This is true!!! I read this book when I was pregnant with my first child in 1991, and it changed my life. I am now a doula with an BS in nursing on track to be a midwife by 2001. The 3 people, 3 fellow nursing students, who I have given copies of this book to, to help them with their birth experiences, are also persuing careers in the OB-GYN 'field'. The 10 women that I have loaned this book to have all come back to me to confide that they too believe that there are purely physical totally sacred things that we humans must acknowledge. During their birth experience they trusted them selves because they 'just knew, the same as the women at the farm just knew'. Every woman I have ever spoken to who had a powerful, positive birthing experience admits that they read this book before the birth and now have this book in their permanent library. Please understand that there are many people who have never read, seen or heard of 'Spritual Midwifery'. The majority of mothers that I know have not read this book,BUT the ones who have are deeply empowered and committed to empowering more birthing mothers. OH, and get used to over coming the language-generation-gap while reading this book, it will be good practice for when you have teenagers!

When I first read this book, I must admit I was put off by the hippie language, and the way they referred to contractions as "rushes", which are an interesting sensation that requires all of your attention. I thought, who are they trying to kid? Despite my initial reaction, I have grown to love this book. If you can ignore the groovy hippie language (if it bothers you), this is a super book, chock full of consise information for both pregnant families and midwives. The language is plain, no "medicalese", and the information is sound. The book was written about The Farm, an intentional community started in Tennessee in the 1970's. When the women of the Farm started having babies, some women became midwives to serve them. Learning from experience and some helpful doctors and texts, they have had excellent results with maternal and infant health. Their statistics are better than any hospital I know of, as far as maternal and perinatal mortality. The book is half birth stories, and half information for parents and midwives. I recommend it for both consumers and midwives.

About a decade ago, I found an original copy of Spiritual Midwifery on the display table of a bookstore in Montreal. Little did I know when I bought that book for it's funky cover that it would change my entire life and career! This book is the book for anyone aspiring to become a midwife, or is simply interested in midwifery. Written by a self-taught midwife (who learned her skills out of need), Ina May Gaskin brings together both the beauty of childbirth with the basic skills a midwife needs. While the pictures and writing style transport the readrer back a few decades, the actual content of the book remains pretty modern... after all, babies still get born the same way. As a starting block for anyone interested in midwifery, this book is fantastic. This is the book that will open your eyes to a whole new way of giving birth.

What a clever and unique book this was! It was a fable, a parable, a lovely story of what language means to us and what happens when it gradually disappears.

Written entirely in the form of letters, this book became more complex as letters disappeared from the Nollopians' vocabulary.
After the letters begin to fall off the statue dedicated to Nevin Nollop, who thought up the pangram "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog", the island of Nollop, located off the coast of South Carolina, is never to be the same. As each letter falls, the Council, sure that it is a sign from the beyond, decrees that that letter may no longer be used in speech or writing. The first major catastrophe as a result of this ruling is that the libraries must close since all books contain all 26 letters, including the forbidden one.

Initially, the inhabitants are not unduly alarmed, even though they pride themselves on their love and use of language. Indeed, the high-level vocabulary in this book sent me to the dictionary many times. However, the citizens soon become suspicious of each other and begin turning each other in to be punished for using a banned letter.

The cleverness of this author is most apparent when he improvises words for those that contain a forbidden letter..... as when he re-names the days of the week when the letter D falls. The word God can no longer be used so instead, God becomes "our omnipresence". Yesterday becomes "yesters". Later, the man behind the fish counter is referred to as a "piscimonger", a knight is a "horseman-gallant", and a university is a "university".

Here is an incredibly clever paragraph, written after many letters have fallen and thus been forbidden for use: "This is to inphorm ewe opf statoot 28-63 past this mornig with implormet phrom high elter R.Lyttle. Hensephorth, sitisens may, in graphy only, espress themselphs threw yoose oph proxy letters, yet only as hear-twins."

This was an amusing and appealing book, fun to read and to think about afterward.

By the way, Ella Minnow Pea (LMNOP) is the name of one of the main characters....and LMNOP are also the last five letters left when Ella saves the day!

How about something refreshingly original, amazingly creative, wholeheartedly unique? Or maybe something containing whimsically plausible characters encasing hearty penchants for the written word and appetites for poetically stimulating language usage? Look no further! Read Ella Minnow Pea for a divine, utterly addictive, and monumentally appealing perusing experience.

In the fictional island of Nollop, home to the late, great Nevin Nollop, inventor of the sentence, "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog," a pangram that contains all 26 letters of the alphabet, there's an uprising going on! Seems the monument depicting said sentence (in an effort to memorialize the citizens' esteemed island founder) is falling apart, letter by letter. High Council members determine this as a word from the great beyond, a way of communicating to us Nollop's wishes to eradicate that certain letter from use -- verbally or written. As an island full of people who use letter-writing and communication as an art form, these wishes could only spell 'demise.' If only there was a way to prove the tiles' falling as an act of faulty cement glue....

Ella Minnow Pea is an extraordinary book of letters from one citizen to the next that increase in hilarity and difficulty as each letter of the alphabet is increasingly banned from use. Mark Dunn is an extremely talented writer in my eyes, especially given this amazing task to expand his vocabulary beyond normal conversation. Have your Thesauruses handy -- Ella Minnow Pea will take you on quite an intellectual journey.

This creative, intriguing novel follows the swift disintegration of an imaginary civilization when the letters on a statue they revere begin to fall, and their island government deems this a sign that they are to no longer use these letters in speech or writing.
The novel is written in the form of epistles, and as the story progresses we see the struggles of the correspondents to communicate without using the forbidden letters.
The book can be read as a cautionary tale, a political and/or religious allegory about censorship, idolatry, and the ease with which unwise laws can be passed, often unwittingly. The result of forbidding people to use certain letters of the alphabet is catastrophic; it results in physical punishment, exile, the breakup of families and loss of property -- even death.
Yet this novel is also a creative and entertaining read, uplifting and, in places, humorous. I highly recommend it to anyone who is fascinated with language.

This is one story that everyone should read. Beautifully and sensitively told, it is the story of a young girl named Heidi who is taken away from her grandfather on the alm and sent to be a companion to a young invalid girl. It teaches lessons about faith and patience in a manner that many Christian writers should take note of. It is not just simply a children's book, it is a book for grown-ups as well. A delight to read.

I have not finish the book yet, but it is a good book so far. The book is about a young girl named Heidi who was batized when she was very young, and her mother's sister, Dete took her to the swiss alpes were Heidi's grandfather lives. Her grandfather doesn't like to go down the mountain were he lives to vist people nor he likes to talk to anyone. When Heidi comes she meets a boy named Peter, who take care of all the goats inculeding the grandfather's two goats. Then after awalie her aunt Dete comes to talk her to Frankfurt were Dete lives and one of her workers family member a tweleve year old girl is in a weelchair and wants someone about her age to be her friend and playmate.

A while back when I was in my 30's (never mind how long ago that was!) I was sick with the flu, and I found a copy of HEIDI, so I crawled into a nice warm bed and re-read the book -- as an adult.

What insight into human nature! And as an adult I appreciated the dry, understated humor. I also appreciated the spiritual insights -- that God will give us what we desire, but sometims uses circumstances we don't like to teach us truths that we couldn't learn otherwise.

When I was a girl I was often turned off by what was called "good reading," but for some reason, I enjoyed Heidi and it never seemed sappy or corny.

Very much worth reading!

Charlotte Bronte writes with a depth of voice rarely known in English - nay, even World literature. Her earlier novel, JANE EYRE, is in fact one of my most beloved novels of all time.

Her novel VILLETTE is almost wholly the story of an evolution - a remarkable enlightening, filled with the inner vivid color of one individual human soul. The reader follows that soul past loss of family and fortune during childhood, afterwards making its way over the English Channel to a position earning bread in a school for girls. While in this position, said soul must confront invasive jealousy, intense debilitating loneliness, self-absorbed and egotistic friendship, passion for a suitor out of reach, the alarm of ghostly spectres, and the pristine touch of unconditional love.

Initially I must say that Lucy Snow, confoundedly endearing heroine of VILLETTE, is no Jane Eyre: No. Not by any stretch of the imagination. She is, in many ways, quite the opposite. Lucy radically refrains wherein Jane restlessly yearns; Lucy's narration is demure and reticent, while Jane's is warm and open; in turn, the mettle of their respective heroes reflects sharp contrast as well: underneath surface fallibilities, Lucy's is painstakingly unveiled as a most pure moralistic ideal, whereas Jane's is possessed of ominous, deep-seated flaws despite a desperate heart of gold. Fate and providence, too, share sharply divergent roles in these two stories. Hence it must without further ado be disclosed that Charlotte Bronte's final novel was, overall, for me an arduous task to read. Indeed it was! - But I do say this in the very best sense of that word.

Critically, I must say it was a challenge because of the overwhelming amount of French dialogue. I realize that French was to some degree a universal language in Victorian England -quite fluently deciphered, read and spoken amongst the educated population...so I cannot on that note accuse the author of prosaic snobbery. However, as an American in the 21st century, I cannot deny that my tentative knowledge of the French language to some extent limited my absorption of the dialogue. However, this was only a small disadvantage - as I believe the gist is still there despite all.

Moreover, Lucy has an alluring, yet baffling personality- I love her, but cannot for the life of me understand her. This tale is more of an inwardly emotional journey than anything eventfully climaxing or epically engaging. Plot-wise, this merely treks the path of a young English woman completely alone in the world gaining her livelihood in a girls' school on the European continent. Affecting the treads of that path are those, come by choice or obligation, closest to her: her voyeuristic employer Madame Beck, friends - privileged & affectionate childhood companion Polly and vain & frivolous fellow student Ginerva - the handsome & winsome Dr. John, and temperamental & eccentric professor M. Paul. It's truly an inward journey- a seeking and finding of one's own identity: the heroine - enthralled in a life as outwardly oppressive as it is inwardly rich - is undeniably endearing, her story wrought with so many sparkles of pain, so few of bliss.

Without doubt, the hand of providence - of God - is omnipresent in JANE EYRE. In VILLETTE, it is conspicuously absent. For me, to elaborate on this point would take thousands of more words - words which I am, fortunately, too lazy to write right now. I can only say that, after reading both novels, one may be able to see this point as glaringly apparent.

Though my love for VILLETTE is nowhere near so great as my love for JANE EYRE, I must allow that it is in certain respects a greater literary achievement for Charlotte Bronte. The writing herein persistently touches genius, and the characters are meticulously drawn and unforsakenly human.

More endearing than Jane Eyre, and a darker study, Lucy Snowe embodies all the despair, depression, and heart-turnings of the plain woman. Compare her to Ginerva and she is unbeautiful, to Paulina and she is unaccomplished. But still she dares to hope in Dr. John's affections, and is deeply touched by M. Paul's friendship, the first real friendship which can sustain her troubled soul. Charlotte Bronte's last character deals with the lost-and-found families, the other-worldly interruptions, the choices of acting on her own or doing as bid, and repressed passion in the true Bronte heroine style. There is a connection here for each reader, a chance to feel as Lucy does, to hope and to anticipate, to let go and despair. For me, the novel ends differently with each reading, depending on my own life at the time (now you must read it, just to find out what I mean). I would highly recommend this novel for any serious literature student or any lover of the Brontes.

Everybody knows and loves Jane Eyre, but hardly anybody has ever heard of Charlotte Brontë's later novel Villette. Is this because Villette simply does not have the literary quality of Jane Eyre? Most certainly not. Could it be because Villette is not as romantic? Now there you have a point. Villette is darker, more realistic. It is also much more personal and autobiographic than Jane Eyre and ultimately a more powerful novel. Charlotte Brontë drew on her own experiences as a teacher at a private boarding school for girls in Brussels. There she fell passionately in love with one of her fellow teachers - a married man, so the whole affair was doomed from the beginning.

In Villette Charlotte Brontë created an alter ego, Lucy Snowe, who teaches at a similar school. She looks mousy (always wears grey for instance) but hides an inner life of violent emotions and passions, for which the very restricted school environment offers no proper outlet. There is one person, however - a male fellow teacher - who seems to recognize Lucy for what she really is. Now, will this be the beginning finally of happiness or of something else?

Villette is a very convincing and moving novel about the inner landscape of a Victorian woman whose life it seems was destined to be spent in constantly repressing her feelings and struggling against isolation. Deserves a wide audience.

This book was required reading for my Public Relations seminar class. As a p.r. major, I wondered why this was assigned, since it seems to do nothing but malign the whole industry. As I continued to read, however, I began to see why it was assigned: We as public relations professionals need to know what the opposition is saying about us.

This book is great because it shows p.r. people what NOT to do when practicing the trade. As stated before in the previous reviews, this book is one-sided, but, as you can tell by the title, that's what it sought to be. However, it's unfortunate that the author's didn't explore all the positive aspects of public relations, since many p.r. campaigns help keep the U.S. economy healthy.

So, as I said before, every p.r. professional should read this book to get a feel for the history of public relations, but they should also take into consideration that this doesn't cover the good aspects. Just as the book said public relations people only show the positive attributes of their clients, this book only shows the negatives of the industry.

Toxic Sludge is very well-written and informative, and I commend the authors for a book that makes the required reading list.

This is a great introduction to the tactics and influence of the PR industry. It could have gone in to more depth, offered more analysis, and been more 'objective' whatever that is, but that wasn't the point. Toxic Sludge brings attention to an industry that has been manufacturing the consent of the public for corporate america and other monied interests. I think it was weakest in it's suggestions about what to do to combat the PR Industry. Their assertion that the only successful activism is NIMBYism is not only wrong but dangerous in that it doesn't lead to a larger movement to reign in corporate power. This book is a must read for anybody who wants to understand where the media is coming from and what corporations are doing to manage their image.

Taken from PROPAGANDA by Edward Bernay, the father of modern public relations:

"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country...We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of."

As the now-famous organization, Disinformation, has asked: "Do you ever get the feeling you are being lied to?" Perhaps better than any other book I have read on the subject - including Noam Chomsky and Ed Herman's "Manufacturing Consent" - this books explains the lies we are fed by PR industry, how they are perpetuated, what it is costing the public, and how we might avoid being being duped by "the science of balyhoo" in the future.

Most of us don't realize the extent to which PR influences our daily lives. In the United States, PR practicioners outnumber reporter by a ratio of 15:13, and about 40% of all "news" flows virtually unedited from public relations offices. In other words, much of what you read as "news" is in fact a paid advertisment with no committment to objectivity. The next time you read an op-ed piece in your local newspaper, a little healthy skepticism is definately in order. The chances of it being a Madison Avenue publication are quite high.

Although profoundly insightful, the beauty of this book does not lay in its statistical prowess or its understanding of PR philosophy. The beauty of this book is in the actual stories of how the multi-billion dollar PR industry has helped corporations escape the threat of an informed public. Among other great stories, you will read about specific books that were "burned" before they were even written, the defense of the cigarette industry, and about how the facts of toxic waste and other health hazards were obscured, covered-up, distorted, or completely misrepresented. Read this book, and get past the rhetoric.

...this is a great start/introduction. The "Dummies" and "Visually" books were too simple for my needs but this one explained everything from an NT standpoint.

I am so happy when someone wrote a book about Linux for NT/2000 Administrator, and couldn't be more happier when this person is Mark Minasi-- DA MAN. I have been waiting this book to be out since July.. I got it on Oct 9 and I being reading since then. I read every words, front cover, back cover, Intro.. (I work 10 hrs+ everyday and in 3 days I already on page 87) I'd try to learn linux since beginning of this year, but all the books that I buy about Linux is too hard to understand, It doesn't explain in a NT/2000 term that I understand, so, I finally gave up the ghost, gave up Linux... This book is so easy to understand... It explain everything in NT terms... The book come with a Linux Mandrake CD, and the book does not base on Mandrake, It also talk about other distributions... I know NT/2000 pretty darn well, but I am a newbie on Linux... With this book, I know it can get me up to speed with Linux... THIS is DA BOOK, if you know NT/2000 and TCP/IP and want to learn Linux FAST.

This was one of the first books I picked up when I decided to take the plunge into Linux. Being an MCSE and Windows administrator, I drastically improved my understanding of how Linux is similar, and differs from Windows. If you're a Windows guy or gal who wants to make sense of Linux, I highly recommend you pick up this book!

I remember reading this book many years ago when it originally came out along with many of Perry's other "Aliens" based novels. From what I recall this was definitely one of the better ones. Pick it up if you were a big fan of Aliens and not Alien 3.

Ok, just to clear up a little confusion. The reason the characters Billie and Wilks seem so similiar to Newt and Hicks is because they are the same characters. This novel was adapted from a series of Dark Horse comics that came out before Newt and Hicks were killed off in Alien 3. Obviously this posed a problem when they decided to release this novel in '92. So basically they just changed the names and left the story alone. So to all the people who think the characthers in this book are unoriginal, think again. This was originally a continuation of Newt and Hicks from Aliens.

This book is fantastic. The story is basically set in the furture after at least the first two of the movies. It portrays human civilisation of the future with fanatical elements, greedy corporations and expansion into the grittiness of space. Space is by no means a pretty place be it on a nice safe space cruiser or a dangerous alien world. The story is full of gore and a few clever twists. The characters are the standard affair and character comparisons to "Alien Ressurection" are at times relevant. Alien fans will love this book which leads also onto a series. Enjoy and watch out for those tell tale chest pains!

This was a great book, too bad they made Alien: Resurrection into a movie instead of this book and the ones that follow. The book did however embelish on the idea of the movies that the future is all crappy still just with certain better means of space travel, this book made the future out to be something more along the lines of Star Trek, but that all changes when Wilks is reinstated to lead a team to the Alien hive world to capture samples and bring them back to earth. The film features several interesting sub plots that include, corprate espionage, love and tragedy, and yes, the alien conquest of Earth.

If you don't know already this book was written around the time that Alien 3 was in production, so certain characters in the book had to be changed and re-written, namely Wilks and Billie who were actually Hicks and Newt from the Aliens film, It's sad that this book was changed to accomodate the film, since Alien: Resurrection makes no mention of the events that occoured in the books, so this negates this series as canonical.

If your a fan of the Alien film series you should definetly grab this book.

If you enjoyed books like The Power of Positive Thinking, The Millionaire Next Door, or The Four Agreements you are almost certain to like this book by the creators of Chicken Soup for the Soul. The authors use real-life examples, motivational tools, and tried-and-true business principles to make their points. I particularly liked the "flow charts" at the end of each chapter that helped to capture the overall message and encourage the reader's progress. Not having read any of the Chicken Soup books may have been to my advantage as I did not tire of the writers' style or lessons. An easy read full of good practical and business advice.

I am a busy full time worker and full time college student who can never seem to get anything done. I received this book as an 'out of the blue, for no reason, "this book made me think of you"'gift from my father and I couldn't have asked for anything better. My life is now fulfilling and I am really changing the value of my life from the advice given by this book. Although it is written from a business aspect, everything can be related to one's personal life as well. I will warn readers that it will require more than one reading to get all from the book, not because it is hard to read (it is actually very easy and compelling to read), but because there is so much useful information that it requires constant rereading and review to absorb it all. Also, make sure you pay attention when you are reading, don't just skim over the words with your eyes. Take notes and highlight. The Power of Focus also recommends other great 'must read' books. But this book really breaks down and organizes all the details and steps to building good habits that lead to success. I recommend this book to people of all ages, especially to teenagers, young adults, and college students. It's better to learn this stuff early.

I found this book to be the most powerful book I have read this year!

I just finished reading this book for the third time! I found this book to contain the real-world, practical steps I needed to bring my life into balance. By reading each chapter and doing the action steps at the end I now have a solid, detailed and achievable plan for the three key areas of my life, work, financial and relationships.

I recommend it to anyone who has tried the one-day seminars and have been unable to make the dramatic improvements you desire.

Released by Soft Skull Press in 1999 before the 2000 presidential elections, J.H. Hatfield's "Fortunate Son: George W. Bush and the Making of an America President," presents a comprehensive piece on three generations of Bush family interaction with America and the surrounding environment.

Hatfield asked George W. repeatedly for an interview before he released this book, but was turned down time and time again by the 43rd president of the United States. During Hatfield's years of investigation for this book, he interviewed many close friends and relatives of George W. Bush who revealed many deep and hidden secrets not revealed through the mainstream media; also, Hatfield used an unnamed source to provide information presented in the piece.

Hatfield, who is now dead by means of suicide, brought a lot of heat on George W. Bush during his 2000 presidential campaign with the release of this book; and thus, released a storm of criticism upon himself. By bringing to light the fact of George W. Bush's problems with alcohol and his disputed use of cocaine, the author Hatfield wrote about the best and worst sides of three generations of Bush family.

Beginning with the history of grandfather Prescott Bush, the writer lays out a historical perspective that could of easily caused an insidious demise to the family's reputation. The war veteran and 41st president George H. W. Bush, who left his mark on the oil rush, and son George Bush's controversial past and new found reform.

The piece is a hard and sometimes slow read and there are numerous facts and figures brought up in the piece which gives the reader a whole view of how the family worked through it's rough spots, and triumphed in successes. The book is easily defined as a political history of a family with massive influence on the United States of America, and their actions and reactions to the surrounding environment.

Although the read has it's slow spots and down points, Hatfield's piece is one of the few biographies burned at publishing, and for this, the book is necessary for future generations.

I read this book some months ago and thought it was an honest portrayal of how George W Bush has floated through his life. Clearly he would not be where he is without the enormous power and influence of his family. When I first heard about the book I thought it was going to be some demented hatchett job by an extreme Partisan, so completely had the Bush machine discredited the author. Now it seems clear that James Hatfield was a troubled but talented man who was not particularly liberal. He was also a good investigative journalist dispite his checkered past. I would recommend this to anyone that wants to have their eyes open about exactly what kind of man is ocupying the White House.

How could I resist buying this book when I heard it had been ordered all but burned when the first edition came out on the eve of Bush's 2000 campaign. That alone would be reason enough for reading FORTUNATE SON (and keeping America safe for democracy) but in addition, it is a good read. I discovered that my biggest mistake as a proud liberal is underestimating Bush. Even if I cringe when I hear his rhetoric, he is a savvy politician with shrewd instincts. Now I understand a recent news magazine story which explains how Ms. Rice translates these instincts into articulate policy. Unlike his lucky dad who struck it rich with Texas gold, Duwya had the ability to keep oil companies (temporarily) afloat when the wells were dry. One wonders if that is what he is doing now--Convincing Americians to buy an empty foreign policy. I Hope anyone who runs agains Bush reads this book and I thank Amazon.com and Soft Skull Press for making it available to the public against surprising odds.

Guitar for Dummies is the epitome of learning tools for the guitar. This is the undisputed king of all guitar books.

If you're anything like me, you've given up the guitar multiple times because learning it has always been so boring. Most lame books always start you off with notation reading. Those books teach to read music. Not PLAY music. That's what makes this book so great. You'll be playing Kumbaya within minutes. Not Mary Had a Little Lamb after 4 hours.

The CD that accompanies the book is invaluable. It gives you the ability to track your progress against a recorded version of the song. It's simple and easy to use.

The best part of the book to me is the section on barre chords and power chords. If you have the patience to make it to this section, you will never put the guitar down again. That's because all of a sudden you can play nearly every song you've ever heard.

I highly recommend this book to anybody who wants to learn how to play guitar. Once you've studied the book for awhile, the rest gets easier and easier.

Guitar for Dummies definitely was made for dummies. This book was made for people with little to no knowledge of the guitar. Even though it is made for beginners this book has many sections that even a experienced guitar player can learn from. With this book you can learn to buy a guitar, take care of one, learn about famous guitarists, and of course, play one. When I bought this book there was no need to buy any other guitar books. This is simply the best and is really 'The Ultimate Guide to Playing the Guitar.' What the book advertises to teach you, it does. You can learn chords, improvising solos, styles (rock, blues, jazz...), you even have a buyers guide to accessories! The CD that comes along with this is a tremendous bonus. With it you can actually hear what the songs are supposed to sound like. Also with the CD you can train your ear and then learn songs off your own personal CDs! There are some great songs included in this book that it teaches you how to play. You can learn how a guitar is made and how to discern a great guitar from a mediocre guitar. This book can start out kind of cheesy with all the basics but once you learn them you can rock out with all the advanced techniques it teaches you. Excellent book, a must have for beginners and certainly a good read for veterans guitarists.

This is a great guitar overview but I'm puzzled that so many beginners rate this so highly. I started with Ernie Ball method books and can't imagine using this particular book as a single substitute. For example, unless you're a natural, you're not going to go from playing in open position to playing in other positions in one paragraph. I think the best package for beginners would be this book AND a progressive method AND some lessons.

If you are an intermediate player, you can enjoy reviewing things in this text that you've already learned as well as getting quick concise information about particulars, be it string bends, double double stops, power chords, or whatever.

This book is a great buy as it saves you from acquiring a whole shelf of guitar books to find out all there is to explore. Once you find a particular topic of interest, seek out a more specialized book.

The CD is unbeatable as you can immediately associate what you hear in different types of music with the musical notation.

If you're a Rock bigot, note that there is a Rock Guitar version. However, this one is my favorite. If you're going to be a rolling stone, you gotta be well rounded, right?