Nonfiction Books

This book and the other two in this series don't make history less complex but they sure make it readable!

My older sister originally bought me and my younger sister the computer program. That was a few years ago, but it was a nice dry sarcastic, but silly humor.
Then I ordered this book, which has much the same type of humor. I wish it were in color instead of black and white, but otherwise, a fun way to "read" history.

I highly recommend this book. It's well written, it's occasionally funny and very readable. Volumes 1 to 7 starts with the Big Bang, to the evolution, to the first great civilizations (Sumer, Egypt and the Greeks), and ends with Alexander the Great reaching India.

I was so impressed about the presentation that I thought - why isn't there an animated version of this book (and the other volumes)? Wouldn't it be nice for kids to be able to get their history lessons via Cartoon Network?

But then I reached the part about what early Greek women did with their goats and sheep and how the Spartans treated young boys and I thought "well, maybe it's better if it stays in book form".

My only gripe is the lack of an index. Certainly handy when important names and places are regularly mentioned (like any other history book) .

This book is amazingly good. It is funny and educational and incredibly well drawn. You should BUY it.

You know it takes a comic to get to heart of humanity. In most history books you get a narrow point of view, and one that is usually "politically correct" according to the standards of the day. By making a comic version of history, the author can get around all of the "PC"ness of most history books and really hit home with the way humanity *is* and *always was.* The "sheep love" of early humans was a laugh riot. I never learned so much while having such a good time.

I recommend these for history buffs and non-history buffs. Really it's just a good read period. Forget that it's history.

This book really improved my beginning chess. First, Chandler gives a great overview of why pattern recognition is important. Then he proceeds to show certain board set-ups to demonstrate various checkmating techniques. Don't be fooled by the title, this is a great book for all beginning chessplayers; more experienced players may already have seen this material, though probably not nearly so elegantly presented! When I began playing correspondence chess with some of my (equally matched) friends, this book did more for me than almost any other (some tactics books were also very helpful, and should be part of your learning experience). In fact, my recommendation would be to tell your friends about this book, but keep it secret from your chess enemies!

I'm a weak player, but curious, so I set up both Chessmaster and Chess Genius with the layout shown for Damiano's Mate, the 8th Deadly Checkmate, but the first example from the introduction.

Neither engine cooperated with Chandler's script by taking 7.Kg1, because both recognized another option: While 7.Qh5 didn't change the outcome of the game, it extended it by nearly 60 moves!

It seems unlikely that this board position is (as Chandler describes) the same one where Grandmaster John Nunn recognized the winning combination in two seconds, because the white queen on e2 changes everything!

That doesn't mean the book is worthless, of course, but it does shake my faith in the author somewhat. If I were a GM, I would recognize the typo and move on; as a novice who is probably the target of this book, I find the gap between explanation and reality most confusing. Has this error been corrected in a revised edition?

This book isnt really about how to beat your dad at chess, because your dad could be bobby fischer or not even know how to play chess (just wanted to clear that up for u guys)

This book has 50 mates and its about pattern recognition, that means pretty much just pounding it into your head so u can remember to use it when you have the chance. its a really good book, i would get it.

Before reading this book, I played chess like a scared chipmunk, obsessing about little details like whether pushing this pawn would weaken my position by a picounit. This book helped me see that the way to win games at the amateur level is to attack, to be aggressive, to go after the enemy king like he is your nemesis, to crank open his position like a sardine can and commit regicide.

The book's title is somewhat misleading in that the book is very narrow in scope (a full book on how to beat dad would have to include discussion of openings, endgames, and more general chess strategy and tactics). Rather, it contains fifty practical checkmating patterns that frequently come up in real games. If the basic mating patterns (e.g., how to mate with a King and Queen versus a lone King) are the alphabet of checkmate, this book is the grammer of checkmate. The patterns consist of beautiful 3-5 move combinations that you will have opportunities to apply in many of your games.

If you are looking for a beginner chess book, get the Idiot's Guide to Chess. That is the best place to start from square one. Then learn some very basic tactics (e.g., Pandolfini's Beginning Chess). Then get and read this book. Over and over. With these patterns ingrained in your mind, you will spot them in the far distance during games, aim for them, and go in for the kill. Sure, sometimes you will crash and burn, but that will only make you more prepared for the next game.

Thanks to Chandler for writing this book. It has made chess fun for me again.

Great book. I love the premise- and the careful way the Mr. Chandler explains it- which is that pattern recognition is a more powerful tool than in-depth computation analysis. It serves as a nice illustration of Gladwell's "Blink" theory, that less information can be more when the brain is finely tuned in to the right information. Chandler points out that a human chess pro is better than a computer because our brains can quickly filter out the irrelevant info and just recognize the broad pattern, such as a set-up for a standard mate possibility. The computer is inferior, per the author, because while it might come to the same conclusion, it has to do it by generating every single possible move with every single piece on the board, following out hundreds of thousands of possible subsequent sequences to arrive at the checkmate. Of course, I would suggest that the computer is actually superior in this respect because, even though it has to analyze hundreds of thousands of possibilities, it really doesn't mind. It doesn't get bored, fatigued, or seduced by a bold capture. But, still, I appreciate his point.

The author gives examples of fifty standard checkmate motifs, and uses good illustrations to help recognize the pattern when it is there and understand the sequence of events. My only beef with the book, for which I've docked a star, is the sexist title. I can't help but comment on this in this post-Imus era. The author tells us from the start that it is really a book on how to beat anyone in chess so the title is just an eye-catcher. But I don't want to reinforce the many messages that young girls get about what they should or shouldn't be good at. Okay, to be truthful, in all the chess playing families that I can think of off the top of my head, it is in fact the fathers who are the chess nuts, who hand the game down to the next generation. But lets not reinforce the not uncommon notion that men are naturally superior chess players. I've even read the likes of Camille Paglia, in one of her faux-academic pieces, use the fact that chess champions are all men as evidence for a male superiority in spatial and mathematical reasoning. Without going too far into what is a complicated and emotionally loaded argument, I would just direct people to do a little internet search on Judit Polgar if you are not already familiar.

Still, overall, thumbs up. A good book, really for beginning to intermediate chess fans of any age, which will increase your arsenal of offensive tricks and improve your defensive vigilance.

I am an elementary teacher, turned stay at home mom. My oldest just started Kindergarten last week, so I was in search of a workbook to use with my 3 year old daughter. I love the colors, and the ability level is just perfect for her. She loves the stickers and that the volume of work on each page is low, setting her up for many successes.
We were already familiar with the Brain Quest decks, so it was a "no brainer" to get the workbook, and I'm glad I did.
PS-I took it to my local office supply store and had them spiral bind the book. It is great because now it lays flat without trying to close while we work or having to tear out pages. Binding cost me less that $5. Well worth the investment. Just remember to pull out the ABC poster from the back, and possibly the stickers and mini deck pages.

This is one in a series of workbooks, each of which offers an abundance of learning activities, exercises, and games that are presented with superb production values. Appropriate to the given age level, much of the material focuses on basic subjects such natural science, mathematics, history, and social studies while enabling children to strengthen their reading, reasoning, and writing skills. The editors of Brain Quest believe that:

"All kids are smart - though they learn at their own speed

All kids learn best when they're having fun

All kids deserve the chance to reach their potential - given the tools they need, there's no limit how far they can go!"

I agree, while presuming to add that children will learn more and have more fun meanwhile if, when completing various exercises, adults are involved. As a parent of four and a grandparent of ten, I can personally attest to the pleasure an adult will also have. Each volume in the series is a WORK book. Exercises are completed with crayolas or pencils on the page on which it appears. Correct answers are provided. One caveat: Resist the temptation to control the learning process as a child completes an exercise.

This volume, Pre-K (ages 4-5), was written by Liane Onish, with Jane Ching Fung serving as consulting editor. It is worth noting that Fung is a past winner of the Milken Foundation National Educator Award. The material consists of organized curriculum-based exercises that help children to gain an understanding of ABCs, 123s, phonics, vocabulary, shapes and colors, sorting and matching, "My World," science, and "Fun and Games." Also included are more than 150 stickers, an all-new Brain Quest Mini-Card Deck, and a fold-out "Alphabet Letters" poster.

Here is a representative selection of exercises:

Find the cars with e and color them purple. (Page 15)
Touch and count the objects in each group. Circle the groups of 10. (145)
Say Fish. Fish begins with the F sound. Circle the pictures that begin like Fish. (65)
These animals are small. Say the name of each animal. Then color each picture. (189)
Color the sun yellow. Color the flowers yellow. Color the bees yellow. (208)
Draw an X on all the silly things that do not belong in the house. (263)
A habitat is where animals live. Draw a line from each animal to its matching habitat. (278)
Help Madison find the magician. (300)

Each of the volumes in this series (pre-K through Grade 4) would be an excellent book for parents, grandparents, and others to purchase and then share with a child at an appropriate stage of her or his development. No doubt there are precocious children who will prefer more challenging material associated with later grades but I think it would be a mistake to rush the learning process. Worse yet, to indicate little interest in it.

Congratulations to the Workman Publishing Company and especially to the editors of Brain Quest. How pleased they must be to know that their materials have already helped to nourish so many young minds and to delight so many young hearts and, fortunately, will continue to do so for the development of other children in months and years to come.

Great Book. If you want to learn spanish, this is the book.

book arrived with water/coffee? stains making the first 100

pages stick together-- don,t know if maybe this happened in

transit-- i did not notify seller

Wokring through the book now. Kids seem to enjoy it.
Makes a nice addition to family library. Can be stand alone or with the series

This is one the best study guide for the Praxis II 0014. It is well worth every penny.

I bought this book for my son. He loved it!
The many topics that the book presents are for children and adults alike. It is an excellent study book that enhances knowledge.

I got this book to homeschool my 4th grader. I like the pictures and the format. The activities at the end of the sections don't really show wheither or not your child has remembered or grasped what they just read. There are also no tests or questions to judge what he is learning. I am having to create my own tests and worksheets to go along with this work, which I don't really have time for. Also, I am having to suppliment with books from the library to make sure that he is really learning about each subject. This book is OK, but not great.

My 5th grader loves using this book! The text is captivating, and leaves her asking more questions about most of the topics - every homeschool mom's dream! The written exercises are useful reinforcements. They are generally fun, creative work - definitely not busywork. If your child is on the younger end of the age range, he might need some assistance with the exercises and reading.

my daughter and i use this book in our homeschool studies. we find them to be fun, interesting and helpful with our american history. we also use several of the other books in the complete book series. accurate information in an easy to read format. great for the homeschooler or other students!

This book is all wisdom, from a mentor to a student/friend. It is written in such an eloquent style that it is almost poetic. It is a classic book inwhich I come back to over and over again. Get lost in the wisdom.

This is an enjoyable read. Ancient self-help for every man, not a dense philosophical treatise. Also, many opportunities to take a glimpse into the daily life of an ancient Roman; not so different from us, eh?

Stoicism has been much misunderstood, and the adjective "stoic," which loosely can be taken to mean bearing up under duress, is partly correct but does not do justice to one of the world's great philosophies. This Penguin volume presents a great selection from the letters of Seneca, which hits all the high points of the philosophy and captures Seneca's remarkable personality, which has made him a hit with the cognoscenti for 2,000 years. Few perhaps realize that the Stoics postulated a great commonwealth governed by law, or that they idealized democracy. Seneca mentions Solon the lawgiver as the creator of democracy and refers numerous times to the Roman Stoic saint, Cato, who strove mightily (and unsuccessfully) to preserve the Roman Republic.

Seneca, like other Stoics, has a doctrine of nature that is remarkably close to that of Emerson or modern American environmentalists. The wise man (sapiens) will never be bored when contemplating the simple things of nature. The natural beauty of the countryside and the healthful action of the waves can have a calming effect (although there's a memorable passage in which a storm causes terrible sea sickness). He also believed in the simple and strenuous life and the avoidance of luxury and decadence, and there are numerous passages in these letters to his disciple, Lucilius, which decry the ostentatious, self indulgent practices of his contemporaries. These are sentiments and ideas adopted by many in the modern world, including President Theodore Roosevelt. Seneca has no patience for philosophy as a word game or a practice of engaging in hair-splitting arguments for their own sake. He rather sees it as a practice or way of life that all those who seek the good should investigate and adopt. While the Stoics believed in democracy and republicanism, their doctrine of freedom is different from the modern idea of Liberty. Freedom was the ability to endure and pursue the good even under tyranny. While that may be admirable, modern commentators on liberty (such as Isaiah Berlin) have pointed out that defining down the range of one's actions is not a satisfactory solution to the problem of the absence of liberty in society or the world.

No stranger to power himself, Seneca virtually ruled Rome as tutor of the boy Nero--and yet he adopts a quite believable stance of simplicity and humility. It's a good bet these letters will still be found absorbing by readers for another 2,000 years.

Seneca was probably not the most original thinker of the Stoic school. His writing style was also not the most agreeable to many. However, Seneca has had a profound influence on many, many later writers. Pliny the Younger, St. Augustine, and Ralph Waldo Emerson all quote, and borrow from Seneca. With Marcus Aurelius, Seneca is one of the most accessible of the Stoics. He is also an invaluable source of information about Stoicism's rivals, Epicurus and his followers. This particular volume is also filled with very helpful notes, and it is a good place to start a journey with the stoics.

The letters in this book are full of nuggets of wisdom and quotable passages. Seneca isn't my favorite Stoic philosopher but this book is one of the easiest to read translations of an ancient text I have ever come across. It was worth adding to me library.

I was a little bit concerned whether this was the right book I wanted because the picture is sort of dark but ,yes, it was the right one. Student version.
But to make a judgment about it, I think that the exercises are easy and many times I find them too unnatural, too theoretical but that my opinion about Keynesian economics anyway...
Also I find the material inside not dense, there is plenty of free space, so that I could fit a bible in between the exercises. Than the book is very thick and heavy and more expensive I guess.
To me, it was a rather disappointing purchase, but if you need for a class (as I did) it's OK.

I received the book after 4 days I ordered. Fast delivery and good quality of the product.

This is a necessary resource used in teaching AP Economics. This workbook really helps prepare students using examples of past exam questions.