Editorial Review

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Reviews (87)

Does anyone remember the old green Periodical Index???
Okay, confession:I don't own this, YET.(It's marked "highest priority" on my wishlist.)But reading reviews complaining about the royal annoyance of DVD swapping, I'm amused and slightly ticked off.Hey, folks, back in the day, if you needed to look up articles in the New Yorker, you had to go to a building in town called the "library".If you wanted to take an article home to read later, you were happy to be able to make a smeary, smelly, expensive photocopy.
There are always quibbles
Despite the all the minor quibbles you read this is a very worthwile package. Goodness, look at the 20s articles! They are historically worth the price of the package alone, and they are all at your computer! Do a bit of web surfing and discover ways to put the enourmous set on your hard-drive if you wish. It's worth the cost if not from Amazon than from the New Yorker page itself at one-half the price.
DON'T buy this!
ZERO stars. If you live in Europe, forget about it. This thing only works on PC's with an all American time & date system. Unless you want to americanize your computer, it's not usable.
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Subjects:  1. New Yorker (New York, N.Y. : 1925)    2. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    3. Publishing Industry And Trade    4. Journalism    5. Mass Media - General    6. United States - 20th Century    7. Reference / Publishing    8. Publishing    9. Language Arts & Disciplines    10. Language    11. History   

Reviews (4)

Necessary for Children's Book Authors.
As an unagented children's book author, I was able to compile a list of publishing companies easily from this book. I haven't read through the entire book, but just the 200+ pages of publishers is worth the buy. This book has a lot of information and is well organized. I enjoyed reading about first time authors experiences with their writings and publishing stories. This book is the only one you will need for up-to-date info to start your journey as an author.

For children's writers and illustrators: if you can have only one book on your shelf....
This is a condensed version of the review I posted on my web site, The Purple Crayon. I'm the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books, and I have to be familiar with books in the field. CWIM is a very reliable market guide.
very useful
this book was very comprehensive! it gave all the information one would like to have when just starting out. it dosent however go into the details of how to write as a career. overall it will become one of my most valued resources. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Children's literature    3. Directories    4. Illustration Of Books    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Marketing    9. Publishers and publishing    10. Publishing    11. United States    12. English    13. Industrial / Commercial Art & Design    14. Publishing industry    15. Reference works    16. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (23)

The Ultimate Dictionary
I have had other dictionaries, however for getting to the grass roots meaning of a particular word, this is the dictionary to have on the bookshelf. It settles all disputes over the correct meaning of words.The CD Rom is excellent as I have it loaded in both my home computer and work laptop.

Best dictionary for the non-fanatic
I did a fair bit of internet research reading to try to determine what the best dictionary was in the $100-$150 range.For the non-fanatic, this 2-volume set covers pretty much everything you need.If you are a word fanatic, then drop $1000 on the 20-volume OED.The layout of the Shorter OED (think "unabridged") is superb, and the entries are up-to-date, unlike the "new" editions of some competing dictionaries.You can't go wrong with this purchase.

Search no more for the perfect dictionary!
Although it arrives in two volumes, it is nonetheless, a near definitive guide for all words English. If you suspect the fellow Scrabble players of cheating, this will be your source. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. Dictionaries - General    3. English Language Dictionaries    4. English language    5. General    6. Reference    7. English    8. Reference / General    9. Reference | English Dictionaries   

Reviews (6)

very clear
I am a non native speaker, and even though my grammar is not too bad, my writing style has always been a source of frustration. At work, when comparing the texts I would write with the one of good native writers, I could see that theirs were better, but could not find why.
a gem
I found an used copy of " The Basics of Clarity and Grace" at bookstore. After reading 3/4 of the book I orderedtwo more copies. One copy for my son who is a journalist major and the other for my eldestson who writes good comedy. I liked its size and its no nonesense approach.

Better than Strunk & White, better than Turabian
The longer version of Joseph Williams "Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace" has been justly praised for many years. But as a director of writing programs at NYU, Princeton, and Yale, I never felt right adopting that text: it was too expensive, and more than the average student needed. This "Basics" Style is the perfect solution. All the brilliance of the longer book at 1/3 the price, "Style" perfectly balances explanations of style rules with practical examples. The rules that Strunk and White encourage are good ones, and American prose would be leaner if their precepts were universal. The problem with that book is that the advice is not explained systematically. You can use their suggestions when you face similar cases, but only Williams' text breaks down topics like elegance, coherence, and cohesion in ways that will let you carry the ideas into every text you write. I would not recommend this book for the casual 10th grader; although it's clearly written, its ideas are somewhat advanced. But for professionals, college writers, and any teenager who takes writing seriously, "Style" is an indispensable tool, a book you'll use for the rest of your life. For learning to write good college papers, I also highly recommend his "Craft of Research." ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business English    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. English language    4. Language    5. Language Arts & Disciplines    6. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    7. Rhetoric    8. Style    9. Technical English    10. Creative writing guides    11. English literature: essays, letters & other non-fiction prose works    12. Language & Linguistics    13. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing    14. Literature: History & Criticism    15. Press & journalism   

Reviews (25)

Start Your Title Search Here
If you're looking for a title to your novel or original screenplay, start with this exhaustive compilation of the great quotations of the world. Another reason to use it is to find out whether it was Mark Twain or H. L. Mencken who first said dotty things about California!

BARTLETT'S QUOTATIONS DESIGNED FOR THE 21st CENTURY
At age 82, with a lifetime of writing, speaking, and using appropriate quotes, I have purchased and implemented timely quotations from each new Bartlett's Familiar Quotations.The new 17th Edition has kept pace with the passing years and persons without sacrificing the wisdom of the ages.
still the best
Bartlett's is still the best resource for researching quotations, better than anything I found on the net, including a site that was called Bartlett's.The print Bartlett's does an excellent job of cross-referencing, so when I wanted to track the original source of a quotation, only the print Bartlett's solved the problem.That's why I bought this copy for my local library.Computers haven't solved every research problem yet. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Quotations    2. Quotations, English    3. Reference    4. Dictionaries of quotations    5. Reference / Quotations   

Reviews (6)

Worthy of better than the negative reviews.
I'm sorry, but I just don't get the detractors to this text. With apologies to Pimsleur, learning a language is hard work. OK, if you want to learn how to say, "Hello," or, "Where is the bathroom," try one of the quickie methods, but if you want to be fluent in a conversation, live in Italy, or study there, there is no substitute for struggling with the pedagogy. Maybe there are some of us that can pick up a language effortlessly, but I'm not one of them. I was raised in an Italian family and heard it every day when I was a child, but when it came to really learning Italian, I had to sit down and work on it ... hard. This is a fine basic text, covering all the tenses, grammatical forms and basic vocabulary. It also nicely covers pronunciation and culture, which are often neglected in basic language texts. The material is presented in a traditional, logical manner. Yes, every now and then there is a word that is not in the glossary, but that is part of language ... sometimes someone says a word you just don't know. I guess that is what a dictionary is for. To use this text effectively, I would recommend buying a dictionary and a guide to common verbs, whoich are, frankly, necessary no matter what method you use. The workbook is recommended but not necessary. If you have someone around who is fluent, so much the better, but you can do almost as well by listening to the news at night from Italy on the Internet, buying an Italian movie or two, and struggling through an Italian novel a few sentances at a time. Work your way through this book and you will have passable conversational Italian, and be able to work your way through a newspaper as well. If you don't want to put in the sweat equity to learn Italian, sign up for a brain transplant, but otherwise, go out and buy a book like this one and plan on some hard work. Your effort will not dissapoint you if you do.

A rip-off
A good book but enormously overpriced.every year or so a new edition is put out with a few changes which are not necessary.to keep everything uniform in a course, a new edition must therefore be purchased at an inflated price.Much of the photos and material is not new but recycled from the computer program, "Transparent Language".

I never reseived the book
I never received the book that I ordered.I have been trying to reach the seller and can't get a hold of him.I'm really upset about this.I want to get my money back. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    2. Foreign Language Study    3. Italian    4. Language    5. Language teaching & learning material & coursework   

Reviews (4)

Signing Naturally 2
Signing Naturally are very good textbooks for the beginner and intermediate sign language students. The demo signing is a little fast for someone that is still learning, but the speed can be slowed down if you have a DVD player with that capacity. I am a student at college learning sign by using these textbooks.These are truly a must if you're dedicated to learning sign language and something about the deaf culture.

Not the greatest book
I love the video and the exercises that go along with the video are wonderful. But the book on the other hand is poorly written. Several signs are wrong or outdated. Many signs are drawn in such a way that it could be confused with other signs. Since there are no labels marking what word the model is signing there is no way to figure out the authors intent.

GREAT!
This book is very nice. I am fluent in ASL (American Sign Language) as of now, but that goal was only reached by taking classes at a local community college. The ASL class used this book and with this book, it was so easy to learn ASL! I truly recommend this book for people who want to learn ASL and use it a lot, or for parents who wish to use it with their toddlers (this is very helpful, my mom did it with me when I was little and it helped me later on). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Language    3. Language Arts & Disciplines    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Sign Language   

Reviews (10)

I love, but a word of caution
I love this book, and love the idea of finally being able to make a sweater that fits! But a word of caution to other visual learners out there- this books contains very few illustrations and pictures. Most of the information you are supposed to gain is hidden away in fairly lengthy (in my opinion) descriptions. So if you are a visual learner, be prepared to read carefully, try the instructions, frog your work and re-try.
Must have for every knitters library
I find the book very easy to follow and understand.If you want to avoid sewing all those pieces together, this is the book for you.Not all the sweaters from the top down have to be raglans, this has everything you need to know to knit just about anything from the top down.

Great help for new and old knitters
This reissue of an out-of-print book is a real boon to both new and old knitters. It provides freedom from strict adherence to patterns and guidance for designing your own sweaters, skirts, and other garments. This book is perfect for those who love to knit and hate to purl! It's a 'must have' for knitters who are into or beyond the stitch 'n' bitch phase of the craft. I bought several for my students and for friends for gifts. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Needlework - Knitting    3. Reference   

Reviews (34)

A balanced and informative guide
I found Asking the Right Questions (ARQ) to be a very balanced and thorough approach to critical thinking. I am an electrical engineer by profession... I am well-regarded by my peers as an careful thinker; however, I have found myself frustrated at times when discussing controversial issues with friends... some lines of thought don't ring true, but are nonetheless hard to refute. After reading ARQ, I found that these dilemmas are frequently either the result of not agreeing on the definitions of ambiguous terms (e.g. oppression, sexism, racism) or on some logical fallacy that was used. This has made a quite difference in my ability to discern the issues at hand.
Demolishing the Wrong Arguments
This slim volume is a textbook on "critical thinking," which seems to be the art of argumentative analysis.You read an argument, ask a series of questions, and thereby test the worth of the argument.
One of the best books on argumentation
This is the best book I've read about argumentation so far.The book doesn't waste your time describing the history of argumentation or going through ancient Greek terms as so many other books or courses on the subject do.If you want to improve your argumentation skills in a short time, this is the book to read.It also gives fresh ideas and new angles to more advanced readers.The book contains lots of practice exercises where you can test the skills you've just learned.The chapters about good evidence should be required reading for anyone involved in decision making in organizations.However, this book falls short of teaching how to captivate the audience.If that's what you need, you'd better read a good book on giving presentations first. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - General    2. Critical thinking    3. Criticism    4. Language    5. Language Arts & Disciplines    6. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    7. Literary Criticism    8. Rhetoric    9. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing    10. Literature: History & Criticism    11. Logic    12. Writing skills   

Reviews (9)

Not awful, but not perfect either
This is an alright text book. It does what it's meant to do. A person can learn Italian from this book as long as they are also in a class as well, but it definately has some flaws. One -it needs more examples of some of the more difficult grammar points. Two - the order is strange. Why did you start with avere? Somehow essere seems like a better place to start. And the chapter themes! They pretend that they have chapters arranged by topic, but it seems very haphazard to me. Also, several major grammatical topics are missing from this book, and as a result, many of my teachers have had to give us multiple hand outs to compensate. It's ok - but it could be a lot better.

Invaluable resource
I read this entire book across two college semesters before moving to Italy.After having spent $500 or so on Italian language books, this is one of the few that was worth the money.Even though I speak fluently, I still refer to this book frequently to resolve difficult tense questions or clarify grammar details.I highly recommend this book to any serious student.

Wait for the next edition, or stick to the 4th!!
I took 3 semesters of Italian, with each semester covering 1/3 of the book, so I completed the entire book.This book is good if you follow it in a traditional classroom setting, especially since the proffessor pointed out all the mistakes in this book, which unfortunately, are quite numerous for a textbook.I have also checked out the 4th edition, which is much better than this one as it is better structured and contains useful charts,(which are now omitted)and is thoroughly proofread.The 6th edition just came out, so hopefully it is an improvement from the 5th. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. English    2. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    3. Italian    4. Italian language    5. Language    6. Textbooks for foreign speakers    7. Foreign Language Study / Italian   

Subjects:  1. Curricula    2. Education    3. Education / Teaching    4. Elementary    5. English Orthography    6. English language    7. Foreign speakers    8. Illiteracy And Literacy Education    9. Language    10. Language Arts & Disciplines    11. Literacy    12. Orthography and spelling    13. Spelling    14. Study and teaching    15. Study and teaching (Elementary)    16. Vocabulary    17. Education / Curricula    18. English    19. English language: reading skills    20. Teaching of a specific subject   

Reviews (5)

Excellent
I am really amazed of how much idioms and colloquial expressions you can learn just by listening to the CD. And guess what - these are idioms and phrases you REALLY hear everyday on the street, usedby most people in everyday situations. Before, my English sounded a bit "artificial" and somehow forced. Now, the more I used the idioms I learnt here, the more natural and even friendly I sound to the native speakers.
Useful Book
This is a good book to read, esp. for non-native English speaker. I learn many new expressions with ease (because the book provides proper context). The reason I give 4, instead of 5, is that there are (too) many repetitions throughout the book.

A simple yet clever way to break into the "idiom barrier"
Remember your good old Englishtextbook which started with an introduction of the characters who would be in the dialogs throughout the units? That's how this book is laid out. Idioms are contextualized and there are various consolidation exercises between units to reinforce them. The accompanying CD is very clear and the voices convey the moods of the characters - although I must say that the man who does Bob's voice sounds incredibly boring at times as his voicedoesn't seem to show much pitch variation. Some of the idioms are alreadyknown to most high-intermediate students, but there are many others to learn, so it can certainly satisfy those studentswho resent not having enough "real-life"vocabulary in class. It may alsobe useful for the student working on his own, once the explanations are very clear. In a nutshell: It's worth buying if you're looking for a simple - yet effective - way to explore the most common idioms of American English. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Conversation and phrase books    2. Dictionaries - General    3. English as a Second Language    4. English language    5. Foreign Language Study    6. Idioms    7. Language    8. Reference    9. Spoken English    10. United States    11. American English    12. Conversation    13. Study and teaching    14. Textbooks for foreign speakers   

Reviews (1)

A great review manual and reference book
This book was my primary source when I was preparing for the CLA exam.Coherent, organized and thoughtful, it is a "must buy" for CLA candidates.Until my book was borrowed (and not returned) by another legalassistant, the manual served as a handy reference manual in my practice. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Certification    2. College Entrance    3. LSAT (Law School Admission Test)    4. Law    5. Law Office Administration    6. Law Office Education    7. Law examinations    8. Legal Reference / Law Profession    9. Legal assistants    10. Professional - General    11. Professional Education    12. Reference    13. United States    14. Business & Economics / General    15. Higher & further education    16. Industrial or vocational training    17. Legal skills & practice    18. Office & workplace   

Reviews (1)

Not recommended
I have been teaching with this book for 2 years and the more familiar I am with it the less I like it and the more mistakes I find on it.It was not chosen by me and I hope we'll change it soon. The textbook and workbook have plenty of mistakes even though it is a second edition.
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Subjects:  1. English    2. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    3. Foreign Language Study    4. Language    5. Spanish    6. Spanish language    7. Textbooks for foreign speakers    8. Foreign Language Study / Spanish   

Reviews (5)

A must have for the Cardiac Sonographer
I have been in the field since the 70's and find this reference to be one of the best. I always find what I want quickly and also use it for a teaching guide with students doing their externships with me. Anna Wynott B.S., R.D.C.S.

hands-on review
This book, is very detailed but very user-friendly.It covers basic cardiac anomilies to the more detailed,(not so common)anomolies as well as signs and symptoms.This book covers adult as well as some pediatrics. Listed in alpphabetical order, they are easily accessed.The last section covers all formulas and methods, with calculations. The best echo reference
Great tables of normal/abnormal values and diagnostic criteria (more complete than Otto and Mayo manual).Especially useful for practical echo reporting.The book does assume a basic working knowledge of echocardiography: beginner should use this book in conjunction with the Otto or Mayo text. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cardiology    2. General    3. Medical / Nursing    4. Radiology    5. Reference   

Reviews (4)

Must have for pilots. One of the best FAA preparation books around.
Even at first glance, you can tell that it's a well made textbook. Just over one and a half inches thick, it's chock full of useful information. Every chapter has explains its learning objectives, and there is NOT A SINGLE PAGE that is without full color illustrations. There are so many diagrams, drawings, and helpful illustrations; all of which are context specific and aid the text very well.
Excellent, if FAA-specific, book.
The Instrument Commercial Manual is unquestionably one of the best volumes written to take a student from PPL to CPL/ATPL level. The many illustrations, explanations and pull-outs serve their purpose well. However, given the amount of theoretical material in the book, it may be less useful for non-FAA students. If you're studying for the European JAR ATPL, or any other non-US licence, you might want to look for a different text. Nonetheless: Highly Recommended for all FAA students!

Jeppesen Instrument/Commercial Manual
An excellent reference for the student all the way to the airline pilot. This is the best aviation book I have seen published in years. It has great pictures, illustrations, examples, and quizzes that will challenge anypilot. This book is a must for every pilot. Period. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Reference   

Reviews (10)

Excellent Resource for Latin students
There is no other place to start when looking for the history of specific Latin words and phrases. This dictionary is a must for all those who have more than a passing interest in the Latin language. It is clearly laid out and the text is very readible. Overall a great resource.

The Oxford Latin Dictionary- A Must Have
There are many reasons to recommend this superb reference work, here are a few. Firstly, as to be expected, clear and accurate definitions are given for even the most obscure words. Secondly, there is high quality in the book and binding. Thirdly, the excellent type-face makes for easy reading. And lastly, there is great pleasure in adding such a seminal work in lexography to one's library.

A dictionary one actually can read!
At last!A Latin Dictionary with print big enough to read using bifocals!!!The scholarship of this work is unquestioned, as is its comprehensive character.No more looking in vain for some elusive term.Others have commented fully on the substantive wonders of this magnificent dictionary.I write only to add that this work is very accessible--even to those of us with tired old eyes.I know it is costly, but it is well worth the price! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. English    3. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    4. Latin    5. Latin Language    6. Reference    7. Bilingual dictionaries    8. Foreign Language Study / Latin    9. Reference | Bilingual Dictionaries | Latin   

Reviews (1)

Best Enjoyed with Building Background Knowledge For Academic... by Robert J. Marzano
This book was worth the purchase because of the leveled word lists for ALL subjects.Almost 8,000 for 11 subjects - that includes all the topics covered in Social Studies, noncore classes, all leveled by grade range.
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Subjects:  1. Alphabet    2. Language    3. Language Arts & Disciplines    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Study & Teaching    6. Study and teaching (Higher)    7. Vocabulary   

Reviews (8)

Good for review your general grammar knowledge
I'M A SPANISH SPEAKER THAT WAS SEEKING FOR A BOOK THAT BEGINS ABOVE THE BEGINNERS LEVEL. THIS BOOK BEGINS WITH MORE COMPLEXGRAMMAR.

A Great Self-Study Book
This is a great book for those who have exposed themselves in English speaking environment for quite a while and have got a basic English grammar knowledge,but always get confused by some "casual" grammar problems or something out of the expectations that you have learned from those"regular" grammar rules. In a word, this book rather focuson those "irregular"English grammar phenomenon that usedby those native speakers in their everyday life.
Great for practicing.
Once you will have it, you only need to read and to practice. Very explicit book, and great for the people how understand the English but doesn't knows the rules. Also I recommend to buy an idiom book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. English as a Second Language    2. Etymology    3. Grammar    4. Language    5. Language Arts & Disciplines    6. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    7. Teaching Methods & Materials - Language Arts    8. ELT grammars & grammar practice    9. English    10. Foreign Language Study / English as a Second Language   

Reviews (3)

A MUST FOR THOSE IN THE "KNOW"!
It's hard to stop reading the World Book Encyclopedia.They're so jammed with thorough and timely information that you'll feel your brain bursting with new knowledge.I sat down one afternoon with a glass of milk and a bag of Oreos and before I knew it the sun had gone down and I was already reading about Zimbabwe.
The Best
Even in the age of the internet, a good set of encyclopedias on a bookshelf adds dignity, depth and quality to a home library, and of all the encyclopedias available on the market, I have always found World Book to be the most readable, comprehensive and all-around best when it comes to being up-to-date. As far as reference material goes, World Book is more approachable than all its competitors and it imparts information without pedantic verbosity. I also love the illustrations and maps, many of which qualify in their own right as impressive works of art. World Book is a sheer joy to read and worth the investment.

A must buy for any household
The world book is one of the greatest pieces of literature ever written throughout the history of mankind. It is a thorough compelation of everything a person needs to know. I read the book everynight, and its deep characters and intense plots captivate my children. It is a great reference book for school work, and mere curiosity. My children love to delve in between the lines of text of the World Book. And their curiosity and desire to attain knowledge is well fed by the World Book. It is a great resource for anyone to have, and truly encourages children and adults alike to learn the most they can about the world around them
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Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Encyclopedias and dictionaries    3. Reference