Books

In the Mind's Eye: Visual Thinkers, Gifted People With Dyslexia and Other Learning Difficulties, Computer Images and the Ironies of Creativity

Average customer rating:

Yes, An Irony
Computer Graphics and Gifted Dyslexics
Innovative
if your child is a puzzle whiz, buy this book now
A review from a dyslexic

In the Mind's Eye: Visual Thinkers, Gifted People With Dyslexia and Other Learning Difficulties, Computer Images and the Ironies of Creativity
Thomas G. West
Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Gift of Dyslexia
Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World: Unlocking the Potential of Your Add Child
Thinking Like Einstein: Returning To Our Visual Roots With The Emerging Revolution In Computer Information Visualization
Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems at Any Level
The Gift of Learning

ASIN: 1573921556

Customer Reviews:

Yes, An Irony.......2007-06-13

I bought this book thinking it will give me great insights on alternative ways of thinking and working but it's just another popular propaganda without any real substance.

The psychology in the book is nothing but folk theories.

Computer Graphics and Gifted Dyslexics.......2006-01-07

"In the Mind's Eye" is the most interesting book I've ever read. Author Thomas G. West shows how advanced computer graphic technology is starting to provide an educational and professional home for the dyslexic visual thinker. In delightful and precise language, he illustrates why this new world of processing requires a global perspective, or the ability to see the whole of a phenomenon, as opposed to the blinkered view of an isolated part, and thereby to recognize patterns and quickly identify irregularities and problems. A three-dimensional view of each trader's performance could have saved Baron's Bank from the rogue trader who destroyed it.

The brain design that enables the visual thinker to grasp vast amounts of data by seeing it from a global perspective often comes with dyslexia or other learning difficulties. For these people, the traditional classroom and bureaucratic organization are nightmares. Schools, universities, and corporations flush out many dyslexic visual thinkers at great cost to the progress of civilization.

Nowadays computers eliminate what in earlier systems caused problems. They handle spelling and calculations easily. Another kind of student and professional is needed, an individual who is talented at manipulating images, rather than those facile with arithmetic and able to recite on demand memorized passages assigned by a teacher.

This extended essay would interest the general reader as much as it would the visual thinker. West exposes you to a careful look at gifted, dyslexic visual thinkers who made extraordinary contributions to civilization. You will read about how these giants refused to buy into the dominant clerically oriented educational and professional systems and forged ahead to devise original ways to build on their strengths.

I was particularly interested that for these profiled individuals, what they had on hand was enough for their pursuits - the expertise and material available to them through their studies, work, or personal interests. They were able to shrug off professional, family, or societal expectations, giving themselves plenty of time to think quietly. Their passions lay in engagement rather than whether their inventions or discoveries would work or would sell. Their ideas and activities will trigger pyrotechnics of thought and, possibly, a myriad of ideas for projects to pursue in your free time.

Innovative.......2004-05-25

This author challenges the status quo about learning and creativity. His ideas challenge you think and re-visit your preconceptions.

On the other hand, his writing style is difficult and repetitive. Although interested I found it difficult to finish this book.

if your child is a puzzle whiz, buy this book now.......2003-12-07

I read this book slowly. Word by word. Not because I am dyslexic, but because I didn't want to miss anything that the author had to say. This book let me understand that my family isn't alone in struggling with the paradox of not hearing but seeing too well. A must have book and I am a confirmed library user.

A review from a dyslexic.......2003-05-30

I read this book after seeing what other people were reading after reading Dr. Sally Shaywitz's book. The title leads me to believe I wouldn't get much from it, but I was very mistaken. I found myself underlining passages and writing notes in the margins. West details a very compelling argument. His theory is since it appears the people with literary disabilities have superior visual/spatial skills, these skills may often be mutually exclusive. Hence, people with superior literary skills often have poor visual/spatial skills. He postulates that since human society has only been post-literate for hundreds of years compared to pre-literate for thousand of years, people with better visual/spatial skills would have a survival advantage as better hunter/gatherers and avoid other dangers. People with superior literary skills in a pre-literate society would have poor survival skills although they would be needed as say shamans, storytellers or record-keepers. The theory makes sense evolutionarily as it seems to confirm Shaywitz's observation that 1 in 5 people have some reading disability. Which at the time seemed high to me. West goes on to argue that society has been selecting against people with poor literary skills and details the danger this can pose. He argues it appears that society is turning back to needing people with high visual/spatial skills with the advent of cheap highly graphic computers and other visual modes of information communication. West details several famous (Einstein, Churchill, and Edison) and not-so-famous people (Faraday, Tesla and Maxwell) with literary disabilities but superior visual/spatial skills and how their skills were important for their success. I feel that dyslexics, educators, and policy makers should read this book. West makes a very persuasive argument that society should not select for only one skill set because you never know what skills a future society may need. In an aside, the film Gattaca uses West's theory as a basis of the plot even mentioning how Einstein was dyslexic. If you find this book compelling, you will enjoy the film.

The Dilbert Principle: A Cubicle's-Eye View of Bosses, Meetings, Management Fads & Other Workplace Afflictions

Average customer rating:

Total Quality Management Produced this
The Dilbert Principle for Seth
Excellent book.
Only for people who work in a cube
The common-sense alternative to the Peter Principle...

The Dilbert Principle: A Cubicle's-Eye View of Bosses, Meetings, Management Fads & Other Workplace Afflictions
Scott Adams
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Dogbert's Top Secret Management Handbook
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The Dilbert Future: Thriving on Stupidity in the 21st Century (Dilbert)
Random Acts Of Management:A Dilbert Book

ASIN: 0887308589

Amazon.com

You loved the comic strip; now read the business advice.

Or should that be anti-business advice? Scott Adams provides the hapless victim of re-engineering, rightsizing and Total Quality Management some strategies for fighting back, er, coping. Forced to work long hours, with no hope of a raise? Adams offers tips on maintaining parity in compensation. Along the way, Adams explains what ISO 9000 really is and assesses the irresistibility of female engineers.

The breath-taking cynicism of the strip should prepare readers for the author's no-holds-barred attack on management fads, large organizations, pointless bureaucracy and sadistic rule-makers who glory in control of office supplies. Readers of the on-line Dilbert Newsletter are familiar with the kind of e-mail Adams receives from his readers -- and may even have sent a few of those missives themselves. Along with illustrative strips, e-mail messages provide excruciating examples of corporate behavior which compel the reader to agree with Adams when he insists that "People are idiots".

The final chapter offers a model for would-be successful businesses to follow: the OA5 model. It's introduced with little fanfare, no outrageous promises and just the right amount of self-deprecation.

Book Description

The creator of Dilbert, the fastest-growing comic strip in the nation (syndicated in nearly 1000 newspapers), takes a look at corporate America in all its glorious lunacy. Lavishly illustrated with Dilbert strips, these hilarious essays on incompetent bosses, management fads, bewildering technological changes and so much more, will make anyone who has ever worked in an office laugh out loud in recognition.

The Dilbert Principle: The most ineffective workers will be systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage — management.

Since 1989, Scott Adams has been illustrating this principle each day, lampooning the corporate world through Dilbert, his enormously popular comic strip. In Dilbert, the potato-shaped, abuse-absorbing hero of the strip, Adams has given voice to the millions of Americans buffeted by the many adversities of the workplace.

Now he takes the next step, attacking corporate culture head-on in this lighthearted series of essays. Packed with more than 100 hilarious cartoons, these 25 chapters explore the zeitgeist of ever-changing management trends, overbearing egos, management incompetence, bottomless bureaucracies, petrifying performance reviews, three-hour meetings, the confusion of the information superhighway and more. With sharp eyes, and an even sharper wit, Adams exposes -- and skewers -- the bizarre absurdities of everyday corporate life. Readers will be convinced that he must be spying on their bosses, The Dilbert Principle rings so true!

Customer Reviews:

Total Quality Management Produced this.......2007-06-11

Scott Adams worked for a utility monopoly when he began his satirical comic strip that mocked decadent management. Does anyone believe his comic situations would apply to an owner-operated small business? Only a large monopoly could afford and profit from the examples in Dilbert-land. Their profits are based on costs, so their higher costs from mismanagement allow higher charges on their captive customers. Once you understand this you'll know why things work that way. But nothing lasts forever, many places will be closed, their employees outsourced offshore. The bad effects could be reduced by a program of internal competition and rotation of managers. (That pointy-haired manager has to have a relationship with somebody in upper management.) This book lacks an index and a bibliography, like a novel.

Note polarity when changing a battery (p.3). Statistics is the art of arranging facts so they produce the desired conclusion (p.5). Sometimes they can be factual. Adams' story about "bluffing" (p.6) tells me he is not a carpenter, painter, plumber, electrician, mason, farmer, or assembly line worker who produce something from real work. I doubt if any of them will ever read this book for humor. You might just as well explain television to a cave person. Adams doesn't understand the printing press; it reduced the cost to mass-produce literature for those who could read.

The `Introduction' seems truly idiotic. If his co-workers don't know much that tells you about their knowledge gained from weekly news-magazines, corporate broadcasts, weekly tabloids, etc. Does he have a cure? [I recommend reading a daily newspaper, news radio, and avoid broadcast media that features gossip and opinion, and magazines. Listening to advertising is a form of Pavlovian conditioning.] "The Dilbert Principle" (Chapter 1) originally appeared in the `Wall Street Journal' along with other curiosities of that day. [Browse a copy once a week, they have news that is often missing from most newspapers.] Adams wonders why certain people are promoted to management? It's the class system, managers do this to prevent being threatened by more talented people. Talented people will either leave for another company, or accept their fate (p.17). The ineffective manager is used as an expendable who can be sacrificed if the need arises (after blaming the workers who have only followed orders). You can read about this in the newspapers if you haven't seen this for yourself. Read C. Northcote Parkinson's book.

Giving Chapter 5 the title "Machiavellian Methods" tells me Scott Adams never read "The Prince". "Campaign Promises" may be a better title. "ISO 9000" is the way to document processes and job descriptions so the corporation can send this work offshore, fire employees, and save millions on salaries to give bonuses to upper management. There's no secret here (Chapter 20). This is followed by "Downsizing" (Chapter 21). Chapter 23 discusses "Reengineering". Did those two authors ever practice what they preached? If not, then what does it say about the mismanagers who believed their story? There is a hidden agenda here, a formula for mass layoffs.

The Dilbert Principle for Seth.......2007-01-25

I received what I ordered, on time, to the correct ship address and in good condition.

Excellent book........2007-01-03

If you want to know wath really happens inside a typical organization... read this book and you'll name everyone around your cubicle as the characters in the book. Have fun and discover the real organization structure.

Only for people who work in a cube.......2006-07-14

I usually enjoy Dilbert comics from the paper and expected a lot out of this book, but it didn't meet my expectations. Some of the comics are really funny and made me laugh out loud. However as I progressed through the chapters, I found the same basic theme repeating itself over and over again - that managers are idiots with bird sized brains and their only purpose in life is to make their employees miserable. To make things worse, Adams' prose and business advice is quite bad to read through. Maybe I didn't enjoy this book because I work in an office with few people who are all technical - no HR, no marketing and no sales. But I could relate to many situations described.

This book is strictly for office goers.

The common-sense alternative to the Peter Principle..........2006-06-04

The Peter Principle is "...The theory that employees within an organization will advance to their highest level of competence and then be promoted to and remain at a level at which they are incompetent."

The Dilbert Principle notes that "...the incompent workers are promoted directly to management without ever passing through the temporary competence stage."

Ouch!

Other gems:

The Dilbert cartoon when a coworker says to Dilbert, "I hope you won't mind my pillow and blanket at your presentation. The last time you presented, I lost consciousness and broke my nose on the table." So Dilbert, noting that everyone at the table is sleeping, wonders, "Whatever happened to good manners?"

"Our policy is to employ only the best technical professionals." Scott Adams reflects that, while this lie is appreciated by employees, unfortunately "only one company in each industry can have the best employees." He states that you might become suspicious when you notice your company's salaries, which are the lowest.

The "Dinosaur Strategy" for getting your way... This strategy involves "ignoring all new management directions while lumbering along doing things the same way you've always done them. What makes this strategy successful is that it usually takes six months for your boss to notice your rebellion and get mad about it. Coincidentally, that's about the length of time any boss stays in the same job."

You gotta love Dilbert. And, if you know the code, you have to like OA5!

One Eye Laughing, The Other Eye Weeping: The Diary of Julie Weiss, Vienna, Austria to New York 1938 (Dear America Series)

Average customer rating:

one of the best!!
Missed the Mark
A Child's Book?
Heartbreaking
A Vienna Girl's Story From 1938

One Eye Laughing, The Other Eye Weeping: The Diary of Julie Weiss, Vienna, Austria to New York 1938 (Dear America Series)
Barry Denenberg
Manufacturer: Scholastic Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Survival in the Storm: The Dust Bowl Diary of Grace Edwards, Dalhart, Texas 1935 (Dear America Series)

ASIN: 0439095182

Customer Reviews:

one of the best!!.......2007-03-11

My daughter loved this book! She said it was one of the best Dear America books that she has read.

Missed the Mark.......2006-11-03

Very dissappointing and bordering on revisionist history. The author makes a point of letting us know that the Jewish girl really doesn't practice religion. These events were driven by racism and religious oppression. By focusing on the character's lack of religion, it looks more like a modern day political perception rather than an historical account. I'm sorry to say we did not share this book with our daughter, but threw it away.

A Child's Book?.......2006-08-29

This book starts out very sweetly - a little girl named Julie waiting up for her Father to come home. A few pages later, I'm wondering if some brat stole Julie's diary, because the tone flips! She's glad, GLAD! that her brother Max is in crutches, she brags about how she's as smart as he is, she makes VERY personal observations about Milli's (the waiting maid) anatomy, and cheerfully reports that a fat, ugly boy from school tried to look up her dress, etc; etc. Weird book. I can't believe this ended up in the Dear America series.

Heartbreaking.......2006-05-23

Sure a good book, and hearing about the awful things happening around Julie is just heartbreaking.

A Vienna Girl's Story From 1938.......2006-05-11

This is a book about the Holocaust which is based on a true story. The Holocaust is told with horrifying details of the tasks Nazis took while trying to eliminate the Jew's. Julie Weiss is the main character in the book and she experienced first hand the horrifying ordeals the Nazis did to them. The story is told with great diary entries. Julie is a young girl and is as normal as other young girls. She is growing up with thoughts of making friends and going to school. Her family is Jewish but they do not practice the Jewish faith. One day Julie's world changes for ever. The Nazis invade and take control of all the Jews in Vienna, Austria. She no longer has to think about going to school, and making friends. She now is forced into a world of survival for herself and her family. The Nazis protest in the streets of Vienna, chanting Kill the Jews. Julie is very confused and can not understand why Jews are being thought of as terrible people. One night the Nazis barge into her home. The Nazis destroy her home. Her family and her are very fearful. Suddenly her father and brother are forced out of the home to scrub the sidewalk to get rid it of anti Hitler signs. After a while her father and brother realize that the liquid they are scrubbing the sidewalk with is not water, and that it is some kind of paint stripper that burns their hands. If they stop scrubbing the sidewalk they are punished severely. Many other events like that one also happen in the book. Although the book made me feel very sad, I could not put it down. Julie's mother is forced into the streets by the Nazi soldiers. It is not told what happened to her that evening, but her mother never fully recovers and is later brought to something heart-rending for everyone,. Julie's has an Aunt that lives in New York and her father brings together a plan to send Julie to America to live with her Aunt Clara. After many months of effort, Julie arrives in New York City where a whole new life awaits her, including a dream she had as a little girl. Julie never forgets the family she left behind. It is a terrific book. The diary entries are so real. If you find what happened with the holocaust interesting you should definitely pick up this book.

Average customer rating:

Image Before My Eyes
Lucjan Dobroszycki
Manufacturer: Schocken
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0805236074
Release Date: 1987-08-25

Their Eyes Were Watching God (Cliffs Notes)

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Their Eyes Were Watching God (Cliffs Notes)
Megan E. Ash
Manufacturer: Cliffs Notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Their Eyes Were Watching God
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ASIN: 0764586610

Book Description

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format.

In CliffsNotes on Their Eyes Were Watching God, you discover the work of one of the 20th century's first African-American female authors – Zora Neale Hurston. In the novel, Janie Crawford returns to her hometown in Florida and relates to her friend Pheoby the tragic story of her 40-year search for love and respect.

Chapter summaries and commentaries take you through Janie's journey, and critical essays give you insight into the novel's themes and structure, as well as Hurston's use of figurative language and dialect. Other features that help you study include

Character analyses of the main characters
A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters
A section on the life and background of Zora Neale Hurston
A review section that tests your knowledge
A Resource Center full of books, articles, films, and Internet sites

Classic literature or modern modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.

Download Description

This is a deeply moving story of one woman's search for love in this world. Although narrated by Hurston, the first and last chapters are "framed" around two long-lost friends who meet on a back porch. The book is a journey through the South and a testament to the hunger and fulfillment that love provides for each of us.

Christianity Through Non-Christian Eyes (Faith Meets Faith Series)

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Christianity Through Non-Christian Eyes (Faith Meets Faith Series)

Manufacturer: Orbis Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0883446618

Legends: Women Who Have Changed the World Through the Eyes of Great Women Writers

Average customer rating:

A Work of Art
www.valderbeebeshow.com
Worth a look for the pictures alone.
Reveals these women's many contributions to modern society
Great Book with great portraits!

Legends: Women Who Have Changed the World Through the Eyes of Great Women Writers
John Miller
Manufacturer: New World Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1577311833

Amazon.com

Although readers may quibble over how "legendary" a few of these subjects are or the greatness of some of their literary portrayers, this glossy tome deserves readers' attention. Brief, punchy text is paired with arresting black-and-white photos of a melange of remarkable women, such as Frida Kahlo, Aung San Suu Kyi, Rachel Carson, Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir, Marilyn Monroe, and Josephine Baker. The result is an unholy, but thoroughly enjoyable, jostling throng where sex symbols rub elbows with world leaders and artists spill drinks on reformers.

Alma Guillermoprieto emblazons the later years of mercurial modern dance pioneer Martha Graham's life. Once a dance student at Graham's vaunted studio, she remembers that "as Martha wove through our ranks she would snarl, and pinch and slap us, evidently enraged by our sloppy posture, our dishevelment, our general lack of presence." Camille Paglia talks of what Amelia Earhart meant to her as an American teenager in the early 1960s, railing against restrictive sex roles while "marooned in a desert of perky blondes." Cynthia Ozick takes aim at Gertrude Stein, Joan Didion at Georgia O'Keefe, and Diane Ackerman at Beryl Markham. Margeretta Mitchell recalls photographer Imogen Cunningham striding San Francisco in her beaded cap and white bangs, proclaiming by her acts "that it was possible to grow old working; to maintain interest in life; to be wholly oneself." Far from being fluff, many of these excerpts from longer writings are as provocative and engaging as the legends they embellish. --Francesca Coltrera

Book Description

Rendered by women artists and writers, these portraits illuminate the most influential women of our time. Liv Ullman marvels at Anne Frank's faith in the face of atrocity. Claudia Roth Pierpont explores how Virginia Woolf's atypical persona informed literature for the next hundred years. Camille Paglia champions Amelia Earhart as a pioneer who invaded the male world. The book also celebrates the fire of Angela Davis, the courage of Aung San Suu Kyi, the brains of Eleanor Roosevelt, and the brio of Ella Fitzgerald. The essays are accompanied by striking duotone photographs by such photographers as Alfred Stieglitz, Man Ray, and Cecil Beaton. Pairings include Joan Didion on Georgia O'Keeffe, Terry Tempest Williams on Rachel Carson, and Gloria Steinem on Marilyn Monroe.

Customer Reviews:

A Work of Art.......2007-02-19

I initially borrowed this from the library, I picked it up because I loved the photo of Audrey. Every page is a little feast of information and every photo a work of 'Art'. I need say no more.

www.valderbeebeshow.com.......2006-03-05

After reading Legends 2 : Women Who Changed the World through the Eyes of Great Women Writers by John Miller, Kirsten Miller (September 2004) my curiosity to know more about `the women who are considered legendary' in our times, lead me to the original Legends by John Miller.
As my life is always inspired by those who `live their purpose' I was not disappointed by John Miller's daring assemblage of writers to optimize in words, their thoughts of contemporary iconic women from Golda Meir, Bette Davis, Josephine Baker, Zora Neale Hurston, Helen Keller, to the power of Georgia O'Keeffe, the bravery of Amelia Earhart, the beauty and wit of Lucille Ball, to the omni-presence of Oprah Winfrey.
As I tackle my days of mountains and mountains of to do's, during my mandated 3:00 mediation time, I read a page for renewal and inspiration to tackle the next contract, the next segment of my radio show or write the next review. Each well written snapshot of each of these heroic women is pure energetic inspiration. Reading the shards of Ella Fitzgerald life, reminds me of how far our world has come and how GOD has kept watch over "women" who are the perpetual of the world (not the destroyers as our gender counter part seem). The passions of Martha Stewart no matter what is said, you can not tarnished her business greatness for turning the mundane into an empire, (no matter what you think today).
As I continue to read, I want my daughter to now know these books, Legends. I want her to know and revere the women who faced odds and simply saw obstacles as `what you face in life.' Babe Didrikson Zaharias, an Olympic Athlete, faced it all; controversy, cancer and unbelievable discrimination to live her purpose. Anne Frank, has shown us that our greatness will rise, no matter what the circumstances. Marion Anderson exhibited that greatness will fulfill its purpose, no matter where; before a segregated audience or from the Lincoln Memorial.
Women. We make the world revolve, we create new life, and we are the reason for the term `a glass ceiling' being incorporating into modern language. John Miller reminds us `women-you have to live with us because you can not advance without us.'

Worth a look for the pictures alone........2002-10-24

Rather ironic, really, that the editor of this fine book is a man ~ unless "John Miller" is the nom de guerre of some radical female. Still, editing the book can't have been very hard; Miller had some excellent writers to work with. The selection of the legends is somewhat more questionable. Of the fifty, less then twenty are neither from nor intimately associated with the United States; in the effort to remind people of the ability of the other gender to produce legends, the publishers have largely neglected the largest portion of that gender. And as if that restriction is not enough, the editor has not included anyone for whom a photograph is not available, thus denying any woman from the first 95% of history the opportunity to be a legend. Funnily enough, these censures aside, i really enjoyed this book. Quite unlike the usual "feminist book" (i hate the quotes, but you have to admit they belong there), this is neither strident not shrill, nor even obnoxious. It is beautifully written, nicely put together, with superb selection of wonderful photographs of handsome people. Can't ask for much more than that, eh?

Reveals these women's many contributions to modern society.......2002-01-09

Legends aptly pairs essays with black and white photos to examine the lives of women who have changed the world - as presented by great women writers such as Meg Cohen, Anne Hollander, Patricia McLaughlan and others. Enjoy an inviting collection of contemporary biographical sketches which reveals these women's many contributions to modern society.

Great Book with great portraits!.......2001-08-25

I got this for my mum once and it is so good.A different author writes about each of the different famous women in the book in only praising tones and it is really great to look through.Each page is a seperate female,author,article and photograph. Some of the sheilas written about are:Marilyn,Audrey Hepburn(as the cover shows you),Twiggy,Anne Frank and lets not forget Mother Theresa.Or Princess Diana.Madonna does not make it into this book,thank the lord,and thankfully neither do big modern-day stars such as Britney Spaniels..I mean Spears.All-in-all as they say!,a very good book!

Seeing Through New Eyes: Changing the Lives of Autistic Children, Asperger Syndrome and Other Developmental Disabilities Through Vision Therapy

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A must to read.
See to Learn, See to Work, See to Play

Seeing Through New Eyes: Changing the Lives of Autistic Children, Asperger Syndrome and Other Developmental Disabilities Through Vision Therapy
Melvin Kaplan
Manufacturer: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Visual Perception Problems in Children With AD/HD, Autism, And Other Learning Disabilities: A Guide for Parents And Professionals
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ASIN: 1843108003

Customer Reviews:

A must to read........2007-01-12

One of the most interesting book in the field of vision, behavior, posture and
much more.
Thousand thanks to Dr M.KAPLAN.

See to Learn, See to Work, See to Play .......2006-02-20

Seeing Through New Eyes is an introduction to the treatment of visual conditions that go beyond 20/20 eyesight. Developmental or behavioral vision care can have a significant impact on behavioral, social and learning problems associated with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities. Poor eye contact and other behaviors are often the result of difficulty with "ambient vision" that drives spatial awareness, visual organization and balance/coordination. Dr. Kaplan gives guidance on how to identify the visual deficits of nonverbal children, select performance lenses that will alter ambient vision and how to create individual vision management programs in order to assist each individual in achieving maximum success in life. This book is essential reading for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and professionals in the fields of autism, optometry, ophthalmology, psychology and education.

Contemporary Creative Nonfiction: I & Eye

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Contemporary Creative Nonfiction: I & Eye
Bich Minh Nguyen , and Porter Shreve
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Essays | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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In Short: A Collection of Brief Creative Nonfiction
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ASIN: 0321198174

Book Description

A diverse and wide range of contemporary creative nonfiction, including 45 essays and 15 commentaries on craft. The sometimes blurry line between personal and journalistic nonfiction; emphasis on craft; focus on thematic organization as an approach. Undergraduate Introductory and Advanced courses on essay writing and the art of the essay; Graduate-level courses on Creative Nonfiction writing.

Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow

Average customer rating:

a wonderful addition to our library.
A gorgeous unique children's poetry book...
"Touches each clear gem with its sidelong gaze"
A light invitational guide to the outdoors world.

Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow
Joyce Sidman
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 061856313X

Book Description

Discover the hidden world of the meadow in this unique combination of poetry riddles and science wisdom. Beginning with the rising sun and ending with twilight, this book takes us on a tour through the fields, encouraging us to watch for a nest of rabbits, a foamy spittlebug, a leaping grasshopper, bright milkweed, a quick fox, and a cruising hawk.

Customer Reviews:

a wonderful addition to our library........2007-03-19

I love this poetry book. I bought it because it won the Cybil award for best poetry for children. And I am so pleased with it. The poetry is clever, the illustrations are beautiful, and the text is educational.

A gorgeous unique children's poetry book..........2006-12-20

This is a stunning poetry book for children. Kids often shy away from poetry because it can seem vague and inaccessible but the author draws the reader in by making each poem a riddle/guessing game. She gives descriptive clues about the animals and insects of the meadow and then concludes by asking, "What am I?" or "Who is he?" etc. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, stunning really. They are made by the scratchboard technique to produce rich deep colors with intense yet simple detail. This is a beautiful book, quite unlike anything else I've seen.

"Touches each clear gem with its sidelong gaze".......2006-11-17

I don't mean to jump the gun here, but if we happen to be in need of a future Children's Poet Laureate once Mr. Prelutsky concedes the throne, I would like to nominate one Ms. Joyce Sidman for the honor. I can't really consider myself to be any kind of expert on the form, mind you. Poems seem nice enough, but they very rarely wow me. If something rhymes that's cool, but I'm a lackadaisical poetry lover at best. It really takes something with a bit of punch to wake me out of my anti-poetic malaise, and that something (more often than not) is Ms. Sidman. Her acquisition of a much coveted Caldecott Honor for, "Songs of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems", may have struck some as out of left field, but for anyone familiar with her work there could be no surprise. Now she's followed up that hit with yet another. Taking the purportedly incompatible notions of science and verse, Ms. Sidman weaves the two together so seamlessly that the reader is left completely unaware of the fact that this poetry book is (gasp, shudder) TEACHING them something. Not for the faint of heart, to say the least.

Sixteen poems describe the multitude of meadow denizens that stake a claim in that particular kind of land. Each poem describes a creature, though it's up to the reader to guess that animal/plant/insect's identity. Two pages of poetry showing a hint of the thing being described lead into two more pages of factual information. For example, you might read that, "We tumble / we twitter / we dip / float / and flitter", but when you turn the page you'll find information telling you how goldfinches (the answer) are "extremely social birds, flocking together not only during migration but also all year long." Some poems are funny, some are mysterious, and most leave you ah-hankerin' for more. At the end kids will also find a Glossary of those terms that might have escaped their comprehension earlier in the book.

The writing is, as always, magnificent. My favorite poem out of the bunch is, "An Apology To My Prey", which contains such lines as "And my wings: I regret their slotted tips / that allow such explosive thrust / their span that gathers wind / effortlessly, and of course their / deadly, folding dive." Sometimes when I meet with the homeschooler bookgroup that I run, I do a poetry unit with them for kicks. Hearing the kids say lines like, "a golden sickle poised over / your soft, helpless heart" or "seeking, as they do, that final grip", is something I look forward to. Ever confusing the issue, Sidman never plays it safe. She could have just kept her poems within the same ABAB rhyme scheme and no one would have given it a second thought. If I have any objection with the book it is the mildest wish that perhaps maybe there could have been a brief explanation of the types of poems found in the story. What is the name of a poem where the words themselves make the shape of the animal being discussed (as is done with, "Don't I Look Delicious?") or those read in two voices (as with "Sap Song")? Looks like teachers will have some work on their hands using this book in their poetry unit. Time to break out Paul B. Janeczko's, "A Kick In the Head" for defining the right forms.

I was a little surprised to find that that illustrator on this project was not Beckie Prange (as she was on "Song of the Water Boatman") but rather the somewhat similar Beth Krommes. Where Prange worked in woodcuts, however, Krommes prefers the scratchboard technique. It's rather enthralling. More to the point, I personally feel that the switch to Krommes was a good move on the publisher's part. In "Song of the Water Boatman" Prange did a nice job, but the illustrations felt almost a little too straightforward. They were entirely accurate, but (sorry, guys) kinda dull. Prange limited her color palate, and the result was a perfectly nice if not particularly thrilling series of pages. Krommes, in contrast, isn't afraid to liven things up a little. Her image of gathering dew shows tiny blue circles clustering close under a purple sky filled with variegated stars. The meadow is alive here, encompassing vast fields, or a single eye of a buttefly as needs be. There are also two panoramic views at both the front and the back of the book of the meadow at dawn and at night that demand to be stared at for several full minutes of time. Particularly if that viewer happens to be of the youngish brain-still-growing variety.

Ms. Sidman is, of course, not the only children's poet to tackle scientific notions in a poetic fashion. I would be much amiss not to mention Jon Scieszka's lovely little "Math Curse" and "Science Verse". Still, if kids learn anything from Scieszka's books it more as an afterthought than part of his original intent. And Ms. Sidman, for all that she packs fact after fact into this book, never ends up with a dry as toast school textbook either. She knows exactly how to sift together equal parts information and entertainment. And you know, you can yammer on as long as you want about things like "the circle of life" and how one creature effects another's existence and never make even the slightest dent of an impression on a young person's brain. Far better to just hand a kid this book then. Here we can see how the fox eats the rabbit and the milkweed sustains the butterflies without launching into dull preachiness. This is the cycle expanded and encompassing a wide range of critters big and small. The rare meeting of "interesting" with "faaaaabulous".

A light invitational guide to the outdoors world........2006-11-06

How do creatures perceive nature? What are the hidden worlds they inhabit? It's unusual to see a book of poetry include a healthy dose of science - but that's what makes BUTTERFLY EYES special: kids are invited to survey and understand nature through a blend of poetry and observations of the environment. Beth Krommes' gentle, realistic illustrations accompany a light invitational guide to the outdoors world.

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