Transportation Books

My son likes this book because Thomas gets splattered with paint. This book goes well with Take Along Thomas Paint Car. If you are looking for a nice gift, buy both.

This is definitely one of the best of the Thomas books. It is by the original author and has a message about working together. The steamies and the diesels are fighting, and no work gets done, so Thomas calls a meeting and they all work together. Even Diesel 10 chips in. Enjoy reading it 10 million times. . .

I love these little Thomas books. For a minimal price you can add to your child's library and foster a love of reading.

In this Thomas and Friends story, the Steamies and the Diesels learn that they need to get along if they are going to be `really useful engines'.

Summer has come to Sodor along with an ambitious plan of construction. Pleased with the completion of the new Sodor suspension bridge, Sir Topham Hatt announces that he needs all the engines to help build an airport to bring in the all important tourist trade.

Everything starts out well, but soon the Steamies and the Diesels are at cross purposes. As the author writes, "[T]he diesels bumped Thomas and biffed Percy." And [s]oon the diesels and the Steamies were biffing and banging and being bashed all over the island."

And if that was not bad enough a bad hurricane sweeps over the island causing great damage so that not only do they need to keep working on the airport, but they need to rebuild and clean up at other locations.

Considering all the biffing and bashing that doesn't seem likely and all seems lost until Thomas has a dream in which he sees Lady working side by side with Rusty (a diesel). Lady tells him in the dream that "[W]e always finish our jobs when we work together. This makes up Thomas' mind and he approaches Mavis (one of the nice diesels, like Salty) with the idea of putting aside *all* of the arguments so that they can *all* be really useful engines.

Word gets round and soon everyone is working hard and pulling together.

Five Stars. Good read-aloud. This book is particularly popular in our home because of the many different engines that are pictured.

A sample of text follows:

The next morning when Thomas woke up, he had an idea.
First he went straight to see Mavis. Mavis was a kind diesel
engine, and Thomas knew she would listen. He told Mavis that
he wanted the steam engines and the diesels to work together.

Mavis agreed... it was the only way to get the airport open in time.

"Let's have a big meeting with al of the engines at the coaling
Stop tomorrow," Thomas puffed.

A true triumph over adversity. A very nice book to read to your little ones and not such a scary way to let them know a sad part of our history.

Heartwarming Hero!!!

Imagine your most favorite hero. Is he tall, strong, courageous, and faithful? Well, this hero is all that and more. Fireboat, by Maira Kalman is a heartwarming story of a boat that was built in 1931 with all the newest and greatest gadgets to aide in fighting fires. The fireboat is named the John J. Harvey and for many years it fought fires on ocean liners and along New York's busy piers. After 64 years of protecting the New York area the John J. Harvey is retired. Left unused for five years it was ready to be sold as scrap material when a few people got together and brought the John J. Harvey back to life. After many repairs the old fireboat is up and running again. Not as a fireboat but as a pleasure boat for all. As the story progresses history is in the making. The most horrific thing imaginable happens on September 11, 2001. This is where a hero of the past steps in to help and doesn't stop until his work is done. A tragedy, yes, a hero, yes, forgotten no. The John J. Harvey is an important part of history that will always have friends to care for him. If you are looking for a book about September 11th to share with yourself, your children or your grand-children then this is the book for you. It is a simple and loving example of what people can do to help others during such a tragic time. This is a must read and an unforgettable story of what America lost on the day of September 11, 2001.Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey (Picture Puffin Books)

The author deals with the terrorist attacks on the twin towers in a very dignified way. Nothing in the story would devistate young readers or listeners. The illustrations are wonderful and quite appropriate. Next year when 9-11 arrives I will read this story to my students to help them remember this tragic incident.

There is a traditional story of the retired firehorse that responds to the bell. John J. Harvey is a true example of that. She and her crew answered the bell that day. It troubles me that so many reviewers want to "revise" this book to remove the horror of that day. You can not revise the events and remove the horror from them. It needs to be recalled, remembered and dealt with, both by children and adults. I love this book. As a firefighter and Naval Reservist I can't say enough good things about the story here. More importantly enough good things can not be said about John J. Harvey and the crew that saved her and then brought her back into service that day.

I was amazed at E. Bird "Ramseelbird's" negative review of this book. He feels that Kalman's treatment of September 11 was flippant and cutesy-pie??

My son, who was in nursery school at the time, was severely traumatized by the horrible events of that day and his parents' reactions. He had a pretty good factual understanding, but couldn't quite piece it all together emotionally. I searched for a book about 9/11 that he could relate to. This was it. Far from being flippant, the book sets the tone of 1931, the birthyear of the fireboat John J. Harvey, with other "normal" stuff that was going on that year. In fact, everything *is* normal until THAT DAY. Yes, the tone changes. But doesn't that reflect reality in this case?

The gouache illustrations give a great child's-eye view of what happened.

This author is one of my son's favorite.
Extremely well written, extremely informative, and clearly pictures for kids.

I love the rhyme and rhythm of the lyrics. A great little book for 2- 6 year olds with lots of information about trucks.

Tough Trucks is a simple picture book with very few words per page. It tells about all sorts of trucks in the world. Each page has a picture of a truck with the job that it does. Each of the trucks are operated by cute little cartoon like animals that caught the attention of my 2 year old sister. This book is really neat for boys and girls for all ages.


The pictures are very colorful. In back in has a page where it explains tractors parts if you are not familiar with some of the words used in the book.

I would recommend this book to children ages 4-7. Lots of kids like to read about truck and transportation

The manual was in very good condition and arrived in a timely manner. The manual is not quite as informative and detailed as I was hoping but still is a very helpful reference in repairing various aspects of my Mazda B3000 truck.

Since the delivery from Amazon, everything looking well, but I don't received the book yet. I believe the delay could be from mail services here, but I can find my package. Could you help me?

This manual is ok for minor repairs but lacks good detail information on anything major. Trying to locate components is frustrating due to the lack of good photos or illustrations. Manual is a near carbon copy of the Chilton's book - don't waste your money on both.

Good product, in excellent shape. There would be some more imformation to be written in that book; it just so happens that I needed to locate the heater's resitance in a 1997 Mazda b2300 and they just don't say no nutinn about this specific part. The person who sent me the book does not have anything to do with that of course. The book was very clean and in excellent order when arrived at my home.

I always buy both the Chilton and Haynes repair manuals to get two different perspectives. I bought both this time, and was surprised when the content was exactly the same. Same Table of Contents, same pictures, chapter numbers, etc. Are they kidding?

Did these companies merge or something?

this book is great. I read it at work for the 4 boys I nanny.

Toy Boat is a simple story enhanced wonderfully by the vibrant illustrations of Loren Long.

My son loved the tale of the boat and was intrigued when it was lost in the churning waters with the big boats. He also loved the conclusion, when the boat returns to the open hands and heart of his young boy. The illustrations take this story to a much higher level. Together, the text and artwork make for pure enchantment.

Shipping was quick and the book is a great story for kids. The pictures are wonderful! I bought it for a Kindergarten teacher who loved it.

Toy Boat is a great book for every little boy to own. It is sure to be a favorite of your little guy. It is a wonderful gift to give also. Children need books a lot more than those toys that end up broken and unplayed with. Sign the inside page and he will remember whom it was from forever !

My son (who is 4) loves this story. The illustrations are gorgeous. The story about a toy's journey back home to his boy struck a chord with us.

My three year old loves this book. The book is simple to read & the pictures are very eye catching.

THis is one of the BEST books for early readers. Many common words are repeated. I have many books from various early reading programs(some have too many difficult words and too many different words) and this is one of the best. The vocabulary is limited, just what a new reader needs. My 4 year old can read many of the words.

Thomas the Tank Engine books and DVD's are the best, and kids love them. At 2 1/2 years old, my grandson is a little frightened of the stories on DVD, I think it's because of the intense facial expressions (I'm sure he'll outgrow it soon), but he loves the books.

My son loves this book, and constantly brings it to me to read. It's such a simple book, I think he can understand it easily. I'm guessing before too long, he's going to be able to almost read it on his own. I think it's a great book for beginning readers. I'm not very concerned about the message that it sends, I see it as an entertaining Thomas story. I just don't see it as a negative book.

Great pictures, but did Donald Trump write the story line? The books ends with a smug Thomas exclaiming "I am first and you are last!"

I've got 95 Toyota Corolla. Well, you know, covering 93-02 model years in one book is not enough. 50% of the book is not for my model year, so it's quite confusing and useless.

It would be more useful as a book if it had more pictures showing details.Covering 2 car brands for a 10 year period is one of the prominent drawbacks of this book. However it gives you enough information to get to know your car and its parts and do the periodic check-ups.Worth the money but not enough to be the only source for the home mechanic.

I wanted to know more about my 2000 Corolla. This book gives you mostly clear instructions on how to replace components of your car. I wish I could compare it to Chilton's version of the car.

The Haynes Repair Manuals are well worth the money. Keep in mind these are not as detailed as the auto manufacturer's service manuals, but of course you are only paying a fraction of the cost as the manufacturer's service manuals. These manual include most anything a weekend mechanic needs. They include several photos of repair procedures, tune-up specifications, torque specifications and electrical wiring diagrams for your vehicle. There are times the Haynes manuals lack some detail of your vehicle, but overall they are a good buy. I would recommended these manuals for most people. I always buy one for every vehicle I own.

I think it could be better if the details are for only one model

If you are a hands on person with your Jeep or are building one up, this book will prove to be one of the most valuable sources of information.

We are VERY happy with it. Moses Ludel really knows his stuff!

This book is a great book for the hands on beginner. Even if your not a mechanic with the information of this book AND a service manual you can tackle almost any job. This is not to replace a factory service manual but it does complement it. With the two books you could even repair the motor or transmission yourself. Moses does write in plain simple easy to understand english. I have other Ludel books and they are all good complements to any service manuals.

The book is well illustrated and well written, but does not really apply to the average shade tree/geekmo mechanic such as myself. Hanes or Chilton does a much better job explaining average maintenance. One thing I was looking for was lacking - how to upgrade the smogged up engine by way of a weber carb conversion. The only option in this book was to go with a fuel injection system - expensive and technical. A disappointment for me, but for the master mech, excellent.

Expertly detailed by a master mechanic: his shop pratices and many tricks of the trade alone would be worth the price of the book. I found a lot of informations I can directly use in my project, not only the "how" but also the "why" and "why not". This book touches on the fact that most modifications have both advantages and inconvenients and will save me time and money. Clear and concise writing.

This book would be great for someone who has an older Jeep (pre 1975). I have a 1984 CJ7 and the information is limited. If I had a newer Jeep (1975-1986) I would put another $50 to $60 together and buy a shop/service manual for your particular Jeep like I ended up doing.

This book is a wonderful find! Very readable and compelling, the author unwittingliy tells the tale of his adventures around the world on a small boat that he built with his own two hands in New England near the turn of the century. The book is without pretense, at times is hard to imagine, yet the language is so simple and straightforward how can we do anything but believe his stories written in a down home style. This is a book that's easy to get lost in and holds your attention until the very last page. I read it while on the beach. I recommend that you do the same. The sound of the lapping waves makes the book that much more enjoyable.

this edition has no illustrations, a cheap edition, very frustrating because the book is very good. I was forced to buy another edition with the illustrations, but have had problems with the shipping from the vendor, the book has not arrived, so I will have to buy a third edition !! Very frustrating. The first time this has happened to me at Amazon.

I first read this book about 30 years ago, I think. I vaguely remember thinking it was dry, and now I'm amazed at myself. It is anything else but that, from today's perspective! First published in 1900, Slocum's prose reads fresh and crisp; and his sense of humor pleases me with its dryness. No wonder it's still around, over a century later.

Slocum, who worked his way up to shipmaster and owner after starting before the mast in the days when sailing ships still ruled international commerce, reached middle age in a different era. With his family grown, he accepted a friend's gift of a sloop that lay decaying in a field. Slocum rebuilt the SPRAY completely. Then he set out in her alone, to circumnavigate the globe.

He spent nearly three years in that successful effort. Newspapers followed his progress, and in port after port he made new friends and learned new things. Seasoned world traveler though he was, I got the feeling as I read that he hadn't had time for much of that learning on earlier voyages. He'd been busy looking after his ship, its cargo, and his family (who sailed with him). Now, off on his own with a freedom he hadn't known before, he savored each new experience and then recorded it for eventual publication.

"The author made me feel that I was there, too," is a cliche. But cliches come into being because they're true enough to invite over-use, and in this book's case the words fit perfectly. A classic for good reason!

This story is the greatest sailing story I have ever heard of. Joshua Slocum is so far out and such an indomitable human being that it is difficult to fathom without reading the story. This book is truly an exercise in understatement.

A large society of Slocum afficianados exists now, largely in response to this one book. I just this past friday saw a replica of the Spray, the vessel on which he made this unprecedented voyage, owned by an old sailor. The replica is named Joshua, and sails from Alameda California. I saw it because it was at the annual wooden boat festival in Port Townsend, Washington.

Spectacular.

Wish I had been a little more careful before I selected this edition. It's a tiny book with stiff pages and cover which doesn't stay open unless you want to break the spine. Just awful. I'll find a different edition at the library.

One problem with the book is that, while it has a 1999 publication date, the great majority of the articles were written about 1993-1995. This fact made the book about 6 years out-of-date as soon as it was published...and, in the aviation HF arena of the late 1990's-early 2000's, this is a crucial flaw. Why? Besides the obvious, this period in aviation HF was one of both great strides and great re-considerations/re-evaluations of previously accepted aviation HF dogmas. As one example, CRM which had been heavily promoted for 20+ years by FAA and the airline industry as the silver bullet in human error accident/incident reduction was finally scrutinized and found wanting as to lack of evalative methods, among other flaws, and replaced by risk assessment/management, while as reinforcing the command/leadership role of the pilot.
The book is not so much poorly organized as lacking a overarching and integrative rationale for the topic areas.
The good? There is a new edition in the works and, if the publishers do not waste another 5 years getting it to the public, it will be up-to-date. However, I believe that it will use, basically, many of the same topics/authors, simply up-dated. One good thing is that the chapter on Civil Aviation Security will be 90% new, because of 9/11 and what has happened since.

I used this book in a graduate Human Factors course, and while I disliked it at first, I slowly grew to hate it. I give it two stars because it does, on occasion, contain good information, but more often than not is disjointed, poorly organized, and unfocused.

The book is essentially a collection of academic papers related to Human Factors in aviation (some are moderately tangential to the subject matter at hand), and as such it is really better suited for use as a reference book than as a text. It is further limited as a text by virtue of the fact that because most of the articles are extremely specialized, giant chunks of Human Factors considerations are left totally unaddressed.

I particularly disliked the contribution from Daniel E. Maurino, entitled "Crew Resource Management: A Time For Reflection." There are much better resources available on CRM (and now Threat and Error Management as well.) On the other end of the quality spectrum, the article by Giovanni Costa titled "Fatigue and Biological Rhythms" is an excellent account of the effects of fatigue on human performance, and emphasizes the importance of circadian desynchronosis in aviation safety. Most of the articles range between these two in quality, but these two stand out for me as the defining ends of the spectrum.

This book is valuable as a reference tool and for some very specialized pieces of knowledge. It is unsuitable for a survey course in Human Factors at any level, and an attempt to read it as a text is torturous at best. Combine the unsuitability as a text with the usurious price of $145.00 and this is one of the worst values around.