Product Description
The progress of a complex educational restructuring project in the US state of Arizona is the focus of this book. The goals of the project included: to improve dramatically student achievement in the core subjects; to develop new assessment and evaluation practices; and to develop teaching strategies, curricula and school structures that meet the needs of poor, minority and bilingual students. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Great ideas and well organized
I bought this book for fun ideas to hone my two kids' math skills.This book is wonderfully organized by math topic, and then gives you separate exercises within those topics for different grade levels (K-2 and 3-5).It's very easy to locate exactly what you're looking for without being overwhelmed.I've used it all summer and will continue to use it through the school year because the content is so relevant.This is by far the best book I've read on doing math at home.

Excellent
I just started homeschooling a 5yo, and was looking for a way to teach math in an informal way. This book is exactly what I have been looking for. I can use real objects(cars, trains, blocks) for lessons instead of using 20 different types of manipulatives that other books recommend.

My rating of the book, Bringing Math Home
As a grandfather of small children, I consider this book the most valuable production I have seen.The helps offered to parents for use in creating an understanding of mathematics are valid eucationally and well presented. ... Read more

Product Description
Since 1992, there have been 250 violent deaths in schools, and in virtually every one, bullying has been a contributing factor to the violence. As in the Columbine High School shooting in Littleton, Colorado, most of the students who committed these violent crimes were victims of bullying who decided to get revenge. Such violence has become one of the most serious problems in America today, and both bullies and their victims need help.

Chapter One defines bullying as a form of violence among children and discusses characteristics of bullies. Chapter Two identifies myths about bullies and presents research that dispels those myths. Chapter Three considers how serious violence begins with seemingly innocent put-downs and teasing. Chapter Four explores how bullying may indicate the beginning of a generally antisocial and rule-breaking behavior pattern that can extend into adulthood, and presents successful programs and interventions. Chapter Five presents useful solutions and strategies to stop bullying. ... Read more

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From writing mysteries, to the human genome project, these model lessons for the core academic areas will excite your students and save you planning time. In addition to the 12 model lessons provided, the book includes a step-by-step guide to developing lessons that emphasize depth and complexity. All of the materials focus on ways to align the middle school curriculum with established national standards and offer strategies to evaluate learner achievement.

The writers who contributed lessons to this book are all outstanding educators who were selected based on their subject area expertise and experience in curriculum writing. They worked tirelessly, writing, revising, and rewriting, creating model lessons that have set a high standard for middle school teachers.

The lessons have been grouped by grade level as they share a common theme. The grade level designations are, to some degree, for demonstration and example purposes only. In a particular classroom, lessons from other grade levels may be equally appropriate.

The most important goal of this book is the hope that, with the examples of curriculum excellence and the theoretical background, teachers will begin to develop standards-based lessons and units of study that will promote high-end learning for gifted students in middle school. ... Read more

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(Washington University School of Medicine)Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO. Concise, practical manual provides clinical information including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, connective disorders, and more. For residents and physicians. Softcover. DNLM: Rheumatic Diseases--diagnosis--Handbooks. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

helpful for consults or clinic
A thin book, doesn't go into great detail but does hit all the major disorders. There is a chapter on "rheumatologic emergencies" such as one might encounter on hospital consults. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A staple among my resources
I am a school social worker (K-6) and I have loooooots of resources.This is one I come back to again and again.The BEST thing about it is that all the discussions are perfectly laid out for you.All I do is open the book and start talking.The students I use it with (usually 5th and 6th graders) are ready for this type of candid talk and they always have a good group experience when we do this.
The guidelines, suggestions and tips in the beginning are very useful.I use the "personal strengths and limitations" section and the "time and priorities" section all the time with all different types of groups.i find so much about the kids and it helps me to know what direction to take the group next time or to further address some issues I wouldn't have othewise known about.I successfully use this with 5th and 6th graders but not all lessons are right for that age.It would be an absolutely perfect resource for middle and high school social workers and counselors.The other Talk with Teens book is just as good!

Stressful Lives of Teens
First off, I gave this book to my cousin as a birthday present. I remember the time when I was a teenager and some of the issues and concerns I dealt with , as many young people do today; some more life-altering than others;i.e. drugs and alcohol, depression, suicide and family upheavals as well asgun violence.I found the book to be very user-friendly and read the bookat our local library.The discussions suggested within the book arehelpful in leading pointed, educational sessions with teens and would begreat for counselors and teachers alike. And the fact in is for grades7-12, makes it a great resource to the mental health and self-helpcommunities. ... Read more

Product Description
Arizona State University 101 is required reading for every future Sun Devil! From whitewashing the A to cheering with Sparky in Sun Devil stadium, you'll share all the great memories with the next generation!This sturdy board book features loads of high quality photos and content for young and old alike. Perfect for fans and alumni to share with kids and grandchildren. The book makes a great baby shower gift, birthday gift and holiday gift! Make sure the little ones grow up supporting the RIGHT school and team!!!! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good but not great
Bought this for my son since my husband is an alum.The pictures are alright.I also bought the University of Texas version for a friend.Although the listing said the book was new and it looked new, the bottom of the book had a highlighter marking like the clearance books at book stores.This made my gift seem cheap. ... Read more

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When Indian communities of Chiapas, Mexico, rose in armed rebellion in 1994, they spoke boldly of values, rights, identities, and expectations.Their language struck a chord for most Mexicans, for it was the cultural legacy of the Revolution of 1910. Of all the accomplishments of the Mexican Revolution, its cultural achievements were among its most important.The Revolution's cultural politics accounts in part for the relative political stability Mexico enjoyed from 1940 through 1993 and underlies much of the discourse accompanying the tumultuous transitions in that country today.To show the significance of this facet of the Revolution, Mary Kay Vaughan here analyzes the educational effort of the state during the 1930s, locating it within the broader sweep of Mexican history to illustrate how the government sought to nationalize and modernize rural society. Vaughan focuses on activities in rural schools, where central state policy makers, teachers, and people of the countryside came together to forge a national culture.She examines the cultural politics of schooling in four rural societies in the states of Sonora and Puebla that are representative of the peasant societies in revolutionary Mexico, and she shows how the state's program of socialist education became an arena for intense negotiations over power, culture, knowledge, rights, and gender practices. The real cultural revolution, Vaughan observes, lay not in the state's efforts at socialist education but in the dialogue between state and society that took place around this program.In the 1930s, rural communities carved out a space to preserve their local identities while the state succeeded in nurturing a multi-ethnic nationalism based on its promise of social justice and development. Vaughan brings to her analysis a comparative understanding of peasant politics and educational history, extensive interviews, and a detailed examination of national, regional, and local archives to create an evocative and informative study of Mexican politics and society during modern Mexico's formative years.Cultural Politics in Revolution clearly shows that only by expanding the social arena in which culture was constructed and contested can we understand the Mexican Revolution's real achievements. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Nation building through cultural politics
Mary Kay Vaughan examines post revolutionary Mexico and its goals of nation building and modernization in Cultural Politics in Revolution. As the title implicates, culture was (and still) is integral to nationbuilding in Mexico.Vaughan examines the central role of the school infour rural areas, two in Puebla and two in Sonora.Using these four areasas examples, Vaughan is able to demonstrate that post revolutionary Mexicowas able to nation build through hegemony between the state and the ruralsociety, therein lies her thesis.The cultural achievements of the MexicanRevolution lie within its negotiated settlement between the government andthe people.Each case study provides a different look on how negotiationsbetween the state and peasants affected policies within each region andwithin Mexico.Using a post-revisionist look at the Mexican Revolution,Vaughan shows how cultural politics affected specific regions and how thiswas able to nationalize some of the Mexican people, but not all of themIt is important to preface this review by stating that Mexico was ashattered state during and after the Revolution.Internal conflicts hadmarred the hope of building a strong centralized Mexico.In 1921, theSecretaria de Educacion Publica (referred to as the SEP) was created. TheSEP established rural schools as venues for harnessing the spirit ofrebellious peasants in the 1930s and '40s, therefore turning these schoolsinto locations where the state could enact social change within each ruralarea (4).The SEP trained and sent out teachers to teach these ruralvillages lessons that were within the constraints of what the SEP wantedthe Mexican people to know, including reading, writing, and basic skills.Each educator was responsible for learning about the village that he (andvery rarely, she) taught in, so that he or she could report to the SEP onthe state of the area. Traditional subjects were not the only part of thecurriculum, the SEP intended to build nationalism through education, usingteachers as their own personal agents.In many areas, these teachersbecame loyal to their villages, taking upon their shoulders the burdens ofthe community, in an attempt to express how the government could bettersuit the rural village.A relationship of negotiations developed betweenthe government and the rural villages and teachers played a critical rolein the hegemony created between peasant and government.It is important torealize that there were three stages involved in each negotiation: peasantsto teacher, teacher to governor, and governor to central government.Theteacher became the go-between for the people and the governor, while stilleducating the children of the village. The first rural areaconsidered by Vaughan is Tecamachalco, Puebla.Tecamachalco's peasants hadall been mestisized by the centuries of Spanish interaction (77).Thepeople were dependant upon agriculture, so land reform had been a key issueto the peasants during the Revolution.Heated negotiations between theTecamachalquenos and the government resulted in differing opinions on therole of school and culture.Literacy rates continued to drop from alreadylow numbers.Education was in need, but what differed between these twobutting heads was the amount of state interaction and intervention in theeducation given to the community.A school was eventually created, builtthrough negotiations made between the community and the state.This schoolwould not only become a place where the three R's were taught, but would bea place for the people to voice their concerns about agrarian reform.TheSEP teachers were state agents and the people felt that if they were ableto speak to the teachers, then perhaps their voices would be heard in thegovernment. Their voices were heard.The negotiations of the 1930sfor land reform and agricultural modernization found success in the 1940s(101).Improvements within the school in terms of material demands andwithin the community (in terms of industrialization of fruit trees) werenow possibilities, not just hopeless demands.In this respect, Vaughangives insight into the role that teachers played in this linkage.Teachersfound themselves becoming more aligned with the needs of the community andless with the demands of the government, considering themselves the heartof the people.The rural villages were able to construct a school whichreinforced a peasant disposition and community decision making, whileintegrating a national, civil society into the state building project ofpost revolutionary Mexico (101, 105). Zacapoaxtla, the second ruralarea examined by Vaughan, was much different from Tecamachalco. Zacapoaxtlans were a large indigenous population, more pious, and lessconcerned with agrarian reform than the Tecamachalquenos (107).But likeTecamachalco, negotiations between the state and the people surrounded andintegrated the school. The Zacapoaxtlans wanted less state domination andthe state wanted community initiated change within the area (107).Vaughandivided this area into three tiers, based upon their location (south,central and north).Each tier had its own demands from the state.Whereasthe southern tier wanted tax exemption because their land was unproductive,the central, middle tier who was conservative, wanted protection fromanti-clerical legislation, privatization of communal land, and Liberaltroop levies (109).The northern tier, like the central tier, retainedmany more elites than the southern tier, so the goals of the community werebuilt around what the elites demanded. Throughout the 1920s and`30s, the state was unable to gain much ground within Zacapoaxtla. Tensions between elites and villagers and elites and middle class familiesaffected the negotiations between the state and the people.Socialisteducation had been adopted by the SEP, which entailed the teaching ofsubjects like reading through concepts of class struggle, exploitation, andsurplus value (119).With such problems between classes, the teachersfound themselves trying to stabilize a class warfare, negotiating betweentheir goals and the goals of each class.Unfortunately, the elites usedsocialist education against the teachers, casting the SEP project as evil,which flared up Catholic resistence to the educators.What resulted wasthe death (by hacking) of three teachers and the destruction of a localschool.Parents took their children out of classes and teachers no longerhad students to teach.Vaughan suggests that in some of the villages inthis area, the only way SEP teachers were allowed to continue was if theyadjusted their teaching to fit more into what the community wanted and notwhat the government wanted, neglecting the give and take relationship thatthe government had attempted to build. The second state examined byVaughan, Sonora, also had a difficult situation on its hands.Socialisteducators feared that if they challenged the role of religion, the resultwould be a large scale rebellion (137).The Yaqui Indians of Sonora hadbeen fierce in defending their valley from the state and capitalistdevelopers (137).In the mid 1930s, negotiations began between the stateand the Yaquis, worked toward giving the tribe more authority and more landwhile building schools and infrastructure which would transform their lives(138).Although it appears as if the government was handing autonomy tothe tribe, this could not be further from the truth, if the governmentcould get hold of the region through development and establishment ofschools, negotiations between the Yaquis and the state would eventuallyresult in national control of the region, eliminating their ability torevolt.

Highly literate (in fact the most literate of the four areasexamined), the Yaquis had quite a few options on the reconstruction oftheir society upon negotiations between the tribe and the state.TheRestorationists, a division within the tribe that became prevalent due toits support by the President, were empowered by Cardenas.However, thegovernment saw the problem with the Yaquis as something that could becontrolled through material goods, such as schools, land and economicresources, leading the state to believe that once the material goods weretaken care of, the Yaquis would be fully integrated into Mexican society(151).Unlike the three other areas examined in Vaughan, the state had amuch more difficult time trying to force patriotism and nationalism onthese people.The SEP schools failed to draw in the Yaqui student.Theteachers neglected the needs of the Yaqui student by not learning theirlanguage and not attempting to build relationships between the school andthe community.What resulted was an agreement between the Yaquis and thecentral government that allowed the Yaqui Indians to maintain a separateidentity in Mexico, as long as their identity did not interfere with themodernization of Mexico (157).In decades after the `30s and `40, theYaquis have maintained a relationship based on recognizing the centralgovernment and many of ... Read more

Product Description
Twelve-year-old Tag struggles with himself and encounters historical figures and events as he time-travels from the ancient cliff-dwellers period to the present. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Wonderful!
This series is amazing, and never leaves you at a loss for whatwill happen next, but the suspense is overwhelming!Tag and Walkertogether make the strongest pair of friends I have ever seen in a novel. Their lives span centuries and their stories capture you! I strongly recommend this book, and the others in the Walker of Time series, to enjoy over and over again as I have!

Action sequel beats the original.
This sequel easily got 4 stars. In the beginning Tag the main character travels through timefrom 1250 to a lot of different times. All through that time he protected the canyon he lived in with his best friend from graverobbers. In the end he finds his dad and the canyon is protected. I thoughtthat the author characterizied Tag and the people he met well. It is verysuspenseful and made me read on. This is a very good book to read if youlike the Indian culture or action books. ... Read more

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Combining approaches from anthropology and cultural studies, Working from Within examines how issues of identity, agency, and social movements shape the lives of Chicana and Chicano activist educators in U.S. schools. Luis Urrieta Jr. skillfully utilizes the cultural concepts of positioning, figured worlds, and self-authorship, along with Chicano Studies and Chicana feminist frameworks, to tell the story of twenty-four Mexican Americans who have successfully navigated school systems as students andlater as activist educators.

Working from Within is one of the first books to show how identity is linked to agency—individually and collectively—for Chicanas and Chicanos in education. Urrieta set out to answer linked questions: How do Chicanas and Chicanos negotiate identity, ideology, and activism within educational institutions that are often socially, culturally, linguistically, emotionally, and psychologically alienating? Analyzing in-depth interviews with twenty-four educators, Urrieta offers vivid narratives that show how activist identities are culturally produced through daily negotiations.

Urrieta’s work details the struggles of activist Chicana and Chicano educators to raise consciousness in a wide range of educational settings, from elementary schools to colleges. Overall, Urrieta addresses important questions about what it means to work for social justice from within institutions, and he explores the dialogic spaces between the alternatives of reproduction and resistance. In doing so, he highlights the continuity of Chicana and Chicano social movement, the relevance of gender, and the importance of autochthonous frameworks in understanding contemporary activism. Finally, he shows that it is possible for minority activist educators to thrive in a variety of institutional settings while maintaining strong ties to their communities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Raises intriguing questions
A peculiar tension has always existed between activist educators working in public and higher education. Maybe it is the contradiction of cultivating consciousness of youth while being on the payroll of institutions (and certainly the state) that seldom believe in such politically minded pursuits. Or perhaps, as Luis Urrieta asserts in Working From Within: Chicana and Chicano Activist Educators in Whitestream Schools, it is the self-awareness of being essentially a tool for a system that wants to (and, in many cases, will) assimilate students into white-dominant mainstream America. What this means for Chicana/o teachers in the Southwestern United States, and the movements from which those teachers hail, is at issue for a subculture of educators.

The tantalizing philosophical quandary Urrieta presents indirectly then is this: how much will students' fates actually change through progressive educators on the tab of a system that, at best, wants to generally educate youth of color for `the future' and, at worst, actively and systematically teaches versions of history that may swim against community self-interest?

The challenges of navigating identity, alienation, politics and agency are tackled head on by Working From Within, a book that asserts a positive history to progressive Chicana and Chicano educators seeking to impart to young people a clear understanding of their roles in society as well as their history. Such relationships, particularly in academia, are fraught with compromises and negotiation. The book shares efforts to organize Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA) chapters, youth leadership development, cultural studies and other tactics. Just as vigorous to the storytelling is a backdrop of educators conflicted about the positions they occupy and their efforts to maintain their idealism in a system that generally does not see the world as they do.

Most telling about the involvement of progressive educators in academia is the ways definitions changed. Activism, in their lens, took on a postmodern feel, from community organizing and street actions to one in which they saw their employment as activism with a different scope, but lending to a social change few believed they would see in their lifetimes. Although one might say such a view could be a byproduct of Chicanisma/o and the complicated relationships it has had with white society for generations, it is doubtful such pretensions are isolated to Chicana/o instructors.

Other writings have criticized the tendency of those working in the academic and not-for-profit world to perpetuate themselves and their careers at the cost of serving the community, most visibly The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex by INCITE: Women of Color Against Violence. Implicit to the critique is that, by buying off good organizers with jobs and lifestyles oriented in some way around their views, the struggle becomes not one of community building but ensuring those views have a home (and thus acculturated by some part) in the institution itself. By creating that space, one may win a victory in putting views forward, but ultimately it is argued that mainstream education wins because its own notions of academic freedom and discussion are reinforced.

In Urrieta's view, such changes are emblematic of how movements grow and change over time. Unexplored is how militant Chicana/o activism has mostly vanished amid the rise of mainstream social action and nonprofits. It is debatable how good or bad the developments such movements have seen ultimately will be, but Urrieta's research certainly ads more to an ongoing conversation. ... Read more

Product Description
If you follow the advice in this book and take advantage of the helpful information available at MyGraduateSchool.com you will greatly improve your chances of getting into the graduate school of your choice with or without having excellent grades. Applying to graduate school can be quite the challenge for any student, but it can seem particularly intimidating if you are one of the many students that do not have spectacular grades. Although grades are an important component of your application, grades alone will certainly not get you a free pass into the graduate school or program of your choice. There are many other important factors that no one tells you about, ones that can make or break an application. If you take the time to learn about and understand why you are being evaluated in a variety of ways in the first place, you can then use this to your advantage. This book will take you through, in a clear, step-by-step fashion, all of the measures that you will be evaluated upon and how you can take advantage of each one of them to come out ahead of the competition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

A+ Grades
In the first chapter, this author says that even if you get an A+ in all your courses, you might not get accepted into graduate school. This is ridiculous. He should seriously see a psychiatrist.

Somewhat outdated
This book was published in 1997 and frequently refers to antiquated methods such as filling out applications by hand (most colleges/universities only accept online applications) and there was no mention of that in this book.Having said that, there are some helpful hints in this book, however, I think a more updated publication can be found with the same helpful hints.

Read this book EARLY
A recommended book especially for those who are still in their early years in university.

Though this book was written years ago, it is still very helpful for people who want to apply for a postgraduate degree. My suggestion is you may want to read this book as early as you are still in your first year in university. The book teaches you what you should do in order to make your life easier when you apply. For example, how should you let professors remember you then they are able to write good reference letters for you. If you are in your fourth year and want to apply for a postgraduate degree, but you messed up relationship with your professors. Obviously, you are in some trouble to require a GOOD reference letter.

This book is generally written for postgraduate candidates. Since applying for a master degree is quite different from applying for a Phd, you may want to seek advanced advice (& information) if you are applying for a research degree.

Yes, you may notice you can search online and find advice similar to those provided in this book. However, as I mentioned early, you will still find this book valuable if you read this book in your first year of university.

Better than Most
I must say that I'm really glad that I read this book twice. The first time I was greatly unimpressed, the author covered obvious points. However, finding myself applying to a completely different program and with bad grades I decided to read it again, and I'm glad. The author mentioned great points that I never considered. My first go around I used Getting What You Came For" with wonderful results, however, this book gave advice that I hadn't previously found on C.V., cover letters, contacting department heads and so forth. The book may seem dated to some but it was a wonderful resource, more helpful than the Graduate School Handbook that so many recommend. I think that it's a great read no matter where you are on your search for graduate school. However, if you have already graduated I suggest that you pick up another book as an accompaniment.

Good for Sophomores, but not for those who have already given graduate school some thought
The target audience of the book is a sophomore or junior year audience. Thos e purchasing the book should be limited to people of that level in their studies or people who are only beginning to consider graduate school. For those who have given grad school a lot of thought: The book is a waste of time. Everything you already know is in there. The chapters have great titles but in the end they told me what I already knew.

This book is in no way a complete guide to graduate school admissions. It seemed a bit infantile. But if you feel clueless, go for it. ... Read more

Product Description
Written by more than 20 experts in the counseling field, this new book examines the full spectrum of issues involved in the school counseling profession, with an emphasis on a comprehensive developmental school counseling approach supplemented by responsive interventions. Each of the contributing authors is a key practitioner/researcher in the area about which he/she writes; and, together, they advocate transforming the role of the professional school counselor from its traditional focus on guidance to a larger role that moreaccurately reflects the needs of today's students, educators, parents,and communities.The book outlines ten roles the professional school counselor plays in today's educational system and discusses becoming a competent multicultural counselor. It covers counseling individuals and groups, students with special needs, students at-risk, and students with mental and emotional disorders and examines the prevalence of such conditions in schoolpopulations and reviews the professional school counselor's position in regard to these children.For professionals in the field of school counseling. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Transforming School Counseling
Great applicable book for grad students in school counseling programs. A little repetitive at times.

Transforming the School Counseling Profession
Very informative.The book is an excellent resource for anyone who is a school counselor and for anyone wanting to become a school counselor. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the story of Cibola High School, a remarkable public school that set itself a daring goal: every one of its students would not just graduate, but would continue on to post-secondary education. With that goal in mind, the teachers, administrators, and counselors created a unique environment that provided the support necessary for students to realize their ambitions. No flash in the pan, Cibola High School has been meeting its goal for over 20 graduations. Opened to serve an expanding district, Cibola is located across the border from Mexico. The majority of its students receive free lunch, and 74% of its population consists of Latino students, many of them recent immigrants. Through anecdotes and the voices of teachers, school leaders, and students, this book shows the process that has, year-in and year-out, produced results and defied the low expectations that such demographic data predict. Based on an analysis of extensive interviews and research, the author identifies and explores five critical elements associated with the success of this school: unequivocal, uncompromising high expectations; distributed, focused leadership; assertive guidance and counseling; intensive instruction for English language learners; and flexible responses to problems and development of alternative program pathways to success. ... Read more

Product Description
Announcing Book #1 in the first series about a homeschooling family. The Wrights travel the USA in an RV. Each month brings them to a new state with a new educational theme to explore and play with. They prove that learning can happen all the time, anywhere, and that being with family is fun! Meet Aidan, age 7: Boisterous and joking all the time, this sporty boy knows how to have fun! Meet Nadia, age 11: Curious and fiery, this intellectual girl can always find out answers to even the most difficult questions. Meet their parents: Harrison, a writer and linguist expert, and Stephanie, a telecommuting computer expert; ready to adventure with their children. Meet Prince Pumpkin III, turtle extraordinaire: This 50 year old little guy is holding on tight, as the family RV and a mysterious device take him on an adventure no turtle has ever gone on before. Explore an Arizona desert cave with the Wrights as they begin their trip. What will Aidan and Nadia discover? This series is Wright on Time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Great story but needs editing
As a homeschooling parent, I was thrilled to discover this series featuring a homeschooling family, especially one who learns out in the world as we do.I am really glad this series was written and look forward to more titles featuring homeschoolers from this publisher. I agree with the comments of most reviewers regarding the positive tone of the writing and the absence of unpleasant sniping between the siblings which is so common in children's chapter books. However, I have one significant complaint that caused me to rate this a four and not a five: The writing /editing is a bit lax. For example, one of the children expresses himself almost entirely with the word "freaky." As in, "freaky awesome, freaky cool, freaky wierd," all in a page or two. After a few chapters I never wanted to hear that word again. This won't bother some people but anyone who is a stickler about the quality of the writing within the story or the sharpness of the editing may find it quite irritating. I hope the author will hire an experienced editor to help sharpen up the finer points in future installments. Other than that, I love it!

Wright On Time
I am an adult who read this book. (realized the age group after buying) So, I read through it rather fast, I bought it for my Kindle. And it was an enjoyable read. I may buy this series for my sibs kids. I have a slight interest in geology. So, it was fun reading about kids exploring caves.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Nadia and Aiden are on an RV trip with their family and have stopped in Arizona to discover some ancient artifacts of the state. The two find a lot of gems and learn a lot about rocks and minerals. The most intriguing thing they find, however, is a strange turtle-shaped device.

What is the device and how did it get into the cave? How old is it?

The characters are a little one-dimensional and the plot lacks something, but I have no doubt the story will probably be better developed over the course of the planned 50-book series. The story idea is cute, the pictures are well-done, the facts throughout the book are interesting, and it's fun to read and find out what the children will find next .

This book would make a good introduction to rocks and minerals or a teaser for getting young readers interested in states and their history.The vocabulary, though, may be difficult for the targeted age range and some may need help reading through it.

With some help from a more fluent reader, those who like the MAGIC TREE HOUSE series, adventure stories, and non-fiction books all will enjoy this book.

Reviewed by:Kira M

fascinating information about Arizona
Can you imagine what it would be like to receive your education while travelling all over the United States with your parents in a recreational vehicle?What fun!Homeschooling parents Harrison and Stephanie Wright have rented out their old home in Tucson, were loaned an experimental RV, and are now "roadschooling" their two children, eleven-year-old Nadia and seven-year-old Aidan.Harrison is a journalist who is writing a series of articles about living "green" on the road.Their first stop is a rental cave or fee dig site in Arizona where Nadia hopes to find malachite and Aidan wants to see bats.The kids learn all about pyrite and soda straws.They also find a mysterious object with strange markings on it.Could it be Mayan?But what are the glowing things that move in the dark and the whispering voices?And will they make it out of the cave before the owner's wife locks the gate or will they have to spend the night there?

It might be difficult for some people to imagine reading a whole book that describes a single day in which a family of four explores a cave, but author Lisa M. Cottrell-Bentley, herself a homeschooling mom of two daughters, has written one and made it quite interesting.There is, of course, the compelling story that both children and adults should find exciting.It is chock full of fascinating information and nicely illustrated with drawings by Tanja Bauerle.In addition, there is a glossary in the back to explain many of the terms used, followed by a page of facts about Arizona.Wright on Time, Book 1: Arizona is great, and the whole series looks as if it will be really neat.Next, the Wrights are off to Utah for a dinosaur dig!

I wrote the following to Lisa:"By the way, when I started reading the book, I remembered a television show a few years ago, back in the mid 1990s about the time we began homeschooling, called Promised Land.I don't know whether you ever saw it or not, but it was a spin off of Touched by an Angel in which the dad, played by Gerald McRaney, lost his job, so he decided to sell the house and pack up his family, including Grandma played by Celeste Holm, in an RV and travel around the country.The mom, played by Wendy Phillips, planned to homeschool their two kids, both young teens, on the road since she had been a teacher.I found that the first couple of seasons were pretty good, but in the third season they settled down in one place--dad got a regular job, mom went back to teaching, and the kids started to school--and to me it lost its interest.A lot of other people must have thought so too because I believe that it was cancelled after that.Anyway, the plot of your book reminded me of it."

I Know a Little About this Subject!
The Wright on Time books follow the adventures of Aidan, 7, his sister Nadia, 11, as they and their parents travel from state to state, homeschooling as they go.Each book takes place in a different state, so the entire series consist of 50 books!Well, it will anyway.As of this writing only two books have been published.I was sent the first book, Wright on Time: Arizona, so that I could read it and give you my opinion.The second book, Wright on Time: Utah, has also been published.Several more are in the works.


The family explores a cave in Wright on Time: Arizona.Aidan is fascinated by the bats, while Nadia hopes to find some unique gemstones. As you read along, you are not just enjoying a story, you are learning right along with the family.I think it's a great idea, and I think it's great that the books show homeschoolers in such a positive light.


There were a few things that I would have liked to have seen different.First, the parents in the book are referred to by their first names.Call me old-fashioned, but I still prefer that my kids call adults by Mr. and Mrs.


Second, and here I go sounding like an old lady again, but I do not like the phrases Aidan uses throughout book.He was always saying, "Freaky cool!" and "Freaky awesome!"I know, I know, it's like saying "freaky" and "awesome" only together, but every time I read it, I thought of the way people always use the word "freakin'", which I hate, and, well, it just bugged me!LOL(Just a heads up in case you are an old fogey like me!")


Third, they left me hanging!I mean, really!They found this mysterious thing in the cave and I wanted to know what it was, and now I have to read the second book!Tricky, I tell, you, tricky! (The author says you can read the books out of order, but if they do this in all the books, I'd suggest reading them in the order they are written.)


So, what is my final take?Well, first names and freaky aside, I still liked the book.I mean, it was a fun, quick, read, and a great way to sneak in some learnin'. :)


Or you could just go across the country in an RV!
... Read more

Product Description
An activity-based approach to teaching with an emphasis on using manipulatives to build conceptual understanding! This invaluable book combines practical teaching ideas, video examples, updated assessment techniques, and the NCTM Assessment Standards to give teachers all the background they need to introduce elementary and middle school students to the wonders of mathematics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Still using this book
This book is one of the only textbooks I frequently refer back to.I have used the book more since finishing the class than I did while in the class. It is a good reference when you have a student that isn't understanding and you need to use another approach.It is very good at addressing the various learning styles. There is also a large emphasis on using manipulatives in the classroom - I strongly agree with this.

Where was the editor?
To give the book credit, this books walks through many different mathematics methods in great detail. There are several example activities, too. So, the book is a good resource.

However, this book is riddled with typos to the point of distraction! Also, the book refers the reader to a CD over and over again. However, the book did not come with a CD nor did anyone in my class receive a CD with theirs.

The authors assume that readers remember all that they have been taught about math. So, be warned! This can make the book confusing at times but not impossible to work through.

Also, the chapters are too long. They are loaded with good info but they need to be broken up differently. ... Read more

Product Description
Norman Mailer famously said, "Nobody can write an interesting novel about graduate school."Like many other things, Mailer was famously wrong about this.In The Kingdom of Absurdities, Bruce Gatenby chronicles the missteps and misadventures of Chase, a stressed-out and rule-bound advertising copywriter who-missing the reckless irresponsibility of college life-quits his job pushing and pursuing the American Consumer Dream to pursue a Ph.D. in English and the so-called life of the mind at the University of Southern Arizona in Tucson, with disastrous results.A wicked (and wickedly funny) satire on the absurdities of contemporary academic life in the USA and at the U of SA, The Kingdom of Absurdities skewers the unholy academic trinity of enforced diversity, political correctness and liberal insanity.After reading, you'll agree with Lenin, who famously said, "shoot more professors." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Entertaining, yet underwhelming
I went into this read with high hopes, yet overall I was let down.The text's lampooning of graduate study is betrayed by the author's own pedantic writing style, continuously bogged down by semi-obscure cultural references.Although the book is indeed funny, and amusing, its overall tone and style seems to revere that which it seeks to critique.The strongest moments occur when the author writes simply, and wryly, without sinking into the muck of overworked devices.

The structure and characters reminded me a bit of "A Confederacy of Dunces," which I would recommend if you enjoyed this book.The subject matter is entirely different, however.

Overall, I do not recommend this book, though it did have its moments.

Dark, Witty, and Comical--A Real Page Turner!
This book is a definite read for anyone who has pursued or has a Humanities graduate degree.For anyone not belonging to this category, Gatenby's novel is still very much worth reading because it is hilarious, witty, and smart.

The events in Chase's life, at best, can be characterized as random.His reasons to pursue grad school are as accidental as his sexual relationships, all of which eventually lead to a better understanding of both his environment and himself.The ladies in the novel--Agnes, Susan, Presley, Valentina, and Cassady--are stark contrasts of each other, but each of them, in one way or another, guide Chase's life (even it means guiding him on how to escape from a female dormitory).

Living in a society that instills ideas of responsibility and preaches "family values" from a very early age, Chase demarcates himself by being anything but.Chase ponders over "all the responsibilities of the strenuous life," which are "raining down on him like rain, rain and more rain, the moss and scum of responsibility growing seemingly without end" (p. 7).Rather than letting these observances bear down on him, Chase demonstrates, time and time again throughout the novel, that he is completely unmoved by society's pressures to conform. He is a loveable character precisely because he knows, whether consciously or unconsciously, how to release himself from society's strains, giving him greater access to live life on his own terms.

The beauty of the novel is that despite its harrowing realities about graduate school, Chase is ultimately an intellectual product of the very environment that seeks to destroy him with charges of "eye rape."

If I'd read this book (and believed it) 25 years ago, I could have saved myself a lot of time
I never went to grad school with Bruce Gatenby, but after reading this novel, I wasn't so sure. It seemed as if he was describing the very professors, academic controversies and fellow students that I remembered from my own days in "the program." Unlike other academic novels, this is not a loving send-up of graduate humanities programs. Instead, it's a laugh-out-loud, drop-your-jaw peek into the "kingdom of absurdities" that frequently passes for intellectual discourse. You don't have to be a veteran of a graduate program to enjoy this book, though if you haven't done the classes, the comprehensives and the committees, you may think that Gatenby's embroidering the truth a little.He isn't.If anything, he's downplaying the craziness. Yep, this is the life as I remember it. If I'd read this book (and believed it) 25 years ago, I could have saved myself a lot of time.

Six Five Star Reviews?
A colleague recommended this book to me.Why, I do not know, except that we are both academics.There are so many other novels that you would be better served picking up than this one.For instance, "Moo" by Jane Smiley, "Lucky Jim" by Kingsley Amis, anything by David Lodge, as well as some of the books mentioned in the other reviews by Mr. Gatenby's friends.

Old School Satire, of the Best Kind
Bruce Gatenby's "The Kingdom of Absurdities" is an uneasy, startling, and outrageous read--it's satire of the old variety, meaning it's an impolite and necessary book in these times in which the American university has neutered itself. The fiefdoms are found in deans' and chairs' offices, where beknighted and tenured faculty protect their stations, while beneath them, an entire serfdom of graduate students, teaching assistants, adjunct faculty, and visiting instructors scramble to appease their lordships. The values of this kingdom? Orthodoxy. Safety. Conformity.

Gatenby, in the tradition of Swift, Kafka, Orwell, and The Who, reminds us in this great comic novel that the new boss (in shiny post-structuralist garb) is very much the same as the old boss. ... Read more

Product Description
Finally a book that gives premed students, and those thinkingabout becoming premeds, everything they need to know! A detailed,step-by-step guide through the processes of preparing for medicalschool, selecting a medical school, and obtaining the position. Packedwith tips and practical information. Numerous charts illustrate themedical school selection process, and the "Must/Want" Analyses providea way to rank the schools to meet individual needs. This unique bookprovides invaluable information about the entire process—from highschool through what to do once you are accepted (or have been turneddown). This is the book every potential physician has been waitingfor. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Get into medschool
Bought this book over four years ago... can't understand why they want me to write a review on it NOW. Honestly never read the book, or opened it after I figured out how to get into medschool.

Extremely Detailed
This book has A LOT of information in it, and is very helpful. I think it is worth the price.

Perfect for the paranoid premed
I was once a paranoid premed who needed some guidance on how to pursue my dream.This book acts as a detailed guide to the medical path.Sometimes the book gets a little too specific on some of the "rules" (i.e. how to pack your clothes with attached diagrams), but these are only suggestions.Sometimes, these specifics are really helpful if you're clueless on what to do.This is an excellent book and I have already recommended it to some of my premed friends.

This book is outstanding
This books gives one information on how to prepare for medical school since the time one is in high school. Check list of things to do all throughout college and/or high school to get ready for the ultimate goal:Medical School.

Alot of money for poor info
Now that I am in I am writing reviews on these books.The reviews for this one must have been written by the publisher.My friend lent me this one because he told me to save my money.You can spend alot of timereading this and not getting much from it. Better to spend time studyingfor the MCAT's and reading a more concise admissions book.Rec. PrincetonReview and Insider's Guide by Toyos. ... Read more