Reviews (11)

If you are a leader in a congregation, you simply have to absorb the concepts in this book
This is a book to be absorbed slowly.
Read, and Your Ministry Will Never Be the Same
This book has a reputation of revolutionizing the way its readers view congregational life. Based on his experience as a rabbi and marriage and family therapist, the late Ed Friedman gives the most comprehensive and practical understanding of congregations as emotional systems. Conflicts are explained not from a linear standpoint, i.e. "A causes B," but from a systemic perspective where all participants are contributors. Each part of the system is connected to, or has its own effect upon, every other part. This helps to explain why many "issues" that arise within a congregation cannot be settled on the level of content, but must be viewed as representations of how the persons surrounding the issues are participating in the relational system. "Issues" may seem settled, but if the relational system continues to function the same way, the same or other "issues" will reappear later, because they were merely symptomatic of the emotional dynamics among the people involved. This book begins by explaining the major concepts of family systems theory, and applies them to organizational life, leadership, and the leader's family. It is full of examples, which makes these complex ideas easier to grasp. Few books are as insightful and helpful in equipping church leaders to understand congregations. It is the standard in applying family systems theory to congregations.

A MUST READ for all persons in positions of leadership
"Generation to Generation" by Edwin Friedman is a groundbreaking book on the dynamics of organizational and religious leadership as seen through the lens of the multi-generational family systems model.In the book, Friedman uses case studies and examples drawn from his own leadership experience and uses them to illustrate how leadership can be understood and transformed by having an awareness of three major systems that directly affect organizational leadership:Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Pastoral Counseling    2. Family    3. General    4. Judaism    5. Judaism - General    6. Pastoral Theology    7. Psychology    8. Psychotherapy - Counseling    9. Religion    10. Religion - Pastoral Care / Counseling    11. Religious gatherings    12. Religious life    13. Christian ministry & pastoral activity    14. Psychology & Psychiatry / Counseling   

Reviews (23)

One of the leaders in the field
My Master's thesis was a review and rating of large Spanish-English dictionaries. Since then, I have conducted follow-up studies to keep up with the market.
Amazing, though slightlyflawed
I sought out a large,thorough dictionary of Spanish/English, one which would teach me mainly Latin American Spanish.
I needed a new dictionary---
I needed a new dictionary. My Random House and Univ of Chicago dictionaries are excellent, in their way, but I needed something on a larger scale. Well, the Oxford is it: the real deal. A wonderful dictionary. My mind boggles at the effort involved in producing a work like this. I have a mental picture of an editor being called into the boss's office and being told; "Your assignment is to translate "get", in all its senses, into Spanish, with suitable examples." (Four pages in this edition, in case you're wondering.)I also own the New Oxford Shorter English dictionary (5 stars) and I had high expectations for this volume. I was not disappointed. It covers peninsular, Mexican, and latinamerican Spanish with notations for individual countries. I note that some reviewers have reservations about the way this dictionary defines a word by giving examples of usage but I think this is one of its strengths. This is a big dictionary's job: give more detail, more nuance. My favorite feature is the blue box. With certain important words, phrases, concepts, in addition to a definition the authors give you a more detailed, fleshed-out treatment set off in blue border and title line. Especially I like the boxes titled "Algunas Observaciones Generales". They carry out thethe highest mission of a dictionary: not simply to define, but also to clarify, amplify, and elucidate. If you have this dictionary you don't need grammars, verb books, etc. Everything is here. Highest possible recommendation. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. Dictionaries - General    3. English    4. English language    5. Foreign Language Study    6. Language    7. Reference    8. Spanish    9. Spanish language    10. Bilingual dictionaries    11. Foreign Language Study / Spanish    12. Reference | Bilingual Dictionaries | Spanish   

Reviews (6)

Better Than I Expected
When I bought this book, I wondered how a book could help you review for the AP Lit exam, since there are no facts to really cover like in other exams.However, this book is extremely useful for those seeking a high score.It brings you step by step through the process of writing prompts, pointing out important details and giving a plethora of examples.The tips on the multiple choice questions allow you to review all the major terms you need and offers many opportunities to test yourself, with the why behind the answer included.Plus, you will feel better about the test because it is written by a former test writer.This makes it feel like you can trust what he is saying about the test, and I do not remember him being wrong once when it came to the actual exam.In conclusion, buy this book or don't buy one at all.

Reasonable, though slightly outdated
PROS:
AP Cliff Notes
The Cliff Notes are an excellent way to review a book(s) you have read before taking a test or doing class work.Cudo's to these writers and publishers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Advanced Placement    2. Advanced placement programs (Education)    3. Cliff's/ Monarch / Barron's Book Notes    4. College Entrance    5. Composition and exercises    6. English language    7. English literature    8. Examinations    9. Language    10. Study guides    11. Education    12. English    13. Literary studies: general    14. Study Aids / Advanced Placement   

Subjects:  1. Directories    2. General    3. Reference    4. Yearbooks & Annuals    5. Performing Arts    6. Reference / General    7. Reference works   

Reviews (2)

Approach and Selections Make this a Winner
Using poetry, fiction, photos, and essays, the book offers a colorful tour of the subtle and not-so-subtle influences Americans deal with every day, and it guides the reader through the process of 'reading' these 'texts' that make up our world. The texts include not just the written variety but also television, movies, popular music, and public space. Excellent!!!
This is an excellent book!!! This book provides an intelligent, engaging and enjoyable perspective of reading, writing and understanding literature. What makes this book captivating is the personal tone of the book, it really has a unique approach to teaching literature and it's very lively copy. Captivating literature choices!!! I really enjoy this book, it not only teaches about literature, it also touches on the life around us and how we interact with that world. This book comes in handy for any stage of your writing and it is an enjoyable read. Intelligent writers, whose strongest asset is their own fresh thoughts they share with the reader!!! Highly recommend this book!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Books & Reading    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. Culture    4. English Composition    5. English language    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    9. Problems, exercises, etc    10. Readers    11. Rhetoric    12. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing    13. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (5)

Bloviated
Agonizing drawn out overview,with little depth.
An annoying verbiage
I was interesting in buying a professional publication relative to piping engineering and, by chance, I was able to borrow this book from a technical library before doing what can not be undone. poor book
I Buy this book because needed references, general conditions and good practice to solve practical problems of pipes. However I meet with a tangled book, of little clarity and that in general it doesn't embrace the practical topics well referring a lot to the existent norms. Anyway it serves like support to the different norms to go developing a project but alone as reference and in any case like a book of easy access to solve problems on site or the day to day problems. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Engineering - Hydraulic    2. Engineering - Mechanical    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Machinery    5. Pipe    6. Pipe-fitting    7. Pipeline Engineering    8. Reference    9. Technology    10. Technology & Industrial Arts    11. Mechanical engineering    12. Technology / Engineering / Mechanical   

Subjects:  1. Sociolinguistics    2. Political Ideologies - Conservatism & Liberalism    3. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    4. Semantics    5. Political Science (Specific Aspects)    6. Communication Studies    7. Conservatism & right-of-centre democratic ideologies    8. Political campaigning & advertising    9. Political parties    10. Language Arts & Disciplines    11. United States    12. English language    13. Political aspects    14. Linguistics (Specific Aspects)    15. Language    16. Social aspects   

Reviews (1)

Much ado about nothing
I have been required to use this text at one school where I teach, and it is a dismal experience.Most of the other instructors feel the same way, but we are overruled by a minority opinion.
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Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - General    2. English language    3. Grammar    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Report writing    9. Rhetoric    10. English    11. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing    12. Writing skills   

Reviews (7)

Very Helpful
I found this book to be very helpful in a number of areas. From developing a well written paper to using correct grammar, this book is it! It is easy to understand and uses a well thoughtout formula which is great for the novice. This book will be within easy reach for years to come.

merely adequate
every english major and writer should have a freshman comp handbook. this one is okay. it covers everything well enough.and if it weren't for the Little, Brown Handbook, i might suggest the Scott, Foresman Handbook. But the little brown handbook is by far superior, and i suggest that anyone interested in the scott foresman, or any other freshman comp handbook, check out the little brown before making a purchase.

Straightforward and Comprehensive
This book is aimed mostly at students and inexperienced writers.The subjects covered range from commonly-confused words to punctuation to creative inspiration to revision to research papers and business letters --basically, everything.For students, there are sections on how to writefor particular academic subjects.Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - General    2. Language    3. Language Arts & Disciplines    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Rhetoric    6. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing    7. Teaching of a specific subject   

Subjects:  1. English as a Second Language    2. English language    3. Foreign Language Study    4. Grammar    5. Language    6. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    7. Linguistics    8. Problems, exercises, etc    9. Textbooks for foreign speakers    10. ELT grammars & grammar practice    11. English    12. Foreign Language Study / English as a Second Language   

Reviews (1)

This Encylopedia is one for the angels
There is something almost comical about the thought of reviewing theMcGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. It is an amazing work,such a stunning compendium of erudition in such a wide array of difficultand rigorous subjects that the ordinary rules and reasons of writing areview don't really apply to it. Read more

Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Reference    3. Reference / Encyclopedias   

Reviews (25)

German Made Easier
Through lack of use, German verbage eludes me often.This manual is very accurate and easy to use.

Good stuff
This book is a must have if you are serious about devloping your German.

If only you spoke french!
This is a great book to keep near your desk to leaf through when that pesky verb comes up (preterit of "werden" - third person plural... can't remember??) pick up this book and leaf through it to find what you need. This being said, I still don't feel that it is a complete survey of the entire german verb system. While it does a good job picking many indicative and model verb forms, it still leaves something to be desired.
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Subjects:  1. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    2. Foreign Language Study    3. German    4. German Language    5. Grammar    6. Language    7. Tables    8. Tables, etc    9. Verb    10. Foreign Language Study / German    11. Grammar & vocabulary   

Editorial Review

Who would have thought that a book about English would be so entertaining? Certainly not this grammar-allergic reviewer, but Read more

Reviews (110)

Imperfect perhaps, but a great read.
I disagree with several of the reviews here which cite several specific points of contention as making the book entirely worthless. I think it easily earns 4.5 - 5 stars. It IS over a decade old now, and I don't think it is intended as a source for scholars of English. But, for the amateur linguist and even the wannabe linguist it is a great read. I can't compete with some of the above reviewer's scholarly points, but I don't think replacing some of Bryson's dogma with their own is worthwhile. Mother Tongue is a great starting point and very educational. "Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words" is also a great introduction and gets 5 stars from me.

Not as good as other Bryson
Like any Bill Bryson book, this is a fun read, but in some passages the author pretends to find some bit of usage more confusing than he really does, just to make a point. This happens often enough to become a little irritating, but it's still pretty enjoyable.

Brilliantly witty and utterly enjoyable.
This is a lighthearted look at the intricacies of the English language: its history and development as well as colloquialisms, modern slang, and general language-mangling by non-native speakers.
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Subjects:  1. English language    2. Form - Essays    3. History    4. Humor    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Linguistics    9. Language Arts & Disciplines / General   

Reviews (34)

Wish there was a six
Unlike most reviewers, I won't take time to tell you what this book is about. Read the book. It does a far better job than I can.
Bell is a great teacher!You will learn how to structure your novel
Plot and Structure is a Writers Digest Book by James Scott Bell.While he touches on many topics, the focus of the book is how to structure your novel to hook your readers and how you can create a riveting plot by giving it structure.Bell peppers this book with examples from literary greats Stephen King and Dean Koontz and many other popular authors.
JSB Dispels The Lie!
There are a lot of books out there whose author claims they'll teach you how to write a novel. It's been my experience that most of them are full of fluff.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Fiction    3. Composition & Creative Writing - General    4. Fiction    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Plots (Drama, novel, etc.)    9. Creative writing guides   

Reviews (13)

Many, very short (!) definitions
From the point of view of a learner of the English language (advanced level), as I am, I have to admit that this dictionary is not as good as I expected.
The Queen's English
You wouldn't know it from the misspellings in my reviews, but I'm never without the Concise Oxford, which I consider the best all-around dictionary. Why? It's sort of a "best-of" distilled from the twenty volume definitive Oxford Dictionary (and somewhat easier to carry). It's reasonably priced, at least compared to that mammoth set, and it does what you'd want a dictionary to do.
The World's Most Trusted Dictionary
Concise Oxford English Dictionary is a great dictionary for any type of person. It not only gives a definition of a word but also what language the word came from. With over 1,600 pages, it's worth much more then $18.00! This dictionary is truly the world's most trusted dictionary! ... Read more

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

Reviews (1)

Excellent resource
I have had many opportunities to learn from Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis over the years.Through books, workshops, videos and even her coming into my classroom for a model lesson she has inspired my students through my instruction.Of course, with all the background, using this toolkit was easy and useful.However, I have since moved to a new school district.This toolkit has offered me an opportunity to help with comprehension instruction here as well.I have found that even teachers who have never even heard of Stephanie Harney or Anne Goudvis are easily able to use these lessons to enhance their student's comprehension, epecially in the area of non-fiction.Each lesson offers an overview, narrative and teaching points.There are examples of the "teacher talk" language to use and what expect of the 'kid talk'. Included are assessment tools and graphic organizers. The source book of short texts, is an extraordinary resource and helps one to find other resources that match the curriculum and ability levels of the students.
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Subjects:  1. Education / Teaching    2. Grammar    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Language Experience Approach    6. Reading comprehension    7. Grammar & vocabulary    8. Language teaching & learning material & coursework   

Reviews (8)

THE BEST!!! This one is the best out there
you can skip to any chapter and read that topic without having to read the first chapters. Go to what you inquire and the author will present it as standalone material. THis is like the bible of Magazine How-to books...

A Tough Read
I found How to Start a Magazine by James Kobak difficult to read and somewhat depressing.The promises on the cover, in my humble opinion, we never fulfilled and the textbook-style format was flat.I felt as if, rather than a telling me "how to" he was telling me all the reasons "not to."He also came from only one perspective--that of a large scale, national publication.My goal is to build a local business-builder magazine.Therefore, much of the information was irrelevant for me.Based on the cover promises, I thought I'd found the ideal book for my needs.It didn't deliver.

A wealth of information
So you want to start a magazine? It won't be easy..it won't be fast--and it definitely won't be cheap! Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Entrepreneurship    3. Journalism    4. Language    5. Language Arts & Disciplines    6. Magazine Management    7. Media Studies - Print Media    8. Periodicals    9. Publishing    10. Publishing Guides    11. United States    12. Business & Management    13. Press & journalism    14. Publishing industry   

Reviews (19)

Sooner or later, Latin comes t' git ya'. 'Better be prepared.
Latin is everywhere.
good for latin lovers (i mean the language)
If you have just started studying latin and you want to increase your vocabulary a whole lot then go ahead and choose this wonderful dictionary that promises to be very useful for those purposes. Besides, it counts with expressions and idioms to help you translate more accurately whatever you are trying to decipher. I am a student and I can't leave without this wonderful device of learning.

Latin-English
The dictionary is quite complete. I am still searching for the best, however, this one comes pretty close! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. Dictionaries - General    3. English    4. English language    5. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    6. Language    7. Latin    8. Latin language    9. Bilingual dictionaries    10. Foreign Language Study / Polyglot Dictionaries   

Reviews (78)

A Lifesaver
This book really saved my but when it came to spanish. I was a senior and going into spanish 4 and I was very behind on EVERYTHING. I had just moved to a new school and met a real spanish teacher who could teach and I learned that my old teachers where stupid in comparison. I was about to drop the class when my mom got this for me. I learned so much. Not just the regular stuff like present, future, and past but all kinds of tenses that you use in spanish. It also doesn't just show you it, it gives lots of details on when and how you use those tenses and also practice problems with answers in the back. AND on top of all that it teaches you HUNDREDS of useful verbs and vocabulary that are used every day in spanish and things like how to say "I am hungry" Now to most english people that seems simple. You use the "to be" verb and add on hungry but that isn't how you use it. FIrst off in spanish there are 2 verbs for to be and you know what? Neither is used for that. You say "I have hunger." Many people mess this up including me but I known Know the right way and havent messed up yet. Trust me it teaches you hundreds andhundreds of stuff and I PROMISE YOU you will not regret this book.

An early essential
An excellent book.Any serious attempt to learn Spanish should include it at an early stage. Also useful for annual revision of this important part of sppech.

How I Effectively Use Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Verb Tenses?
As the owner of Toni Roman's LearningSpanishVideoReviews web site, I am more than happy to have this opportunity to post my reivew of this wonderful resource for learning Spanish.
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Subjects:  1. English    2. Foreign Language Study    3. General    4. Grammar    5. Language    6. Linguistics    7. Spanish    8. Spanish language    9. Study Guides    10. Tables    11. Textbooks for foreign speakers    12. Verb    13. Foreign Language Study / Spanish    14. Grammar, syntax, linguistic structure    15. Language teaching & learning material & coursework   

Subjects:  1. Environmental Science    2. Environmental Studies    3. Reference    4. Research