Your College Experience: Strategies for Success 4th ed by John N. Gardner and A. Jerome Jewler.
This book is excellent for a first semester college introduction to academic life. It deals with the issues students need to address for academic success such as critical thinking, time management, active learning, learning styles, reading, writing, listening and speaking, test taking, library use, computer use, academic resources, advisors, relationships, diversity, stress management, finances, alcohol, drugs, and sex. The book has six parts: 1. Strategies for success, 2. Plan ahead, 3. Take charge of learning, 4. Hone your skills, 5. Get connected, and 6. Know yourself. There are one to four chapters in each part totaling fourteen chapters, about one per week for a semester. There are exercises and guiding questions for a personal journal at the end of each chapter. A highlight is the interactivity provided by the CD-ROM packaged with each textbook. Each chapter has a self-assessment, has exercises from the book formatted to use on the computer and refers to textbook pages, has additional exercises not in the textbook, quizzes, crossword puzzles, and journal assignments that can be done on the computer. The CD-ROM links to many Internet sites for additional information and self-assessments. The book comes with a free four month subscription to InfoTrac, an online library. This book is good for the visual learner, the CD-ROM is particularly good for the kinesthetic learner, and the discussion exercises are good for the auditory learner. There are also supportive materials for faculty who adopt the book, and the CD-ROM is available on Blackboard and WebCT as online course management tools.

I bought this book my first year of college, I am now a sophomore and STILL using it. I found it so helpful. I even recommended it to friends.

I first read this journal in its original format: a handwritten, early-19th-century document now kept in the archives at the Massachusetts Historical Society. I loved it on the first reading--Lowell is an articulate, insightful writer who recorded this journey for her friends and family back home in Boston. (Just as we take snapshots of a trip, 19th-century travelers wrote journals.) Now we can all read it without making a trip to the research library in Boston.

A well-educated, well-read woman, Lowell drew on a wealth of knowledge and considerable skill as a writer, but she was also somewhat more irreverent than she should have been, according to the conventions of the time. She took note of the local gossip, the scandalous histories of some of her hosts, and the harsh treatment of slaves on the sugar plantations. It makes for an engrossing read.

Professor Robert's introduction provides the historical context for the journal, covering the Boston background as well as the Cuban information.

Your College Experience: Strategies for Success 4th ed by John N. Gardner and A. Jerome Jewler.
This book is excellent for a first semester college introduction to academic life. It deals with the issues students need to address for academic success such as critical thinking, time management, active learning, learning styles, reading, writing, listening and speaking, test taking, library use, computer use, academic resources, advisors, relationships, diversity, stress management, finances, alcohol, drugs, and sex. The book has six parts: 1. Strategies for success, 2. Plan ahead, 3. Take charge of learning, 4. Hone your skills, 5. Get connected, and 6. Know yourself. There are one to four chapters in each part totaling fourteen chapters, about one per week for a semester. There are exercises and guiding questions for a personal journal at the end of each chapter. A highlight is the interactivity provided by the CD-ROM packaged with each textbook. Each chapter has a self-assessment, has exercises from the book formatted to use on the computer and refers to textbook pages, has additional exercises not in the textbook, quizzes, crossword puzzles, and journal assignments that can be done on the computer. The CD-ROM links to many Internet sites for additional information and self-assessments. The book comes with a free four month subscription to InfoTrac, an online library. This book is good for the visual learner, the CD-ROM is particularly good for the kinesthetic learner, and the discussion exercises are good for the auditory learner. There are also supportive materials for faculty who adopt the book, and the CD-ROM is available on Blackboard and WebCT as online course management tools. .

I read this book when my son was first diagnosed with CP 10 years ago. It contained a wealth of useful information but also contained information on how a "normal" baby/child would develop. I did not care for that portion of the book although I understand the authors reasoning in so doing. I also read the book Children with Cerebral Palsy -- I found it easier to read.

I'd been a special education teacher before our son was born, then served for 15 years as a Developmental Disabilities Specialist (mental health DD case manager). Now I'm back with special education, and our son, who has multiple developmental disabilities himself, is doing wonderfully. I came across Nancie's book by chance when our son was 1 year old when an OT checked in Nancie's book in my presence. After seeing how valuable it was (it was used as a text book at PSU at the time) I determined I would not go home (two hours away) until I owned a copy! That was an excellent decision.

Even after 20 years, I still useNancie's book. I recommend her book to everyone who loves, lives with, or works with young people with ANY type of motor impairment. It has many useful applications. For instance, it describes ways to play, set up a room, cope, physical handling, toileting, eating, sleep, ways to make stuff inexpensively, enjoy, and it also describes typical development, grief, and growth. Her illustrations are simply and convey useful information in realistic situations. Nancie writes forthrightfully and constructively. Challenging, too, in a bracing manner. There is no wallowing in pity or mincing of words. Yet, in all of this, Nancie conveys positive acceptance, focuses on forward movement, and she somehow shares that disabilities, after all, are part of all that is normal. Then she sets about showing you how to teach, love, and care for a child.

If you want an informative, practical "how to," this is the book you want. I've always felt, as a parent, that this book is something like having a PT/OT/friend/teacher/mentor in my pocket. That is in spite of being a special educator, myself. Someone who supposedly knows what to do. Sorry, no one is prepared for everything that can happen. Nancie provides a holistic and realistic guide... one that speaks directly, constructively, and respectfully. She focuses on taking action and on results. As a professional, her book can be very useful when working with individuals, families and/or staff. For young people growing up with disabilities, it can offer good illustrations to show how to do things. The text, however, at least in my 20 year old copy, is written for adults, not children.

This book is one of two books I'd like every person to have who lives or works with people who have motor impairments, neurological disorders, or cognitive impairments, to have. Social workers, doctors, RNs, therapists, interventionists, students, teachers, and fellow parents, this is a tool I believe you will value, use, and enjoy. (My other "must have" is the classic "Your Child's Self Esteem" by Dorothy Corkille Briggs. It is good for any relationship as well as for interacting with anyone. It certainly is not "just" for use with children.)

My best wishes to all of you who are searching for help, information, and/or direction. This book will not let you down.

After reading only five pages of this small children's novel by the reknowned fantasy writer Frank L. Baum, I felt only one thing: the need to make a dentist's appointment. Baum crafts a sugary tale without anything to really distinguish it, and it's the literary equivalent of eating a mountain of candy and not brushing your teeth.

This is the story of Santa Claus -- here portrayed as a human baby adopted by a wood-nymph named Necile in the human-free forest of Burzee. The baby is the first and only mortal adopted by immortals, and is given the name Neclaus, or Claus. For several years he leads a pretty idyllic life, and all the immortals just adore him.

But then Claus takes an interest in human beings, and ends up leaving so he can "make thousands of little children happy." So he ends up making various beautiful gifts for children both rich and poor. However, plotting his downfall are the hideous Angwas, since "one of the principal sports of the Awgwas was to inspire angry passions in the hearts of little children." So Claus and his little friends have to resist the Angwas so that little kids can have toys...

This is not a Santa Claus story based in any way in fact; rather, this is a tale suited to the mass-produced, plastic Santa Claus images that pop up every Christmas. The sugar level is mind-blowing. The idea of the bad guys, whose sole focus is making kiddies misbehave, is incredibly bad. The forest of Burzee is almost hilarious, with its inhabitants living in a sort of immortal hippie commune, with the kind of uninterrupted, continuous bliss that can only be found in certain controlled substances.

The characters have no real personalities: either they're sickening good or hideously bad. It feels less like Baum is telling a story than Making A Point, with the characters as his means of Making That Point. But even if the Angwas evil, they're not really evil -- instead they have a vague I-know-it-when-I-see-it badness, which mainly seems to consist of depriving the poor wittle kiddies of their toys and make them misbehave. Their idea of a hideous act is to steal and then hide toys (Oh horrors!) and they hate the good guys because... well, because they DO. Baum's idea of war is outrageously bad, and it's hard to take seriously because Baum takes care to tell you that it's impossible for the bad guys to win.

Claus himself is so good and noble that he is literally impossible to connect with, as are all his various nymph, Knook, Fairy, Ryl friends. The children that Claus befriends read like Shirley Temple parodies; lines like "I wants a tat" are too common to contemplate. The dialogue in general reads like a screenplay written by a first grader. If you can read lines like "I will overwhelm them with our evil powers!" without giggling helplessly, then you are a stronger reader than I.

I don't recommend this book for anyone over the age of eight who still retains full brain function, and I definitely don't recommend it for diabetics.

In author L. Frank Baum's book, nymph Necile finds a tiny babe in the forest of Buzee and raises him along with the help of the great spirits, elves, nymphs, knooks and ryls under the wisdom and guidance of the great Ak (Leader of all the great Spirits). She names him Claus who later grows up asking what is his purpose in life, and then decides to make toys to deliver to all boys and girls on one special night out of the year. But as time passes he soon he discovers that he is growing old. . .

A great book by L. Frank Baum that explores the fantastical life of Santa Claus-a real joy and gem to read, especially when you come to realize how many years ago this book was written. Baum's work here is so imaginative that many of today's stories of Santa Claus in my opinion pale in comparison.

L. Frank Baum was one of the great fantasy writers of the early 20th century -- in fact, were it not for Tolkien, I'd be tempted to call him the greatest in 100 years. His Oz books created a beautiful, vibrant land that still draws readers a century later. This book, his twist on the legend of Santa Claus, is part of that wonderful tapestry he wove.

Forget all of the Santa Claus legends you've read before -- there's no North Pole, no elves, no Bergermeistermeisterberger -- the story starts with a baby found in the woods by the fairy Necile. She raises him as her son, Claus (or "Ni-claus," meaning "Little Claus"), until the child begins to wonder about his own people. Shown the dangers of the human world by the great Ak, Claus decides to venture forth amongst the mortals regardless.

Claus gets a lot of credit in this story, from inventing the first toy to inspiring a war amongst immortals to retrieve them, and all of it is done in Baum's clear, clean style that is as easy to read today as it was in his time. It might not be the best book for a small child, who may ask questions trying to reconcile this unique version of Santa with the one he knows, but for an older child who understands that the spirit of Santa Claus is what's important it is a wonderful book. I re-read it every December.

This had many solid points and I like the fact that it has many example of the constructivist theory in use which makes this book more practical for some one who doesn't want to worry about getting to deep into the theory. The only problem with this book is that the theory that is presented is flawed. They completely down play the role of traditional education and present their theory as the opposite to traditional education. This goes against John Dewey's basic theory and makes the fallacy of selective emphasis. This is a great book if you want to practical experience from schools that this method has been used at but if you want theory, you are better off going to the source, John Dewey.

Constructivism has a myriad of definitions, or so it seems in education today. In this book, the general principals of constructivist leadership are defined and "fleshed out" through the contributing authors. Excellent book for administrators that are trying to find theory based rationale for site based management in school. A book that should be kept on your office bookshelf because you will refer to it often. The listing and comparisons of past educational methods is nicely done and easy to reference.

This book essentially examines the dynamics of a learning community within the theoretical framework of constructivism. While the book is dense in theory, it's clear prose and liberal inclusion of examples and stories make it an accessible and meaningful read. The book's title may be misleading in that an educational leader, in the constructivist sense, is any educator who seeks school improvement through open, democratic processes. In this sense, the book would seem useful to any organizational development specialist who craves a broader theoretical understanding of the nature of OD, and insight into how groups of educators can build learning communities committed to improving the lives of their stakeholders. The book is complex in its scope and depth, but nonetheless answers a fairly simple question: How does constructivism help us see what humane and effective schools should look like? Lambert and her colleagues weave a fairly cohesive and inspiring narrative of social change within the educational context.

According to the writers, constructivism is a theory of learning derived from the fields of philosophy, psychology, and science. Constructivism in simplest terms posits that learning is the process of reforming what we know, believe and value based on the connections between new and already held knowledge, values and beliefs. In other words, people are in a constant state of learning in order to secure or enhance their existence. In the school context, Lambert defines 'Constructivist Leadership' as 'the reciprocal processes that enable participants in an educational community to construct meanings that lead toward a common purpose about schooling.' (p.29) These reciprocal processes entail building trust through social and professional relationships, identifying and reconstructing commonly held assumptions and beliefs, building new shared knowledge, and altering individual and group behaviors to create new ways of doing school. In this way, Lambert and her colleagues argue, we begin to see leadership, community, and schools themselves not as roles or physical entities, but as social processes, which require constant tending and development. In a biological sense, individuals are in a constant state of constructing their understanding of the world. In an ecological sense, interdependent groups of individuals must co-construct their understandings in order to create a desired reality. In this way, Lambert's constructivist view of learning and leadership is in close company with Senge's view of the learning organization, which strives to move from status quo to a shared ideal of something better.

Theoretically, constructivism owes much Lee Vygotsky's work on the relationship between language and learning. Not surprisingly then, this book's core chapters all deal with the role of communication in constructivist leadership. In 'Leading the Conversations', Lambert argues that conversations 'are the visible manifestation of constructivist leadership' (p.83). On page 86, she provides a useful 'Typology of Conversations' model, which shows that four conversation types (dialogic, inquiring, sustaining, and partnering) contribute to, among other things, collaborative sense-making, remembrance and reflection, sharing and building ideas, and respectful listening. In 'The Linguistics of Leadership', Diane Zimmerman deconstructs the processes of paraphrasing, inquiring, and articulating ideas, and argues that when used in balance they help groups uncover 'the unspeakable', make sense of assumptions and beliefs, and find new patterns and paths to improvement. In 'The Role of Narrative and Dialogue in Constructivist Leadership', Joanne Cooper argues that 'stories provide a vision and a desired direction for adults working in schools'' (p.122) Narratives bring to life 'tacit knowledge' and in so doing imbue groups with connectivity, and common purpose and vision. In these chapters, we see strong practical and theoretical themes that are consistent with the change work of Fullan, Senge's work on learning, and the organization work of Schmuck and others.

Constructivism, as an epistemological theory, has a long and broad history in this century. I found this book refreshing for making clear connections between a theory of knowledge and the practices and perspectives relevant to organization development and learning communities.

A Yankee friend of mine once asked about the South, "But why do they torment one another so?" There are a lot of books, including novels by Faulkner and others, which try to answer just that question. One such is Deep South, written in the 1930's by 4 sociologists from Harvard (2 black, 2 white), who lived and studied Natchez, MS for 2 years. While the book contains some dry demographical statistics, it also uses anecdotes to paint an accurate and fascinating picture of the Old South and of how race and class determine social relations among poor whites, blacks, and the "planter elite". (Surely this is the kind of book people like John Grisham use for background for their own writings.) Natchez was the "cotton capital" in the 19th century and was then one of the most important cities in the South. Vital reading for anyone interested in civil rights, race relations, and issues of caste and class. Compare John Dollard's Caste and Class in a Southern Town and Hortense Powdermaker's After Freedom; also, if you're a Grisham fan and want to know what things were really like, read this book. [reviewer is a scholar of Southern culture and native of Natchez]

This book identifies some of the thousands of valiant women who cared for the soldiers during the war. It gives a tiny insight into those women who are known by name. As a nurse, I wish that there was more detail regarding their specific duties and responsibilities. The manner in which the material for this book was collected does not lend itself to a more detailed review of the nurses. Overall, I enjoyed the book. It opened the door into the world of civil war nursing and the brave women who answered the call of the bugle.

Yes, you can judge some books by their covers, and this is one of them. The title on the cover, depicted in lower case with Vietnamese diacritics over the letters, exhibits a shocking insensitivity to Vietnamese language and culture. The novel is no better. Anyone with the slightest familiarity with Vietnamese people--particularly those who came to the United States--will not recognize the characters. Apparently, the author did not take advantage of her work as a refugee coordinator to get to know these people in any depth. Their depiction is so shallow as to be insulting.

In recent years, I have developed an interest in Asian culture, particularly in the customs and mysteries of the Vietnamese people. Considering this, it was not surprising to me that I should enjoy Boat People as much as I did. The author, Mary Gardner, injects her story with compassion and respect for a group of people set adrift in a peregrine and bewildering land. Mrs. Gardner's five years as a social worker for a group of Vietnamese immigrants in Galveston are obvious here, from her knowledge of these people and their tribulations.

The story involves Hai Truong, a malnourished, hospitalized Vietnamese refugee, and her family, who take up residence in Galveston, Texas. Events in the lives of this family are interspersed among chapters detailing the experiences of Dr. Lang Nguyen, another refugee who is mystified by some aspects of American culture, and of Azelita Simpson, an African American volunteer at a local hospital who also works at an elementary school, where she observes the many problems involving the Vietnamese students and their difficulty in acclimating to America. She soon finds herself immersed in the lives of several Vietnamese youths, who make her a gift of some shrimp caught on their father's boat. While Azelita struggles to understand her new charges, Lang finds his attentions diverted by Shirley, a friendly, if culturally ignorant nurse.

This was a marvelously crafted, engrossing book. It deserved the awards and accolades that it received. It would be a shame if this were to be taken out of print.

What an awful way to die. In spite of his warnings to his children over the last fourteen years about how unsafe the slurry pit is, farmer Guy Beardon somehow drowned in the disgusting muck. His twenty-year old daughter Lilah, who discovered the body, is stunned by the tragedy as is her brother and mother. Police officer Denholm Cooper rules the death was caused by a nasty accident.

Two more related deaths follow, which leads Cooper to reassess his original position. Someone apparently is out to get the Beardens and anyone associated with the family. Den, who is beginning to fall in love with Lilah, starts making inquiries. Several suspects surface who loathed Guy, and the culprit will murder again if necessary to protect his or her identity.

A DIRTY DEATH is an intriguing English rural police procedural novel that will entertain sub-genre fans especially with its insight into modern farming. The story line is interesting although careless editing hurts it at times. Lilah, Den, and Guy come across as fully developed charcaters, but the rest of the cast seems flat. Still, Rebecca Tope shows much talent that will encourage readers to want to obtain future novels by her.

Harriet Klausner