Universal Principles of Design: 100 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach Through Design

Book Description

Whether a marketing campaign or a museum exhibit, a video game or a complex control system, the design we see is the culmination of many concepts and practices brought together from a variety of disciplines. Because no one can be an expert on everything, designers have always had to scramble to find the information and know-how required to make a design work—until now.

Universal Principles of Design is the first cross-disciplinary reference of design. Richly illustrated and easy to navigate, this book pairs clear explanations of the design concepts featured with visual examples of those concepts applied in practice. From the 80/20 rule to chunking, from baby-face bias to Ockham's razor, and from self-similarity to storytelling, 100 design concepts are defined and illustrated for readers to expand their knowledge.

This landmark reference will become the standard for designers, engineers, architects, and students who seek to broaden and improve their design expertise.

Customer Reviews:

full of info...dry, but usefull........2007-09-18

This reminded me of an old textbook, having very few visual examples and loads of text. That said I have found it a good read with more information than other similar design books. It is a good book to grasp the whole spread of design.

Key Priciples for Every Designer.......2007-09-11

I loved this book for its illustrations, organization & its selection of principles. It covers pivotal ideas from visual design, interaction design, industrial engineering, an communications design & cross-references each principle to related principles & sources for further exploration. It's hard to image a professional in any design field that would appreciate this uniquely valuable & enjoyable reference.

Resource Supreme.......2007-09-10

This book has great visual examples of the concepts in design. Designers, teachers and commercial art directors should have it on a shelf near by.

No big secrets in this book.......2007-07-22

This book does have some useful and interesting principals of design. However most any person who is thoughtful and careful in designing a human interface will figure these things out without this book. In fact a fair percentage of the principals discussed are painfully obvious to anyone.

One of the Best Books in my Library.......2007-07-19

This is an invaluable resource for any designer. Well-organized and easy to read, with a multitude of cross-references. One of the best values I've come across in recent years.

The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth

Average customer rating:

Great Read -- But pay attention
A Passion for Life on Earth
" a title" ! What do you mean? explain
Not the Fittest
The creation: An Appeal to Save LIfe on Earth

The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth
Edward O. Wilson
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0393062171

Book Description

In this daring work, Edward O. Wilson proposes an alliance between science and religion to save Earth's vanishing biodiversity.

Dear Pastor:
We have not met, yet I feel I know you well enough to call you friend. First of all, we grew up in the same faith. Although I no longer belong to that faith, I am confident that if we met and spoke privately of our deepest beliefs, it would be in a spirit of mutual respect and goodwill. I write to you now for your counsel and help. Let us see if we can, and you are willing, to meet on the near side of metaphysics in order to deal with the real world we share. I suggest that we set aside our differences in order to save the Creation. The defense of living Nature is a universal value. It doesn't rise from nor does it promote any religious or ideological dogma. Rather, it serves without discrimination the interests of all humanity.

Pastor, we need your help. The Creation—living Nature—is in deep trouble.

The Creation is E. O. Wilson's most important work since the publications of Sociobiology and Biophilia. Like Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, it is a book about the fate of the earth and the survival of our planet. Yet while Carson was specifically concerned with insecticides and the ecological destruction of our natural resources, Wilson, the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner, attempts his new social revolution by bridging the seemingly irreconcilable worlds of fundamentalism and science. Like Carson, Wilson passionately concerned about the state of the world, draws on his own personal experiences and expertise as an entomologist, and prophesies that half the species of plants and animals on Earth could either have gone or at least are fated for early extinction by the end of our present century.

Astonishingly, The Creation is not a bitter, predictable rant against fundamentalist Christians or deniers of Darwin. Rather, Wilson, a leading "secular humanist," draws upon his own rich background as a boy in Alabama who "took the waters," and seeks not to condemn this new generations of Christians but to address them on their own terms. Conceiving the book as an extended letter to a southern Baptist minister, Wilson, in stirring language that can evoke Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail," tells this everyman minister how, in fact, the world really came to be. He pleads with these men of the cloth to understand the cataclysmic damage that is destroying our planet and asks for their help in preventing the destruction of our Earth before it is too late. Never a pessimist, Wilson avers that there are solutions that may yet save the planet, and believes that the vision that he presents in The Creation is one that both scientists and pastors can accept, and work on together in spite of their fundamental ideological differences. 25 line drawings.

Customer Reviews:

Great Read -- But pay attention.......2007-10-05

It took me a couple of weeks to read this book, because the biology in it requires you to really pay attention. But Wilson's chapter on extinctions is scary and saddening.

A Passion for Life on Earth.......2007-09-13

It seems that Edward O. Wilson's goal in this book as an open letter to a southern Baptist minister was a persuasion to an enthusiasm in the enjoyment of the diversity of life, to use this to protect "The Creation" which is the biological riches that are still here, and indirectly to share his belief in evolution. Other than the last goal I felt his eloquent writing and passion was quite persuasive. He made me feel a bit guilty for not continuiing on as a biology teacher.

Wilson does mention evolution in the book but his mentioning is not part of an overall arguement in defense of it. I imagine some people that either do not believe in evolution or do and would like it well defended were disappointed in this aspect of the book. I did not feel that it was the main point, despite the title and it's near play on creationism, and I think Wilson's writing and avidity for the diversity of life are the substance of this book.

There are plenty of biological gems illuminated in "The Creation" and I think anyone would be interested and fascinated by such information as the existence of over 700 species of bacteria in the average person's mouth or details of the underground biosphere that could continue existing even with a complete scorching of the earth's surface. Wilson's has learned much about the life of the earth and this small book is a distillation of his learning and thoughts from a life of study. I would recommend it to anyone.

" a title" ! What do you mean? explain.......2007-08-08

Very detail analysis of issues. I hope our leaders are required to read such material

Not the Fittest.......2007-06-09

The book didn't quite live up to its billing. I'd expected something that was not at all incendiary or overtly driven by scientific (evolution theory dogmatic) beliefs. Instead, the book came across much more as smelling of sarcasm with tones of "surely everyone knows this stuff". This is certainly scientific apologetics, without apology to its supposed intended audience. Staunch marcoevolutionists will smirk at the veiled selfaggrandizement. Creationists will find nothing new in the "others'" view. Those with feet in both camps still await the Rosetta Stone that bridges the gulf.

The creation: An Appeal to Save LIfe on Earth.......2007-05-14

The book is written as an "impassioned letter to a Southern Babtist Pastor". I'm not sure that this letter would convince a "Southern Babtist Pastor" to help in efforts to save the bioshpere. He does have good arguments that would convince persons in the scientific community that we must save the biodiverity of the earth.

E. O. Wilson is a gifted author and keeps it interesting.

Average customer rating:

Feminine Repel
Feminine Appeal
Ok advice for Wives and Mothers, not good at all for Single Women
Biblical Advice
Wonderful

Feminine Appeal
Carolyn Mahaney
Manufacturer: Crossway Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1581346158

Book Description

Carolyn Mahaney identifies with the challenges facing women in today’s world and meets them with the guidance of God’s Word. The feminine virtues described in Titus 2 have transformed her life and the lives of countless other women. This book will show you the appeal of being a woman who lives for God and helps others do the same.

âCarolyn’s warm, practical, biblical, God-centered approach offers the mature mentoring that women of every age yearn for at times. For some, Feminine Appeal may be an excellent stand-in for the mentor they lack right now. For others, it will wonderfully complement the relationship they have with an older friend of the Titus 2 sort.â
â John and NoÃ«l Piper, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis

âWe love this book! It's a godsend for both wives and their husbands. It gives women a clear vision of biblical femininity and shows men what to encourage their wives towards. Carolyn has been a friend and mentor to Shannon, and we're thrilled that through these pages she provides women of all ages the same honest, convicting, and hope-filled guidance.â
âJoshua and Shannon Harris, author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye

âWe’ll give this book our ultimate endorsementâwe have given it to all our married daughters! Carolyn offers the kind of godly, seasoned counsel that is desperately needed by women today. She is practical, authentic, and biblically based. This book ought to be required reading for every womanâmarried or single!â
âDennis and Barbara Rainey, Founders, FamilyLife Today

âFeminine Appeal has had a huge impact on the women of our church. Carolyn writes with a wonderful blend of soundness, encouragement, humility, and practicality that makes this book one of the best on the market for women desiring to please God in these most basic and crucial of life callings. Feminine Appeal has been the single most valuable book on Titus 2 living for women that I (Connie) have ever read.â
âMark and Connie Dever, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C.

Customer Reviews:

Feminine Repel.......2007-09-09

I'm reminded of an episode of one of my favorite shows, in which four ladies are sitting together and one claims that a working, independent woman is a threat to a man. One of her friends responds by saying, "Did someone order a Victorian straight up?" Those words pretty much sum up my feelings when reading Mahaney's work, particularly this one.

In this book, there's the usual combination of conservative lace and arsenic: rosy words of Christian womanhood, mixed with almost acid-laced words about the feminist movement and all its evils. Mahaney even goes so far as to compare feminism to toxic air, harmful to the delicate throats of stay-at-home mommies and good Christian girls. What's funny to me is that, while so many women like Mahaney accuse feminists of categorizing all housewives into one category with one motive, they do the very same thing to feminists themselves! If they are to be believed, all feminists are man-hating, woman-hating anti-wife people who believe women should conquer men and never get married. Well honey, you're looking at a feminist who's a Bible-believing Christian and very much plans to be a working at home wife. If Mahaney really wants feminists to be open-minded, maybe she should set the example herself instead of practicing the very methods she claims she hates.

Along with the anti-feminist lecture and Victorian views of womanhood, there's also the typical old-fashioned twisting of wifely submission (you knew this would come up sooner or later, right?) It shouldn't surprise you one particle that Mahaney is the "follow your husband, stay underneath him" type. Expect to hear that this is God's design and not man's; expect to hear stories about good 'ol Christian gals who resisted being good and obedient at first, but finally came around and played the caboose to their husbands (much to their husbands' delight and their marriages' benefit, of course).

The only thing that exasperates me more than people who try to place wives behind/beneath their husbands is their earnest, eager attempt to prove to us that this is GOD'S design, not theirs. I'm sure Mahaney hoped her words, practically jumping off the page entreating the reader to believe in her style of submission, would be moving to the reader, but they earned nothing more than a dispassionate and mildly exasperated gaze from me. Mahaney claims that we are to be placed "under the authority of our husbands", and I can only thank God that most Christians today know that wives are not to be under their husbands in any way. Of course, every time one attempts to convince a reader of anything this severe, they pull out the trick of claiming it's from God, in order to try and avert any resistance or doubt on the part of the reader. Mahaney even quoted Wayne Grudem and Elisabeth Elliot on this subject. I suppose she thought these names, being well-known, would encourage the reader, but since the main thing I know Grudem and Elliot for is placing women perpetually under a testasterone rule, this only served to discredit her position further in my eyes. Grudem's typical tactic, to claim that Jesus is joyfully under God's rule and so women should be the same under man's rule, was very present in this book and did nothing more than prove to me that Grudem has no more humility than the last time I had the misfortune of reading his views of women.

Just to answer a few of Mahaney's comments in the book: At one point, she cries, "Do you see now that submission was formed in the heart of GOD?"

I already knew that, sweet lady, but it's not the kind of submission you describe.

At another point, she had the nerve to say, "A True woman will not be afraid to place herself in a position of submission"

Well, then it's a good thing that I don't base my womanhood on the definition of people like Mahaney because, once again, I DO believe in submission, but not the kind she exhorts.

Mahaney is definetly one of the most severly old-fashioned authors of her viewpoint, and that's saying a lot. If you ever found yourself giggling at the likes of Elizabeth George, you'll find yourself guffawing at the likes of Carolyn Mahaney (for the record, I LIKE Elizabeth George, but my point is that anyone familiar with her writing knows that her views can sometimes be defined as rosily conservative, so if you don't like that, you won't like Mahaney's views which are ten times that). If you are a fan of Mahaney's, please excuse my words if they have cut you. The truth is, narrow words of womanhood like Mahaney's used to cut me; they were like thorns that my heart tread on. However, now my heart has strengthened, hardened, and is like a foot that has tread too long on thorns: it's too tough to be torn any more, and a foot (or a heart) thus toughened cannot help but scorn the thorns it now easily crushes when they come underfoot. There are plenty of excellent books out there on womanhood and submission. I'd suggest trying Bunny Wilson and Liz Curtis Higgs instead.

Feminine Appeal.......2007-08-13

I was magnitized to this book after reading only a few pages. It truly spoke to my heart. I was awestruck line after line at the message I found on each page. It was like someone knew the exact thoughts & frustrations that I never shared with anyone but, the Lord, as a young bride, a naive young mother and now, a 48 yr. old woman who is seeking God's best plan in my life.
I would highly recommend this book to Godly women of all ages.
You will be enlightened & empowered!

Ok advice for Wives and Mothers, not good at all for Single Women.......2007-07-26

I am a single women and I have no childern. I found this book to be helpful in some ways but I really don't think this is a practical book for women who are single, don't have childern or for married women who have careers outside of the home. I bought the book because it was recommeded by another book I read that said it would give helpful advice to women(that being any women). But for the most part this is not a helpful book unless you are a homemaker, planning on being a homemaker or are having trouble with your role as a mother and wife and want some fresh ideas on how you could improve your role. I would definitly not recommend this book to a single women, because many of the aspects talked about in this book are not helpful with the everyday single women life. Also I think this book would probably upset many single and working class women because many of the views the author expressed were in my oppinion biased against women who are single and also against women who want or choose to have careers outside of being a homemaker. Also many of the situations in the book single women could not relate to because they specifically deal with things a women for the most part would never exprience outside of marriage and being a mother. So plain and simple this book I would probably recommend to a married women and\or women with children who want to be homemakers, but I do not think this book is ment for single women or women who are married and have careers outside of the home and this book just could not fufill all the practical spiritual needs of single women and women with careers today. Also I feel if this book was read by women who have careers, are single and are young in their spiriual walk with God, this book could make them despise God's Word in a way and throw them into spiritual confusion about what God wants form women. Also I think many of the principals that the author pointed to in Titus 2 were manupulated to make it seem like a womens only job is to be a homemaker and a servant to her husband and family. And that if a women chooses to work outside of the home, that some how that women is not following God's will for women which I think is just crazy. In short for the most part the book was just plain and simplly biased and accordind to one women thoughts, interpertation, and experiences on what the Bible has to say about what a womans role in marriage and life is.

Biblical Advice.......2007-04-01

I strongly recommend this book as a guide for women seeking to honor God. Based upon the principles of Titus 2 it is a down to earth, honest approach to life for single or married women.

I often give this as a gift at bridal showers.

I don't think you will be disappointed should you decide to order this book.

Bonnie Tigner

Wonderful.......2007-01-10

Feminine Appeal is one of the best books I've read. I read it for the first time right after I got married and was completely encouraged. I made a habit of re-reading this book every 6-12 months. There is valuable, timeless words offered by Carolyn Mahaney. Mostly importantly, it is God centered and very biblical.

The For Sale By Owner Handbook: Fsbo Faqs: From Pricing Your Home Right And Increasing Its Curb Appeal To Negotiating The Contract And Hassle-free Closing

Average customer rating:

Conflicting information; incomplete; poor grammar -- very bad!
Maybe in the right market...
Better than FSBO Kit (Irwin)
Worth the money
Best Book

The For Sale By Owner Handbook: Fsbo Faqs: From Pricing Your Home Right And Increasing Its Curb Appeal To Negotiating The Contract And Hassle-free Closing
Piper Nichole
Manufacturer: Career Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 156414805X

Book Description

Have you ever wanted to sell your own home? Jennifer Wake is banking $45,000 from selling her home solo. This nurse by night, For Sale By Owner by day, says, "It really paid off."

The For Sale by Owner Handbook guides you step-by-step through the home-selling process. It gives you inside real estate trade secrets to sell your home like a pro.

A team of national leading experts-pros from: "Trading Spaces", Oprah Winfrey's magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Country Living, House Beautiful, "This Old House", Yale University, University of California-Berkeley, New York University, American University, and the Fannie Mae Foundation (just to name a few!)—take you by the hand and teach you how to:

• Sell your home for the best price
• Make your home irresistible to buyers
• Negotiate contracts with ease (sample real estate contracts included)
• Hassle-free closing
• How to make sure buyers are financially qualified to buy your home
• How to get your home listed on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service)
• And every single step along the way

In addition, there are numerous interviews with national experts, including:

• Real estate agents - successful home-selling tactics
• Attorneys -- provide legal advice and contract tips
• Interior designers -- to make your home look more spacious
• Home inspectors -- What you want to see, what you don't want to know (see the sample inspection report)
• Appraisers, mortgage lenders, title insurance pros, home warranty experts, termite inspectors, and more.

Customer Reviews:

Conflicting information; incomplete; poor grammar -- very bad!.......2007-09-27

This book appears to have been thrown together quickly in order to satisfy a market niche. First and foremost, it is lacking in detail. There's no way you can take what you "learn" in this book and then immediately sell your home FSBO. You need a lot more information on closing, home inspection, and numerous other issues on which this book barely touches. Furthermore, the formatting of the book, which highlights the opinions of "experts," is often contradictory without any insight into or explanation of the contrary opinions. Rather, mutually exclusive opinions (and facts!) are presented side-by-side. Finally, there are tons of typos and grammatical errors in this book -- which is predominantly fluff, any way. The type face is large and the book is thin. Although there isn't a lot of material to be found on selling FSBO (for obvious reasons), would-be FSBO sellers would be smart to continue their searches rather than stopping here.

Maybe in the right market..........2007-09-23

With all due respect to the results the other reviewers may have gotten, I and my wife can say with certainty that this book, or the other FSBO book we bought, would not have gotten us through the kind of sale we faced in the turbulent California market at the end of 2007. The book had some very practical tips on prepping the house prior to sale, but would have provided little guidance in dealing with the kind of realtor & buyers that we consistently had to deal with, and who ultimately made the only decent offer on our place, but who ultimately strung us out (missing the escrow date in the disintegrating lending market), and tried to worm all kinds of preposterous conditions and discounts from us. We fell back on our very experienced realtor who knew exactly how to deal with such people and situations. I wouldn't not recommend this, or any other FSBO book (though the boiler-plate contracts in the other book were ultimately worthless), but BE PREPARED to have a GOOD realtor on your side should things go wrong. An green seller would not have the perspective to deal with sharky buyers and realtor-lender teams. Be warned.

Better than FSBO Kit (Irwin).......2007-05-31

I bought this book and the FSBO Kit book by Irwin, and this one is far superior! This book is concise and packs more useful information, especially once you've found a buyer. The other has much less on negotiating, writing contracts, the steps leading to closing, who pays for what, estimates for repairs post-inspection, and tips for packing. I'd describe the Irwin book as more of a pep-talk, but it did give me the confidence to do it myself.

Worth the money.......2007-01-14

The best one - it was very helpful in getting me through the fine details. Well worth the money.

Best Book.......2006-05-25

I went to the library and got several books on FSBO and this one was the best. Several books I had from the library were not true FBSO books for they only had one chapter talking about it. This handbook was not like that. With it recieved my full asking price and was able to understand confusing jardon and rules in selling the house. Most importantly, I felt secure at every step of the selling process that i was not getting ripped off and everything was fair.

Winning on Appeal: Better Briefs & Oral Argument

Average customer rating:

Wish I had read this first!

Winning on Appeal: Better Briefs & Oral Argument
Ruggero J. Aldisert
Manufacturer: NITA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1556818246

Book Description

Since it was first published over a decade ago, Winning on Appeal has been adopted by top-flight law schools for appellate advocacy courses. It also has become a popular desk reference on how to write an effective brief and deliver a persuasive oral argument. In this long-awaited Second Edition, Ruggero J. Aldisert, a forty-year veteran of the federal appeals bench, fundamentally reorganizes the book. By creating twenty-five chapters in place of the previous seventeen, Aldisert creates a wonderfully instructive how-to manual for the appellate advocate and a must volume for those who select appellate advocates.

In the Second Edition, Part 1, "The Theory and Criticisms of Written and Oral Appellate Advocacy," retains the same format as the earlier editions except that the tables of statistics are updated. The book continues its unique approach by consolidating current empirical data on the odds of prevailing on appeal or having a case orally argued. Part 2, "Technical Requirements for Briefs" contains a chapter on jurisdiction as well as a chapter on issue preservation and standards of review.

The major revisions to the Second Edition appear in Part 3 and Part 4. Aldisert designed the chapters in these sections to identify discrete requirements for an effective brief or argument, and to explain how to meet these prerequisites. Chapter 23, "How Top-Flight Appellate Lawyers Prepare" is new to the Second Edition. This chapter contains advice from outstanding appellate lawyers, true masters in oral advocacy, on how to prepare for oral argument.

Throughout the Second Edition of Winning on Appeal, nineteen current chief justices of state courts, nine chief judges of U.S. Courts of Appeals, more than twenty U.S. Circuit judges, and state appellate judges contribute their thoughts on how to write a brief and how to argue a case-information that is not available in any other publication or resource.

From cover to cover, Winning on Appeal is the quintessential handbook on how to write a brief and argue an appeal. Like removing the back of a watch to see what makes it tick, this book looks behind the bench in appellate courtrooms and behind chambers' doors to expose exactly what the judges want to read and hear from lawyers. In an easy-to-read style, Judge Aldisert draws the perfect roadmap for the attorney who wants to win on appeal.

Customer Reviews:

Wish I had read this first!.......2005-09-18

If you are preparing a brief for appeals court, or if you are a law student preparing for moot court, you need this book. There is a 3 page list of the common errors made in briefs that should be torn out and mounted to your computer as you are writing. The book is written by Judge Aldisert and teaches you how to "catch" the judge, who is too busy to deal with your shortcomings in writing. Very worthwhile reading.

Average customer rating:

Love the show... Love the book!
great ideas
Great Inspiration!
Aptly Named
Love the show, love the book.

Curb Appeal
HGTV
Manufacturer: HGTV
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0696226642
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Book Description

An essential reference for every homeowner—Curb Appeal shows readers how to add maximum appeal and value to their property with a minimum investment of time and money.

Backed by the trusted HGTV brand and packed with dozens of unique ideas and cost-saving projects for adding character to the front of any property.

Helpful how-to instructions equip readers with the tools and knowledge to transform any exterior into a vibrant, intriguing reflection of personal style.

Fabulous real-life exterior, entryway, and landscaping before-and-after photos inspire homeowners to approach their own home with a fresh eye, and teaches them how to transform it from good to great.

Great architectural styles include bungalow, split level and Victorian styles, featured in both urban and suburb homes.

Customer Reviews:

Love the show... Love the book!.......2007-07-27

I love this book it gave so many great details! Anyone (and it does not matter if you are selling your home)who is proud of their home and likes to make it even better can use this book. It just has wonderful ideas.

great ideas.......2007-06-01

I really love this book. We are remodeling our house and it gave us some great ideas. I've shown it to everybody.

Great Inspiration!.......2007-01-12

This is a great book for the typical homeowner who doesn't know where to start or even how much to tackle for their 'curb appeal' update. The book is full of great ideas & I especially enjoyed the "before & after" aspect which helps readers see just exactly how drastic a change can take place with a little paint/new trim & knowledgable guidance.

It's essential to point out that 'skilled' designer intervention was involved in getting these homes to the finish line & looking so great.

Hopefully the average homeowner who lacks any design gifting can take these ideas & their own common sense & apply them in their own situation. Some people feel they have zero creative ability so those in that category may still find this book comes up short in that they'll see all kinds of make-overs...but still need to hire someone to 'design' their makeover.

Another point to raise is that some ideas provided in the book won't work for every situation...such as the suggestion of painting one's vinyl siding. This would not work well with erratic temperature changes in colder weather locations in the country.

Ultimately the book offers creative inspiration to any homeowner looking to find ways of improving their home's curb appeal & various ways to do it.

I highly recommend the book on that note...because the intention appears to be just that ...to provide inspiration...& that objective is certainly met with success.

Aptly Named.......2006-08-09

Curb Appeal does all it suggests. The photographs are clear and concise and adequately show "before" and "after." The suggestions are helpful and the variety of architecture and landscaping is excellent. The examples tend to be southern in location, but usable elsewhere. Overall a good read.

Love the show, love the book........2006-07-03

I really enjoyed this book, it's full of beautiful pictures that gives you tons of ideas. The book also has enough details to help you recreate the pictures. The chapters are organized in such a way that depending on your needs you can just go to that chapter (on color, etc) and get what you need. All around good book for ideas.

Campaigning for Hearts and Minds: How Emotional Appeals in Political Ads Work (Studies in Communication, Media, and Public Opinion)

Average customer rating:

Telling exploration of emotion and political campaigns
Interesting book
Academic insights meet practical application

Campaigning for Hearts and Minds: How Emotional Appeals in Political Ads Work (Studies in Communication, Media, and Public Opinion)
Ted Brader
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0226069893

Book Description

It is common knowledge that televised political ads are meant to appeal to voters' emotions, yet little is known about how or if these tactics actually work. Ted Brader's innovative book is the first scientific study to examine the effects that these emotional appeals in political advertising have on voter decision-making.

At the heart of this book are ingenious experiments, conducted by Brader during an election, with truly eye-opening results that upset conventional wisdom. They show, for example, that simply changing the music or imagery of ads while retaining the same text provokes completely different responses. He reveals that politically informed citizens are more easily manipulated by emotional appeals than less-involved citizens and that positive "enthusiasm ads" are in fact more polarizing than negative "fear ads." Black-and-white video images are ten times more likely to signal an appeal to fear or anger than one of enthusiasm or pride, and the emotional appeal triumphs over the logical appeal in nearly three-quarters of all political ads.

Brader backs up these surprising findings with an unprecedented survey of emotional appeals in contemporary political campaigns. Politicians do set out to campaign for the hearts and minds of voters, and, for better or for worse, it is primarily through hearts that minds are won. Campaigning for Hearts and Minds will be indispensable for anyone wishing to understand how American politics is influenced by advertising today.

Customer Reviews:

Telling exploration of emotion and political campaigns.......2007-08-18

This is an excellent book. The general audience may find the statistical discussion somewhat slow going, but this is not a turgidly written academic tome. At the same time, it is a solid academic work. His takeoff point (page 2): ". . .the motivational and persuasive power of campaign advertising depends considerably on whether an ad appeals to fear or enthusiasm." He contends that emotional appeals built into campaign ads makes them more effective--the mixture of a political message plus emotion can be powerful if crafted well.

His experiments make it clear that mixing emotions (whether enthusiasm or fear) with a political message has impacts--whether those effects be simple reactions to ads or stimulating interest in the campaign or motivating viewers to want to get out and vote on election day.

This is all, according to the author, counter to much standard political science research that, in the near past, argued that media had only "minimal effects." Brader's work, and that of others, surely suggests that this judgment is much overstated. Media can, indeed, have measurable political effects. This book is one addition to that important correction of the old standard wisdom in the study of politics.

The book is also worth looking at because of its notice of the relevance of psychology and the neurosciences for understanding why emotional elements in political ads can have such an effect. This demonstrates powerfully the importance of cross-disciplinary research.

Final judgment? For those interested in the effects of emotion on politics, this is yet another nice addition to the library.

Interesting book.......2007-08-06

Although it has to do mainly with the US political reality, there are interesting views useful for those from other countries.
It could be a little thinner if the author didn't reiterate some points more than twice, but it's an interesting and fun read.

Academic insights meet practical application.......2006-02-27

Ted Brader's "Campaigning for Hearts and Minds: How Emotional Appeals in Political Ads Work" drives yet another nail into the coffin of academic wisdom that voters are either rational decision-makers or complacent habit-following creatures by providing compelling evidence for the role of emotions in political campaigns. Building off of George Marcus, Russell Neuman and Michael MacKuens' model of "Affective Intelligence", Ted Brader applies the rarely employed experimental method to "everyday people" during a Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign to explicate the process and outcome of their viewing televised political advertisements of differing emotional content and tone. Brader then carries out a content analysis of 1,565 political advertisements from the 2004 election to provide insights as to how the emotions of enthusiasm and fear are used to influence potential voters. His often counter-intuitive experimental findings on how subtle visual and audio cues affect voters' emotions, especially those of informed and interested voters, makes this book required reading for those interested in the "real world" of politics and campaigning. His content analysis findings reinforce his experimental findings by illustrating how political advertisements are used in political campaigns across the United States. In sum, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in learning how emotions influence politics by substantially advancing our understanding of how emotions drive our political thoughts, decisions, and actions.

Generation MySpace: Helping Your Teen Survive Online Adolescence

Average customer rating:

Well written, but maybe not for everyone
For those internet-savvy or not, this book is a keeper!
Gereration MySpace: Helping Your Teen Survive Online Adolescence
EVERY PARENT AND EDUCATOR SHOULD READ THIS BOOK
Very interesting and informative!

Generation MySpace: Helping Your Teen Survive Online Adolescence
Candice M. Kelsey
Manufacturer: Marlowe & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1600940110

Book Description

Does it seem like your teen can’t tear herself away from friends on the computer screen (except to text them on her cell phone)? That’s because MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube are your son or daughter’s life, not just another passing diversion. All that energy and time spent online is affecting your teen’s life in countless ways, from sexual pressure and privacy to social standing and self-esteem.

Some schools are banning online networking sites, yet your child insists they’re "no big deal." Who’s right? Drawing on personal interviews with hundreds of teens, educator Candice M. Kelsey helps parents assess what they should — and shouldn't — be worried about when it comes to technology. A landmark book, Generation MySpace is the first guide to the new world of online adolescence, where you’ll discover:

• The Appeal of MySpace: How interaction becomes addictive, and how to stop it from taking control
• Profiles, Adds, and Top 8 Popularity: How “friending” is redefining friendship
• Baring It All: How young kids are learning to market themselves — and why they’re looking to celebrities and porn stars first
• From Predators to Cyber-Bullies: How to help your kids protect themselves

Customer Reviews:

Well written, but maybe not for everyone.......2007-09-23

"Sheesh! Another MySpace thing! Mom, MySpace is really not that big a deal!" -My son, on seeing the book.

And therein is the point of the book. This is not a book for teens; it is an attempt to bridge the generation gap between parents and their children, using MySpace as the point of departure.

The author is a middle school teacher in California who has supplemented her personal experience with extensive research. There are no footnotes, but expert commentary and research is well documented within the text. There is also a "Resources" section at the back of the book, listing sources by chapter, as well as a "Recommended Reading, Surfing, and Viewing" section, also broken down by chapter.

There are few holds barred as the author delves into the current world of teens. In the first chapter the author points out that it's not all about MySpace, it's about social networking sites, of which MySpace is the largest. She then proceeds to explain why social networking is so important to teens and how it fits into the overall picture of their lives. In doing so, she exposes the terms and terminology they use and their current cultural context. Although she gives frequent warnings, if you are not prepared for language that would have been offensive in prior generations, you may want to skip this book and try one of the others available.

But the author is not trying to shock as much as to wave red flags. She and many experts say MySpace is not the problem, it is simply a symptom of a larger cultural shift. Kelsey believes, and offers good documentation, that the shift is driven by media and consumerism. With the red flags she also offers advice on dealing with the negative issues surrounding MySpace. The first step, also recommended by other authors of MySpace books, is to visit this part of a teen's "world" by creating a MySpace account and looking around. There is a guided tour through the process, beginning with Chapter 2, "Pimped Out: Anatomy of a Profile." The author recommends not going straight to your child's profile, but using the experience to understand the world of today's teens by seeing it through their eyes. There is a chapter later in the book devoted to assessing your child's MySpace involvement, and strategies to use.

Overall, the book is well written and well documented, promoting strategies that are recommended by experts for dealing with teens and MySpace. The book overall also has an alarmist tone, and uses very frank language. For the clueless parent (including the one(s) thinking, "Not MY teen!"), this is probably a good thing. But it may not be the book for every parent. If you want a full picture of the teen world and teens on MySpace, this book should top your list. If you'd rather not know all the gory details, but still want to know how to approach MySpace, consider something like MySpace Unraveled, by Larry Magid and Anne Collier.

For those internet-savvy or not, this book is a keeper!.......2007-05-15

I'd like to think that I'm fairly internet-savvy, but when I read Candice Kelsey's book "Generation MySpace," I was blown out of the water. Now I know what my students really mean! I'm not a parent yet, but I can see how useful it will be to parents who want to understand what their kids are into. It's all about the internet these days, and it is a scary, unfamiliar world to many of us. Here comes Candice Kelsey, fearlessly stepping in to decode what we need to know. Thanks, Ms. Kelsey; hopefully you are inspired to write another book that delves deeper into not what but why. I would buy that book in a heartbeat as well.

Gereration MySpace: Helping Your Teen Survive Online Adolescence.......2007-05-14

Very informative! Well reasearched! A must for every parent, even those with small children.

EVERY PARENT AND EDUCATOR SHOULD READ THIS BOOK.......2007-04-17

THIS IS A MUST READ FOR ANYONE WHO HAS A TEENAGER IN HIS/HER LIFE. IT IS EXTREMELY WELL WRITTEN. IT NOT ONLY IDENTIFIES THE PROBLEMS BUT GIVES CONCRETE IDEAS FOR MEETING AND DEALING WITH THEM.

Very interesting and informative!.......2007-03-30

I really enjoyed reading this book! I thought I knew quite a bit about the internet, but I now know how much I was missing. The intrigue and pressure associated with MySpace is huge, and I am so glad that Mrs. Kelsey has enlightened me in such a clear, straightforward manner. You must read this book if you spend/will spend any time around teenagers!

PowerPoint for Litigators : How to Create Effective Illustrative Aids and Demonstrative Exhibits for Trial, Mediation, Arbitration, and Appeal

Average customer rating:

Must Read for Trial Attorneys

PowerPoint for Litigators : How to Create Effective Illustrative Aids and Demonstrative Exhibits for Trial, Mediation, Arbitration, and Appeal
National Institute for Trial Advocacy (U. S.)
Manufacturer: National Institute for Trial Advocacy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 155681674X

Book Description

Written by litigators for litigators, Powerpoint for Litigators teaches you not only how to create PowerPoint slide presentations, but also how to fashion slides for successful and persuasive advocacy in trial, mediation, arbitration, and appeal. Choose from three case files--Business Contract, Criminal, or Personal Injury--to learn step-by-step how to prepare and animate bulleted lists, document and photographic enlargements, callouts, time lines, relationship charts, annotated diagrams, and more. Whether you are a computer neophyte or an experienced PowerPoint user, this book is designed to incorporate easily PowerPoint 97 or PowerPoint 2000 in your arsenal of advocacy skills.

PowerPoint for Litigators comes with a CD-ROM that includes a number of electronic exhibits for each case file so you can import and utilize them in your own PowerPoint slide presentations. The exhibits include video clips, photographs, diagrams, reports, transcripts, and other documents. The CD also contains a PowerPoint slide show for each case file showing examples of the slides you will learn to create by using this book. By putting the learning exercises into a professional context, you can apply what you learn quickly and effectively.

Customer Reviews:

Must Read for Trial Attorneys.......2006-07-26

This is a wonderful tool for helping attorneys learn how to take powerpoint presentations to the "next step." Use to making power point presentations for seminars/speeches, I was uncertain as to how to best simplify them for use at trial and arbitrations.This book made it easier.In fact, several of the suggestions helped me to make better power point presentations for use at seminars too. I highly recommend this book.

The only constructive criticism I have is that it would be great if an interactive CD with a powerpoint on it accompanied the book. Given the nature of the technology described in the book, it seemed odd to have to read about it in a book rather than reviewing an actual powerpoint. Also, because of glitches in the power point software, it would have been ideal to see a CD show how to implement a presentation.

Media Entertainment: The Psychology of Its Appeal (Lea's Communication Series)

Average customer rating:

14 outstanding, informative, and highly recommended essays

Media Entertainment: The Psychology of Its Appeal (Lea's Communication Series)

Manufacturer: Lawrence Erlbaum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0805833250

Book Description

This collection represents a systematic exploration of media entertainment from an academic perspective. Editors Zillmann and Vorderer have assembled scholars from psychology, sociology, and communication to provide a broad examination of the primary function of media entertainment--the attainment of gratification. Chapters included here address vital aspects of media entertainment and summarize pertinent findings, providing an overview of what is presently known about the appeal and function of the essential forms of media entertainment, and offering some degree of integration. Written in a clear, non-technical style, this volume provides a lively and entertaining study of media entertainment for academic study and coursework.

Customer Reviews:

14 outstanding, informative, and highly recommended essays.......2001-05-23

Media Entertainment: The Psychology Of Its Appeal focuses on an empirical exploration and analysis of media entertainment's appeal to those seeking and experiences diversion, relaxation, excitement, amusement, bewilderment, and other alterations of prevailing experiential states and emotional responses. Dolf Zillmann and Peter Vorderer effectively collaborate to compile fourteen outstanding, informative, and highly recommended essays by experts in the field. These include: The Coming of Media Entertainment (Dolf Zillmann); Interactive Entertainment and Beyond (Peter Vorderer); Humor and Comedy (Dolf Zillmann); Conflict and Suspense in Drama (Peter Vorderer & Silvia Knobloch); Violence, Mayhem, and Horror (Glenn G. Sparks & Cheri W. Sparks); Sex on Entertainment Television (Bradley S. Greenberg & Linda Hofschire); Affect-Talk and Its Kin (Gary Bente & Ansgar Feist); Children's Likes and Dislikes of Entertainment Programs (Patti M. Valkenburg & Joanne Cantor); Sports on the Screen (Jennings Bryant & Arthur A. Raney); Music and Music Videos (Christine H. Hansen & Ronald D. Hansen); Video Games and the Pleasures of Control (Torben Grodal); The Respondent Gender Gap (Mary Beth Oliver); Personality and Entertainment Preferences (James B. Weaver III); The Aesthetics of Media Fare (Gerald C. Cupchick & Stephen Kemp). Enhanced with both an author index and a subject index, Media Entertainment is invaluable, informative reading for students of mass media and the popular culture.

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