Being a volunteer at a local animal shelter, I often see the results of choosing the wrong pet by people who had no concept of what pet ownership entailed in terms of time, expense, training, etc. or even what the personality of a certain breed or species was like. Are You the Pet For Me provides in an easy-to-read format the ABCs of pet ownership whether it be through adoption or purchase. Hopefully, prospective owners will read this well researched volume BEFORE taking on the responsibilities of a pet so that it will be an enriching experience and not a heart wrenching one.

I never had much luck with my pets when I was a kid. My dog never stopped barking, my cat was impossible to train, and my hamster kept waking me up at night. If I'd had a book like "Are You the Pet for Me?", I'd have known just what to do. Mary Jane Checchi tells you everything you need to know about choosing and caring for pets. It's a must read.

Lance Rentzel Former Wide Receiver for the Dallas Cowboys & LA Rams

As a volunteer in a local animal shelter, I see the results of people having chosen the wrong pet and not being informed of all that is involved in caring for that particular animal be it a dog down to a mouse. Mary Jane Checchi has thoroughly researched her subject and has presented in a simple, easy-to-read manner the ABC's of the requirements of various pets. People should be required to read it from cover to cover BEFORE taking on the responsibility of animal ownership either through purchase or adoption.

I bought this book initially because I grew up in Cape May. Am I glad I did. Not only is Ms. Kelly true to the Locale,I was pleasently suprised at the great mystery novel I landed on as well. Meg Daniels has become one of my favoite characters. Very sharp, witty, Combined smarty pants, with humor and morality, I look forward to reading the rest of Ms. Kellys offerings.A book chock full of great characters with excellent dialogue. This Travis McGee and Matthew Scudder fan has discovered another favorite. Read this book, You won't regret it.

Cape Mayhem is a terrific read. The quirky characters, the detailed Cape May setting and the unexpected plot twists keep you well engrossed. A great gift for shore lovers.

Very quick and witty dialogue from memorable characters--with all of the twists and turns you would expect from a well-crafted mystery novel. A highly recommended, fun read!

The book suggests 7-9th grade students and I tried it with my 10th grade remedial classes--english language learners and some special needs kids. Although I thought the sentences were solid and the vocabulary cues subtle but effective, after about a month my kids were bored with the Romeo and Juliet story. I tried the strategy of using my own story line, which the book explains and suggests, but they just never had the excitement of following a running story line through the week's warmups that I thought they would get. I think this is a super system but Keister's grade level recommendations are definitely not stretchable, and I would be even a little leery about using this with 9th graders. Overall an awesome strategy!

Before I found Jane Bell Kiester's books, I didn't have a clear path to follow when teaching writing. The Caught'Ya books solve the problem of teaching your students grammar and mechanics. Each day students are given a sentence that adds to a story line appropriate for their age group. Students become engaged in the learning process throughout the story and often can't wait to see what happens next. Students become intimately involved in the story as they become part of the story when the teacher inserts their name as a character in the story. Although Caught'Ya's are integral to the teaching of grammar and mechanics, the greatest bonus I found in using these wonderful sentences was the fact that students naturally and easily learn to paragraph appropriately. This is a difficult task to teach and for students to understand. Caught'Ya's solve this for teachers and students alike. If you can't purchase any other resource this year, you must purchase one of Jane Bell Kiester's Caught'Ya books! Your students will learn to write in a way that will improve all test scores! Do not hesitate! This is the perfect purchase.

i teach high school english, 10th grade honors, to be exact. our school has no real grammar program -- and it shows! i've struggled with what to do about grammar, because de-contextualized grammar doesn't work and in-context takes longer to work than i have with my kids. i see almost no improvement. i grant that my situation is particularly abominable, but the point is: i got this book this summer and i have been doing it and i talked two of my colleagues into doing it with me and right now i don't even know where my book is because my dept seems to be sharing it. i haven't been doing it long enough to be sure, but i think this is going to work. it feels like it. it feels good so far. i think some stuff has already started to stick. that's cool.

This was the first book of Jane's that I read. It amazed me how much she did and survived to tell about it, sometimes in a funny way. It is a great way to get to know Jane personally.

This was my favorite of Jane's many books. Jane's tale held me spellbound from beginning to end. I could hardly believe how much she and her husband lived through in order to establish a home in a very difficult environment. I felt like I lived the entire ordeal with them. Very worthwhile reading.

This is truly a "can't put it down" book. Jane's own story is deeply inspiring to anyone facing his or her own challenges. She writes with great humor and a deep faith in the power of the Almighty. Throughout the whole book the reader finds herself laughing and crying with Jane and cheering her on. Her descriptions of events are so vivid that the reader feels like it is taking place right here, right now. Jane has captured the spirit of the pioneer woman that she could have been if she had lived 100 years earlier.

As an amateur/hobbyist photographer for 20+ years as well as an avid reader I have read a lot of books on the subject, but none as fun to read as this. It contains lots of practical advice about composition and lighting as well as basics about film and equipment selection. The authors also tell how they got a particular shot, and give very clear examples and advice about technique. I recommended this book to several friends and relatives who wanted a basic book about photography, and, although the focus is on children's photography, this advice is translatable to other areas as well.
I was very impressed by the conversational tone and humorous approach which is often evident. What was great was that they encourage a lot of experimentation and they are not camera snobs - they actually acknowledge that such things as point & shoot & single use cameras are in use and tell you how to get the best of them, without making you feel like you're somewhat inferior if you're not using an SLR or medium format.
All in all, I highly recommend this book. Did I mention that the photos are great and the feeling is that they are actually attainable by the average amateur photographer?

I am a beginning photographer, and this book was very helpful, the shots in it are beautiful and it gives lots of helpful tips on how to acheive the children's portraits you want. I reccommend this book to any beginner who wants to take wonderful kids photos.

I think this book was wonderful. It stated the basics to get you going then added more detail when needed. The camera jargon was not overwhelming in any way, and the lighting suggestions were great. I read through the whole book then went back and highlighted the most needed parts. I would recommend this book to any parent wanting to take more memorable pictures of their children. Deserves 5 stars without a doubt.

I work at a public library in the kids' dept., so when I saw another alphabet book I almost passed it by, but the picture on the front of the book of an alligator eating a salad really piqued my curiosity. "A is for Salad??? What???" I said, and had to open the book to see what was going on. I didn't just look at a page or two, but had to read through the whole thing - it was just so cute and had me smiling as I figured out what each letter REALLY stands for. Great to get kids thinking while having fun, each picture depicts an animal beginning with the featured letter engaged in some activity. For example, an alligator is eating a salad. There are a few animals, such as the iguana and narwhal, which have helpful clues as to the animals' identities hidden in the pictures. Kids may need help to identify the jellyfish and vulture, though.

This book is for all the adults who secretly watch Sesame Street and read Shel Silverstein. More clearly for kids and less cynical than Uncle Shelby's ABZ's but just as funny. The illustrations are great, giving the animals wonderful personality. I laugh every time I see this book.

A is for Salad, by Mike Lester, is a wonderful book! My children (ages 7 and 5) love the humor, and so do I. It's a fun break from the plethora of alphabet books on the market. We laugh at the irony. We are buying this book to share with my older daughter's class - I think it will fast become a favorite.

This is definitely a Duet worth reading!

Cathie Linz' story, "Between The Covers" tells the tale of Paige Turner, a woman destined by her name to become a librarian. She's a "nice" woman, and becomes friends with Detective Shane Huntington, the Huntington family's black sheep. It seems he turned his back on his family's tradition of becoming proctologists by joining the police force, and they've never quite forgiven him. In order to meet conditions of an inheritance, he has to get married to a woman who meets a set of exacting conditions. Of course he turns to Paige the librarian for help in finding the perfect wife.

This was an amusing and fast-paced story. It had some classic themes of the genre - Paige's transformation in designer gowns, snobbish family members, the answer to Shane's dilemma being right before his eyes, etc. - but they were all done with style and wit. It was a very enjoyable story.

Jane Sullivan's "The Matchmaker's Mistake" is another excellent example of why I'm always on the lookout for one of her books. Her stories never fail to entertain. This story tells the tale of Mark McAlister, accountant. He's up for a coveted partnership in his firm, but he can see his chances slowly diminishing because he has neither the style nor the connections nor the trophy wife to advance the interests of the firm. Mark is not a one-dimensional character; he's overcome a lot in his earlier life to get where he is today, and it has scarred him. He goes to a bar to try to meet his perfect future wife, and is ultimately taken under the wing of Liz Prescott, the bartender. Liz takes pity on him and decides to take him in hand and help him achieve his goal.

This story was a version of Pygmalion in reverse. Liz is the free spirit who is trying to loosen up up Mark and recreate his image. Both characters were wonderful, the writing sharp and humorous, and the romance lovely. This book is definitely a keeper.

I've heard some people say romance doesn't represent "real life." Well, those people haven't read this book. We all know this hero and heroine. We like them. And we're pulling for them the whole book through. This author really made me care for the couple. And I loved her writing. It's funny and intelligent. It isn't often that an author can make me really laugh out loud when I'm reading, but Jane Sullivan accomplished it. Brava! I'll be picking up the rest of her books in a skinny minute.

Jane Sullivan has turned the Pygmalion tale upside down! Liz and Mark are two characters readers will adore.

Too bad the story had to end. Thank you, Jane Sullivan, for such a great beach read!

a fun-loving, spirited narration from a cat's perspective. Provides levity and proves refreshing to cat lovers who spend too much time in concerns of the human world and not enough in the Zen state of their furry friends.

Cheerful, humorous and beats anything in the Chicken Soup for Human Soul department.

Meoowwwww!

While you read this book, (probably while your cat is trying to get your attention by pushing the book down, or trying to paw at your lap) you will realize why so many people own cats, and why they are so fun to play with. You won't ever look at your cat the same, because you will always be trying to figure out exactly what is in his mind.

I loved this book! A funny, warm hearted look at felines and how felines see their human companions. Buy it for all your cat loving friends!

I have just finished House of Stairs for the 3rd time. I know little about writing and read mostly commercial fiction. However, the quality of Rendell's writing is at times breath taking. Her device is this book for shifting from the past to the present is simple and elegant. There is really no who done it here, only a why done it. And when you find out why, its so ordinary that you wonder why you read so long to get there. The why is that Rendell writes so good and dribbles the information out is dribs and drabs that you keep reading. You know early on that the narrator may or may not have a dread disease but it isn't identified until about 15% into the book.

One of the drawbacks to this book is the lack of sympathetic characters. Maybe its my age, but there is really no main character is this book who is likeable (although there are a couple which you care about). Elizabeth is the narrator but has an unfathomable weakness when it comes to Belle with whom there cannot be any type of healthy relationship. Belle is a flagrant sociopath who is only interesting because of the degree and outlandishness of her coldness and selfishness. Cossette is the all-time post child for co-dependency. Mark comes closest to being decent but in the end destroys Elizabeth and Cossette's relationship to save his own. There is no one in this group I'd ever want to be friends with.

As Elizabeth Vetch is travelling down the street in a taxi, she suddenly spots a woman whom she used to know many years before. A woman that she thought was still in prison. She calls the vehicle to a stop, and rushes off in pursuit of her old friend. Eventually, Elizabeth looses her amid the bustle of London. Then, here memories triggered by this event, she begins to tell the reader her story...

It's a tale that leads to a time when Elizabeth was staying in a tall boarding house (known by its residents as the House of Stairs) run by her kindly old friend Cosette, when all the varied inhabitants lived in peace and harmony, and when she was in a relationship with the enigmatic Bell, a woman who will soon be arrested for murder. But, then Mark comes into their lives, and the effects of his presence soon mean that none of their lives will ever be the same again. For death is following in his path...

Barbara Vine (aka Ruth Rendell) is quite, quite marvellous. The way she mixes past and present, the current story and the flashbacks to the events which happened at the House of Stairs is masterful, and not nearly as confusing as a lesser writer might make it. Her demonstrations of how the past can hold an inextricable grip on all our future's are brilliantly subtle. The characters she creates are almost unbearably realistic, and few of them are likeable. Even the kindly Cosette's needy dependency may grate on some after a while. She also injects a great subplot concerning the fact that Elizabeth, our narrator, may well have inherited the Huntington's Chorea that runs in her family.

The suspense Rendell creates with the almost unbearably slow (although never, ever boring) teasing out of her plots is immense, and she maintains it right to the end, when the final surprise is revealed. Some longstanding fans of Rendell may be able to guess the main subtle twist that she uses (but not all she has up her sleeve), for she has used a similar one before (but in a rather different way). But then, as another reviewer has said, very aptly, of Rendell, "she pulls back the curtain to reveal, rather than to surprise".

Vine/Rendell is not going to be ideal for anyone who prefers their thrillers to be fast-paced and exciting, with constant surprises, but if you're the sort of reader who admires an intelligent, immaculately written thriller, full of realistic characters, subtle suspense, and with one or two surprises along the way, then there is no one better at providing this that Rendell. The House of Stairs is a prime example

The Book is really good because the reader really has to think and has to find out who the killer is, and who she/he wants to kill. There is also a good version for non-English speakers! (Its for Intermediate -1650 words) The book was written by Barbara Vine, she is one of the most popular crime and mystery writers.

In the story is an old Lady who is really lonely and wants to be younger and to have a husband. Her best friend Elizabeth is always helping her with her problems. Cossette (the old Lady) is really rich so she buys her a new house with 106 stairs, then Bell Sanger, who was in prison because she killed her husband for money, meets Elizabeth on the street. What effect will she have? Later Liz (Elizabeth) falls in love with Bell. Liz is so happy but does Bell feel the same? Later Bell brings her brother Mark to the house of stairs. Cossette falls in love with him and Mark with her. Soon they are together, but is Mark really the right one for Cossette? And why is Bell so strange? Read the book and you will find out.

By Lilly F.

You can read this book in one night. It is very general and the company profiles were simply information taken from the web sites of the companies covered. I was expecting more in depth reviews of the firms which would touch on compensation structures, reputations, and an "insider's view" of the companies. On the positive side, it did contain many interview questions w/sample answers.

Overall if you are very new to the field....buy it. However, if you have been doing your homework on the industry and positions available, I do not see the need to purchase this "guide".

...

I used this book along with "Be Brief, Be Bright, Be Gone" book by David Frost as my guides to gaining employment as a Pharm Sales Rep. By following the suggestions for finding available jobs, plus studying all the 100+ likely interview questions, I was able to land a job with my number one company choice, a Fortune 25 company!!!

This is a great resource for preparing your resume, finding the right companies, and handling the interview process. I was called back a few days later after my interviews with a job offer!!!

This book, the Insider's Guide to the World of Pharmaceutical Sales, 6th Ed., made it possible for me to get the fantastic pharmaceutical sales position that I've now had for 3 weeks! For everyone looking for help to break into the pharmaceutical sales industry, I can't recommend this book enough!

Although I had three years of sales experience in another industry, I couldn't even get started in the pharmaceutical sales industry because the information you need to know is so specific. I made the mistake of purchasing a few other books before I purchased this one. They all concentrated on research and not on gaining interviews and answering interview questions. This book has 150 specific interview questions and answers and I feel like I answered most of them during my FIVE interviews with my present employer! The entire book is written with very specific pharmaceutical information and does not contain the "filler" or general type of information that I found in the others. Jane gives pharmaceutical company profiles that tell you exactly how much information you need to know about the company you interview with and she teaches you how to get the latest information about the company. You're even taught how to think like a pharmaceutical sales representative and interpret the body language of your pharmaceutical sales interviewer! This was so helpful during the interviews. Additionally, the career comparison guide example and instructions made it easy to prepare this very essential interviewing tool. This made the difference in my interview outcome! That document moved me ahead of the other finalist and I got the job!

To all pharmaceutical sales hopefuls...it is possible!