Nonfiction Books

A book everyone should read. It was loaned to me by my Grandaughter and I ordered the next day so I could share with others also.
An inspiration.
The service from Amazon was as always excellant.

Reading this book now, after Randy has died, adds sadness to the book he meant to be only inspirational and only glorious. I love that Randy Pausch wrote this for himself (yes, of course it is for himself, it is how he coped with this death sentence, and the horrendous loss and grief) and his children. I only read it because it was a book club choice; prior to now I've been completely turned off by the zealous Oprah-type hype and MANDATES to LOVE this book. If Randy were so heavy handed ("You must read this! It will change your life! It's about living, not dying! And I'm dying, you know!") about it he wouldn't have sold a single copy. Back off, zealots, for pete's sake, and allow people to experience this book quietly for themselves, wouldja?

I listened to the audio version of this book. It was good to hear Randy Pausch tell his story .. in his own voice. I will forever deal with situations in life remembering the Tigger vs the Eyore attitude. I think it safe to say that I will always lean toward bouncing with Tigger. Once you have read or listened to this lecture, how can you not embrace your inner Tigger? or go after you dreams?

Here is an excellent example of one man making a huge change in the world. A man like that... he will be missed.

The CD unabridged version is only 4 CD's..... I really recommend that you get this... you will be happy that you did and you'll pass it on to a friend. I'm sending mine to my brother who is a teacher. I'm hoping he'll share his with his students. This is one of of those Pass It On books.
Happy reading! JMHO //(*_*)\\

Randy Pausch's book, The Last Lecture, is every bit as moving and insightful as his live lecture on which it is based, which itself became a YouTube and media sensation. He has now sadly passed away, but the video and this book of his last lecture will live on. The book goes beyond academia, and provides thoughts on life that are greatly beneficial to all. An example of a great book by a great professor (and a great guy) that both well deserve all the accolades they have received.

When I picked up this book, I expected it to be filled with advice and insights that I'd never heard before. Thinking back, that wasn't a very reasonable expectation. If the advice was going to be any good, it had probably been dispensed many times long before Randy Pausch got to it. Instead, this book was filled with advice and insights that I'd heard many times before from many different sources, but that was far from being a drawback.

Pausch has distilled out some of the simplest and most effective thoughts on how to get more out of life and how to put more into it. Unsurprisingly, the two often go together. Beyond that, Pausch has eloquently restated some insights that have faded a little bit from today's culture. Perhaps this book and Pausch's lecture will play some role in bringing them back into favor.

More than anything, Pausch's tragic situation puts him in a unique situation to present these pieces of advice and have people listen. It's great that Randy and his wife shared some of his remaining time and energy with the rest of us so that we could hear these insights from a source that's hard to ignore and nearly impossible to feel resentment towards. I think we've all failed to take good advice by dismissing the source for one self-serving reason or another.

Highly recommended just as a reminder of things you probably already know, but would probably benefit from hearing again. A great gift for a graduating student or any child you care about.

When I took my first practice LSAT I received a 145. My weakest section was the logic games, but after reading this book it became my easiest section. I recently took the June 2008 LSAT and received a 153- not bad if you are looking for mediocre schools, and received 21 of 23 on the Logic Games section. I know a lot of fellow LSAT takers who have problem with this portion of the LSAT and the books they read have all of these wacky, difficult to understand diagrams.
This prep book gives you clear, and easy instructions that become like second nature with enough practice. I probably studied for less than a month with the Logic Games bible. Oh, and I do plan on taking the upcoming October LSAT and using the Logical Reasoning Bible(same company, must be good right?) along with anything I can find on reading comprehension!

This book is extremely helpful for anyone preparing for the LSAT, no matter what level you're at. I am currently taking a prep course from KAPLAN and I feel that this book is really helping me maximize my scoring potential. A MUST BUY!

The PowerScore LSAT Logic Games BIble (LGB) has been an invaluable resource as I prepare for the LSAT. Although I am attending a prep course, I also use the LGB for additional assistance. The Games Logic Bible contains problems and thorough explanations to right AND wrong answers. Once you get into the groove of tackling the questions, it's sometimes difficult to put down the book. Coupled with the class, I feel confident that this additional resource will help me excel on the upcoming exam.

this seller is awesome! the product arrived in impeccable condition! i am extremely satisfied!

Like their Logical Reasoning Bible, what I liked about this book is that it is like having a tutor sitting next to you explaining how to go about things. I've gone through many other logic games books and this one still ranks to me as #1 because of that.

The book is great for breadth of material as well as depth. Definitely comprehensive.

The book tells you the typical kinds of inferences you should be looking for immediately after processing the rules. Lots of tips and tricks to be found in this book. All taught using real LSAT questions. I found their selection of games to be quite representative as well.

If you are only going to get one logic games book, this is the one.

I was very satisfied with this book. I was tremendously satisfied with the prompt delivery.

This book has been great for an initial read to discuss with my children what a friend is. It continues to be a great reference tool for situations that come up. We pull out the book and read it with our children to remind them what a friend is and how a friend should treat them.

How to be a friend is such a nice book. It is like an instruction manual for kids who have difficulties making friends. It shows what is acceptable and what others find attractive in a friend. It tells directly what is annoying or inappropriate. I read this to my entire class, which consists of general education students and children on the autism spectrum (Asberger). I used it early in the year. It opened to door to much discussion and questions. We used it in therapy sessions, as well. I recommend it..

This has been great not only for my child with Autism, but the one without as well. Nice, simple format. Short phrases to go along with the pictures. I highly recommend this one!

This was a great book for my son! He is a first grader who is just learning the "rules" of friendship. He enjoyed the fun charecters and witty text so much that he didn't realize he was learning. Nonetheless, he incorporated the lessons the next day and told me of his success on the playground. He was proud of himself and I am proud of him. I am very glad I got this book. I can also readily use it with the children I treat in the schools and highly recommend it whether your child is "typically developing" or not!

Great material for preschool and above ages. It has very real situations that I think children and adults can relate to and learn from.

Admittedly, there's not much new here, but this concise, well written, thought provoking book still serves as an excellent introduction to the many complex issues faced by the founding generation. The chapters on early U. S.-Native American relations, and the Louisiana Purchase were particularly illuminating.

I have read so much about this time period that only Joseph Ellis will give me an excuse to once again read about early US history.
The problem with most popular historic studies is that it tends to be littered with the adjectives of "brave, bold, noble, patriotic, heroic, etc." and therefore eliminates the objective analysis that provokes examination of the situation. Ellis examined Valley Forge, American and Native American treaties, the Constitutional convention and of course the Purchase with a scholarly perspective that always teaches me a bit more about the time period that most books ever do. I never grow bored with Ellis because he really digs into the matter. For example, every book that talks about Articles Of Confederation gives off the idea that it was both inevitable and the ONLY reality. In this book, Ellis points out what probably would have happened if the Articles stated in place and the realization that most supported the Articles as a function of the Revolution. The Constitution was seen by many as a threat to political balance -- something I always knew but had never seen brought beyond a foot note. This is when Ellis is at his finest. We are seeing the implications of this today with the reintroduction of imperial president.
Now if Ellis will write that biography of Benjamin Franklin that he has talked about in the past, I will so be there to read it.

Joseph Ellis is a well-known writer of popular histories, winner of both the Pulitzer and the National Book Award, so I began American Creation with high expectations. Of course, the major players at the Founding have filled countless books. As the author points out, it's tough to even-handedly write about men who were early cast as heroes or villains in our now almost mythological past. Like his "Founding Brothers," "American Creation" is a series of sketches. Each chapter examines the principal actors at a pivotal moment in the history of the Founding. Ellis begins with Adams, subject of his "Passionate Sage," then moves to the equally familiar Washington, the subject of "His Excellency." Next is James Madison, who was, briefly, during the Constitutional Convention, less Virginian than Nationalist. Rarely mentioned failures are also included in Ellis' story: the treaty-by-treaty betrayal of the Native Americans, and the avoidance of the slavery issue in order to win ratification for the Constitution. The evolution of political parties, and the author's fascination with the brilliant, slippery Jefferson segues into a final chapter on the Louisiana Purchase. In that one stroke, America changed from coastline bound Republic to continental Empire. What was missing-and what I expected from any book titled "American Creation" was the usual--any discussion of the innovative economic foundation upon which the modern U.S. stands. To any reader interested in this essential topic, the dollars and cents as well as the high flown ideals, I'd suggest Forrest McDonald's "Hamilton." Professor McDonald is a fierce partisan of his currently unpopular hero, but his discussion of the financial miracle Hamilton worked, saving the new born republic and laying the groundwork for the Purchase, is succinct and illuminating.

What issues did the Founding Father face and how did they see and approach them? In "American Creation" author Joseph Ellis focuses on the setting, ideas, arguments, dilemmas, and solutions to some of the key issues that faced Founding Fathers during the early period from the 1775-1776 debates leading to the Declaration Independence up to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.The book is more of a lecture series or one-way conversation to the reader than an historical account of the era. Ellis works to get us in the minds of the Founding Fathers as they struggled with the steps of breaking ground and building a revolutionary republic. During the period leading up to the Declaration of Independence, we see how individual rights came to be guaranteed by the Federal government rather than only the States. Later in the Valley Forge period, Washington and his officers came to see the budding nation as one entity and developed the "War of Posts" strategy, a Fabian approach that took advantage of the huge space available and wore the British down. In fact the concept of "space," both in terms of the large geographical territory and also separation from European conflicts and entanglements is one of the reasons for the success of the new nation. Upon the successful conclusion of the Revolutionary War, the argument of Federal versus States supremacy continued through the Constitutional Convention, Indian policy, the formation of political parties, and the Louisiana Purchase with the arguments unresolved. Although Ellis despairs over the failure to reach a lasting and just Indian treaty, the most harmful failure was the continuation and advance of slavery to new territories. Ellis theorizes that the preservation of slavery provided a powerful unspoken impetus for the States Right movement and the rise of the Jeffersonian Republicans. With the Louisiana Purchase, Ellis advances makes the point that the kindling to start the Civil War got its spark when the new territories were not closed to slavery. One chapter describes how Alexander Hamilton and James Madison collaborated on the Federalist Papers and efforts to ratify the constitution. That the Virginian Madison then joined Jefferson's camp seems to leave Ellis dissappointed and dismayed. Thomas Jefferson has taken quite a beating in recent years and "American Creation" continues the trend as Ellis believes his progressive ideas seemed to be for White people only. However, I am sure there are more sides to the story and will soon read a sympathetic Jefferson biography. Perhaps this is just a swing of the historians' pendulum and we will see rehabilitation in the future. I enjoyed "American Creation," and found it stimulating, but consider it just as much a series of "Op-Ed" pieces as history. Nevertheless, Ellis is an excellent writer and makes his case well.

Ellis book is simply outstanding. He beautifully conveys a feeling of events without overburdening the reader with a lot of historical data. Where facts are necessary in the narrative, they are there. An exceptional accomplishment!

I read McCullough's 1776 after this book, and the letdown was considerable.

For anyone who's ever struggled to deal with her - or his! - curly, kinky, wavy hair, this book will help you end those battles forever! Lorraine Massey's easy, informative writing style makes the book comfortable to read and simple to follow. You'll find out things you never knew about your curly hair: the best way to wash it, dry it, cut it, the products to use on it (and NOT use on it), and best of all, how to NEVER deal with "hair appliances" again! Us Curly Girls and guys can GO NATURAL... just like our friends with straight hair!

A Curly Girl herself, Lorraine Massey has written a marvelous "how to" care for and style your curly hair that will end your bad hair days for good. The book is short, fun, and to the point. I wish something like this had been around 30 years ago!

I find myself referencing this book time and time again. It's brimming with useful information, recipes (some of which I'm a little skeptical, admittedly) and wonderful anecdotes from curly girls of all walks of life. I have struggled, as many of my curly-mopped mamas, for years with my naturally curly hair. I've tried to straighten it chemically, and with irons. I've spent many long years denying my curly roots. This book introduced me to a whole culture of woman and men who accept and embrace their curls and reject the stigma placed upon textured hair by popular culture and the mainstream beauty industry. I'm proud to say that I've been an official curly girl for several months now, and I couldn't be more at peace, and my hair has never looked so healthy and beautiful! I highly recommend this book, and the Curly Girl method of hair maintenance. Go ahead and set your curls free!

I have always fought against my curls, but this year I decided to embrace them. I bought "The Curly Girl" and followed some very easy step by step instructions!!! Now, I LOVE my curls!!
The most important thing, for me, was getting rid of my everyday shampoo/conditioner. They were drying my hair! I now only use products that are labeled "no SLS". I find them at the local health food store. Yes, they are a little pricier, but since you don't wash your hair in the "conventional way", it lasts a lot longer.
I get more compliments on my hair now and even my husband (who isn't a curly hair fan), loves it.
If you have curly hair and are ready to embrace it, give this book a try. You won't be disappointed.

i hate saying stuff like "this book changed my life" but it sort of did. :) i booked an appointment for a cut with the author's partner and for the first time maybe ever (due to following the books advice, etc), i am happy with my hair! definitely worth buying and trying.

I bought this book for my 11-year old daughter, who has beautiful curls. I do not, and this book has helped her so much with tips on how to care for curly hair. The advise in the book really works to make your wonderful curls stay healthy. It has many little stories submitted from women about being curly and it really touches on race, feminism, culture and "beauty". I bought it for my 39 year-old friend, who always struggled with how to deal with her hair. She LOVED the book and told me that her hair no longer frustrates her!

The title would lead one to believe that there is actually an audio portion to this book. What there is, however, are 74 pages that are of absolutely no use because there is no tape or CD included. For those of us who do not speak Spanish and have children trying to learn it this book is a waste of money.

If you want to know more about your subc.I heartily recommend these CDs

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
The Master Key System
Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World
The Science of Getting Rich
The Science of Mind
Think and Grow Rich: Original Version

I was not very impressed, after having read other reviews, I expected more. Think and Grow Rich or other books do better job in my opinion.

Great book though it is not a "quick" read. Meant for each chapter to be read in weekly installments, which is a good idea overall to absorb the information. Worth it to know a more indepth proseperity philosophy.

This is a fantastic book that will take you on a mental journey and, if you are mentally prepared, change your life forever.

The publisher took the text of Charles Haanel and squashed as much of it as possible on each page. The margins are small, and the text is squished upon each other making it very hard to read. This layout and publishing is cheap. This is unfortunate because the material is phenomenal.

I recommend the material.

I DON'T recommend this book from this publisher.

These are a bit more intricate than my preferred style; however, I use them in creative writing workshops and many are drawn to them. Thanks for offering the diversity of images to appeal to all interests.

Friends gave me some art markers as a gift recently, and I quickly became addicted to designs like these. I've searched hundreds of similar products and have "test driven" about 15 of them now. This book turns out to be my favorite. I don't love EVERY design in the book, but I love enough of them that I'm about to order my 3rd copy. Yes, I could (and have tried to) photocopy the pages to avoid buying the book again, but the quality of the copy paper I have isn't very compatible with the Prismacolor Art Markers that I use. That doesn't mean that you can't or shouldn't make copies for yourself. I like this product so much that I don't mind spending $3.95, and I think I'm going to order a stack of them. The designs are that satisfying to me. I want to try them out in a variety of color patterns.

These designs offer such satisfying detail in a format that's NOT so small that you have to squint while viewing the page, yet neither are they simplistic, childlike, or so large that using markers results in streaks as you try to fill the space. The scale of the designs lends itself nicely to the Prismacolor art markers I use. If you like to use various shades of the same color, these designs are structured in a way that allows you to experiment wonderfully with that technique.

The quality of the paper isn't way off the charts, but it's a bright optic white and is of a much higher quality than what I've seen in far more expensive products. I'm satisfied with it! Yes, it's true that these images are printed on both sides of the page, so if you use permanent markers like I do, the ink bleeds through, rendering the back side of the page unusable. This is where you'd end up photocopying the other side of the page (if you have access to quality copy paper... if that matters) or buying more copies of the book.

For $3.95 I can't beat this book. I've spend HOURS absorbed in the designs. I posted about 10 of them into the "viewer's pages" section above... hopefully they're visible.

I absolutely recommend this product!

These mandala's have become my favorite Mandala's. I absolutly LOVE these. Beautiful, Magickal, and Fun. You SHOULD definately purchase this book!

Now, this is cool! If you are an adult enjoying coloring books to reduce stress, you couldn't pick one any better than this one! You might even want to get a second one, because the pictures are on both sides of the page. They are so nice that you might be tempted to cut them out and hang them on the wall.

This Dover Mandala coloring book is different than most Mandalas I've been coloring. They photocopy nicely and fit on a normal size scanner. Mandalas provide medititation and balance by coloring and these may take a while longer to color with the more detail, but they are worth it.

This is a simple book of a Little Sal, and Little Sal's mother, and Little Bear, and Little Bear's mother, who get mixed up with each other on Blueberry Hill.

It's very realistically written and illustrated, and the exciting part isn't too scary for little ones.

I will note that it's a bit long - maybe better for kids with longer attention spans than shorter ones. If they're as young as Little Sal is, it might be better to wait a year before reading :)

I don't understand the positive reviews here or the caldecott award. The sketchings are artistically done, true, but in a way an adult can appreciate intellectually; they don't really evoke emotion. The story is a yawner.

I loved this book as a child so I got it for my
grandchildren. They aren't as impressed with
the pictures from 1950 as I was, but still is
a good story.

She has hundreds of books and everytime I visit she would ask me to read her this book. She loves the illustrations... especially the seal!

sweet book for little kids. It is an excellent book to read aloud to your children and grandchildren. It is about a girl out picking berries for her mom and it shows a baby bear doing the same for his mom.