poses is also included.

This is one of the few good yoga books to help teach yoga to children of all ages. It has information on what should happen during the yoga class for different ages of children. It includes stories, songs, games, and ideas to get kids motivated. All my yoga students who are children love the stories and games that come from this book. It has encouraged me to be more free during a children's yoga class.

If you teach children's yoga or want to begin yoga with your children at home then this book is the one to buy. I have structured my class using the recommendations that Sydney Solis gives in the book with warmups and centerings, etc... I have also used all the stories in the book and have went on to use other stories and folk tales I personally enjoy incorporating yoga as I tell the story. My yoga students and my own children thoroughly enjoy each class I teach and I appreciate Storytime Yoga in helping me get started.

The teachings of Abraham are easy to understand on these CDs. Abraham has heart to heart conversations with real people, asking questions like you might have on topics that include how to help bored kids, addictions, money, breaking the rules of 'fine art' to honor inspiration, and how to improve relationships. Abraham uses several ways to get the point across that we have the right to be happy. We have an obligation to express our artistic creativity as we experience it. Also, that we need to learn to live a happy life where we are, learn more about how to be happy, and that we deserve happiness.

The material is awesome; life-affirming; life-transformative!
The 11 CDs are labeled 4 different ways - very confusing after downloading to my I-Pod. Please label consistently in cyberspace.
Thanks!
JB
Asheville NC

I have most of the Abraham CD Programs but this is by far the best. As always, the concepts and processes that are presented are crystal clear. This is a program that I will return to for the rest of my life. Remember, as Abraham says "You never get it done". In this world of many contrasts there are always new desires being born. How exciting!

I bought the whole set and found the recordings with the Spirits of great value, easy to listen and put into practice. However, I found it difficult listenting to the set where Jerry Hicks reads the book, as he plows through the material. I found I didn't have enough time in my brain to process what he was reading. All in all I think everyone should give these messages serious thought and consideration to become a better person and really attract what we want in our lives. It is hard work, but the recording help by being able to listen over and over and over again.

This Mater Course CD Program contains the same information as the Master Course DVD program. It is less expensive and just as informative. The program is great for those already familiar with the teachings of Abraham.

I am taking my worship team through Worship Matters right now. Those who are reading it are really enjoying it. Bob Kauflin's succinct and powerful way of presenting his points keeps the reader interested. He really relates well with worship leaders because of his vast experience as a worship pastor over many years. His emphasis on the importance of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit in leading worship is alone worth the price of the book. But Kauflin also delves into many more "nuts and bolts" topics that worship leaders and teams need to understand and apply. I recommend this book everywhere I go! --Dwayne Moore, author of Pure Praise: A Heart-focused Bible Study on Worship (Group Publishing, 2009)

I am not a worship leader. I'm a pastor. No, wait - that makes me a worship leader, just not in the realm of music. That's an important distinction to make, and one which Bob Kauflin makes in this valuable book: "Anyone who encourages others to praise God can be referred to as a 'worship leader.' Worship can involve music, but it can happen without it as well." Careful thinking like that make this book a treasure-trove of biblical wisdom and practical insight on worship.

Kauflin unpacks what a worship leader does (see other reviews for the definition - I don't want to be needless repetitive), discusses healthy tensions in our theology and practice of worship, speaks specifically to the relational dynamics in which every worship leader is involved (with the church, the team, the pastor), and more.

The book is rooted in the Gospel, robust in theology, and well-written. I was encouraged and instructed. And I'm committed to making sure every present and future member of our church's worship team gets a copy. This is a great book for pastors, worship leaders, and worship teams. In fact, it's a great book for any one who wants to worship God in spirit and truth. It is practical enough to be of real use to musicians and leaders, but it is general enough to encourage and help any believer.

Spread the word. This is a great book on worship! Thanks Bob Kauflin for serving the church with this book.

Worship Matters is an exceptional book for worship leaders, pastors, musicians, and everyone in between. Only two chapters into the book I had recommended it to other worship leaders. Filled with experience and insight, Kauflin uses scriptures and references to back up all that he explains. He is not afraid to tackle the issues that we, as worship leaders, deal with constantly yet are afraid to admit. Every chapter is unique and contains another heart issue to consider.
Worship Matters will cause it's reader to want to rise to the next level; to reach beyond themselves and what they have settled for; to expand their faith and reach for the high calling of Christ and all that it entails.

Regardless your position on Church corporate worship is, contemporary worship (CW) or Historical Worship (HW), Bob Kauflin addresses the principles of Holy Scripture dealing with the important aspects on worship: Your love to God, your believes in sound doctrine, your way of life aiming for obedience to God, and your role modeling as a Christian leading others to worship God through Christ with spiritual music in your local church. Personally, I was impressed by the honest approach the author observed along the book realizing his own church weaknesses and acknowledging the learning he could find in other historical/traditional churches. What I liked the most, was what he called "Healthy Tensions" in worship: "Transcendent and Immanent", "Head and Heart", "Internal and External", "Vertical and Horizontal", "Planned and Spontaneous", "Rooted and Relevant", "having in mind believers and unbelievers", etc. I think these healthy tensions give you the key secret for musical ministry in the church that will be pleasant to God and his creatures.

I can't say enough about this book, and at the same time I can't say too much. As I've attended and served in a Sovereign Grace Ministries church for the better part of the decade, I've had the benefit of Bob Kauflin's teaching on worship filter down to me in my capacity of intermittent worship leader (and more importantly as a worshiper) in many ways: articles and columns, messages on mp3 and CD (the "Theological Foundations for Worship" and "Practical Foundations for Worship" series), and even by word of mouth from my own pastor and worship leader. Enough about me. Bob wrote the book - and contrary to reviewing practice, I cannot bring myself to refer to him as `Kauflin' - and so to Bob we turn.

Bob's heart for biblical, passionate worship pervades every page of this book. His writing is littered with Bible, especially the psalms, that manual of Old Testament worship. But this isn't merely a devotional on a few aspects of worship. No, this is a handbook about how to pursue more biblical, more humble hearts in the midst of a task pregnant with tensions. Earlier in this review I said that I can't say enough about this book; that's because it accomplishes what it sets out to do in a biblical and humble manner. It practices what it preaches. I also said I can't say too much about it; that's because it is a wide-ranging and valuable lay-of-the-land guide with far too much content to convey in a mere review.

There are four main sections in the book:

1: The Leader

2: The Task

3: Healthy Tensions

4: Right Relationships

Following a foreword by über-worship leader Paul Baloche, Bob begins his discussion of worship by honing in on the worship leader's heart, mind, and life. All of this flows out of a leader's devotion to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the second section Bob unpacks the following working definition of worship, constructed with aid from his good friend Jeff Purswell. The definition is not only written in verse form to effectively highlight each line, but because each subsequent chapter in this section explores a fragment of the definition.

Simply reiterating this definition arouses my soul in worship of God through Jesus Christ:

A faithful worship leader
magnifies the greatness of God in Jesus Christ
through the power of the Holy Spirit
by skillfully combining God's Word with music,
thereby motivating the gathered church
to proclaim the gospel,
to cherish God's presence
and to live for God's glory

Section three wades into the most fraught of all church matters: reconciling seemingly opposing preconceptions of worship. Again, this review does not warrant an exposition of the book's teaching on these areas. Suffice to say that Bob advocates the need to hold many, if not most, of these areas in healthy tension. Like J.I. Packer, he seems to dislike the term `balance,' so misused for so many years.

Finally, the fourth section explores the common cause of the tension in the third section: people. More specifically, people with ideas rubbing up against people with different ideas. A pastor himself, Bob recognizes the tensions that can arise on both sides of the pastor-worship leader relationship, and provides many suggestions for an improved and thriving relationship.

This book is primarily intended for worship leaders, but is also directed at pastors - even unmusical ones. No matter which tradition you practice, liturgical or free-flow (to use Bob's nomenclature), charismatic or somber, Bob's wisdom will benefit. Worship team members will profit from every page, and pastors and worship leaders may consider employing the copyright fair use policy (within reason) to disseminate relevant pages among their congregations at key junctures in the process of building a worshiping community. Worship Matters should also probably become requisite reading for all worship studies programs in North America, and I daresay should displace some, if not most, of the current primary textbooks in those programs.

I've never seen a book on worship featuring such a mix of god-glorifying theology and biblically-sound methodology. I have a feeling this is Bob's magnum opus, and every pastor, worship leader, and worship team member must invest in a copy, to read over and over and over. Because...worship does matter.

Just over a year ago, I was walking through Borders when I noticed this book and laughed to myself at its prominently displayed and clichéd promise of MAXIMUM GRADES.

"Oh great, I've seen this before," I thought. "Only suckers and suckers' parents buy these books, anyway." I walked away.

After all, who doesn't want maximum grades? Or, for that matter, a shorter waistband, to become a magnet for beautiful women, or to have an instant multi-million dollar bank account?

This was some kind of scheme, right? WRONG!!! VERY, VERY WRONG!!!

I was not a bad student when I bought What Smart Students Know, but I certainly was not a SMART student either. I can proudly say, as a soon-to-graduate high school senior who has meticulously applied Robinson's methods in my own life (and seen my grades go up DRAMATICALLY as a result), that THIS IS A BOOK THAT CHANGES PEOPLE- NOT JUST ACADEMICALLY, BUT PHILOSOPHICALLY AND EVEN EMOTIONALLY.

Perhaps the single most powerful element of Robinson's book is his promise of OPTIMUM LEARNING. Not the most readily graspable concept, I understand. But it's there... AND HE MEANS IT.

At a time when more and more students are applying to Ivy League colleges and when universities are becoming increasingly discerning of high school performance, it's easy to loose sight of what's really important in the rat race for an A.

Robinson refuses...no... DEMANDS his readers to preserve, both in themselves and their communities, the understanding that grades are nothing more than a necessary evil, and that they should not dictate either a student's self-esteem or his drive to learn, challenge, and better himself.

For those of you who at this point are thinking exactly what I was when I first saw this book, take note:

I speak NOT from the view of a student who was desperately failing in school when he bought this book- quite the contrary- but from that of a CONVERTED SKEPTIC who has found a textual diamond in the rough. I've never liked school, but this book taught me how to handle and exploit it without wasting any time.

Top FIVE Lessons I learned from What Smart Students Know:

5. The first step in the learning process is about recognizing one's purpose in learning: Why am I studying zoology, anyway? What do I already know about zoology? Is the primate chapter more or less important that than the amphibians one?

4. How to listen in class... Not all lectures were created equally. Crazy as it now seems, I used to delude myself that they were.

3. How to take notes... don't waist your time rewriting everything... repetition, obsessive re-reading, and, worst of all, rote memorization can get you good grades- maybe even perfect grades- but they can only erect an illusory monument of REAL, LONG-LASTING, PERSONALLY MEANINGFUL LEARNING.

2. Attitude is everything. Don't get me wrong, School sucks. But that shouldn't get in the way of your education (c.f. Mark Twain)!

1. YOU ARE YOUR OWN BEST TEACHER... PERIOD.
Near the beginning of the book, Robinson aptly quotes Winston Churchill in saying, "I am always ready to learn, but I do not always like being taught."

Churchill's call should resonate with every high school and college student in America.

What is the educational crisis really about? Robinson asks. It is the fruition of a long history of misconceptions about how students think and learn. Education begins with the STUDENT, not the system that "educates" him.

In What Smart Students Know, readers of all levels ("whether you're getting straight A's or struggling for C's") will meet their ally in Robinson. His aim is to debunk conventional wisdoms and rewire students, academically and philosophically, to learn with SELF-SUFFICIENCY... and teach them to get straight A's along the way without it becoming an all-consuming motive.

I was skeptical about this book when I received it, my brain yelled waste of money and time (properly due to its ridiculous subtitle). This nagging thought stayed with me through the first few pages where the author raved on and on how much my life would improve due to his little book. But I persisted and alas I cannot find words to express how happy I am about this choice.

The author shows you how to learn any subject so it sticks, without the classical emphasis on repetition. Here for the fist time was I explained how to positively control and use the thoughts that hurl though my head when I read something. How to keep up focus when the text is just plain boring and keep your head clear when you are absolutely lost in a hard subject.

Not a simple feat and I am baffled as to why one can go though almost 20 years of public school, high school, college and university without ever being thought how to learn efficiently.

I often get remarks from my colleagues about how I master my field, and just how smart I must be, but all I can ever tell them is that I am as stupid (or gifted) as the rest of you. The only difference is that when I now open a book, I do it with a purpose, with a plan. I am going to rule this subject and master it completely.

Since reading this book I have begun telling everyone about it (to the degree where I even thought about mailing a copy to the ministry of education) - it really is that good. So If you want to go into the exam room with that extra zing of self consciousness, knowing that you cannot fail, that the best grade is marked for you, then read this book.

Although the author have good intentions, the author had clearly been out of college for a long time before writing this book. He suggests that students approach every reading assignments as a twelve-step process. He asks you to write down what you already know about the subject, what you expect to learn, read the assignment 3 separate times, write and rewrite your notes, create charts and graphics, pictures, and devise mnemonics to memorize concepts.

This might help a highly-ambitious high school student with nothing productive to do with his time, but it is impossible to apply in college. The author gives a 1 page sample and spends 200 pages explaining how to take notes on this single page. Doing every steps he advocates takes hours for a single page; how can you expect to do all this if you have to read thousands of pages, which is what colleges usually require. This book does not delivers on it's title.

For a good study-guide written by an actual college student who describes methods that are successfully used by real students and not a simple hypothetical method, get Cal Newports How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less.

Adam Robinson presents some interesting advice. However, the book keeps repeating itself and it seems to assume that we have infinite time to study. It is better suit to high school than college.

I got this book along with The Rocket Review, The Rocket Review Revolution: The Ultimate Guide to the New SAT (Third Edition) (Rocketreview Revolution: The Ultimate Guide to the New SAT) which I wrote a review on as well, because it really is my favorite SAT book. Either way, I never made time to read "What Smart Students Know" until I was bored on the train coming home. I usually never buy into these books that promises improvements in grades or even SAT's instantly, but this is actually a book that I ended up taking to college because I found it so useful.

The way the author writes is straight, so there isn't time wasted on trying to figure out what the author is trying to tell you, it is easy to follow. The graphics are great, it's funny and I will be honest it really does show you most efficient way to learn as much as you want to learn, and get whatever GPA you want to get. It is a book that I strongly recommend and because it isn't expensive and it isn't a hard read or long I don't understand why anyone wouldn't spend $15 and actually get a book that, depending on what you want to do with it, will help you save time, and open your eyes in school. In my class I had a really good friend, who never studied yet, would come into class, finish a test in half the time and get an A. While I study for hours at night, and wake up early in the morning to study one more time so its fresh in my head. I started reading this book, and it essentially became my guide because it is a book that you don't have to sit and read through all at once but you can use it as a reference and that is why it is so useful, it lowers stress for studying because it tells you what is most effective in order to get that A.

Bottom Line: You don't buy the book to get a 200 on your IQ test, rather, it is a book that teaches you how to get the best grades in school and not have to spend hours.

The books are very basic, and I think they will work well with my children. However, I don't like the way the story line can be completely lost in the effort to keep it simple and repetitious. For instance, in "Zac the Rat", it goes from Zac being on the can to Zac needing to clean up jam. It leaves out a page, that I think would make the book so much better. It just needs to say, "Zac spilled the jam," or something like that. Also, ants just show up in the jam and Zac has to get rid of them, but there is no mention of ants coming to the jam in the story. You just have to infer that from the picture and the following pages that mention the ants. I think it would make it so much better if a page said, "The ants ran to the jam." That's simple, uses words that are repeated in the book, and helps make the connection to what happens next. You can tell what happened in the pictures, but I just think it would be better if they connected the dots a little better in the words. Overall, I am happy with the product; I just have that one little qualm. I realize they are trying to keep the books very simple and on target for the lesson they teach, but I think they could have done it a little better by having an easier to follow story.

My 5 yr old loves reading to us and she's even taken the first one to school for show and tell to read to the kids. The books are numbered and each ascending number is slightly more difficult to read. She's already learned the first few and is working her way through them. These are perfect for the pre-k and K ages.

These books are really cute, short and sweet. The pictures really draw in the child. The animal characters are doing various things that most small children love to do (cooking in the kitchen, racing cars, making messes, playing at the beach, enjoying family, etc.). My son (who just turned 5) LOVES them.

When we first sat down to read them, I thought they were cute and really focused on letter sounds AND kept the attention of my son. But what REALLY sold me and made me (and my son fall in love with them) was the STARFALL.com website. ALL of the books are ONLINE with animation and sound. The child can even modify the story. It is too cute! My son has his own laptop and loves to go to the website and READ and LISTEN to the books, where they focus on sounding out the words. In addition to the books, there are a million other FUN learning activities ... calendar, writing a letter. It's an absolutely fabulous FUN learning website, all for free! This website has helped with learning and reinforcing what he has already learned in school.

So, if you want to see (and read) the books BEFORE you buy, they are all on STARFALL.com.

My son (6 yrs) loved these and read each one multiple times within the first week. Great for encouraging phonics readers!

I purchased this set for my 5 year old Kindergartener after earlier this year a teacher had recommended the website... www.starfall.com. Fairly easy phonics set. WE LOVE THEM. Maddy can read the books on her own, and she doesn't lose interest or become discouraged because they are a fairly quick read. We have also found that she is now reading at a quicker pace. The pictures are very cute just like the website... which my daughters adore! Wonderful companion to go along with the website.

If your child is struggling or a beginning reader, than you should definately give this set a try at the wonderful price that it currently is.

This is the book you need for creating and maintaining a solid and authentic classroom literacy program. "The First Twenty Days" alone is extreemely helpful. You can start small and grow as you feel comfortable. A little overwhelming at times but worth it!

Excellent resource. Everything needed to start a reading/writing/word study workshop. My book is full of sticky notes of things to use!

Definitely one of the most useful and comprehensive reading and writing resources that I have ever purchased for my professional library. The price is very reasonable as well!

This book has helped me tremendously with my new job as a teacher. Going to school did not prepare me as much as this book has.

Every teacher who teaches grades 3-6 should own this book. It has practical mini-lessons, rationale for teaching comprehension strategies and additional resources. If you don't already own it, you should get your hands on a copy.

This book was good, except that it is pretty much exactly like "What Great Principals Do Differently" I wish I had read a review about it prior to buying BOTH of them..A good read for teachers.

This is a quick & easy read, but unfortunately, it's just more of the same old "pep-rally" type of advice: be positive, be prepared, always smile, & remember that all your students really want to learn a lot & really look up to you, even when it doesn't seem like it! This type of stuff doesn't do much good when teachers get into the midst of the inevitable problems that come up during the school year. To me, one of the most telling chapters was Chapter 6 "Who is the variable," which is a sort of "everyone should take responsibility" chapter. The author begins the chapter by discussing teacher responsibility, then goes on to tell about his meeting with some business leaders who were concerned about the quality of high school graduates. He ultimately put the responsibility on the business leaders for not having called the school to get specific reports on graduates they hired. In short, the only one he assigns no responsibility to is himself. Some might say he was somewhat responsible for giving the same degree to well performing students & to slackers & trouble-makers--that his signing of the diploma was in fact his recommendation, & that therefore he does bear some responsibility. He complains about teachers who complain about working conditions, but does not seem to feel that it is his responsibility to better those conditions.
I like teaching, & actually like the challenges that keep coming up--but then that's probably because teaching is a second career for me & I know I can quit any time I want. I know there is a shortage of resources & that as teachers, we need to work with that environment (which, to me, is amply rewarded by the long vacations). But it irks me to read these books that try to gloss over all the problems & just provide a superficial, Rah-Rah pep-rally, so-called "motivational" solution. I feel that teachers who get sucked up into this sort of thing are getting set up for a fall.
- JB

In these early weeks of summer break I have still been thinking about teaching and what has gone before, along with what will present itself in 'the fall' (which for us means the end of July!). This book reminds me what I want to be as a teacher: respectful of all, motivating and challenging, in charge and yet (gasp!) nice!

Teaching is the most wonderful profession in all the world: the opportunity to truly make a difference in the lives of not just students, but their families as well as our colleagues and even our own families. Why not aspire to greatness? And does it really come as a big surprise that the qualities of a great teacher vs. one who is good, fine, or even mediocre may lie in actions and choices rather than in methods and superior knowledge? Why is it that we are taught the importance of repetition in teaching to an objective, and yet we ourselves get cranky if we feel something is "repetitive?"

I am very glad I bought and read this book, and plan to share it with my fellow teachers and administrators.

What a fabulous book to use as a book study with teachers of all levels and experiences! It is a quick-read with ideas that can be implemented as soon as the chapter is done being read. The book lends itself to deep, thought-provoking conversation between staff members whether you are a first year teacher or a "well-seasoned" teacher. Teachers don't want to put the book down once they start reading it. Whitaker draws his readers in by consistently talking about "great" teachers and the effective practices they use. A "must read" for every educator!

If you're an education student or already a teacher this book is mildly inspiring, however it does not offer anything you haven't already heard or read. Most advice is practical and common sense i.e. "form relationships with your students" "don't yell or demean them" "make it 'cool to care'"
There are many more books out there with more substance. The bulk of the author's career is as a school principal (he only taught for a couple years) so the text is written from an administrator's point of view, therefore there are idealistic philosophies and it lacks applicable classroom strategies or solid case scenarios. I do not recommend this book. Although a short read, it is mostly fluff.

This book helped me set up a brain-friendly morning for my fifth grade students. Each morning there is a greeting, sharing, and activity and a message. I adopted the middle school term CPR, Circle of Power and Respect. My students look forward to CPR each day! I highly recommend this book for any teacher of grades K-8!

This is a helpful informative book, especially helpful for new teachers.
However, I would also recommend it for experienced teachers for some new ideas.

This book is simple and clear in focus and structure. It has great strategies and suggestions for implementation in classrooms of various grade levels. This is a great resource if you are looking to improve your classroom community and overall communication skills of your students.

Wonderful, applicable strategies to build community in every classroom! In every school building! Great resource full of ideas.

I am a 6th grade teacher moving to 2nd grade this year. This book was a HUGE help in preparing me to organize my morning meeting. It is an easy read and has lots of helpful tips. I can't wait to start school this year and start my morning meetings!
If you are an elementary teacher, buy this book! You won't regret it!The Morning Meeting Book (Strategies for Teachers, 1)

very helpful to learn how to:
- pronounce the words
- read and write
- use grammar
- and for the vocabulary

This book is EXCELLENT in my opinion. When I don't fully grasp grammar points from my russian textbook, I refer to this. It would be nice if it came as a cd course though.

I chose to use this book as the textbook for my Russian class because it was cheaper than Golosa or Nachalo. That was a mistake. The book includes all the grammatical information that you need to speak Russian, but a beginning Russian student needs more than just grammar. I don't know the author of this book, but I'm guessing that he doesn't place much importance on teaching. It seems he still adheres to the grammar-translation approach to teaching Russian. The organization of the book is confusing, neither thematic nor grammatical. The exercises are brief, and could have easily been lifted from a Russian textbook that was printed in the 50's or 60's. Frankly, I don't know why this book has gotten such rave reviews, unless it's being compared to not having any book at all. It's a lot cheaper than a real textbook, but there's a reason why it's cheaper. If you want a cheap way to learn Russian, check out the Berlitz Self-Teacher from the library.

This is a great book to learn russian from the ground up. Every lesson is comprehensive in its theme and there are exercises at the end of each chapter and solutions in the back. There are also consolidated grammar tables in the appendix for quick lookup and a 1500 word vocabulary. I bought 6 russian language course books on Amazon and this one is by far the best.

I have studied on my own at various levels of seriousness 6 languages in my life, (some to the extent of becoming fully fluent, some becoming basically conversational, and some starting and giving up out of disinterest or dislike for the language in general) and amid the many books I've used for all the languages, I found this book to be the best book for any independent foreign language learner (i.e. not in a university or other language class). Not just for Russian - which this book happens to cover - but any book. The reasons, below:

- reasonbly compact chapters with specific points to be learned in a logical order
- starts with basic grammar, and expands very methodically upon the fundamentals, gradually progressing to A-level Russian
- no "travel talk" - all texts and exercises are normal, everyday (and progressively harder and "bookish") rather than "hotel/airport/taxi" topics
- very clear explanations of all grammar, at basic as well as obscure levels (and the author tells which points are not so crucial and may be skipped if one wishes to do so - he even does this for an entire chapter on the vagaries of Russian numbers, counting and mathematics)
- compact in size - can be taken anywhere, and densely packed with vocabulary and grammar - this is no amateur book
- grammar terms are explained very well, and examples given very clearly
- good texture of pages and very readable print; no clutter; fonts used are very soft on the eyes and bold (mainly Russian words) are well-highlighted against the slightly tan-tinged, off-white pages - not overly-contrasty as with pure-white linen-colored pages
- texts vary from being short and to the point, to longer and more literary, providing variety and a chance to move at a good pace
- again, a very logical progression from basic nouns, verbs, then cases, endings, etc. through tenses, "bookish" style, etc. to cover nearly all the points one might encounter in Russian grammar
- an unbelievable price for all this - $20 retail, $12 or so on Amazon - worth many times that in terms of content

The downsides?

- no audio tapes - as others have noted, there is no way to know the correct pronunciation unless you supplement it with another series (Teach Yourself, Routledge, etc.) which have dialogues recorded and transcribed
- there are plenty of exercises for each grammar point but most are pretty brief; need to supplement with Teach Yourself's "Russian Grammar" or Terence Wade's grammar workbook
- later chapters have rather long vocabulary lists - probably difficult to master all of the vocabulary at once for one chapter, unless one works on a chapter a week or so; takes time to master this moreso than the grammar itself
- not much use of the often difficult-to-read italic Russian font (found in some other college-related texts) or handwriting (again, not much to say on this but one or two examples would be a nice addition, perhaps the text of a handwritten letter as one chapter addition)
- I always think the cover photo is so odd - hardly a good shot of St. Basil's on Red Square, taken wide-angle and appearing far off, with the inexplicable marching soldiers and an old Coke billboard (long gone now, I hear) in the forefront - the attempt to juxtapose the various elements of modern and old Russia are negated by the poor photo angle and distracting elements (lamppost, old-ish cars, large boring sidewalk dominating the foreground, etc.) - I know this is hardly a reason to complain about the book, but this mundane shot doesn't get one excited about a Russia visit each time one picks up the book to study; perhaps a snow-covered Orthodox church in the countryside or a nightscape of St. Petersburg, as cliched as those scenes are, would be more attractive and sell the book (also - can't translate what's on that billboard, even after studying the book! Something about "Coca Cola - always better with... [something]..." - can anyone help??)

Otherwise, the best language textbook that I have ever used. Highly recommended above all others.

A must have supplement to go along with this text is the the book Damgerous book for boys. It is full of great ideas for extra curricular activies. I have an only child who is home schooled but does a lot of interacting with his friends. He needs more free,yet structured play. Dangerous book for boys offers this. I like how "What every Third Grader needs to know is formatted. It reminded me of the dnagerous book for boys.
So if you are a home schooler of a boy, or a girl look into both books.

I got this book to help prepare for the PRAXIS test for Elementary Education Teachers. I have found the book to be very informative. I have heard it is very helpful for a study aid for the PRAXIS so hopefully it pays off.

Some may agree or disagree about this book, but as for my son...he is thankful for it. He has a test on the metric system tomorrow and forgot his math book. I was about to go searching online and then remembered the book. In the mathmatics section, there it was, the Metric System. It saved him from me and gave him what he needs to do well on tomorrow's test.

I use this series for all the grades it is a great way to know what your children should be learning. It is a great way to know what to read to them or what to teach them. I give it to my friends as gifts. I recommend it to you and I recommend it to everybody.

This book is very good to my kid. It covers not only literature and math, but science, art, history, etc as well. Both my kid and I like it.