Reviews (3)

Interesting...
I was roommates with the author at the 2004 National bee, and while he was away getting interviewed, I managed to sneak a peek at his book. I was overwhelmed by the information presented in just the first few pages I read, and while I have yet to read the actual published work, I can definitely say that this book is an asset to any geography classroom or geobee contestant, and that the author deserved his win (well, maybe I deserved it more :-P).

I Love Wojo!
This book really is great. If you are looking for a reference book for ANY type of social studies, geography, history, area studies or just any class at all, this should make your wish-list. It is laid out well in an appealing format, and the information is all there. The author compiled it to study for the National Geography Bee, and then went on to win both that competition and even the International Geography Competition. I know him personally, and he put a ton of work into this book. It truly shows, and this book is definitely worth waht is charged. This book is a must for schools, as it will help anyone to study anything at all pertaining to geography or world cultures. I enjoyed reading this book, and I wholeheartedly believe you will too.

AWESOME!!!
This book is crazy awesome! It has all the information that one would ever need about geography.Everything from basic facts to unique details about an assortment of countries is neatly compiled into an easy to use guide.Anyone remotely intersted in geography should buy this book.Also anyone that needs to know anything about geopgraphy for a class or report should buy this book.It is worth much more than it costs! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Science    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Science    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Encyclopedias    5. Geography    6. Juvenile Nonfiction    7. Reference - General    8. Science & Nature - Earth Sciences    9. Science & Technology - Earth Sciences    10. Juvenile Nonfiction / Study Aids / Test Preparation   

Reviews (6)

Great history and beautiful photos
This book is now showing up as a remainder at under ten dollars-- at that price there's no reason anyone interested in electric guitars would not have a copy. It offers a generic history of the electic guitar that will be familiar to anyone at all versed in the intstrument; what's unique here is the comprehensive coverage of factory-built guitars over the past 80 years. Every company I've heard of (and several I've not) is covered. Gibson, Fender, et al. get long sections and dozens of photos, but even lesser-known importers like Aria are given strong coverage. For those who have only heard about makes like Mosrite, Teisco, Framus, etc. there are great photos and strong histories.As an aspiring guitar builder I bought the book for the photos; the well written text is an added bonus.

Were ealier guitar strings really made out of cat guts????
Were ealier guitar strings really made out of cat guts??? A guitar lover's dream book.
Bought this as a gift for a brother-in-law...after reviewing it, I've got to have my own copy.Not only great pictures of guitars but very interesting commentary.Guitar brands are in alphabetical order so it's easy to look up a particular model...many I've never heard of.I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Electric guitar    2. Music    3. Music/Songbooks    4. Musical Instruments - Guitar    5. Pictorial works    6. Reference    7. Sale Books   

Reviews (1)

The Best Generalist's Book On Classic Cars
No book is perfect for the collector, but this is probably the best for car collectors.With over 1000 of the world's finest models, from over 200 marques, it has certainly captured the best amongst its pages.It also has some strange picks, but it doesn't claim to only list the top cars.And the world doesn't start in 1945 for this author, his team goes back as far as 1891 for their car selections. Excellent colour photos, with some B/W.Godd source of information on cars from the 1930s.With over 500 pages, this is a big book in all dimensions.Great value. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antique and classic cars    2. Automobiles    3. Automotive    4. Automotive - Antique & Classic    5. Automotive - History    6. Automotive - Pictorial    7. Encyclopedias    8. History    9. Transportation    10. Sale Books   

Reviews (14)

Beautiful reference
The photographic plates are indeed very beautiful but having the descriptions in another section of the book does make for an inconvenient flipping from the front of the book that has the photographs to the back of the book with the textual information.
APALMLOVERS BOOK
This book is one of the most complete books you'll find on the many types of palms.

An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms
Superb! Clear information, very well organized for all types of readers, and with many great pictures. This book is a must if you appreciate palms--even if you don't, it's lovely for your coffee table. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Gardening    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Life Sciences - Horticulture    5. Ornamental Plants    6. Palms    7. Reference    8. Science    9. Trees    10. Gardening / Ornamental Plants    11. Gardening: plants   

Reviews (8)

Great Book, Lots of great information
This book has answered many of my questions I have had about horses.I even learned information I never thought to ask about.
THE BEST!!
I love this book! It has so much info! It tells about lots of breeds, and they're all mixed through the book. I'm glad that it tells about my favorite breeds as well as others that I've never heard of, or I don't know a lot about. This book has over 400 pages, but it dosen't cover horse care. My local librery bought it for $40, but Idon't know how much it costs here (Amazon). Get this awesome book, it covers so much, including the Spanish riding school and a horse called Coogenhogan. This book is high on my wishlist, and it's a wonderful book. I would like to know about the revisesd edition, if there is one. Buy this book, no matter how much it costs!!!!

Torin's Book Review
The New Horse Encyclopedia
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Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Encyclopedias    3. Horse breeds    4. Horsemanship    5. Horses    6. Horses - General    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Pets    10. Reference    11. Nature / Horses   

Editorial Review

This encyclopedia can make anyone feel like a scientist! Not only does it have fascinating facts on everything from atoms to zephyrs, it also shows how scientists work--describing, measuring, and asking questions about the world. Filled with detailed, sharp illustrations and eye-catching photographs, this book could keep a curious kid (or adult!) occupied for weeks. The one- and two-page entries are thematically organized--much more useful than alphabetical entries for making connections and thinking about whole systems. Some of the best categories are "Reactions," "Materials," "Weather," "Space," and "How Living Things Work." But Read more

Reviews (7)

DK Science Encyclopedia
This book is great.It gives many pictures and illustrations.It helped me immensely with my science class.

The Fragility of Science
DK makes some of the world's best books for kids; that is indisputable. It's easy to nitpick, of course. The precision photography of the DK books, and the very attention to detail can render the technology information obsolete fairly rapidly. But for the here and now, DK books have no rival. However, they may well not last beyond the now. Here's my pet peeve with this particular book: It is so big and heavy, that if your kids love this book as much as mine do, the cover will quickly separate from the book, leaving the whole thing vulnerable to unravelling. We've lost our contents and index already, now we're losing our science history pages! I'm so sad about this! This book literally falls apart under its own weight, when handled by children. I will attempt a hold-together fix with some duct tape, but I'm not sure how long that will last.This book is such an incredible resource, and kids will spend hours reading it to themselves or dragging it over to you for an explanation of this or that, but its construction is not sufficiently strong for its weight and target age level. A tough paperback binding would have been a far better thing. Kids need strong, strong books. If you want to keep this book in spiffy condition, then by all means put it up on a shelf, defeat the purpose of buying it in the first place, and then your kids can sell it on e-bay in 50 years or so as an antique curiosity. If you're some hyper-organized size-5 perfect freak of nature, you can keep it on your special shelf of fragile books that you personally take down and read to your children for 25 minutes every day after Yoga, and then you can do the same for your grandchildren, if your kids ever let you see them. If you let this book just get enjoyed and learned from freely, you can expect that a: Your kids will love it and learn a lot, and b: The book won't last two years, unless you only have girls, who tend to be less destructive little beasts. I don't think girls will attempt to place this book as a bridge between couch and coffee table, then jump on it. Boys might. Punks.

Every Home Should Have This Book
and I truly mean this. For adults, adolesents and kids as young as two years old, this is a great resource and highly enjoyable book for all ages. My 3 year old LOVES it, my 5 year old LOVES it, and when flipping through it with them together as a bedtime book, I almost always wind up reading and adding to my own knowledge-base myself. This is a book that you would expect to retail for $50 and at this Amazon price, it is a real deal. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Science    2. Children: Grades 3-4    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    4. Encyclopedias    5. Encyclopedias, Juvenile    6. Juvenile Nonfiction    7. Reference - Encyclopedias    8. Science    9. Science & Nature - General    10. Juvenile Nonfiction / Science & Technology / General   

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - General    2. Encyclopedias    3. Social Science    4. Sociology   

Reviews (39)

Entertaning and well written but off base
Now, I agree with about 80% of the things the author is skeptical about.I mean, I don't believe in them too.However, the hair starts to go up on the back of my neck when yet another Western white guy dismisses every cultural belief that is not his.The definitions of many items discussed are not even remotely correct too.It reminds me of when a born again Christian rips apart every single world religion because they know the "truth."What are you supposed to gather from this, that all indigenous people and other cultures are stupid because they aren't backed by a US drug company? Acupuncture is really a dangerous delusion?That gets real old.It's a little 1860 pioneer type thinking to me.I think if I were actually interested in a topic such as Chinese medicine I may rather go to better sources than one Western guy's 2 paragraph dismissive definition.Kudos to the author, it must be nice to know absolutely everything about absolutely everything and be able to discard it all in favor of Western thought in one book. ;)

It's funny how completely false he can get.
I can't remember if Doctor Wallach is mentioned in his book or not but the other day I came across this man's site, promoting his book. He had a listing there about Doctor Joel Wallach. Within the first sentence he said that Wallach claims that all diseases are a result of mineral deficiency! Amazing...this is how he calls Wallach a quack? With a complete and total LIE. That's right. See I have Wallach's books. My family takes his supplements. I am part of Wallach's company email: Ekowal459@aol.com to discuss it further if you're inclined, etc. Now, I have also listened to DOCTOR Wallach's seminars in about 20 different variations and have health successes of my own as a result of him. Never once does Dr. Wallach [BS,DVM+ND] or his Wife Dr. Ma Lan [A Microsurgeon MD with a Masters in Science and liscensed Acupuncturist], ever come within the neighborhood of saying that all diseases are caused by mineral deficiency! This is insane and completely untrue. Furthermore he discredits Wallach for calling himself a physician by the implication that a Naturopathic doctor is NOT a physician on the grounds that he is NOT A MEDICAL DOCTOR. Once again a moron who can't understand how someone who's primary means of health care for patients is not pharmaceuticals can be a legitimate Doctor. So by his standards Osteopaths are not Physicians? No one can heal anyone else unless they dispence pharmaceuticals? Oh that's right, Naturopaths can dispense pharmaceuticals in state's which allow it...like the one Wallach trained and worked in...interesting. And Wallach does recommend some pharmaceuticals where prudent...he's not a lunatic. He talks about what an outrage his claims are? Such an outrage... I have one of his seminars on tape where he is speaking to 200 DOCTORS. Why would they even show up? This man tries to discredit Doctor Wallach and that which he says which aren't lies are just foolish arguments that make him look like the con artist or just plain ignorant of his subject [Wallach, Naturopathy, Health...etc. Don't waste your time on this man's books. I won't even talk about the positive points in this book that actually have merit because as far as I'm concerned his ranting about Doc Wallach on his site... and in the book, I seem to recall, discredits everything else period.
Good book
This is a good book for a rainy day, because it is a lot to absorb. But I really like this book. I actually bought it because of all the negative reviews - I wanted to see what all the hooplah was about. It has many interesting theories - and you do not HAVE to believe all of them - but they all deserve consideration. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Body, Mind & Spirit    2. Controversial Knowledge    3. Encyclopedias    4. General    5. Miscellanea    6. New Age    7. Pseudoscience    8. Reference    9. Science    10. Science (Specific Aspects)    11. Skepticism    12. Controversial Knowledge & Mysteries    13. Popular science    14. Reference works    15. Social Science / General   

Reviews (4)

Great for beginners and people looking for illustrations
I didn't realize how much I enjoyed using this dictionary until someone stole mine!!!It has great charts and graphs and is colorful...it has the kings in order and during what time of history...it has pictures...it's simple enough for those who do not want to be weighted down with fancy jargon...so if you are looking for a sophisticated dictionary, this is not it!However, it serves it's purpose.It gives good information, but not a plethora of info...but well worth the money spent!

Excellant Study Tool
I bought this book for my nephew who is in prison.He said that it is a big help with the pictures & etc.

Great dictionary for beginning bible students
I teach a bible class and found this to be a great dictionary for Read more

Subjects:  1. Bible - Reference - Dictionaries & Encyclopedias    2. Bible - Reference - General    3. Reference    4. Religion    5. Religion - Commentaries / Reference   

Editorial Review

Ever wonder what a tardigrade might have looked like? Or what tree wetas eat? Now you can find out, because this great nature encyclopedia answers these questions and a jillion more. Organized into sections ("The Natural World," "How Living Things Work," "Ecology," "Classification," "Plants," and "Animals"), the Read more

Reviews (3)

Wonderful book on nature for all ages
Primarily bought as a gift for my 5 yr old nephew, I spent a considerable amount of time pouring over this book. A neat thing about this book is the wealth of information coupled with attractive, colorful pictures opening up the world of nature.

Rekindling Our Respect for Nature!
This book has succeeded in describing the great diversity of life on earth in such an interesting way with colorful photographs and new information that one can't help but stand in awe of our great planet.The chapters discuss : How living things work,ecology, classification, plants and animals. I was afraid that the animal section in this book would be a repetition ofDK's Animal Encyclopedia, but thankfully it wasn't, I found new information everytime. For those who are not familiar with DK's encyclopedias one should know that the superior photography and layout of these books really captivate children's attention and fascination with this world.

love of nature grows the more we know
I am delighted with this encyclopedia which I ordered as a present for my six year old.This handsome book has beautiful pictures and lots of information covering many aspects of nature.Attractive and accessible, it provides great rewards for the young reader whose love and respect of nature will grow as their knowledge expands. I expect it to be used in greater depth as my daughter grows older.For now, she loves to open it up and see what she finds-and becomes engaged immediately.I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Nature / Guide Books    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    3. Children: Grades 3-4    4. Children: Grades 4-6    5. Encyclopedias    6. Encyclopedias, Juvenile    7. Juvenile Nonfiction    8. Natural history    9. Nature    10. Nature - General    11. Reference - Encyclopedias    12. Juvenile Nonfiction / Science & Technology / Earth Sciences   

Subjects:  1. Chemistry - Clinical    2. Chemistry - Organic    3. Medical    4. Medical / Nursing    5. Pharmacology    6. Chemistry    7. Medical / Pharmacology   

Subjects:  1. Asia - India    2. Asia - India & South Asia    3. Encyclopedias    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. India    8. Reference    9. Asian / Middle Eastern history    10. Encyclopaedias & Reference Works    11. General encyclopaedias    12. Geography    13. World history   

Reviews (30)

A must have for the collector or dealer!
Gene and Cathy Florence have done an outstanding job on this book. The pictures are outstanding and an excellent source for identifying various glass pieces. The descriptions are clear and very informative. My only issue is with the prices quoted. As Internet auctions, such as eBay are now the premier source for purchasing or selling depression glass, prices are drastically lower for most items listed in this book. This is also true for other similar books by other authors as well. As on-line auction sites are now the dominant source for depression glass and other collectables, the average prices seen over time on on-line auctions must be taken into account for future values.

An educated collector is a successful collector!!
I recently purchased this book because I not only wanted to start collecting depression glass, but I wanted to know what I was talking about and also what I was buying.The photography is fantastic.The legends are priceless.The summary of each collection provides you with its' history.The valuation of the depression glass pieces allows you to make sound purchasing decisions.This book is excellent for the novice, yet invaluable for the more serious glass collector.Highly recommend!

Collector's Encyclopedia of Depression Glass
Another Great book by Gene Florence.This book is very well organized and contains the information that a collector will want.I recommend this to every beginning collector.I couldn't do without this book when searching for and identifying depression glass.Large pictures are clear, in color, and show great detail.Lots of information.A must have! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiques    2. Antiques & Collectibles    3. Antiques / Collectibles    4. Antiques/Collectibles    5. Glass & Glassware    6. Glass Arts And Crafts    7. Kitchenware    8. Reference - General    9. Reference - Price Guides   

Reviews (7)

It Couldn't Have Been Done Better
This book is a must for anyone who loves food.Nine comprehensive chapters covering not only fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes, but also meat and poultry, fish and shellfish and dairy and eggs. Fantastic
Everything you need to know, and easy to use.A must for every kitchen. Anyone interested in health and fitness will love this book.

The Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition
Absolutely excellent! Every food I've ever looked up has been in this book. It includes thorough nutrition information on all foods.Every food listing includes the following sections: varieties, availability, shoppingtips, storage, preparation, and serving suggestions. Also nicelyillustrated, well organized. Fabulous resource. Can't wait for the 99edition. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Consumer Health    2. Food    3. General    4. Health/Fitness    5. Nutrition    6. Nutrition And Diet    7. Non-Classifiable    8. Veterinary nutrition   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Authors, American    3. Authorship    4. Books & Reading    5. Books and reading    6. Essays    7. Literary Collections    8. Literature - Classics / Criticism    9. Literature: Classics    10. Literary Collections / Essays    11. Literary reference works    12. Novels, other prose & writers: from c 1900 -   

Reviews (29)

Good source for thinking about your further education
I am very happy with this book.It has given me food for thought about where I would like to take my desire for lifelong learning.

The Classics Wait Patiently
One need not be a college graduate with a skimpy acquaintance with the Great Books to appreciate how to read them.In THE WELL-EDUCATED MIND, Susan Wise Bauer outlines the reasons why "classic" has unfortunately become synonymous with "hard" or at worst "boring." The key, Bauer asserts relentlessly, is a mindset that has evolved from a state of non-caring to caring such that dedication to reading becomes paramount.Reading, she notes, has several levels of discipline.To read a novel that is plot driven, say anything by Steven King, need not be anything more involved that skipping from word to word, looking for plot connected details.Unfortunately, for the reader who aspires to tackle the Great Ideas, such cursory reading skills will simply not do. Bauer demands much of the serious reader. Such a reader must learn How to Read, a process that involves actively coming to terms with the author. She urges one to underline, take notes, ask questions of oneself or with the absent author.How can one pass judgment on a work unless one first understands that work?Bauer sets up strategies for reading and ultimately evaluating all the genres that typically constitute what classicists term Great Ideas. She confronts the obstacles inherent in making sense of histories, novels, autobiographies, drama, and poetry. Bauer begins each genre with a series of exercises that differ more in degree than in form.With each genre, she wishes the serious reader to grasp the essentials of that particular genre.For novels, Bauer suggests that one connect the general ideas of prose with the specifics of that prose work: plot, character, theme, setting, and symbolism come to mind.For autobiography, one must first grasp how the concept of "self" has evolved from Augustine's CONFESSIONS to Malcolm X's autobiography. What did that self-chronicler know about himself or the times in which he wrote?Such a daring and daunting task becomes less daring and daunting when the serious reader asks questions of himself that the autobiographer asks of himself. And for drama and poetry, Bauer insists that the best reading comes only with a pen in one's hand as one reads and searches for a meaning that is denied to all those unwilling to treat the ideas in the work as unworthy of seriouseffort.
An O.K. starting place
One day in a bookstore I came across both this book and Baur's "The Well-Trained Mind," and looked through both of them. Later I went to the library and pulled this book off the shelf to get a better idea.
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Subjects:  1. Best books    2. Books & Reading    3. Books And Reading    4. Education    5. General    6. History and criticism    7. Home Schooling    8. Literature    9. Literature - Classics / Criticism    10. Reading    11. Literary reference works    12. Literary studies: general   

Reviews (4)

Koehler - Baumgartner
This lexicon should be in the library of anyone seeking to understand the deeper meanings of Hebrew words in Tanach.No one text stands alone in that regard; however, it is felt that Koehler - Baumgartner is indispensable for any serious student of Biblical Hebrew, and everyone is a student of this wonderful language.The 2-volume unabridged study edition is affordable and is more space efficient on the shelf.Buy this one with confidence.

The best resource
The best English lexicon of biblical Hebrew & Aramaic, KBL is also easier to use than the classic BDB. Words are listed alphabetically, rather than grouped by root, with cross-references to other words from the same root (no more trying to figure out a noun's putative "verbal root"). Akkadian tends to dominate the etymological information, rather than Arabic), along with Ugaritic. Glosses tend to be traditional, although references within the articles and the extensive supplementary bibliography (84 pages; alphabetically by author) allow you to find narrative lexical discussions. The Aramaic section is outstanding, with citations ranging far beyond biblical Aramaic. Although some might be tempted to begin with an "intermediate" lexicon such as Holladay, KBL's layout, clarity, and wealth of information makes this appropriate for both beginning students, pastors, teachers, and other scholars.

The New Koehler-Baumgartner
The printed 5 volume set provides a fine supplementary lexicon for all students of the Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic. The volumes are finely bound, printed on acid-free paper (though not ANSI certified). Each volume is smyth sewn. Read more

Subjects:  1. Bible - Language Studies    2. Bible - Reference - Dictionaries & Encyclopedias    3. Bibles - Hebrew    4. General    5. Religion    6. Religion - Commentaries / Reference    7. Aramaic    8. Hebrew    9. Old Testament    10. Reference works   

Reviews (15)

Some People May Interpret This Book as Feminist
...but it's the kind of feminism that makes people who believe that feminism is actually about *equality* between the sexes shudder.
One of the Best!
I found this book more than helpful for writing characters.I have several books on this topic and this is one of the best that I have encountered.Each chapter is well organized and easy to understand.The author makes reference to characters in TV, film, novels, and history that most of us would recognize.Each chapter covers how the character should act, what his or her fears may be, how others perceive the character and gives ideas on how to develop a character arc.Each archetype is shown as a "hero" and as a "villain" with great detail given to each (and a summary at the end, in case you need to quickly reference).I found the information as a starting point to character creation.When discussing archetypes, I always see them as "shadows".What I mean is that they lack depth.However, you can take these and build to make original characters.To anyone who is interested in building more colorful characters and keeping them in character, I recommended this book.

Sharpened my Characters Considerably
Fiction is not reality.I had forgotten this when I was creating the characters in my current book.My characters were complex, but were not compelling.They were boring.They didn't interest me and would not interest a reader.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Characters and characteristics    3. Characters and characteristics in literature    4. Composition & Creative Writing - Fiction    5. Fiction    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Reference    9. Technique    10. Creative writing guides   

Subjects:  1. Disability studies    2. Encyclopedias    3. General    4. Hospital Administration    5. Medical    6. Medical / Nursing    7. People with disabilities    8. Public Policy - Social Services & Welfare    9. Sociology of disability    10. Disability: social aspects    11. Medical / General    12. Reference works   

Reviews (4)

Goldfish Tanks and Waterfalls
Q: Of the word's tallest waterfalls, five out of ten are in which country?
Second Edition - more interesting trivia
Like the prior edition this book contains a collection of trivia questions and answers that center around world culture, politics and geography.As such it is not only interesting but also educational.So many trivia books contain such obscure information that it has no value other than as a trivia question.That is not the case with either the first or the second edition of this book."World Trivia", second edition is a complete rewrite that contains none of the questions of the first edition.Michael Smith again tackles one of the most difficult areas of trivia because culture, politics and many aspects of geography are in a state of constant flux.So, while the trivia questions and answers are accurate today, within a few years many of them may not be.With well-chosen educational and truly interesting questions the book is a recommended purchase.

Entertaining, but too short
"World Trivia" is a small book filled with trivia questions from around the world.Each page has a single question with the answer on the reverse.It contains an excellent selection of questions that I found genuinely interesting, however, with only one question on a page it contains only just over 130 questions.It would have been nice if there were two or three questions per page.Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Multicultural Nonfiction    3. Questions and answers    4. Reference    5. Trivia    6. General encyclopaedias    7. Trivia & quiz question books