As a student of Joan Boytim's for almost 4 years now, she has imparted to me an almost unabsorbable amount of practical insight in to singing well. This book--and her others for the other vocal ranges--are mere extensions of her teaching expertise. For the serious vocal student as much as for the amateur, or just the person interested in classical literature, these books are wonderful. And cheap--compared to the price of sheet music.
Used all over the world, these books have sold thousands of copies...and for a very good reason. They are the best compilations for the best price. Practical, challenging to the beginner, enlightening, and just great.

It's Haybillybun's very first day at Yappy Puppy Play School, and this fluffy little canine isn't so sure he wants to go. He's afraid that his "slip-slidey-fluffy feet" will keep him from running fast or make him fall off the jungle gym, or that he won't be able to hear the teacher with his "horrible fuzzy ears." He worries that no one will want to play with him, and that his eyes are scary, and his name's too long. But Mom and Dad have a common-sense, comforting answer to all his concerns, and so off to school he goes. "Haybillybun stayed at school, and his mother went home..." But after a couple of hours of household chores, Haybillybun's mother begins to become anxious, puts on her hat and rushes back to school to "rescue her darling boy." As she peeks over the fence and into the classroom, she finds that Haybillybun is having the time of his life, playing and painting and making new friends..... Joan Rankin really captures the first day jitters of both parents and kids, in this gentle and reassuring picture book. Her cheerful and energetic text begs to be read aloud, and is filled with silly names and humorous dialogue. Bold, bright, and busy illustrations enhance the story with engaging details, and little ones will enjoy lingering over each picture before turning the page. Perfect for preschoolers getting ready for their own big, first day of school, First Day is a fun and heartwarming story that shouldn't be missed.

It's always scary changing jobs or careers. I'm a Naval Officer with some very solid management experience. I'm leaving military service for a private sector job and I was extremely impressed with the systematic and thourough preparation this book gives you. It was definitely a "glad I read" it book!

Wonder what Canadians do during long, dark winter nights? Plot murders, of course. In yet another entertaining anthology, the Ladies' Killing Circle links rage and revenge with recreation and games. FIT TO DIE features twenty-five selections of fiction spiced with a few tasty poems from a stellar writing stable. Every story engages from paragraph one, Spandexed teens, middle-aged-spread battlers, and galloping grannies at the bridge table, in the exercise room, on the tai chi field or golf course. Try not to read on after these openings: "All the time I was washing pots in the kitchen at Kingston Pen, I was playing golf in my head" or "On our last Tuesday Scrabble night, Mrs. D handed me a sealed lavender envelope and asked me to keep it, 'in case.' Two days later she was dead."
Crime doyenne Mary Jane Maffini weighs in with "Sign of the Times," a gentrification tale which pits neighbour against neighbour, with graffiti artists lurking in the bushes and an ancient dog named Silent Sam. Her consummate talent for the right voice tucks the reader inside the head of a retired art teacher who finds a deadly canvas. Barbara Fradkin, child psychologist, in "Double Trouble" creates a young male persona with aplomb and travels to the hiking hills of Wales, using a darkly-adapted eye reminiscent of Patricia Highsmith's. A coincidence that both leads are named Patrick? H. Mel Malton plants tongue in cheek in a laugh-out-loud romp called "Love Handles." Her likable chubby heroine digs in her heels and her spoon as her obnoxious boyfriend drags her into his fitness craze, choosing "grey hued bean soups and drab green salads like mouldy lace, no dressing" over her "Dijon Chicken with Apricot-Basil Sauce." It's hard not to flag every entry in this collection, but if any story chills to the bone and back, it is R.J. Harlick's "Seigneur Poisson," set in the Quebec wilderness in the middle of a blizzard. Leaving the cozy farmhouse, the "red blur of the barn" behind, stung by driving snow, icy mitts covering his nose, Jacques marches stiffened boots toward a frozen lake in search of his grandfather, ice fishing with the family skeleton, the sinister Hippolyte. The pulse rises with each step as a foregone conclusion bites the heart. The best part of FIT TO DIE is the three other criminous anthologies which precede it.

this is a perfect book for a rainy afternoon; joan aiken's stylishly written tale of murder, villains, heroes and misunderstandings is just a laugh and really entertaining. Escapism for sure, but delightfully witty and never insulting the intelligence of the reader. definitely recomended!

What has happened to freedom of speech in America? Why are we not publicly and openly debating the self-serving and undeomocratic policies of the Bush administration? Didion, in another fine essay on American life, asks these questions and tries to answer them. This is a fine book for anyone who worries about our nation proceeding out of control in its war for oil and corporate interests. Didion is clear in her concerns about why we have lost our powers of free speech and citizenship. A must read for anyone who cares about this nation.

For the beginning watercolor floral painter there is no better guide than Joan Hansen's FLORAL SCENES IN WATERCOLOR. This inexpensive, beautifully illustrated, large format book takes you through all of the steps from basic composition to the many watercolor techniques used for creating texture and color balance. The book is well written, concise and easy to follow. As a watercolor instructor it is the first floral painting book I recommend. Interested artists will find no better guide.

Wow! This was a really good book. It listed the major springs in florida and gave detailed discriptions and facts about them. Half of the discriptions also had pictures of the springs. It was extreamly nice to see what they looked like before you went. also, the book lists the top places for tubing,and scuba diving, along with directions on how to get to the springs. This book definitely desevers 5 stars!

This book features some of the most prominent authors born and bred in NorthWestern Ontario. I myself found the book intriguing, being from NW Ontario myself, because it references landmarks, sights, and sounds, common in Thunder Bay and surrounding areas. Nancy Bjorgo's story is without a doubt the one that stands out most in my mind in this incredible collection. I had no idea such talent resided in NorthWestern Ontario, the stories are powerful! If short fiction is your passion, pick this book up!

This is a small powerhouse of excellent information not only about different ailments, but also some remedies to help get you back to feeling yourself again. The book contains over 70 different chapters that range from alcoholism to weight loss. Each chapter begins with a short discussion about the problem itself, often citing other resources for more information, prevention of the problem, then discusses all the different steps you can take to feel better -- ranging from body positioning and application of heat or cold, right through foods and herbs you can use to help alleviate symptoms. The foods and herbs are all readily available, easy to find, real world items. No weird stuff here. This book even has a chapter titled: Household Problems which covers natural air pollution fighters (specific plants), dusting tips, fireplace alerts, oven cleaning tips, and finally decorating with color for a more soothing feel for your home. This is a great book to refer to time and time again -- when a problem strikes you can find the home remedy for it at the flick of just a few pages. It's an excellent little resource for what ails you!