Critical Heart Disease in Infants and Children

Book Description

Pediatric intensivists, cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and anesthesiologists from the leading centers around the world present the collaborative perspectives, concepts, and state-of-the-art knowledge required to care for children with congenital and acquired heart disease in the ICU. Their multidisciplinary approach encompasses every aspect of the relevant basic scientific principles, medical and pharmacologic treatments, and surgical techniques and equipment. From the extracardiac Fontan procedure, and the Ross procedure through new pharmacologic agents and the treatment of pulmonary hypertension to mechanical assist devices, heart and lung transplantation, and interventional cardiac catheterizationall of the developments that are affecting this rapidly advancing field are covered in depth.

Customer Reviews:

Critical Heart Disease in Infants and Children.......2007-07-03

Comprehensive, fresh and multidisciplinary approach makes this a unique and useful text for students and young faculty. Chapters are for the most part well written and the book is nicely updated over previous addition.
Should be a part of the library for clinicians who care for children with congenital heart disease

Average customer rating:

Excellent Just Needs A Musical CD !!!!
Encore! We want more!
A great read aloud for kids!
Jude's Review of Jazz Man
This Great Book! (More and More Honors!)

This Jazz Man
Karen Ehrhardt
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0152053077

Book Description

In this toe-tapping jazz tribute, the traditional "This Old Man" gets a swinging makeover, and some of the era's best musicians take center stage. The tuneful text and vibrant illustrations bop, slide, and shimmy across the page as Satchmo plays one, Bojangles plays two . . . right on down the line to Charles Mingus, who plays nine, plucking strings that sound "divine."

Easy on the ear and the eye, this playful introduction to nine jazz giants will teach children to count--and will give them every reason to get up and dance!

Includes a brief biography of each musician.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Just Needs A Musical CD !!!!.......2007-04-23

I love this book! My son is 20 months and loves this book the rhythm of the words, the numbers, the clapping the sounds of the instruments. What would be excellent if there was an auditory accompaniment to the book. A taping of someone reading the book who can demonstrate the sounds or even better a taping that included musical instruments playing.
I know a lot of people would LOVE to hear it as well and it would be an excellent teaching tool. Please forward this to the appropriate individuals and if possible keep me updated on the release date of the cd. Thank YOU for writing such an awesome, entertaining and needed book!

Encore! We want more!.......2007-03-22

Oooh, this book made me what to rap and tap and beedle-di-bop! Which is quite somethin', since I don't have a musical bone in my body!
This is a great book-the text jives off the page and the illustrations thimp dumple thump right along. What a great way to teach kids about jazz legends!
Hats off to Ehrdhardt and Roth for a beautiful book!
Encore!

A great read aloud for kids!.......2007-03-07

I am an elementary school media specialist for grades 1 - 5. I read this book to my first and second graders. By the third jazz man they were chanting along with me. By the fifth man we were all singing along with the familiar song tune. They loved the scat phrases and repeated them over and over. What a bonus that these men are actual jazz legends. I highly recommend this book for a great musical read.

Jude's Review of Jazz Man.......2007-01-21

I'm 3 and my Grandmother Helene reads this book to me. She said that my Doctor Beth gave it to me and my sister Scarlett and the author signed it. That made me smile.

I really like this book. My grandmother sings me it and i like music and instruments and can name the saxophone and trumpet and drums.I like the pictures of the conga drums.

I usually say, " read it again" when she's done and I can almost pick out all the numbers now too. Jude Stulb, Pueblo Colorado

This Great Book! (More and More Honors!) .......2006-10-05

Note: Since writing the review below, I've discovered that "This Jazz Man" has received three (and counting) prestigious honors in the last month or so: A Nick Jr. Book of the Year for Children, one of the N.Y. Public Libraries Top 100 books to Read to Kids, and one of a very few named by National Public Radio as a best children's book of the year!

February 2007 Update: This Jazz Man is on the cover of the February "Crickets" magazine! In addition, it was shortlisted as a top book by the Cooperative Children's Book Center, and is being used as a teaching tool for a Smithsonian Museum (yes, that Smithsonian!) exhibit.

If you've bought this book, you and I share a certain nose for kids' books; if you haven't, you'll discover a book that's snappy and swinging, fun and informative. My original review follows.

"Doodly-doodly-Doot-doot! Toot-Toot!"

That's Karen Ehrhardt's delightful take on a Dizzy Gillespie trumpet line, and like the rest of this sparkling first book, every note rings joyous and true. In a somewhat daring move, Ms. Ehrhardt airs out the musty English poem, "This Old Man," with jazz-infused lyrics, and distills the essence of nine jazz giants: Louis Armstrong, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Chano Pozo, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Art Blakey, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Charles Mingus.

The improvisations in "This Jazz Man" are authentic and fun--the text is made for reading out loud! Listen to this evocation of Charlie Parker, for example:

This jazz man, he plays five,
He plays bebop, he plays jive,
With a Deedle-di-bop! Bebop!
Give the man a hand,
This jazz man blows with the band.

Within the 5-line format of the original song, the author conveys the sound and spirit of these artists, while keeping the tone light and understandable for her young, perhaps jazz-naive audience (about 3 to 7 years-old). Along with each Jazz Man's stanza are the sounds and rhythms of his performance -- depicted in text incorporated with each illustration. When drummer Art Blakey "plays solos with his sticks" and "beats with the band," the percussive sounds "Chikka-chee! Chikka-chee! Bubbuda-bubbuda-bubbuda-BOMP!" pulse over his vibrating cymbals. Following the `performance,' older readers (and adults) can learn more about Blakey -- his innovation of the "press roll" and his role in nurturing new talent -- in the book's afterward. Riffing on the customary introductions of band members at jazz gigs ("Playing 4, form Washington, D.C... Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington"), the book briefly spotlights the life of each Jazz Man.

Illustrator R. G. Roth complements Ehrhardt's narrative pictures with multi-media illustrations that are playfully retro yet fresh and child-friendly. Airy compositions help children see the relaxed, expansive pose of the smiling Louis Armstrong, the verve and rhythmic creativity of "Chano" Pozo (how many times have you seen him in a jazz book for kids?), the playful attack of Fats Waller, and the stature and majesty of Charles Mingus. Roth displays a repertoire of textures and soft, engaging colors, and makes subtle references to Birdland, the Newport Jazz Festival, and other venues along the edges of book's `stage. For the small fry, a cute and playfully elusive mouse plays hide and seek throughout the book. "This Jazz Man" has an exhilarating finale -- after each man plays (1 through 9), all of the jazz icons appear on stage together:

This jazz band, they play ten,
We beg them to play again,
With an "Encore, we want more!"
Give them all a hand"
These jazz men make one great band!

"This Jazz Man" gets it right, rhymes it tight, and entertains without misrepresenting. (To put this achievement in context, too many kids' "jazz" books really focus on the blues--usually the rural blues, seen through an awkward sentimentalism--or solely on dance. Sometimes they confuse eras, portraying any jazz singer as a combination of Bessie Smith, post-WWII hep cats, and 1950's beats, with a dash of oddly misplaced 1970's styles.)

"This Jazz Man" is a natural for school or library audiences, rambunctious group singing, the first efforts of beginning readers, or as a bedtime treat for toddlers. One doesn't need to know one lick about jazz to enjoy the musicality of the rhymes and the understated but compelling jazz portraits: They stand on their own. In addition, teachers can easily adapt "This Jazz Man" to language units, numbers and counting, music appreciation, art, solo and group singing. Older students may delve further into the lives and times of the musicians through Ehrhardt's rich yet compact biographical sketches in the afterward. (Offhand, I can't think of any book--for kids or adults--that so succinctly and eloquently describes each musician's significance.) For readers who'd like to sample the actual music, Ehrhardt recommends recorded works for each Jazz Man: a couple tracks for each musician, and even two feature films (available on video) that display Bojangles' tapping talents. (Perhaps in future editions of this book, the publishers could include a companion CD/DVD.)

With apologies to the author--though inspired by her:

This jazz fan, I count one,
"This Jazz Man" is lots of fun!
With a smile and a nod and an "ain't that grand!"
Let's give Ehrhardt a great big hand!

Aunt Isabel Tells a Good One (Picture Puffins)

Average customer rating:

Great story
entertaining way to tell what good stories consist of
Even adult writers will enjoy this book!
Adorable book for teaching how to write/tell stories
Ms.

Aunt Isabel Tells a Good One (Picture Puffins)
Kate Duke
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140505342

Customer Reviews:

Great story.......2007-03-08

What a wonderful way to introduce creative writing for children. This book is both interesting and informative--definitely something for your collection.

entertaining way to tell what good stories consist of.......2006-12-19

This book is great for teaching story elements. I always start out the year (when we are teaching narratives) reading this book. I talk about all the parts, and we discuss what makes a really good story. It really motivates the students to write and do it correctly. I allow the student to create their own story step-by-step as I read the book back to them a second time around. They love it!

Even adult writers will enjoy this book!.......2004-03-12

Several years ago I got this book from our public library to read to our two small children and two others we were babysitting at the time. I don't know whether the children or I enjoyed it more, but later when I went back to borrow the library's copy again, I was disappointed to find it no longer available.

A month or so later, the children and I were invited to visit another home-based daycare in our neighbourhood for the afternoon--the "library lady" was coming for an hour of stories and games. At the end of the visit, she pulled out a stack of discarded picture books and said she was going to give them to the daycare moms, as the library no longer needed them.

"Thank you," I said, "but I'd better not take any--our family already has a lot of books." I suggested that the other mother keep all of them. However, as we walked toward the door I suddenly spotted "Aunt Isabel Tells a Good One" in the pile. I walked back, pointed, and said, "Well actually...can we have THAT one?" Thus we ended up with a copy of our own.

This book would be excellent for teaching ANYONE how to create a story. I'd never seen the process explained so clearly, so concisely, and so humourously. When I write my first book, I'll probably get "Aunt Isabel" out and use her for a template.

Adorable book for teaching how to write/tell stories.......2003-04-10

My boys are 3 yrs old and too young to create stories, but they still love the storyline and illustrations of the book itself. The book is wonderful for preschoolers since it uses animals for the characters and the wording is perfect for reading aloud. It's full of adventure and the "scary" parts are downplayed by the whimsical illustrations.

For older children who are developing their writing talents, this would be an great way to "explain" the characteristics of "a good story" as requested by Penelope. Throughout the book, Aunt Isabel adds various "ingredients" essential for a good story. She starts with a WHEN and WHERE, adding a hint of scariness and cheerfullness in the adventure. Her details of the characters allow us to be part of the story. The conversation of the main characters leads to ROMANCE, but "too much niceness is dull" so they add a PROBLEM. A little DANGER is also "good for a story". Of course the heroine has creative ways of getting them out of danger and things work out in the end. "It's the HAPPY ENDING every good story should have", according to Aunt Isabel. And best of all, Aunt Isabel leaves the ending open for more adventures, because now, it's time for bed.

Ms........2002-02-11

This is an excellent book. It is a great resource to teach story elements.

Teaching Your Child the Language of Social Success

Average customer rating:

What a wonderful book!
wonderful & helpful
Wonderful and Useful
Totally hands-on guide to help your child
Excellent guide for parents with ADD children

Teaching Your Child the Language of Social Success
Marshall P. Duke , Elisabeth A. Martin , and Stephen Nowicki Jr.
Manufacturer: Peachtree Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1561451266

Book Description

DO YOU KNOW what nonverbal language is? Even if you can't define it, you speak it every day through your postures, gestures, facial expressions, and tone of oice, and you must constantly read these same signals from others. In fact, nonverbal messages can carry up to ninety ercent of the meaning of human interaction and contribute significantly to social, academic, and professional success. Yet even though we recognize the importance of nonverbal communication, we have generally left the teaching of this essential language to change. Now parents and teachers can help children develop nonverbal skills so that they will be able to communicate more effectively and to interact with others more successfully. In Teaching Your Child the Language of Social Success, clinical psychologists Marshall Duke and Stephen Nowicki and educator Elixabeth Martin describe and explain the methods and rules of nonverbal communication. Together they have created an easy-to-use guide which offers definitions and techniques for assessing a child's strengths and weaknesses in this unspoken realm, as well as case studies, illustrations, and exercises for teaching or improving nonverbal skills at home or in the classroom.

Customer Reviews:

What a wonderful book!.......2003-12-02

After purchasing a number of books that promised to deliver, this is the first one that I have found that actually does. As the parent of a six year-old little-man, I have to say that I really needed this book and I honestly believe that the material inside its pages, when applied consistently, will serve to seriously improve my son's life in due course. I am truly impressed with the level of insight brought to bear by these three authors; I applaud them on a fantastic work!

(...)

wonderful & helpful.......2002-09-22

We have a very active 6 year old, and we feel he is active alert, his biggest issue is social interaction, since he has been around mostly adults his life. This book has common sense ideas to help a sometimes painful problem. Our son has done better in first grade. The summer using this book has helped alot! ... I am so glad I found this book!

Wonderful and Useful.......2002-09-21

I have a now 6 year old son whom is very active. (I started with the book, The Active Alert Child by Linda Budd.) This book has wonderfully simple and overlooked ideas to a uneasy problem. I had much advancement with my son over the summer. It can be done. Ist grade is going great so far! I feel this was a key to his bettering in his social world. My son has been around adults most of his life and has a hard time relating to other children. This book made a difference.

Totally hands-on guide to help your child.......2001-10-09

I am a school social worker and after buying several disappointing books on the topic I was delighted to find this. The format is laid out in an easy to read manner and thank goodness for the real photographs they use. (I also cut out pictures from magazines to talk about non-verbal cues and body language...then have the kids make a collage.)

Separating the areas of non-verbal communication into chapters allows me to focus on one area per session. The speech and language pathologist at my school is doing a group with me called "social communications" and we intend to squeeze everything we can out of this book.

Parents-you don't need to rely on the professionals to teach your child social skills! Have fun with it, make a date with your child weekly to practice these skills. Just don't put me out of business with this book!

Excellent guide for parents with ADD children.......2001-08-13

Marshall Duke received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Indiana University. He is a professor of personality and psychopathology and is chair of Emory University's Department of Psychology in Atlanta. He has published over 50 scholarly articles and co-authored with Stephen Nowicki, Jr. a textbook of abnormal psychology and a guide for parents and teachers, Helping the Child Who Doesn't Fit In.

Stephen Nowicki, Jr. received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Purdue University. He is a professor of psychology at Emory University. He is the author of over 150 publications and presentations in addition to the books he has co-authored with Dr. Duke.

Elisabeth Martin received a Bachelor of Education from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and her M.Ed. with specialization in Special Education (dyslexia) from the University of Kington upon Thames, England. Ms. Martin has taught learning disabled students at the Dyslexia Institute in England and at several specialty schools in the United States.

This 184-page trade paperback is clearly written in an easy to follow style. It provides a list of references, a page of recommended resources, multiple appendices and covers the following topics: (1) What is nonverbal communication? (It is more than just body language, which is only a part of nonverbal communication.) (2) Assessing and teaching nonverbal language to your child at home. (3) Teaching nonverbal language at school.

This book is an excellent resource for both parents and teachers, particularly for the two to use to work together as a team to guide special-needs children (in particular those with attention deficit disorder) to improve their nonverbal social skills. These include: facial expressions, use of personal space, touch, gestures, postures, rhythm and timing. This training is vital because when a child's inaccurate nonverbal language conflicts with his verbal message, the people around him will almost always believe nonverbal messages over verbal ones.

Very often, special-needs children do not pick up adequate nonverbal skills in the course of everyday life as "normal" children do. This means that consciously teaching them to "speak" and "listen" nonverbally is vital in order to increase their chances for social success (getting along with peers and teachers, making friends), as well as enhancing their feelings of personal competence and self-esteem.

Amazon.com

We applaud this talented husband-and-wife team--award-winning illustrator Brian Pinkney and writer Andrea Pinkney--for making music fly in this fantastic tribute to a jazz legend. Andrea does an extraordinary job of translating music into words, with blues "deeper than the deep blue sea" and "hot-buttered bob, with lots of sassy-cool tones," while her husband visually interprets the movement of music as spirals, waves, and swirls of color, prepared as scratchboard renderings with luma dyes, gouache, and oil paint. Andrea writes, "Toby let loose on his sleek brass sax, curling his notes like a kite tail in the wind. A musical loop-de-loop, with a serious twist," while Brian paints those curling notes, the loop-de-loops, and the kite sailing up to the New York City skyline. Young readers will enjoy the rhythm and beauty of the story itself, and may even be inspired to give Raffi a rest and swing with the Duke! (Great read-aloud, ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson, Amazon.com Kids editor

Book Description

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington, "King of the Keys," was born on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C. "He was a smooth-talkin', slick-steppin', piano-playin' kid," writes master wordsmith Andrea Pinkney in the rhythmic, fluid, swinging prose of this excellent biography for early readers. It was ragtime music that first "set Duke's fingers to wiggling." He got back to work and taught himself to "press on the pearlies." Soon 19-year-old Duke was playing compositions "smoother than a hairdo sleeked with pomade" at parties, pool halls, country clubs, and cabarets. Skipping from D.C. to 1920s Harlem, "the place where jazz music ruled," Duke and his small band called the Washingtonians began performing in New York City clubs, including the Cotton Club, where Duke Ellington and his Orchestra was officially born. By 1943, Duke Ellington--writer of more than 1000 compositions, including ballet and film scores, orchestral suites, musicals, and choral works--had made it all the way to Carnegie Hall.We applaud this talented husband-and-wife team--award-winning illustrator Brian Pinkney and writer Andrea Pinkney--for making music fly in this fantastic tribute to a jazz legend. Andrea does an extraordinary job of translating music into words, with blues "deeper than the deep blue sea" and "hot-buttered bob, with lots of sassy-cool tones," while her husband visually interprets the movement of music as spirals, waves, and swirls of color, prepared as scratchboard renderings with luma dyes, gouache, and oil paint. Andrea writes, "Toby let loose on his sleek brass sax, curling his notes like a kite tail in the wind. A musical loop-de-loop, with a serious twist," while Brian paints those curling notes, the loop-de-loops, and the kite sailing up to the New York City skyline. Young readers will enjoy the rhythm and beauty of the story itself, and may even be inspired to give Raffi a rest and swing with the Duke! (Great read-aloud, ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson, Amazon.com Kids editor

Customer Reviews:

"Duke Ellington" continues to jazz it up.......2007-02-20

If the brilliant colors and impressive images don't catch your attention, then the amazingly written story of Edward Kennedy Ellington will.

"Duke Ellington" throws the reader into the early 1900's with its slang talk and direct narrative. The reader becomes a part of the story as the narrator tells about how Duke started out being bored by the piano, and then grew to love it when he heard ragtime being played. Andrea Davis Pinkney makes this a fun book for readers by describing the sounds of all the instruments with such detail that one could imagine they are actually hearing Duke's music being played just for them. I became enthralled with the vivid pictures depicting jazz as one might sense it if they had been there. "Duke Ellington" has won both the Caldecott Honor award, and the Coretta Scott King Award. This book is a good, fun, imaginative read for all ages.

Excellent read aloud.......2006-02-02

As an elementary school library specialist, this is my all time favorite read aloud. I utilized music/sound files on the web to have the King of the Keys himself accompany his biography. The text itself is a story to be read out loud. A teacher commented that this was his favorite read aloud and I believe a student favorite of all the grades I read this to (grades 3-6). Students were swaying, snapping their fingers, and just tapping away. The older kids didn't do that, but when the music ended, they asked for a repeat and I obliged. Hats off to you Ms. Pinkney!

Put it this way. Jazz is a good barometer of freedom. - D.E........2005-07-04

Being a relatively new reader of children's books, I tend to go about my systematic reading of all good picture books out there in a backwards manner. Case in point, Andrea Davis Pinkney. I first came across this writer, and her talented hubby Brian, through their lovely, "Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuoso". It was through that book that I discovered that the art of scratchboard (remember having to do those in elementary school?) can produce some truly fabulous picture book art. After reading "Ella" I doubled back and found her 1999 Caldecott Honor winning baby, "Duck Ellington". The book that started it all. Also using scratchboard (and without relying on fictional talking felines ala "Ella") the book is a whirlwind biography of one of the world's jazzy greats. There are tons of picture books about jazz musicians out there today. Only one, however, has garnered both the Coretta Scott King Award and the Caldecott Honor.

In this tale we meet Duke from his baseball playing days in Washington, D.C. Children everywhere will sympathize when Duke decides that learning to play the piano is a waste of his time and that he'd much rather be out and about with his friends. Fast forward a couple years and an older pool shooting Duke hears the sweet sounds of ragtime for the very first time. Suddenly the piano doesn't sound so lame, and Duke teaches himself the rudiments of it immediately. Over time, his particular style and talents get him jobs in clubs and cabarets and at last he forms his own band. From here on in the book's a whirlwind series of visits to places like the Cotton Club (which I think illustrator Brian Pinkney probably failed to base after the real club itself) and, at long last, New York's Carnegie Hall in 1943. A matter-of-fact bio at the back as well as a complete bibliography of sources (well done there) round out this lively encapsulation of a life.

Kids are often assigned biographies in school, and "Duke Ellington" has the advantage of being both interesting and filled to the brim with sources and facts. The story is as lively as Ms. Pinkney could make it, often going into deep descriptions of individual players' talents in the Duke's band. The art is lovely as well. Using luma dyes, gouache, and oil paint and then rendering it in a scratchboard style, there's a real throbbing beauty to some of these paintings. In a final picture Duke conducts his band in a purple suit and the notes of the players curl out as almost iridescent swirls and waves. Altogether lovely.

In many ways, the book's going to be a bore to those kinds who've never heard a jazz note in their lives and don't understand the importance. If at all possible, try finding a copy of that incredibly amazing film "Cabin In the Sky" and showing it to the kids and THEN give them this book. The movie's worth checking out and Duke (with his orchestra) is wonderful in it.

Though this is perhaps not my favorite jazz picture book out there (I've still some very fond feelings for "Charlie Parker Played Be Bop") it's still quite a wonder and worth checking out. A necessary addition to any well-rounded children's biography section of their local library.

Singin' and Swingin'.......2004-09-03

Edward Kennedy Ellington, who preferred being called Duke, didn't like playing the piano at first. As the book made out, he considered piano lessons a chore, although it doesn't directly say this in the text. The boring "umpy-dumpy" noises that the piano made when he hit the keys made him soon quit lessons so he could pursue the interests of a regular boy. It would be a couple of years later until Duke would start practicing piano once more.

In what looks like a pool hall, Duke discovers a new way of playing piano. His discovery is ragtime. The ragtime music isn't boring and repetitve as the type of music he had practiced as a boy. This music gives of a rythmical sensation throughout the body. Duke is soon in love with the piano. And he starts practicing with the little knowledge of the piano he has. He is soon good enough to have his own band and becomes a frequent performer at the Cotton Club. Duke records many hit songs in his life and becomes known as "The King of the Keys".

Pinkney's unusually good painting are very enjoyable and I really like the way that the musical chords showed up to let the reader know that music was being played.

An outstanding picture book biography!.......2001-09-04

This beautiful picture book biography recounts the life and career of jazz musician, Edward Kennedy Ellington -- better known to all as the Duke.

When the Duke's parents enrolled him in piano lessons for the very first time, he flat out did not want to go. At that time he had visions of playing baseball; but his parents insisted that he learn to play the piano. The music lessons were slow and not a lot of fun. It wasn't long before he quit taking lessons altogether and kissed the piano goodbye. Little did he know then that the melodious rhythms of Ragtime would draw him back to this instrument again and lead to his success as a great musician, composer, and orchestra leader!

Andrea Davis Pinkney does an outstanding job sharing the Duke's story with young readers. Her husband, Brian Pinkney, matches her wonderful text with vibrate illustrations, which translate the Duke's music into a series of bold colored spirals, waves, curls, and swirls that literally leap off of the pages of the book! Without a doubt, this husband and wife collaboration will guide readers in appreciating the rhythm and beat of the Duke's life and music. This book is truly a musician's delight!

Average customer rating:
Aggression, Antisocial Behavior, and Violence among Girls: A Developmental Perspective (Duke Series in Child Develpm and Pub Pol)

Manufacturer: The Guilford Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Girls and Aggression: Contributing Factors and Intervention Principles (Perspectives in Law & Psychology)

ASIN: 1572309946

Book Description

From leading authorities, this book traces the development of female aggression and violence from early childhood through adulthood. Cutting-edge theoretical perspectives are interwoven with longitudinal data that elucidate the trajectories of aggressive girls' relationships with peers, with later romantic partners, and with their own children. Key issues addressed include the predictors of social and physical aggression at different points in the lifespan, connections between being a victim and a perpetrator, and the interplay of biological and sociocultural processes in shaping aggression in girls. Concluding commentaries address intervention, prevention, juvenile justice, and related research and policy initiatives.

Average customer rating:

A good resource for teaching children social skills
Take it with a grain of salt
Truly Helpful
Practical Advice
Understanding problems of non-verbal communication

Helping the Child Who Doesn't Fit in
Stephen Nowicki , and Marshall P. Duke
Manufacturer: Peachtree Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1561450251

Book Description

REMEMBER THE KIDS who just didn't fit in when you were a child? Maybe they stood too close or talked too loud. We called them hurtful names and they never understood why. Clinical psychologists Stephen Nowicki, Jr. and Marshall Duke call these children dyssemic, and have some ideas about how to help them. Dyssemic children do not comprehend nonverbal messages in much the same way that dyslexics do not correctly process the written word. Nonverbal language plays a vital role in our communication with others, and children who understand or misuse it may face painful social rejection, which becomes a part of their lives for the rest of their lives. In Helping the Child Who Doesn't Fit In, Nowicki and Duke reveal the range of dyssmia that may affect a child and show parents and teachers how to simply assess the extent of a child's problems. Simple exercises at the end of each chapter offer guidance for educating yourself and your child nonverbally.

Customer Reviews:

A good resource for teaching children social skills.......2004-12-17

This book explains how to teach a child better social skills. Unlike most books on this topic, "Helping the Child Who Doesn't Fit In" actually addresses social skills (e.g., don't stand too close). The other books I've tried either teach manners (e.g., please & thank you) or teach your child to obey house rules (e.g., pick up toys without being told). Thats all well and good, but it does nothing to improve your child's social skills!

This book gets 5 stars from me (excellent quality) because it (1) clearly explains several key aspects of social skills, and (2) lists a variety of effective ways to teach these skills to your child.

Take it with a grain of salt.......2004-12-06

Consumers of pop psychology books should always keep in mind that much of the theory and practice of clinical psychology is more an art than a science. The suggestions made in mid-twentieth century marriage or parenting books seem bizarre to modern eyes and there is every reason to believe that many of theories we hold today will seem equally antiquated in fifty years. Thus any good psychology teacher (and yes I'm one of those), trains their students to question the factual basis of psychological claims. You must always ask what evidence there is for a theory and how else that evidence might be explained.

Unfortunately the authors of this book make no effort to distinguish between hard facts and their beliefs and suppositions. In fact, they never bother to tell the reader how they reached these conclusion. Many of their claims would take decades of research to substantiate but they never allude to any such work.

Worse yet, several of their arguments fly straight in the face of well-established facts. This is most clear when they compare the acquisition of verbal and nonverbal communication. The authors argue that the knowledge that guides verbal communication is explicitly taught in school, while the knowledge that guides nonverbal communication is not. The implication seems to be that this lack of instruction might account for many children's difficulties with nonverbal communication.

I would hope that anyone who is ever taken an introductory psychology course could see the flaws in this argument. First, while cultures with formal schooling teach grammar in school this explicit instruction plays no role in children's ability to speak their native language. Children follow the rules of their native languages for many years before they are taught grammar, people in cultures without formal education speak grammatically, and children with language disorders do not learn to speak grammatically by attending English classes, instead they typically fail to develop an explicit knowledge of grammar because they lack the intuitions on which such theories are built. Second, the authors argument provides no explanation for why some children struggle with nonverbal language. In fact in places they seem to hint that this failure reflects a lack of experience and tutlelage, a suggestion which contradicts almost everything we know about the emergence of abilities which are typical of a species.

I bought this book as a parent looking for ways to help a child. So the problem that I had to face was whether these flaws in the authors' knowledge and reasoning, really affected the credibility of their suggestions for remediation. I think they do. First, the authors' belief that most skills are explicity taught appears to have shaped the kind of interventions that they suggest. If they had experimental evidence that these interventions worked, I could ignore the flaw in the theory but since they don't, I'm left to evaluate it based on plausibility. Second, I was left little faith in the reasoning or observational abilities of anyone who could make errors that are this obvious.

I will say that the book is written in a very friendly and straightforward style and it offers many ideas for activities that parents could easily implement. If you buy it, I'd suggest that you treat it as you would a set of suggestions offered by another parent or family memeber, rather than assuming that there is any "science" to back it up.

Truly Helpful.......2003-12-16

One of the many virtues of this splendid book is the insight it offers into the ordinary dilemmas that many children face each day and the wise insight it offers for parents and teachers who wish to help the child who lacks social skills. Its practical and sane wisdom draws upon ample psychological research, making full use of a broad range of empirical studies, yet the authors make this book accessible to readers without any background in psychology. What strikes the reader is the genuine sympathy the authors display both for the child in difficulty and the parent or teacher who wishes to help. This is a truly humane book.

Practical Advice.......1999-12-23

This book addresses reasons for kids who cant make friends because they are unaware of non verbal 'rules' between kids. They just dont catch on. The authors list about 6 clear areas to address that can be gone over with children to help remedy that. Each section has about 2 pages of suggested activities to try . I liked that while many other books offer psychobabble, this book goes into another dimension -of body language and actual body presentation. Real and practical stuff. I didnt like that the book felt as though the important information wasnt quite long enough for a book so it was padded to make it thick enough to be commercially viable. I'd bet this and their other book could be combined into one really worthwhile book.

Understanding problems of non-verbal communication.......1998-09-30

Gives understanding of the problems faced when someone does not have the ability to "get" non-verbal communication. Most of us know instinctively, by body language, what others are trying to convey. Not so with children and adults on the autistic spectrum. This book explains it all and better yet - gives concrete examples and exercises that you can do with your child at home or suggestions for the professionals to use in a school setting.

Archaeologists Dig for Clues (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

Average customer rating:

Good coverage of major points for this age
This Book Tells It Like It Is
Well-conceived and informative

Archaeologists Dig for Clues (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064451755

Book Description

Archaeologists on a dig work very much like detectives at a crime scene. Every chipped rock, charred seed, or fossilized bone could be a clue to how people lived in the past. In this information-packed Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science book, Kate Duke explains what scientists are looking for, how they find it, and what their finds reveal.

Customer Reviews:

Good coverage of major points for this age.......2007-06-27

Rather brief story, but an excellent introduction for the reader in grades 1-3 who is interested in archaeology. Good coverage of major points for this age range--what archaeology is, types of objects likely to be found, that the work continues into the lab, etc. I just wish there was something this good to introduce the same ideas for upper elementary students--I thought about using this story with an older group because the concepts were introduced so well, but decided they would find the story too juvenile.

This Book Tells It Like It Is.......2006-03-02

As a soon to be teacher, and part time archaeologist, this is by far the best book about archaeology for young kids I have found. It gives accurate information in fun, easy to understand language. My students were always interested in my summer and weekend work outside of the school. It was wonderful to find a book I could share with them that was not over their heads. My archaeology professor from college even borrowed it to share with his entry level classes.

Well-conceived and informative.......2000-05-09

This book is part of the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series, which has more than 80 titles. The Stage 1 books explain simple and easily observable science concepts for preschool- and kindergarten-age children. Stage 2 books, which includes this title, explore more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades and include hands-on activities that children can do themselves. "Archaeologists Dig For Clues" is well-conceived and informative, with bright cartoon drawings. It is formatted a little like the "Magic School Bus" books, more for upper elementary kids.

The Bodhisattva Warriors: The Origin, Inner Philosophy, History and Symbolism of the Buddhist Martial Art Within India and China

Average customer rating:

I can't believe i payed money for this
Martial arts Buddhist past
For the serious martial arts student
A dedicated life long search for why a Martial art is Buddhist?
Bogus Budo-Buyer Beware

The Bodhisattva Warriors: The Origin, Inner Philosophy, History and Symbolism of the Buddhist Martial Art Within India and China
Terence Dukes
Manufacturer: Weiser Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0877287856

Customer Reviews:

I can't believe i payed money for this.......2006-12-16

I don't know how anyone can possibly state that this book is any good. As a historical book, it doesn't have any historical authenticity to anything that the author has written in it. I bought this book because I thought I was going to learn something new - boy was I wrong. His take on history is not related to what is written by current historians and a lot of his conclusions about the origins of martial arts are just opinions that when one thinks about it makes no logical sense. Newsflash.... all major historians believe that organized martial arts were created by the military or by people involved in military/police affairs. They were not created by pacifistic monks or religious people who believe in pacifism. That is just illogical. His other attempts such as tying the birth of martial arts to buddhism is wrong in the face of the fact that there is defined martial arts in china, korea, and japan before the creation of buddhism or even the transport of buddhism to those countries. The Shaolin temple is the only Chan/Zen temple that has a martial arts tradition in all of china. Most historians believe that it harbored retired soldiers who possessed martial arts traditions from their military days and brought it into the temple. Further, most historians believe that the martial arts in china and japan took religion into it after the creation of the martial arts to try to lend a moral character to the immoral process of learning how to hurt and kill others (so that people wouldn't do it a totally immoral fashion). He also discounts the major contributions that Taoism/Confucianism/ and Sun Tzu's theories on warfare on the martial arts. His take on this seems to revolve around the Shaolin temple and the Bodhidharma legend (which is just a legend! - Historians aren't even sure that he existed as a real individual in connection with the Shaolin temple!) It's the same with European or Middle Eastern martial arts and warfare. Most soldiers of Europe and the Middle east were greatly influenced by priests and religious men for moral or religious fortitude in the face of the study of the art of self defense. That does not mean that Christianity or Islam created european/middle eastern swordplay. His illogic is similar to the illogic of stating that the Knights Templar of Europe invented fencing and sword play because they were religious people and many soldiers and swordsmen in Europe during the middle ages were religious and attended church... A totally illogical statement. All in all a horrible book. I'm peeved because I unfortunately actually spent my hard earned money on it at full price.

Martial arts Buddhist past.......2006-07-16

I don't know what some of these reviewists talk about when they say that Shifu Nagaboshi Tomio's work is fabricated. Bodhisattva warriors has much quantifiable evidence in its 500 plus pages (I can only think that they have an ulterior motive to try suppress the writers' work).

Bodhisattva Warriors to my mind goes beneath the surface of current historical facts but the key facts are still there with many more I had not read before pointing me in directions for further reading.

With regards this subject the most popular records are those of of Bodhidharma the 28th Patriarch of Buddhism in India, and the first Patriarch in China. Bodhidharma is traditionally held to be the founder of the Chaan school of Buddhism (known in Japan and the West as Zen), and the Shaolin school of Chinese martial arts. Bodhidharma is well known for teaching the ailing monks of Shaolin the moving arts, though Shifu Nagaboshi points out that having been an Indian Prince like the Buddha, Bodhidharma had been taught the warrior arts of the Kshatrya caste in his home country of India.

There is no question about the earliest reliable evidence of Buddhist monks engaging in military action, and therefore possibly using martial arts skills, from the celebrated attack on Wang Shih-ch'ung's forces, in support of the Tang forces of Li Shill-min, in 621 CE. Memorial tablets recording this and other military exploits of Shaolin monks are still preserved today. (DEMIEVILLE 1973, pp. 275-79)

Terry Dukes' sensible observation that many martial arts movements in China, Korea and Japan are derived from Buddhist 'mudra' (signs of the hand) are clearly not just his own fanciful ideas (as some like to suggest) as these mudras can be seen all over China in surviving Buddhist paintings and statues of Buddhas. Evidence is even greater in Buddhist temple guardians who are traditionally depicted in warrior like poses performing mudras which are easily recognised as martial arts movements. Just to give a couple of examples: the well known Buddhist mudra 'abhaya mudra', the 'mudra of fearlessness' which the Buddha is recorded as using to subdue a charging elephant, can be seen in many martial arts as it is a type of inner circling knife hand. 'Bhumisparsa mudra' the mudra of calling the earth to witness is depicted in images of temple guardians as a gesture of surpressing enemies of Buddhism. However these examples are just two of many that can be uncovered by any discerning martial arts enquirer.

I have myself checked that many of these images and statues date back to the early insurgence of Buddhist culture into China through the silk Road which opened in the Second Century BC so there is absolutely no historical dispute that Indian Buddhism had a massive impact on Chinese Culture from this date onwards and Terry Dukes helps make the cross connections between martial arts and Buddhism from this time onwards.

Again there are more sustainable facts with Zhang Qian (Hsuang Tsang) a Chinese explorer and imperial envoy of the 2nd century BCE, is recorded as the first official diplomat to bring back reliable information about Central Asia to the Chinese imperial court, then under Emperor Wu of Han. Zhang Qian is also credited with the translation of many important Buddhist texts (sutras) which layed down the foundations for Buddhism which was to rival and often dominate Taoism in the Chinese imperial court.

There is no disputing that Indian Buddhism was so widespread that it managed to reach the shores of Japan, and as we know very well was whole heartedly adopted by the Japanese, dramatically influencing Japanese culture and arts from the 7th Century to the present day.

There is of course a fundemental difference between Japan and China in that Japan had no forign intervention or civil wars which resulted in the suppression of Buddhism. In China however as Terry Dukes points out in Bodhisattva Warriors that Taoism and Buddhism vied for acceptance as the imperial courts religion and so inevitably Buddhism at different periods in Chinese history was outlawed and inevitably had to be taught secretly. It is only a small step to infer that to escape detection by the authorities Buddhism was easily codified into hand movements and dances (form, kata or hsing) where it has been passed down through Buddhist martial practices to the present day.

Shifu Nagaboshi's assertians of this are are easily verified by evidence of the codification of mudras (hand signs) in Buddhist practice because we can see the practices of Chen Yen monks of China, Shingon Monks of Japan and Vajryana lamas of Tibet who still ritually perform complicated hand movements to accompany verbal and meditational practices.

This is what is interesting about this book as just as in Buddhist Chuan Fa the mudra these monks use are not just simply mundane 'hand signs' but a 'phsyco-physical' gesture which (as this term suggests) involves not just the body but also the mind of the practitoner.

The practice of unifying mind and body within physical training is well established within martial arts systems and this Buddhist (yogacara) tradition as Shifu Nagaboshi (along with others)* correctly identifies is most certainly one of the roots of this practice. (See Keenan: Spontaneity in Western Martial Arts, A Yogacara Critique of Mushin [No-Mind]- a google search will find this)

Terry Dukes (who quite openly displays both his English and Budddhist name on the front cover) has obviously hit some raw nerves with people who would keep to their blinkered history of martial arts rather than engage with the facts that there are some aspects of the esoteric doctrines that just do not fit into martial arts based on commercial an egotistical gain.

As a Buddhist this book explained a lot about the art I am practicing.

For the serious martial arts student.......2006-06-06

The Bodhisattva Warriors is a highly intellectual, thought-provoking book and is not for the casual reader. Despite its length and the depth of information given, it is obvious that the book is meant as an introduction only for it deals with a vast amount of complex subject matters, most of which would take volumes to cover fully. Where applicable, the sources of photographs and illustrations are given, and the 124 pages of the notes and bibliography at the back indicate where information contained in the book came from.
For the serious student who is interested in gaining a wider knowledge and understanding of the martial arts, The Bodhisattva Warriors by Shifu Nagaboshi Tomio provides a solid base from which to carry out further research and study.
This book is highly recommended.

A dedicated life long search for why a Martial art is Buddhist?.......2006-06-03

There are two sides to every coin and some martial arts practitioners dismiss this book out of hand and they are entitled to their views however in my humble opinion and that of many others in the martial arts world this book is a milestone in Martial Arts research. Nagaboshi/Dukes has oviously taken a lot of time in these 500 or so pages to investigate questions that many martial arts students would like to have answers to.

Although certainly not an easy read it is obvious after a while that Nagaboshi/Dukes is uncovering ideas that are rarely if ever mentioned in the local Shoalin/Zen/Budo martial arts dojo. Some of these questions are really quite simple like:

Why 'clobbering' each other is Buddhist?
What could be Buddhist about kata or forms?
Why does the Japanese term for the martial arts training hall 'dojo' have the same name as the meditation hall in a Zen monastery'?
What is the spiritual connection with the Shaolin Monastry or to Buddhism in general?
What did the patron of Buddhist Martial arts 'Bodhidhama' actually say and teach?

This book is certainly not going to be to everyone's taste but if you are seriously interested in what a Buddhist Martial art is and why, then this book cannot be overlooked. There are very few if any books to my knowledge that take this subject so seriously and if those who write it off were to write any books on the subject I would be happy to read them.

Bodhisattva Warriors has had an obvious impact, sending all the Shaolin/Zen perporting martial arts teachers diving to swat up on their Buddhism so that their students can't ask them awkward questions or on the other hand taking the easiest option in just dismissing Nagaboshi/Dukes as having made it all up! Which is obviously not the case if you read the book.

I've taken the time to read this book and come to my own conclusions. This is a very important book possibly a milestone in martial arts literature. Nagaboshi/Dukes has focused on the spiritual Buddhism in the Buddhist martial art rather than just paying lipservice to it with a few quipped Zen sayings. If your teacher doesn't know much about why his martial art is Buddhist, then this is the book to get and if he dimisses it you will know why. He hasn't read it!

Bodhisattva Warriors has obviously taken years of research to compile and probably the best part of a lifetime to write. It is a must even if like me you just use it as part of your research into martial arts history. I give it five stars.

Bogus Budo-Buyer Beware.......2006-03-25

As a Martial Artist and a Buddhist, I found this "book" by "Shifu" Nagaboshi (aka. Terry Dukes) to be both misleading and offensive. The information it contains regarding Buddhism and the Martial arts is completely false. The book is written in a poor, rambling and confusing style, profusely illustrated with ripped-off photos from other books. "Shifu" Nagaboshi is a well-known fraud in the Martial Arts world. His "Mushindo" is nothing more than a cult and has nothing to do either with either the real Martial Arts or Buddhism. Anyone seriously beginning studies in the path of either Budo or the Buddha would to well to steer clear of works by "Shifu" Nagaboshi-Dukes. There are dozens of wonderful books available at GREAT PRICES from Amazon.com. that will help your studies of Budo. Try reading, "Karate-do Kyohan" by Gichin Funakoshi (the title is Japanese, but the book is in english!) Or try Master Funakoshi's autobiography, "Karate-do, My Way of Life." For wonderful stories and legends about Chinese Kung Fu, nothing beats Robert Smith's classic "Chinese Boxing, Masters and Methods." Before you think of buying this "book" by Nagaboshi, consider something...in Japan you do not call your teacher "Shifu." "Sifu" is the Mandarin Chinese term for teacher. ("Shifu" is probably a Hong Kong/Cantonese corruption Dukes picked up somewhere.) In Japan, you always call your teacher "Sensei." Nagaboshi didn't even get his title right, so how can you trust his bogus book? If I can stop one serious young martial artist from getting into Nagaboshi's cult, my review will have served its purpose. In Gassho to all true students of the path.

Average customer rating:

A Book for aficionados of the Tudor period
Interesting topic, but the writing didn't grab me
The Lost Son
Passably Competent Account of a Little Known Bastard
The man who was allmost Henry The Ninth of England

Bastard Prince: Henry VIII's Lost Son
Beverley Murphy
Manufacturer: Sutton Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0750926848

Book Description

The first book to examine the life of Henry Fitzroy, the only illegitimate child ever publicly acknowledged by Henry VIII.

Customer Reviews:

A Book for aficionados of the Tudor period.......2006-07-08

Dying at the age of 18, Henry Fitzroy is, in the end, a person of little or no historical significance. There was the potential that he could have become historically significant, but he didn't; this may make him a little interest to general history readers. On the other hand, as the king's acknowledged son, there is also considerable documentation about his life, and it did intersect with some of the flashpoints of history. For the reader interested in the period, his story fleshes out the life and upbringing of a high-ranking male. Murphy also checks upon some of the minor, disputed details of the question of the succession.

What is very interesting about biographies like this is that they bring out the details of the period better than biographies of the famous. The latter are so filled with political and social events that very often the subject isn't developed as a person, even when there is copious information. In a way, that is a shame. It would be nice to have "personal" biographies of such people where the already heavily documented major historical events are a background to their daily life. I had read a great deal of information about the Tudors before I learned that Henry played cards with (and lost to!) his cellarer, or that Anne Boleyn, obviously a woman after my own heart, insisted that he move his fighting cocks so that she could sleep in in the morning.

One problem that I do have with Murphy is that she struggles so hard to make him seem more important. If his neighbors were bringing him gifts when he was 12, I think it is more likely to ingratiate themselves with him and his father, not because he was personally doing a fabulous job of managing his estates. His life wasn't one that was eccentric or fascinating or wittily told that I would recommend it to everyone, but I think that people really interested in the period will find it improves their general understanding.

Interesting topic, but the writing didn't grab me.......2006-02-15

I love Henry...love any book about him, his wives, his children, I have all of them. This one caught my eye because it was written about one of his children you rarely hear anything about other than his mother's name and that he died relatively young. I was excited to start reading, but found the presentation wasn't grabbing my attention, and I found myself not being as interested in the information presented as I thought I would be. I suppose you could call the presentation as text-bookish. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy non-fiction, especially historical non-fiction, but this one just didn't keep me interested.

The Lost Son.......2005-06-16

Among the more grandiose plans amongst the ministers of Henry VIII's administration was to legitimize Henry FitzRoy and marry him to his legitimate half-sister Mary (i.e. Bloody Mary). It has been rumored amongst historians that this idea was in fact direct from the King's mouth. According to 16th century standards, siblings who shared the same father (but perhaps not the same mother) were considered 'full-blood' siblings. Siblings who shared the same mother but different fathers were those considered "half". Just a little tidbit of historical nonsense.

Passably Competent Account of a Little Known Bastard.......2004-09-02

Henry VIII while famous for his six wives, did not stop there: among his many extracurriculars was Elizabeth Blount, a young lady who bore him a son, Henry FitzRoy, who was later made Duke of Richmond. The Bastard Price was born well before Ann Boleyn had come on the scene, was publicly acknowledged as the "natural son" of the King and showered with titles and offices. As such, it would not have taken much - or at least it would have taken less trouble than it might have seemed, certainly less trouble than Boleyn marriage brought - to "legitimize" Richmond and thereby solve the most pressing crisis of the late 1520s and early 1530s, namely, Henry's failure to sire a male heir. Murphy does a reasonable job of walking us through the permutations and combination of this would-be scenario, and one is left pondering the possibilities: could the English Reformation have been averted through a bit of subtle intrigue and a quick marriage to Blount? Though the story is interesting, the book itself is a bit slow and assumes quite a deal of background knowledge.

The man who was allmost Henry The Ninth of England.......2002-07-22

This book is a must read for those interested in Tudor Royalty.It reveals an entirely different view of Henry VIII and the problems[real and imagined]he faced concerning his desire for a legitimate male heir to the Throne of England.The politics surrounding Henry VIII and his Court are well researched and presented in a clear way which involves the reader with the Duke of Norfolk and Anne Boleyn's backers and Family[Seymour] as they fought for power and the favor of the King.

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