This book does an overall good job of demonstrating ASL grammar and vocabulary. Sometimes the vocabulary words include English usage without specifying that the particular sign is not used in that manner in ASL. Other than that, it is a very good course, and provides a good understanding of the interaction of facial and body language with the manual signs for complete communication with the Deaf.

I HAVE JUST FINISHED TAKING THE FIRST LEVEL OF ASL CLASSES AT THE COLLEGE I AM ATTENDING AND I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS BOOK CAN BE VERY HELPFUL IN LEARNING ASL, BUT IT DOES HAVE IT'S DRAWBACKS. SOME OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS WERE A LITTLE HARD TO SEE SO I FOUND MYSELF MAKING THE WRONG HAND SHAPES AT TIMES. ALSO THE BOOK ONLY HAD ONE SIGN FOR EACH WORD. FOR EXAMPLE THE ENGLISH WORD "RUN". THERE IS A SIGN FOR RUNNING WATER, RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, RUNNING AWAY, ETC. THE BOOK ONLY HAD THE SIGN FOR RUNNING AWAY. THE BOOK DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH SIGNS TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT MEANINGS OF THE WORDS. IF YOU ARE TO BUY THIS BOOK ONLY USE IT TO ACCOMPANY A CLASS OR A LESSON FROM A PERSON WHO IS EDUCATED IN ASL. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO LEARN ASL WITH ONLY THE USE OF THIS BOOK. WITH ANY LANGUAGE YOU HAVE TO NOT ONLY READ WHAT YOU ARE LEARNING, BUT ALSO SEE IT IN ACTION. I RECOMMEND THE RANDOM HOUSE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE DICTIONARY IF YOU WANT TO SEE MULTIPLE SIGNS FOR SINGLE WORDS.

After a semester of Siglish, I took 4 semesters of American Sign Language (ASL) in college as my foreign language requirement. The course was superby taught by a husband and wife team, both who worked at residential schools for the deaf for over 25 years. This book was the text for the first 2 semesters and I still have it on my shelf.

Extremely detailed, lots of exlplainations and superb drawings. The text is spiral bound, which is awesome for laying a book flat while practicing signs. If you carry this book with you in a backpack, however, you should keep the book in a protective bag... the spiral binding makes the book very vulnerable to pages ripping away while being jostled in a backpack.

This text should not replace classroom instruction. There is no text that can replace a real human being explaining how one sign looks exactly like another depending on context, facial expressions and body language. You can easily embarrass yourself by assuming you can figure out the drawings and go about conversing in ASL with someone w/o the benefit of real one-on-one practice with another human being. Signs like "prostitute" and "shy" are almost identical to the learner and if you're talking to someone and you say "I'm shy," you might end up getting a bunch of raised eyebrows if you don't do it just right. Signs for "lemon" and "lesbian" are also very closely similar... you can imagine the types of mis-understandings that can occur if you don't learn these signs properly.

This warning is not meant as discouragement. If you have already learned the manual alphabet and find yourself to be quite adept, ASL will probably be a breeze to you... at least it was to me. Some people really take to it and others don't. Spoken language is not my strong suit and I was a late talker to begin with. If my college didn't offer ASL as a foreign language requirement, I would have never graduated. Regardless of your aptitude, study and practice is essential for good, rapid signing... and more importantly, signing that can be understood. Even if you become a wiz at signing, you must have practice at reading other people's signs or you won't be able to have a conversation. It's been 8 years since my last ASL class and wlithout anyone to practice with, I've forgotten a lot of signs, so I constantly refer to this book... it's a great reference for those wanting to freshen up on forgotten signs or to use to learn in the classroom or with a study partner.

I was most interested in what the Pope had to say about other religions, especially Buddhism (being a Buddhist, I suppose this is natural). Since I am not Catholic I will leave aside any evaluation of the rest of the material--Catholics, and many Christians, will no doubt be inspired and educated by what the Pope says, and that is all well and fine. But I think it is interesting that people (in this case Catholics/Christians) turn to a member of their own religion to get information and explanation of some other religion. Would you, after all, go to a biologist to get an explanation of physics, or to a chess player for an explanation of black jack? As irrational (and, indeed, absurd) as it seems, this is rather a popular past time among Christian writers, and now the Pope has joined the fray. Since I would contend that I know and understand Buddhism considerably better than the Pope (I have been a student of the subject for almost 20 years) I can only say this: a criticism or critique of something, a subject or whatever, is only meaningful if the person doing the critiquing has both knowledge and understanding of his/her subject. Yet the Pope's knowledge is obviously second hand. Has he, for example, ever gone on a vipassana retreat, or read--with proper guidance--any Buddhist scriptures? I would guess not. Consequently, his understanding is at best, misguided, and at worst quite distorted. If it were not, I should--as someone knowledgeable of the subject of Buddhism--be able to concur with his statements as both factual and meaningful descriptions of the Buddha's Teaching. But I cannot, and therefore must dismiss the Pope's writing on Buddhism as inane babble. In fact, so obviously prejudiced is the Pope on the subject, that (and here I am going to step out on a limb) he reveals himself as not only a deeply prejudiced individual lacking in sound judgement, but as also a rather shallow intellect. The Pope, far from being infallible as some of his followers like to claim, is quite human and quite fallible and--dare I say it--has more than just a bit of hatred for things he does not even understand. I would expect better from someone who is the spiritual leader of more than a billion people, but then, truth (fortunately) is not a democracy.

This is the best little book on theology one could ever hope to read- Catholic or Protestant. Vittorio Messori (think of him as the Larry King of Italian television) poses the questions and the Pope responds in his own script! It was supposed to be a television interview. The theme is pure and simple and so right-BE NOT AFRAID. From Christmas mystery to Good Friday tragedy to Easter joy, be not afraid- God is there- with us. The first chapter is almost humorous. Vittorio says to the Pope, 'Some people are nervous about you calling yourself the 'Vicar of Christ''. Says the Pope,in so many words, 'Don't worry about it-be not afraid- look at the big picture- trust God- He will see you through'. The whole thing is done with humility and compassion.

Crossing the Threshold is a very interesting treatise from the Holy See written in the form of an interview, where the Pope explains his views of various Christian beliefs - including his belief in God, his views of non-Christian and non-Catholic faiths, and Mariology. His views appear to negate the claims put forth by anti-Catholics and tend to look to the new millennium with hope instead of fear.

An important message in this book is reiterated strongly by JPII's pontificate: Be not afraid. Great advice from probably the greatest Pope we've had in a long time.

I do not know what Dr. malvino wanted to do? Teach Electronics to kids? Because this is what the book is truly capable of doing. Indeed this is a must read for any Electronic student and professional alike to learn/improve the concepts of electronic. To understand the basic concepts of Electronics is no easy task. But with this book it will be. The design is first class with easy fluid language and the explanation is done with detailed simplified diagrams as well as good examples.
I am a process engineering student and truly, without this book (sixth edition) understanding the remaining part of my course would be quite a task.
In the book Mr.Malvino (who is a Phd by the way) starts with the very basics of electronics (Norton theory, semiconductors diodes etc.) and progresses with transistors in detail and moves through Op-Amps and FETs and MOSfETS and ends with power sources.

Each chapter starts with the objectives (or what you will learn at the end of the lesson), vocabulary, the matter along with mathematical or elctronic exampleswhich are solved and ends with a trouble shooting matter. Following that you get a summary (very handy in your last minute rivisions before exams),some intersting student assignment, job interview questions, more problems to be solved, Critical thinking and trouble shooting problems. Also some facts about electronic and "did you know" sections to interest you and see to it that you never get bored. After completing this entire series, you end up knowing the stuff really well. Truly the best book in learning as far as I know.
So do buy this book and happy learning.

This is an excellent book for those interested in electronics or seeking their Associates Degree in Electronics. The flow and format of the book is well structured and is very easy to follow. This book is worth the money if you need to understand electronics and need to depend on this information from memory. This one book has replaced many of my other electronic school books and lab manuals. I own this same book in the fourth edition by the same author. There is no comparision. The fourth edition stinks! (I haven't seen the fifth.) Albert Malvino has made an excellent come back with this sixth edition. Good job, Albert!

"Electronic Principles" covers mostly semiconductors; diodes, transistors, FET's, oscillators, op-amps, etc. This book is for the person who already knows basic AC/DC. This is a technician level book used by colleges and trade schools. Only basic algebra is needed to understand this book, no calculus. Malvino is the most gifted writer of electronics that I have ever come across. The first edition of this book was used by my college where I graduated with a degree in electronics in 1976. Since then I have owned the fourth and fifth edition as reference. Malvino has a rare gift for explaining technical material. His writing is both technical and personal and the same time. Thank you Albert Paul Malvino for teaching me 90% of what I know about semiconductors. No other electronics author comes close to your gift of making technical material understandable.

Because I have been recommending HOW TO MEDITATE for many years, it seems appropriate to add it to my reviews on amazon.com. This little book is packed with great advice on meditating, including a variety of techniques, suggestions for overcoming difficulties with them, and background information to meditation in general.

So many books have been written on meditation since LeShan first published this book in 1974 and this is still the best one I've seen to date. No need to pay for a mantra, get sophisticated instruction, or subject yourself to a guru. Settle into silence and yourself with these instructions and discover which one works best for you.

~~Joan Mazza, author of DREAM BACK YOUR LIFE; DREAMING YOUR REAL SELF; WHO'S CRAZY ANYWAY; FROM DREAMS TO DISCOVERY; THINGS THAT TICK ME OFF; and EXPLORING YOUR SEXUAL SELF (May 2001) in The Guided Journal Series.

Although Lawrence LeShan has degrees from three universities, he writes with a simple, completely straightforward style. The first section is on the benefits of meditation. And the next section describes how to do four different kinds of meditations.

If you are interested in meditation and you want the author to get right down to business, this is your book. LeShan says what he has to say in 137 pages. I'm the author of the book, Self-Help Stuff That Works, and I'm an expert on what works and what doesn't. Meditation works, and LeShan's instructions are effective and practical. I highly recommend this book.

I found this book recently when I started my search for a how to meditate book. I am surprised this book has not hit the best sellers lists. You are introduced to all different types of meditations with suggestions on which might be best for you, and step-by-step how-to's. It is an excellent book, that seems to be ahead of its time when it comes to spiritual healing and how to make it in this stress-filled world. I STRONGLY recommend this book to anyone who would like to get an overview of the different types of meditation, and learn how to do the type(s) that appeal to them. Does anyone know how to contact Lawrence Leshan? Please let me know

This book promised many twists and turns, and it delivered. I was stunned at the ending. The courtroom drama (and legal procedures) were quite entertaining. In addition, the action and adventure of the pre-trial investigation, complete with bombs and bullets, had me turning the pages in rapid succession. My only complaint was how the ending left the problem that some of the events were extremely coincidental - would have been much nicer if they had all been truly related in some "cause and effect" manner. In other words, it left me feeling that the hero of our story was very lucky.

For you fans of the Madriani protagonist, you won't be dissappointed. This book should've been Martini's best, however the metaphors are more numerous than usual and Martini's insistence on surprising endings gets in the way. If an editor was more involved on this manuscript, you, the reader, would get reddened eyes from non-stop reading.

I was very pleased with the work of Steve Martini in Undue Influence. This is the first book that I have read by him, but I am sure that I will read more. The numerous plot twists and courtroom excitement kept this book open in my hands for long periods of time.

a good read, but can be confusing for kids. It takes a while to comprehend all of the Shakespearian langauge, but is very interesting. It is boring at parts.

The Winter's Tale is a lot of things: heart-breaking, exhilerating, funny, beautiful, romantic, profound, etc. Yeah, it's all here. This is one of the bard's best plays, and I can't believe they don't teach this in schools. Of course, the ones they teach are excellent, but I can see high school kids enjoying this one a lot more than some of those others (Othello, King Lear).

The story is, of course, brilliant. King Leontes goes into a jealous rage at the beginning against his wife Hermione. Leontes is very mistaken in his actions, and the result is tragic. Shakespeare picks the story back up sixteen years later with the children, and the story works to a really, really surprising end of bittersweet redemption.

This is one of Shakespeare's bests. The first half is a penetrating and devestating, but the second half shows a capacity for salvation from the depths of despair. Also, this being Shakespeare, the blank verse is gorgeous and the characters are well drawn, and the ending is a surprise unparalleled in the rest of his plays. The Winter's Tale is a truly profound and entertaining read.

The Winter's Tale contains some of the most technically difficult solutions to telling a story that have ever appeared in a play. If you think you know all about how a play must be constructed, read The Winter's Tale. It will greatly expand your mind.

The play opens near the end of a long visit by Polixenes, the king of Bohemia, to the court of his childhood friend, Leontes, the king of Sicily. Leontes wants his friend to stay one more day. His friend declines. Leontes prevails upon his wife, Hermione, to persuade Polixenes. Hermione does her husband's bidding, having been silent before then. Rather than be pleased that she has succeeded, Leontes goes into a jealous rage in which he doubts her faithfulness. As his jealousy grows, he takes actions to defend his misconceptions of his "abused" honor that in fact abuse all those who have loved him. Unable to control himself, Leontes continues to pursue his folly even when evidence grows that he is wrong. To his great regret, these impulsive acts cost him dearly.

Three particular aspects of the play deserve special mention. The first is the way that Shakespeare ties together actions set 16 years apart in time. Although that sounds like crossing the Grand Canyon in a motorcycle jump, Shakespeare pulls off the jump rather well so that it is not so big a leap. The second is that Shakespeare captures entirely different moods from hilarious good humor to deep depression and remorse closely adjacent to one another. As a result, the audience is able to experience many more emotions than normally are evoked in a single play. Third, the play's final scene is as remarkable a bit of writing as you can imagine. Read it, and marvel!

After you finish reading this play, think about where your own loss of temper has had bad consequences. How can you give yourself time to get under control before acting rashly? How can you learn to be more open to positive interpretations of events, rather than dark and disturbing ones?

Love first, second, and always!

Not moving up the corporate ladder as quickly as you think you should? Was your brilliant idea or presention rejected? Were you overlooked for a promotion? Why? This book attempts to answer these questions. Author, Paul Stoltz has identified three types of people in the workplace, and how they react to setbacks. First there are quitters who are bitter and avoid change; secondly, campers who settle into comfort zones, and thirdly, climbers who are relentless in the pursuit of their goals. He emphasizes that "climbers" are the achievers. The book is is filled with self assessment charts and maps for strategies. But the key, it seems is perserverance not paranoia; focused effort not whining; and setting realistic goals, then taking action. Employers and employees will welcome this "window" into how to succeed in the business world. Oh yes, this author writes about work-related stress. After you read this book, take a look at "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Teens", by Dr. Richard Carlson. It has keys to success for everyone not just teens; and coping with stress is a universal challenge. What is your Adversity Quotient?

In the era of swift change and unremitting uncertainty, the challenge for executives and entrepreneurs is not only how to avoid crisis, but mainly how to weather and defy adversity. Dr. Stoltz shows that success in converting adversities into profitable opportunities is related to our ability to move forward despite what appears to be insurmountable obstacles. Thus, navigators of large enterprises or entrepreneurial startups should read this book for it provides theory-based accounts on how to develop and harness human perseverance. Such personal determination affects not only career choices but also the success with which actions are pursued and executed, which in turn fortifies one's own AQ. My empirical research in the area of innovation management validates and provides scientific support for this theory. Higher AQ is not a fad; it is associated with higher personal success.

- Gideon D. Markman, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship Lally School of Management & Technology Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Finally a book that explains how a person can manifest a more powerful personal and professional life.Going beyond simple advice and into simplifying vital scientific knowledge, AQ@Work is filled with achieveable and exciting methods to help everyone access their potential.This book doesn't tell the reader he should be more successful, more productive, or more positive,, this book actually describes usuable tools for becoming more successful, more productive and more positive!The use of the Climbers, Campers, and Quitters metaphor is a brilliant way to guide reader's visualization of their current status on life's path.Some may resent the labels and metaphors, I would urge them to read the description of Camper once more and weep....

I took the English Exams with Comp;Natural Sciences;and
Social Sciences and History. (June-July 2002)I scored in the 90's percentile on all. Cracking the Clep was a great start.

However, if like me, you do not already have background knowledge of your subjects, it may not be enough. This book has questions thatare:
1) Easier than questions on the Natural History test
2) On par with questions on the English Test
3) On Par with questions on the Social Science/History Test.

If you have a good background in your suject area, this book is a great review. It's questions are similar in fashion to the computerized test questions. However, none of the books I used to study had any questions that were actually on any of the tests that I took.

If you have no background at all on your subject, this book is an excellent start. However you need to use the COMEX books and
the R.E.A. books (Best Review for Clep/Best Examas Prep) as well. Among all four books, you will have enough background necessary to pass the tests, even if you do not study any other material nor have any previous knowledge of the subjects.

This book is the best start you an get.

I used this book as my only review for the College Math CLEP exam. While I am confident I could have passed the exam without the book, this book served as an excellent refresher for math concepts I havent used in over 10 years.

You will be tempted to just dive right into the "meat" of this book, but as the author advises DONT DO IT. Yes, you should actually read the first two chapters that focus on test taking techniques and tips. I consider myself a vetran test taker, having past numerous technical certification tests in the past. However, it had never occured to me to use some of the simple techniques they offer to keep myself from making stupid mistakes. I estimate that by using their techniques, I "saved" myself from missing at least 4 of the 60 questions on the exam. The same tips also helped me to avoid having to do the "real" algebra to arrive at the right answer; probably saving me 10 minutes or more of time during the exam.

Summary: Using this book and the recommended techniques in the book, I passed the College Math CLEP with a 77 out of 80. Had I not used this book, I believe I would have scored somewhere around 68-70.

I bought this book on a whim....when it came down to test taking time, I read over the chapters I needed and any problems I couldn't understand, there was a simple and easy to read understanding of how to solve the problem. After taking the College Mathematics Clep, I would encourage anyone to take it and also buy this book. It was just as if I was going over the book again when I took the test.

Sitting in a café in Prague with several Australians (who happened to be a part of a miserable bus tour of Europe I subjected myself to) and our Czech tour guide, who, out of the kindness of our heart, led us to an off-the-beaten path place where tourists were not as prevalent as in the rest of Prague, we discussed Czech literature, where he (I believe his name was Kaspar) definitively announced that Czech president Vaclav Havel is a miserably bad writer, Milan Kundera is brilliant but overrated nevertheless, and Americans are the most annoying people in the world because we call virtually complete strangers "friends" having only spoken with them for a matter of ten minutes, maybe about something as inane as weather. I asked him, "What is good to read then?" Which is when he told us about Bohumil Hrabal, and the most brilliant book he (Kaspar) had ever read, I Served the King of England. He tried to describe it, but found it impossible because it was too filled with highly nuanced and some very uniquely Czech things. He recommended it, although he qualified his recommendations with many disclaimers: I won't really understand its meaning and depth because I am American. No one but a Czech can understand the significance of this work. Also, while he was at it, he had to let me know that it is impossible as a foreigner to try to learn the Czech language because it is impossible. Expats try it all the time, he assured me, but it is impossible. No, Kaspar impatiently but proudly insists, it does not matter if you have a background in Slavic languages, Czech is unique and only Czechs will truly master it.

Be that as it may, I found a copy of I Served... in a bookshop in Iceland after the bus tour was over. There were not any English language copies to be found in Prague (then again, I only had a few days to check, and I was too busy having a whirlwind two-day affair with a man from Spain who spoke nary a word of English). Be sure, of course, that I would not be so presumptuous as to purchase a copy of this magnificent treasure of modern Czech literature in its native language because it is a language which would naturally only confound me. I am American, after all. I barely know English!

With this glowing recommendation and pile of books I procured for late night reading on a friend's floor (my makeshift bed) in Reykjavik, I read I Served the King of England in one night, and I loved it. It was, as Kaspar promised, a brilliant book. I loved the irreverent and direct style of Hrabal's writing. I suspect that you will too. It is not a book filled with intricacies nor plots and subplots and it is not clogged with millions of characters. It is a simple book, but in its simplicity transcends the need for a lot of extra "stuff". (There is that expected American eloquence again!) I can say that at the end of the book, the narrator is almost like a hermit, living with his dog. If I am not mistaken (it has been almost 2 years since I read the book) the dog actually goes out and gets supplies for the narrator. Eventually the townspeople miss the narrator so much that they go to extraordinary lengths to make him come out of hiding, even (sadly!) killing the narrator's beloved and necessary dog. Definitely read this book if you can find it.

I don't like words like 'masterpiece,' but there are books that I consider essential reading, books that allow you to connect to and unscramble the meaning of our troubled century. Bohumil Hrabal's I Served the King of England is one of those books and, in my humble opinion, it must be one of the great comic novels of the 20th century, along with The Good Soldier Schweik, The Tin Drum, The Master and Margarita and The Autumm of the Patriarch. It is like those comic novels, about the role of individuals in history, and like those novels, it sheds light on the meaning of life. Unlike those novels however, I Served the King of England has an almost minimalist plot, propelled by the ambition of the main character to become a millionaire. Hrabal does not uses modernist narrative techniques at all; instead his novel develops in a linear fashion as his main character moves from hotel to hotel as a waiter, furthering his ambition and learning from his bosses the art of running a hotel. In the process, the character even joins the nazis (and marries one), becomes a millionaire after the war and looses everything under communist rule. His adventures as a waiter in the hotels are told through a comic, highly visual style that reminded me of Chaplin's films, a feeling later confirmed by Hrabal himself when he compares the adventures of incarcerated millionaires during communism as the height of chaplinesque humor. Somewhere during the middle of the novel I became a little exasperated by the apparent lack of sophistication in the narrative, but the novel only 'appears' to be superficial. There is a big emotional and intellectual pay-off at the end, as the main character comes to terms with history and the value of his connection to humanity. As a reader, I felt privileged to have taken the journey this bawdy and wonderful novel put me through.

The diminutive narrator of _I Served the King of England_, a novel spanning prewar, wartime, and postwar Czechoslovakia has some of the insouciance of the good soldier Schweik. He has a lot of (relentlessly heterosexual) libido. But, unlike Private Schweik, he's so good at what he does that he is awarded a medal by Haile Selassie (the book should be entitled I Served the Lion of Judah; it is his mentor who served the kind of England). He also attains his goal of becoming rich and enjoys the money he accumulates (for a while; eventually he decides that he has blood money and escapes its curse to become a hermit road-keeper (Sisyphus?) in the forest, cured of what approaches worship of rank, not just enjoyment of the pleasures he learns very early on that money can buy). Like _The Tin Drum_, this richly comic novel provides a take on very difficult times and sinister compatriates. The unbitter sense of absurdity (unlike Gass's more withering retrospects and Hasek's scorchings) seems shared with Klíma, Kundera, Skvorecky, and even Kafka. The sense of irony seems distinctively Czech in accepting some existential guilt for collusion with tyrannys. It seems to me that all these Czech authors provide very concrete images of everyday life, even-or especially-when that life is being turned upside down.

I read Paul Rosa's first book of idiot letters a few years ago and enjoyed it so much my friend and I got kicked out of the library. We then proceeded to write our own "idiot letters" and got quite a lot of loot - I cherish my "Citgo" T-shirt to this day. Rosa's 2nd book is just as funny - just make sure you don't laugh too loud in the library.

- Zuzu - An "idiot Letters" fan.

Paul Rosa has a unique gift for intentionally misconstruing some things, taking others too literally, and generally (ostensibly) missing The Point. Reading his book not only guarantees hours of laughter, but also offers a most singular perspective of the buisinesses with which we interact every day. Sometimes the funniest parts are the letters written by the unwitting butts of his jokes--it makes you wonder who's writing the real "idiot letters."

A caveat: If you loan it to your friends, don't expect it back any time soon.

Heather Hewitt

I am a business major at Sam Houston State University. After taking a business writing class, a friend introduced me to this book. I have never laughed at any book in my life, until I ran across the first Idiot Letters, by Paul Rosa. My favorite is the one about the eagle in a gas station advertisement. You will cry laughing! Lonnie Lee Best