Transportation Books

This is a simple story as previously stated. Thomas decides to zip through his route one day causing havoc for his passengers. I really don't feel it was "dumbed down" It was created for toddlers. I think perhaps parents often choose books because they like to read them. I choose books that my children enjoy.
I love a book that allows me to bring out my award worthy acting abilities :) I like to sit my boys on my lap & when he zooms by a station...I zoom to the far left with them or right. I also bounce them when the items inside the train are bouncing about. They are ages 4 & 2. This is their favorite book. It makes it into our rotation several times a week & they don't seem to bore with it. It is also a good early reader.

Some people complain about the overly simplistic plot, but it is about the right level of complexity for a young child.

Thomas the Tank Engine has a daily routine that involves passing through towns, seeing the waives from a little boy, and letting the passengers get on and off of the train. One day he decides to go real fast and not stop for the passengers. This results in a bad day. The people are not satisfied, and Thomas doesn't get a chance to see the cows mowing and the little boys waving.

Yeah, its not the most captivating of plots, but it shows a simple form of "cause and effect," which is something that young children must learn in order to understand more complicated concepts. It goes beyong the simple "cause and effect" of pressing a button and seeing a light go on, it shows that more complex actions might have a larger effect as well.

You child will probably love the pictures. Thomas the Tank Engine is a very popular train with a huge smile. Little kids love trains and they'll like the bright and colorful illustrations in this book.

It is a durable book that you can leave on the floor and let your infant or toddler play with; and the cover and pages will remain intact. With young children, durability is important and often overlooked in non-board books for infants and toddlers.

It's a nice book to add to your child's library.

Loved this book. My grandchildren loved and we read it over and over again.

I can't think of anything better for a two year old obsessed with trains! Dr. Seuss meets Thomas is an incredible combination. Both this book and "Go Train Go" have become my son's favorite bedtime books. They finally got him excited to sit down and read/listen to books.

"Stop, Train, Stop" is an odd little book. For one thing, it purports to be a "beginning" reader, and for another thing, Thomas not only has Annie and Clarabelle but dining, sleeping, and luggage cars!

Now as most people know [;-)], Thomas' branch line is not long enough to warrant either a sleeping or dining car. (Sometimes its frightening how much this mom knows about Sodor-but I know I'm not alone.) Still, the plot is interesting enough that most fans won't be too worried about this discrepancy. And Owen Bell does a nice job in illustrating this little story.

The story takes place one day when Thomas decides not to stop at any of his assigned stations. Instead he rushes head-long and willy-nilly to the end of the line, only to find that this rushing about didn't make him as happy as he thought it would. Turns out Thomas missed his friends along the way. He missed seeing the cows that `moo' hello to him, and he missed the children that wave as he goes by.

In it's own way, "Stop, Train, Stop!" is a stop and smell the roses allegory. It explains to children how `bad' things can happen if you rush about your business. [Certainly the cook on the dining car and the passengers weren't happy!]

Which brings us to the other oddity about this book, that Random House considers it to be a "beginning" reader. Now, I'm no expert, but I do have a beginning reader --kindergartener-and she certainly can't even begin to read this as there are frequently 20 or more words per page and a heavy use of past tense.

But judge for yourself from the text below. The first page has more text than most pages.

Every day Thomas the Tank Engine
chugged from the start of his line
to the end of his line
and back again.
"All aboard!"
called the little blue engine's conductor.

Three and a Half Stars. Okay story that young Thomas fans will no doubt like. A sort of stop and smell the roses tale.

Addendum:

Well time has passed and I've discovered all sorts of things like the Accelerated Reading (AR) scale. And I was mostly correct. While "Stop, Train, Stop" is an early reader, it isn't a true beginning primer as it is listed as a 1.5 on the Accelerated Reading scale. To the newly initiated this means that the book is suitable for First Graders in the fifth month of school.

And just so you know, the AR description is a general "guide" that rates books on a relative scale of difficulty. Children can certainly read at levels above or below their group range, so that this number should only be used as a aid to help choose books that are appropriate and not frustrating.

~Pam T 2007

If you want a great overveiw of how to apply flames, this is the book. If you want to learn how to apply flames, this is the place to start. It gives detailed instructions, materials, and brand names, so you get started right, and getting started right gives you a great base for gaining expearance.

This really does show you how to paint flames and in lots of styles. Well worth picking up if this area interests you.

I bought this book for my brother since he paints flames on cars as a hobby. He was THRILLED to receive this book. He said it will really help him fine-tune his skills.

This is a very inspirational book! great tutorials and very nice information about some general fields in custom painting. If you feel you like some flame works, you'll find this book leads you to flame almost anything around you... BEWARE! maybe you never stop!

I suggest to read this book together with "How to paint your car" also from Motorbooks, this one first because maybe you'd like to start with some nice graphics before putting yourself on a whole car painting job.

The best instructional book I have ever read regarding Flame design, inspiration and how-to. It covers every aspect there is in the world of flamework; from traditional flames,wall-of-flames,realistic and ghost flames. Not only does it give you an in-sight into the world of creativity but gives a step-by-step guide to all products used and why they are used. In a nutshell, if you are considering the thought of customising Mom's shopping wagon, this book is for you!!!

Not too much details but if you have a little clue of what you're messing with, it will help a lot!

This manual doesn't cover everything in finite detail but it is thorough enough that you will be able to figure out the rest. It was good enough for me to replace the water pump and seals in my 175HP Merc Lower unit with no previous experience with boat motors.

I am convinced that the positive reviews his written anonymously are by Seloc representatives. I own an 8hp and a 115hp Mercury.

This manual is almost completely worthless when it comes to specific details. Because it covers so many models the level of detail is very limited. Also there have been numerous times when the information provided is not accurate. It has been rare that I started a job and got any real benefit from this manual that was not quickly available by Googling (eg. wiring diagrams.) On almost every difficult job I had to resort to further research because this manual did not provide the answers I needed. Save your money.

dont waste your money on the online manual version of anything seloc.
the pictures are small and dont correspond with the model that youve chosen, the info is generic and useless. "be safe when changing the spark plugs", they have a no return policy, better off to just stare at your motor and hope the answer pops into your head than to waste your money on this product.

The book tries to cover too much with little detail. The information on my 40 HP Outboard did not match the electrical or fuel system. Pay the extra money and get the service manual for your Outboard.

A good book for the person concerned about the proper care and maintenance
of the 2005-2007 Ford Mustang. So many repair shops (including Dealerships)have poor quality service. This book provides a valuable
reference even if one does not do the work personally.

For my previous car chrysler neon i got the haynes and the chilton and sometimes it helps one has a better explanation then the other. So this time i took also both books but now the are nearly the same. My advice take the chilton.

This is quite possibly the worst book ever. However, since I have not read every book I won't state that as fact. Based on the books I have read, this was by far the biggest waste of my time and money. If ZERO STARS were an option, I would rate it accordingly. It simply does not reflect the bikers I know or would even remotely want to be associated with. If the author's circle of friends is the "Motorcycle Culture" kindly count me out. However, since there is apparently a portion of the motorcycling community that actually thinks along the same lines as the author (as of 8/22/08 seven reviewers had given this book 5 stars!) I hope the author writes many more books so as to keep his like-minded readers at home thereby making the streets a safer place for the rest of us.

If you are interested in improving (or learning) cycling skills read the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's guide and read either or both of Peter Egan's 'Leanings' books if you want some amusing and interesting stories about motorcycles (and not just Harley's). Yes, all three books will cost roughly 3 times more than the Biker's Handbook, but you'll probably get 10 times the enjoyment.

This book makes the claim to be a beginner's guide to the "Biker Culture". Jay Barbieri suggests this book will help the reader to fit into the culture avoiding common newbie fo-paws. Being a 31 year veteran biker myself passionate to riding, I looked forward to receiving my copy of the "Biker's Handbook" in the mail. After reading Barbieri's' s reflections and insight, I hoped to pass it on to a couple of friends just joining the riding populace for some entertaining pearls of wisdom; especially on biker "etiquette", symbolism, history, etc,

Barbieri's book falls quite short of hitting the mark. His recounting of motorcycling history is often flawed (even details of the origin of the "1%er") and generally discounts the role of any other brand of motorcycle other than HD. While historical perspective may not be a big deal in many other `recreational' (as referred nowadays) pastimes - and some errors may seem "minor" - that history is deeply interwoven into at least what the "Harley-type" subculture of motorcycling is. This books' advice may seem `real' to casual riders in the Weekend Biker world, but is not insightful into the culture of riders who actually do "Live to Ride". Sadly, it fails to give much insight into the passion if not the soul of riding many new riders are often drawn to. (For example, Barbieri advises shipping the reader's bike to a rally or renting a bike there, apparently not understanding that the Ride is almost (if not more) important than being there.)

Not all of Barbieri's points are off target. Some of his tid-bits and advice merely reflect his independent and personal style which is central to the culture. However in other areas ... if some of the advice he gives is taken, a rider may find him/herself taking unnecessary or even dangerous risks. From the accurate-but-obvious (Outlaw Club members are not your buddies: treat them with caution and respect), to the misinformed (...don't wear fingerless gloves or vests), to absolute B.S. (...wear GLASS eye protection ... and his instructions on braking), a significant amount of the advice this `handbook' gives should be considered with caution at best. And what Barbieri omits is often just as important - like the many midlife newcomers that buy a Harley and immediately hit Sturgis (or other large Runs) without having the basic necessary skills to ride in the packs that they will inevitably find themselves swept up in.

Take a motorcycling course, learn braking (etc.) there, and give yourself a year before a large Meet. Please.

Finally, and perhaps most alarmingly, beyond the first few chapters on getting started Barbieri's book devolves into a disjointed collection of anecdotes recalling his fond memories of him and friends partying and riding drunk and/ or stoned. Peppered throughout those tales he cautions in effect. `Don't do what I do (did)' - but damn this was fun.

Suds and smoke has been and is definitely part of the subculture. However there is no place for it on 2 wheels. And there is so much more going on at Sturgis (et. al.) than just the drunken anecdotes he presents.

Thankfully this book is a short-read. "Important" one-liners from the text are frequently pulled out and retyped in large print ...full-page drawings often illustrate again the text the reader has just read ... and several chapters have a `review" in the margins or at the end ... again restating what the reader just read.

On balance, there isn't much there.

I can't recommend this book or even pass my copy on to others. Here's (sincerely) hoping for a second and more accurate edition - the time is ripe for a book like this. This may be a good book on becoming an uninformed RUB -Rich Urban Biker (he even gets that wrong - using the term "Rubes" throughout the book) that enjoys playing with expensive toys. But if one wants a mini course on what the "Biker Culture" is all about, sadly this isn't it.

This book contains a few amusing stories but if you're thinking about buying this book to become a "real " biker, save your money and get a life. Although the author makes a pretty clear case for riding a particular brand of motorcycle, his point of view completely lacks the soul of a true biker. No doubt the author has seen his share of people and places while on two wheels but you'll wonder if this book is meant to educate or simply to validate the fact that the author is a real biker. Riding a bike has more to do with the name that's on the tank and I don't feel that the author has gotten past that yet.

Great book for beginners but very enjoyable to veteran riders. I've been riding since 1965. I found much of the info to be very good. I wish this book had been available 40 years ago, I may not have made many of the mistakes that I did. A must read for new riders!!

in the interest of full disclosure, i did not buy this book. however, i read it in the course of about an hour while sitting at the bookstore. you too should read it for free, if at all.

first off, the author has no real love motorcycles, but the neo-harley dentist/accountant scene that the "american" pig iron scene has become. the photos of him and his friends are enough to make me want to avoid any of the rides, bars, rallies, and scenes that the book describes. frankly, dear author, with your stringy long hair, gauntlets, black leather, and overweight motorcycle, you all look a bit light on your toes. and don't bother with the sportsters, they aren't heavy enough, expensive enough, and can actually be ridden.

second, the cavalier attitude about drinking and riding is disgusting. the main point given to not do so is financial. never mind that riding a bike so large that one can barely control it under the best of circumstances is dangerous, add some alcohol to the mix and create a dangerous situation for everyone. please, dear author, maintain also your cavalier attitude about wearing your helmet and do us all a favor.

third, to state that harleys now have a modern engine is wishful thinking, at best. it is still the same 45 degree pig that it always was, prone to shaking itself apart and mismatched power stroke that makes one grind their teeth. even buell, dear author, has gone to a modern rotax engine that puts the harley engine to shame.

fourth, liberal use of the 'F' word does not a biker make. nor does a liberal sprinkling of 'custom' off the shelf, bolt on, chrome trinkets make a custom bike. i've been riding a long time, have completely disassembled my own bike and rebuilt it how i wanted it (and no, it isn't american and its not japanese), and nothing makes me more amused than to see a bunch of middle aged nobodies riding a bunch of off-the-showroom-floor pigs, all dressed in black and looking for all the world just what they are: overgrown boys that finally have the $30K to buy into a scene and maybe missed their exit for masquerade ball. oh, and trucking your bikes to the rallies and/or flying is about your speed. you earned those scratches on your bikes, buddy. gotta love it.

fifth, if motorcycle gangs don't like to be called gangs and/or gang members, they shouldn't behave as such. sorry, but any 'club' that sells drugs, prostitution, guns, and resolves disputes with violence as their main source of income is a gang. it is what it is, get over it.

lastly, the bullet lists were somewhat helpful. lists of things that one needs on the road, things to watch out for, etc., are about the only thing worthwhile in this waste of paper. but you have to look at skull and crossbones instead of proper bullets, oh brother.

do yourself a favor and read zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance. the reading is better, the author actually cares, and the lists are much more useful.

and the 'F' word simply isn't necessary to get your point across.

"How To Build a Cheap Hot Rod" caught my attention. The true statement regarding Chip and Boyd(RIP) inflating the hot rod market really grabbed my attention. So I ordered the book. I expected to see methods and places for scavenging for or acquiring original parts, and use of old parts you can wire brush or mod etc. I was surprised that the book revolved around a Fiberglass Body with all brand new components. Hmmmm. Well, GREAT BOOK if you are a glass rod guy. Not my cup of tea.

I have always enjoyed old cars and working on cars and the idea of building a hot rod has been in the back of my mind. Because the ones that get the big press--vehicles by Boyd Coddington and Chip Foose--tend to cost six figures or more, it did not occur to me that a hot rod was something that could be built on the cheap. The last pages of this book show the complete budget, demonstrating that the V6 Track T on its pages cost under $16,000. And it's a cool looking car.

For anyone thinking about a hot rod project who wants to proceed at a very reasonable cost, this book is the logical starting point. It's a doable project for anyone with basic mechanical skills--there's always someone with more skill you can bring in as necessary. The author had a hand on numerous components, so that price can be less if you're an ace with tools and especially if you have a car to start with. My hot rod lies a few years down the road, but this is still a good read and a way to get the ball rolling.

Book was missing the error code I was looking for, P0135, so I had to search the internet to find what code meant. The pages are as thin as newspaper. My owner's manual states 87 octane or higher. Book has 91 octane or higher. So always check a second source before you start working on the vehicle.

This manual is by far the best one on the market, for instruction, and pictures.

If you have an automobile, occasionally to work on it yourself, & and are not a mechanic, the Haynes manual provides detailed information on services & peace of mind.

This book is great! Me and my Jeep are loving it. Once reading the little part from the page I knew I had to have the book to atleast finish that story.

This book has some very useful information and is very easy to understand. I thought that the extra equipment/gear lists were a bit long and for myself some is not realistic to carry. If the information in this book is combined with other publications a good list of gear to carry on a 4 wheel adventure could be developed. The additional resources listed in this book were also very helpful. For new and experienced off-roaders this book is a useful tool.

I expected something different, so I don't blame the author, who has written a nice little treatise on 4 wheel driving for beginners. Absolute beginners. This book is a response to the recent popularity of SUV's, and to the fact that many folks have not a clue about what 4 wheel drive is or how to use it. It starts off at ground zero with the heartwarming little tale of a corporate lawyer and his management/executive wife buying their first SUV (awww...) and then taking it out for progressively friskier adventures until they get to really test themselves. Made me want to throw up, but then it's just not my style. If this is your style, if you honestly don't know which wheels get the power when one is stuck, if you have never used a high-lift jack, if you think a Land Rover is the functional equivalent of a Honda CR-V, then this is the book for you. The nutty title should have tipped me off, but I had my guard down and it slipped past me. It's foolish to think you can learn this stuff from a book, anyway...that right there is the BIG fallacy. Get out, get muddy and bust your knuckles and write your own book.

This book is a basic introduction to driving off-road. If you don't know what a locker is, how it works or why you might want one for off-road use, you'll find the answers in this book. On the other hand, if you've decided to save money on a locker by welding the spider gears together in your garage, this is not the book for you.

Having said that, I think it's a very good introduction and I knocked off one star for its only fault -- I found the organization a bit strange. If you read through the book cover-to-cover though, you'll know where to find what you need in the book. I'd give it four and a half stars if I could.

On Amazon's recommendation, I bought this book with The Off-Road 4-Wheel Drive Book by Jack Jackson, which is a very different animal. Jackson's book is for hard-core expeditions more than recreational off-roading. Many paragraphs start with sentences like, "As I forded a raging river during the rainy season in Pakistan, the engine suddenly stalled." If you're planning on crossing the Sahara, I'd recommend Jackson's book for you. Even if you're not, he does give good ideas for tough situations and you know you're getting advice that's been tested off-road in some of the worst conditions imaginable.

The bottom line: if you're just starting out, buy DeLong's book alone. If you find yourself venturing off-road more and more and you'd like to be more independent, buy Jackson's book as a follow-up.

recently purchased a Jeep with the intention of doing more 4x4 off-road exploration in the upcoming months. In my search for information I stumbled upon Brad DeLong's 4-Wheel Freedom: The Art of Off-Road Driving. This book clearly and confidently spelled out all that I needed to know to begin my adventures in a safe (individually as well as environmentally), respectful and confident manner. I was so pleased to find the author's compassion and sound respect for the environment and how he simply challenges his readers to have the integrity to do the same.

4x4 Wheel Freedom: The Art of Off-Road Driving is clearly organized into 14 chapters and several information filled appendices with resources for continued education. Packing Up - The Basic Toolbox, Rocks and Ravines - Basic Crawling, and Winches and Jacks - Up and Out are some examples of the chapters included. Each chapter presents basic knowledge and details on its theme and further clarifies the information with personal accounts that seem to wrap it all together for the reader.

This is an excellent addition to any personal library or bookshelf! Anyone who drives a vehicle with 4x4 and/or owns an SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) will find useful information in this text and will benefit from its application at sometime in their life as a driver. Brad Delong presents information for all - from those experienced in 4x4 adventures to those with even a small bit of interest in 4x4s.

It's curious the publisher's notes don't mention the previous version of this book: The Art of Urban Cycling. The new version is a worthy update that reflects changes in the cycling environment since then. Stresses a practical approach that mixes vehicular and invisible cycling styles to good effect. Safety is a primary concern. Lots of good ideas for anyone who rides a bike for recreation or as alternative transportation. I've ridden for many years and still found a number of techniques in the book that improve my riding experience.

This book is best for someone about to take up urban bicycle commuting. (With gas prices going up, I assume that this target audience is growing.) Overall, the book has the feel of a relaxed instructor going over the basics with a class of beginners. Somehow, Hurst manages to cram a lot of information--no fluff--into 250 pages without being boring.

An experienced rider will find little new information beyond the historical stuff. The historical sections are nice for those interested in understanding the bigger picture of cycling in the United States. Some may yawn, but it is powerful information worth knowing and pondering.

The discussions about bike culture (and various subcultures) are interesting and amusing. Hurst seems to promote bike culture while asking the reader to take it lightly.

My only peeve: I do not understand why the word "Urban" was removed from the title. The book dedicates only about two pages to suburban riding and completely neglects country cycling. As a former country commuter, I can attest that the navigation of old highways and byways has its own distinct challenges and priorities. There is nothing inherently wrong with the information in the book; I simply feel that the word "Urban" should still be in the title (at least until in-depth non-urban material is eventually added).

This book is a must for a commuter! He discusses the pros and cons of both the vehicular and invisible styles of riding. It's frankly a good idea to mix them. Drivers just really don't see you, so if you ride visibly, but make decisions based on the fact they don't see you; you are safer in the long run. There is a bit of politics in the beginning, but spend a year riding in city traffic during rush hour and you'll understand why he feels the way he does.

I bought this book recently while waiting for a new bike to arrive that I'd ordered online. I wanted to get into the cycling mood before my new ride arrived, though I was already geared up for the topic. So I really really wanted to like this book. I wanted to love it. And as close as it came, it just fell a bit short.

As a commuting cyclist I felt this was the perfect book for me. It's packed with suggestions, tips and methods of cycling in urban and suburban environments that are meant to keep you safe and secure in the insanity of traffic you face daily. And those parts of the book are great... the parts about cycling that is. But getting to those parts takes some patience. Nearly the first 50 pages are a lead up to actually discussing cycling. They are sort of a short history of civil engineering, how inner cities and the suburbs developed, and how evil roads and cars can be. While that stuff is all well and good, it could have been a bit shorter or perhaps woven in with more of the on-topic material.

The author's joy and enthusiasm for cyling are obvious though, in the rest of the book. I feel as though he strives to stand up for the rights of cyclists (and encourage them to do the same for themselves) but he doesn't take a vigilante tone in doing so. And I appreciated that, because I think it makes it easier to follow his suggestions. They feel as though they're coming from a friend, rather than a fanatic.

So as much as I wanted to give this book 5 stars, I'm only going to give it 4. I'd likely give it 4 1/2 if that were an option. Sadly, it's not. But I do encourage riders of all skill levels (especially those starting out in the commuting lifestyle) to check out this really good book.