This book is very useful for students who want to improve their fluency in American English. The usage of sounds in contrast is a powerful tool for those that have some difficult for distinguishing English sounds. The authors go depth on American pitch and intonation, driving the student towards the achievement of true American accent, just like a native has!

I discovered this book in the library, and have since used it to teach classes as well as individuals. Some of my students have even used this book as a self-teaching guide. It is an absolutely wonderful pronunciation guide for any level of ESL student! THE GOOD: The book employs a wonderful system for helping students learn the sounds of English. It has lists that differ by only one sound (ex. Sip & Zip) to illustrate the differences between similar sounds. It then tests the learners' hearing by having them choose which word they hear in a sentence where either word would fit! It goes on to provide practice with many words, sentences and dialogues. Then, after an activity, it summarizes all the ways that the sound can be spelled. THE BAD: There really isn't much! If anything, I would say that the mouth illustrations at the beginning of each chapter aren't really that helpful. And sometimes my students question me about the phonetic spelling that is used to introduce a sound. OVERALL: This is an absolutely wonderful book that can be used with anyone - from true beginners to advanced students! I would recommend it to anyone teaching or learning pronunciation. If you are going to use it to learn on your own I would recommend getting the cassette tapes.

I would like to know this book.Only the cassettes

Sharon Baker was one of the most gifted writers ever to grace the genre of science fiction. She endows her characters with more human truth, her worlds with more intricate detail than most authors would be mentally--and emotionally--capable of. As her youngest son, I remember hearing the rythmic clicking of her keyboard in the wee hours of the night, only to be broken up by the occasional burst of triumphant laughter when her characters succeeded; or mournful sobs when one met his or her final fate. In order to create with integrity a world (Membliar) of beautiful slaves, vast technology, phanatical religion, and brutal war, Sharon would interview inmates at the King County jail in Seattle to endow her characters with the hardened edges that their innocent cores (modeled after myself and my three older brothers) did not possess. She would spend months interviewing scholars such as John Kramer at UW to validate her hard science, talking to physicians to refine her ideas on the metamorphic powers of the body, and sit down with my brothers and I to learn how we would behave in certain situations. The heroes and heroines of all three stories are horribly mistreated slaves running from oppressive masters and blood thirsty religious cults in hope of discovering love and salvation. They gain a stack of experiences along the way to their figurative and literal destinations, all the while the reader marveling at the characters growing depth and demensions. Her tale is one of love and loss; of life and death; of wrongdoing and redemption; good and evil. Had she lived but a while longer, Sharon Baker would have been a household name in the fold of Science Fiction lovers and writers. The truly great science fiction and fantasy writers--such as Tolkein, Dick, Huxley, McCaffrey--were great in that their story transcended the spectacle of action in order to present the reader with a powerful vision of who we are, where we've been and where we are going. The trilogy of Membliar (Quarrellng They Met the Dragon, Journey to Membliar, and Burning Tears of Sassaruumi is more than a fantastic story--it is a profound insight into the terrible, intricate beauty of life.

Now in a newly revised, expanded and updated second edition, The Responsive Public Library: How To Develop And Market A Winning Collection is collaborative written by educator and information science specialist Sharon L. Baker and Karen L. Wallace (Circulation/Reference Librarian, Drake University Law Library, Des Moines, Iowa) is a solid, reliable, and practical guide designed especially for the library staffs of public library systems. Individual chapters address how to know what library patrons need and want the most, choosing appropriate collections at low cost, and effectively evaluating one's collection, marketing practices and much more. An invaluable addition to Library Science supplemental reading lists and academic reference collections, The Responsible Public Library is a well crafted and scholarly book filled from beginning to end with in-depth strategies, rationale, explanations, tips, tricks, techniques and much more for community librarians regardless of the size or nature of the populations they serve.

This is an excellent book for the older hiker who does not have a background in the sport or a history of exercising. Climbing Mt. Whitney used to be reserved for the daring or adventurous climber, now it seems everyone and their uncle is attempting it, often with disastrous results. The bottom line is: climbing Whitney in one day (or even 12 hours) is not that difficult *if* you are supremely fit and do a great deal of ancillary exercise for long periods prior to making the ascent.

I have seen many hikers suffer brutally on Whitney because they have not done sufficient training prior to the hike. This is not a walk in the park, this is not something to attempt on a lark, nor is it something to take lightly. You must do rigorous physical preparation or your hike will be a hellish and possibly dangerous experience. Most of the hikers I've encountered on Whitney were quite honestly not physically prepared. If you are overweight, have a medical condition or have not properly trained at altitude, don't even consider attempting Mt. Whitney.

Sharon Baker Salony does a good job in explaining some of these aspects of the hike, but she does gear the book more towards the older hiker. If you're a physically fit 20-something male (or female), there are better and more complete books for you to consult. But if you're middle-aged and thinking about hiking Whitney for the first time, this book would be beneficial. Remember to acclimate yourself to high altitude before even thinking about doing Whitney and good luck!

This is one of the best single purpose guides I've ever encountered. If you are an "amateur hiker," and by that I mean someone who has minimal hiking experience or is not in above average physical shape, this book will be your guide and mentor in getting you up and down the mountain in one piece. In planning a trip to Whitney with a number of older friends this book was the best way to explain to people the rigors of the trail and how best to prepare for them. I own several other guidebooks to the Mount Whitney area and they all contain good trail descriptions and many of them include a half dozen or so routes to the top of Whitney. This book details only one route and includes a pacing guide regarding the time you should reach each waypoint. I've not encountered a more detailed trail description in all my years of hiking and believe this is an excellent book for the target audience. If you are a strong hiker with much experience or if you wish to try Mount Whitney on any of the alternative routes this book is not for you.

Concise, down-to-earth, and realistic. Geared toward the non-athlete and/or middle-aged people. Great information even if you plan to summit in more than 1 day. Humourous at times. I kept saying the author's catchy phrases throughout my successful 3-day round trip summit hike, such as "tortoise up, hare down", "switchbacks are only 2.5 hours of your entire life", "it's mind over matter", etc. If you meet the author on the mountain like I did, she'll sign your book for you.

collector's should get a copy of the Barry McGee book published in Italy by Prada back in 2002. With 300 pages of full color art plus a 20 page interview it's easily the one essential volume of Barry McGee's art. Don't even bother with this shabby collection of pamphlets or "The Buddy System" which only has about 20 pages in color. Get the Prada book-it even has an original Twist sticker on it!

I was dissapointed upon receiving this book. Actually it is not even a book, it is a collection of pamphlets from an exhibit in Philidelphia under the same name. As a fan of Barry Mcgee's artwork I was discouraged to find only a few examples of his work and mostly not even in color. I would recommend the book 'Scrawl - Dirty Graphics & Strange Characters' for someone interested in McGee and other similiar urban artists.