Book Description
Based on the Natural Approach, Dos mundos stresses the use of engaging activities and interesting readings in a natural and spontaneous classroom atmosphere. In this comprehension-based approach to learning language, the development of communicative language skills is the central goal, with formal grammar presentation and grammar practice at the service of communication. The text is designed so that class time can be devoted to exposing students to Spanish through creative activities and readings, allowing grammar explanations and exercises to be studied outside the classroom.
Customer Reviews:
A good book that did the job.......2007-05-23
I needed this book for my spanish class and it provided me with the step by step instruction I needed.
Best text on the market for Spanish Instruction.......2006-09-24
I teach college Spanish and I love this text. It is thoughtfully constructed and provides numerous activities for communication in the target language. Dos mundos also provides very useful ideas for instructors. The pages are colorful and the content engaging. My students love all the activities I use from this text. I wish more Spanish instructors would embrace the methodology presented in Dos mundos. My level one Spanish students actually speak Spanish (albeit low-level Spanish). I don't know if I would recommend this text for independent study, however. I believe it would be most effective if used in conjunction with a dynamic instructor. I do agree that the authors should include a separate English-Spanish dictionary section. I also find the video segments to be very poor (and why are they exactly the same as the ones for Puntos de partida when they both have such different approaches to language acquisition?)
pretty good.......2006-02-25
this is not a bad spanish book. i don't know if i would say it is great. lots of group activities that are helpful, but they are pretty simple and repetitive. they need to be a little more thoughtful and put in lots of DIFFERENT activities. one last, quite frustrating thing, there is only a spanish-english dictionary in the back. extremely irritating because this is a spanish 1-2 book, and anytime you want to look up a word, you'll need to consult another dictionary.
Book Description
The philosophy of this best-selling introductory text is to emphasize communicative proficiency. Based on the Natural Approach, the text stresses the use of activities in a natural and spontaneous classroom atmosphere. In this comprehension-based approach, the development of receptive skills —listening and reading— precedes and forms the basis for the development of the productive skills —speaking and writing.
Dos mundos is designed so that class time can be devoted to exposing students to Spanish through the abundant activities and readings in the text, allowing the grammar explanations and exercises to be studied outside of class.
Customer Reviews:
Terrible for Beginners (No me gusta).......2006-09-11
If you have a choice, do not buy this book. If you must buy it for your class, seriously consider taking a different Spanish class that doesn't use this book.
This book is full of errors - typos, missing text and using words that haven't been taught yet. It goes on and on. This may be understandable for a 1st edition, but I'm referring to the 5th edition!
They also use a hard-to-read font (small and artsy-fartsy) on their illustrations. So when you see foreign words you can't tell if the word is Lan or Ian. That may seem picky, but when you're paying $200 for the book and workbooks, I expect better.
They also have CD's (they don't include videos for some reason), but it is painfully obvious that the CD's were produced for the ease of manufacturing, not teaching. If you plan on using these CD's while going through a chapter, you will find yourself constantly changing between 3 different CD's - because they don't layout the CD's according to the chapter. One part will be for cultural parts of the chapter, another for the vocabulary and another for the workbook exercises.
It did awake me to the different between Textbooks and what I'll call Free Market books. Textbooks, at least this one, doesn't have a reference section - putting all the numbers together, colors, etc.
Just look at the editorial description (above). It really says it all..."Dos mundos is designed so that class time can be devoted to exposing students to Spanish through the abundant activities and readings in the text, allowing the grammar explanations and exercises to be studied outside of class."
In other words, if you want to learn grammar and have it explained, don't use this book. Study it "outside of class." Why am I taking this class?
A LONG WAIT FOR PRODUCT.......2005-09-04
I ordered this product on the 3rd of August via expedited (2 day)shipping and it did not get here until the 13th of August!! Class started here on the 15th. The product itself was as it stated, so I can not complain about that. I would not use this shipper unless you have plenty of time to wait.
Unhappy.......2004-09-08
I was looking for a student workbook for practice in spanish. I ordered this book because it was listed as "like new",it took me almost three weeks to get it and when I did I found the worksheets for the first five chapters were cut out. I am now approaching my first term exam for those same chapters and have no book to review.
The Best Spanish Resource I've ever Come Across.......2003-10-27
I think that "Dos Mundos" is an excellent resource for both teachers AND students. I disagree that study of the book needs to be accompanied by teacher instruction and supervision. The beauty of the text, in my opinion, is that it makes self-teaching very easy. The grammar section at the back of each chapter is clearly explained in English, and there is a complete vocabulary list at the end of each chapter.
The other beauty of the book is that it creates the closest thing to language immerson that you can get out of a book. There are many articles from Spanish-speakers, written in very natural Spanish.
As for the person upset about the Mexican Spanish, I can't say that I agree with you. I was pleasantly surprised because the book actually has samplings of the language from all over the Spanish world. But in order to avoid confusion (which would make sense), they stuck to one main form of Spanish - Spain Spanish.
I recommend this book for ANYONE - teacher and students (from beginner level write up to the advanced learner)
World Language.......2003-03-30
to the reviewer who says that every Spanish textbook should emphasize Mexican Spanish, there are many other countries other than Mexico that speak Spanish. It is pure linguistic chauvinism to state that vosotros shouldn't be taught. I also think 'vos' as used in Central American and the River Plate region should also be introduced in beginning Spanish classes. Limiting the accents that are offered and by refining the text as though Mexico were the only country potential Spanish speaker will visit is short-sighted and small-minded at best. The text is not meant to be used on an autodidactic basis.
Book Description
Based on the Natural Approach, Dos mundos: En breve stresses the use of engaging activities and interesting readings in a natural and spontaneous classroom atmosphere. In this comprehension-based approach to learning language, the development of communicative language skills is the central goal, with formal grammar presentation and grammar practice at the service of communication. The text is designed so that class time can be devoted to exposing students to Spanish through creative activities and readings, allowing grammar explanations and exercises to be studied outside the classroom.
Customer Reviews:
GET IT USED!!!.......2007-10-05
BUY IT USED!!!!! The bind-in passcode is worthless because they publishers have already made that material FREE on their website!!! ... I thought I needed it for school, but it turns out that my school has a specialized workbook on their own website, which I had to pay for separately anyway. Great text, just not worth full price.
WHAT a ridiculously organized textbook!.......2006-07-07
The organization of this text is incredibly unhelpful to the introductory Spanish student. Conjugated verb forms, reflexive pronouns, and general vocabulary words are very often used long before the text actually _defines_ or _explains_ the words. Keep in mind that most American students now have little to no training in grammatical structure, so they will not be able to deduce the meaning of a word based on its location in a sentence.
Page design is similarly horrible--the "blue pages" at the end of each chapter are crammed full of text with very little white space or other categorizing strategy. Critical information is shoved off to the margins or relegated to footnotes.
My teacher did the best she could with the text, but she also relied heavily on the instructor's manual-- and the manual took the class all over the textbook in no particular chronological order. I felt badly for her because of the amount of explanation she had to do in order to pull the text together into any kind of coherency.
If you're a teacher pondering adoption of this text, run, RUN in the opposite direction! Let's hope the current edition is much improved. Exponentially much improved.
A reasonable book but the online resources it boasts about really suck.......2006-07-03
The book is OK, but don't count on finding any of the online stuff that the book boasts about on the back cover. I have looked everywhere trying to find it, but to no avail. I think they discontinued all the premium content or something. The website it gives to enter your registration code doesn't have a place to register. I recently emailed McGraw Hill tech support to ask what happened to the online content, but I am still waiting for a response.
Worth considering.......2005-12-13
Dos Mundos En Breve is used in my college class intro to Spanish. The text and example sentences are age appropriate. Vocabulary lessons are substantially in Spanish. Grammar lessons in English follow each chapter, and are on distinctively colored pages for ease in locating.
The learning method is by use of context as vocabulary is added. Students are required to try to understand what is written in Spanish by reference to photos and drawings, chapter titles, and other clues before looking up the translation of newly introduced Spanish words listed at the end of each chapter. It is not boring or difficult. The scheme works well.
The problem is a dearth of pronunciation help for Spanish letters and words. For pronunciation new students will need either, or both, a teacher or another source to supplement this text.
Spanish for Dummies is inexpensive, does this well, and is recommended whether you are studying on your own or taking a Spanish class.
Serious students of Spanish also will find Cliff Notes Spanish I and II (two books) excellent adjuncts to Dos Mundos. Paperbacks of LaCrousse Spanish-English dictionary (ISBN 2035420172) and of The Big Red Book of Spanish Verbs are essential, good choices among many, and fun.
The publisher of Dos Mundos En Breve has an extensive website especially for this book which helps learning Spanish and hear it spoken. The website is used with a separate Dos Mundos En Breve workbook. New books and college classes using this text may make the web site available free, but if you have to pay for it, it is not expensive and entirely worth the cost.
Also, don't overlook the many internet websites that help make learning Spanish fun and easy.
Book Description
This brief version of the best-selling market leader
Dos mundos is ideal for the school that wants to introduce a communicative approach in the classroom through exciting activities yet whose curriculum requires a shorter text.
Dos mundos: En breve is realized by removing the last 4 chapters from the long version of
Dos mundos. A Natural Approach textbook,
Dos mundos: En breve is recognized nationally for its innovative communicative methodology yet solid, comprehensive coverage of grammar.
Customer Reviews:
Dos Mundos text book.......2005-09-28
Some of the spanish words it uses are not very common or widely used in spanish conversation, but the activities and exercises are interactive and helpful to learning the material.
Book Description
The sculptures of Magdalena Abakanowicz, one of the preeminent sculptors of the past half-century, offer a moving, tactile testament to both individuality and common humanity. This monograph provides an exhaustive overview of Abakanowicz's permanent installations (among other works), such as Katarsis at the Fattoria di Celle sculpture garden in Santomato di Pistoia, Italy. There, as in other of her bronzes, limbless, headless torsos stand in soldierly ranks, their surfaces rough with textures that differentiate each from the other. Mournful and mute, the artist's monumental groups are fitting, solemn representations of contemporary human alienation and political manipulation. Drawings and essays, along with artist statements and an interview, complete this necessary contextualization of an important contemporary artist.
Customer Reviews:
Best book available on Abakanowicz.......1999-12-01
Excellent attention to Abakanowicz's aesthetic modes and influences
Ideas and art on a grand scale.......1998-12-24
Rose presents the reader with a book of incredible beauty and depth encompassing large scale ideas as well as art. Who can help but become an admirer of both this wonderful artist and the author as the pages reveal Abokanowicz's silent but triumphant monuments. From towering textile pieces to gigantic bronze installations, Abakanowicz's emotive creations are dually tranquil and disturbing, but most of all they are profoundly free. Rose brings Abakanowicz's strength and vision to the fore in a volume worthy of it's own pedastal.
Book Description
Three days before he's due to tie the knot with Priscilla Livengood, eligible bachelor Cornelious Weaver suffers a massive heart attack-in another woman's bed. The scandal is about as good as television for the insular citizens of Hernia, Pennsylvania, and it gets even spicier when the coroner's report reveals possible foul play: Cornelious's curry was spiked with a stimulant. As the mystery heats up, Magdalena discovers that the old adage about women scorned may be truer than she thought.
Customer Reviews:
Silly ridiculous book - waste of time to try plowing through.......2007-09-14
I picked this book up after reading The Grilling Season by Diane Mott Davidson, thinking it would the same sort of mystery book with food recipes worked into the story. However after reading first few chapters it was apparent the recipes had nothing to do with the story!! there was a 'chapter' that had a recipe and some information on curry and seemed like it was printed in the wrong book. completely random. I felt the author was trying to be funny when it wasn't funny, and if something mentioned was suppose to be funny mentioned once, it quickly lost it's humor after the 5th time of being mentioned! I kept asking my self why in the world is there so much attention being paid to her asking others if she was beautiful? A little self absorbed? Hello! some dood just got offed by some 'Hoochie-Coochie' did you forget? Some of the terms used in this book seemed silly (matress mambo, hoochie coochie, stiff christian panties etc) and just not funny. I found myself getting annoyed at how the book just came across as a bit narrow-minded and judgemental and a waste of time to read. Characters were unbelievable undeveloped and unlikable. I figure I have better books to read rather than waste my time trying to plow through the entire book. If I could I'd give it no stars.
The Book Hath No Merit.......2007-08-18
I just discovered this series about 7 months ago and have now read every book in order. Ms. Myers started off with a good idea, some clever writing, fair to middling plots and a few interesting recipies. Over the series everything has declined to the point that by this book, which may (or should) be the last in the series that there are no ideas, the barest of plots, and poor writing. The recipies remained interesting, but Ms. Myers acknowledges that they all come from another source. I actually had to hunt to find any reference (other than the recipies) to "curry" in this book to at least explain the title. There isn't one.
By reading the entire series in a short time span I was able to note that the author favors repeating jokes in each book and does not favor reviewing her past efforts for continuity. Characters' names change, others are introduced and then dissappear. Plot elements, e.g. a new familial relationship, are presented and then left dangling, One sub-plot (Custard's Last Stand) even hinged on the dissapperance of a character some years prior to the book's start even though that character was alive and well in the immediatly preceeding book the events of which supposedly took place three months earlier.
Its time to stick a fork in the series--its done.
Best of the series.......2007-07-16
I was fearful that Tamar Myers was losing the oomph to this series of mysteries that feature Magdalena Portulaca Yoder, the Mennonite innkeeper, detective, mayor, and wealthiest resident of Hernia, Pennsylvania. But this offering far exceeded my hopes and expectations. This book is the very best of the lot.
The plot is almost unimportant. Sure, there's a murder, but it occurs early and we never meet the victim. The atmosphere is no better than okay. What makes this book really fun to read is the central character, as she goes about trying to find who murdered the local lothario who was having affairs with any number of Hernians. Magdalena has a curious world view, one that I like very much. She treats the reader to a running commentary on religion, language, plastic surgery, modesty, physiques, literature, child rearing, food, oh, just any number of things--and they are all funny, often with an underlying layer of truth. It's that truth that makes them funny. Magdalena is not nearly so naive as she would have us believe at times. She's horny. She's greedy. She's willing to bend a principle if it serves her purpose. She's extremely human, in other words.
Tamar Myers is in rare form with this book. I recommend it highly.
Funny, Light Cozy Mystery.......2007-07-09
Even though he's engaged to Priscilla Livengood, Cornelius Weaver has quite a way with women. In fact, when he dies after eating poisoned curry there are a number of suspects, all women who at one time or another had an affair with Cornelius. Police Chief Olivia Hornsby-Anderson can't investigate the case because she was with Cornelius when he died so she asks Magdalena Yoder to investigate. Mags agrees and soon finds out that Cornelius was a busy man - besides Priscilla and Olivia he was having affairs with a number of other women including Alice Troyer, Caroline Sha, Thelma Unruh and Drustara Kurtz. While Mags is trying to solve the murder, she is also trying to plan her wedding to Gabe Rosen. But Mags is beginning to wonder if the Jewish Gabe will fit into her Mennonite world. Add in a second murder and Mags has her hands full.
Starting with the very first sentence ("It was the best of crimes; it was the worst of crimes") "Hell Hath No Curry" is a very funny if light cozy mystery. The book is filled with humor - lots of puns and double entendres: Priscilla's habit of misspeaking; Freni's cooking; Mags habit of being cheap even when she is extremely wealthy; and the various people of Hernia, Pennsylvania. Some of the humor is filler that doesn't add to the plot like Mags' extremely funny conversation with a telemarketer and some of it does move the story along. Author Tamar Myers also pokes fun at herself yet manages to plug one of her books "The Dark Side of Heaven" at the same time. Myers has a habit of using running gags throughout her books and it sometimes works like Mags asking for hot chocolate and lady fingers at every house she visits. But her decision to have people keep telling Mags how beautiful she is backfires, especially since it goes against her description of Mags in the previous books in the series. It's too bad because Magdalena's growing self-awareness, realizing the fact that she has been living under the shadow of her dead mother, and her worries about her marriage to Gabe made her a deeper character than she usually is and added much to the book. I also liked Mags relationship with her foster daughter Allison (although I'm not convinced teenagers really talk the way she does), but there's far too little Susannah in the book. The mystery itself is light and tends to get lost in all the jokes. There's a second murder in the book for no apparent reason except to perhaps set up yet another running gag in the series.
Readers who like funny but light cozy mysteries will enjoy "Hell Hath No Curry".
Murder in a small town.......2007-05-09
This is the 15th in the Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery series, and every bit as tasty as the previous books! The curry recipes in this book are authentic, from Myers' friend Shabnam Mahmood.
Mennonite Magdalena Yoder runs the PennDutch Inn, a bed and breakfast in Hernia, where she is also the mayor and often called on to solve crimes. This crime is a humdinger. The new chief of police Olivia Hornsby-Anderson was 'with' the most eligible bachelor in Hernia, Cornelius Weaver (wealthy and a lothario, despite being married in three days) when he died of a heart attack. Magdalena is called on by police Sergeant Chris Ackerman to use her considerable powers, her access to gossip, and her knowledge of the community to find the killer. She quickly uncovers a network of unusual lovers--and also questions Cornelius' hippie stepmother.
Could any of them have poisoned him with Elavil, the drug that turned up in the autopsy, sure to have been fatal, considering his weak heart? She has to overcome several personal crises in this installment as well as solve the crime.
Yoder is known for her witty, pun-laced banter...at times driving her conversational victims to madness, or confessing, whichever comes first.
Armchair Interviews says: Another yummy Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery.
Book Description
Meet Catalina Magdalena Whoopensteiner Wallendiner Hogan Logan Bogan... She had two holes on the bottom of her nose-- One for her fingers, and one for her toes!Though she has two arms that drag along the ground, two feet bigger than a bathroom mat, and just two teeth in her mouth, life for Catalina is full and fun! Best-selling author/illustrator Tedd Arnold has transformed a popular camp song into a wild, wacky, happy book--with a wonderful message of making the most of life and finding joy where one can! And on the cover of the book are googly eyes that really move!
Customer Reviews:
Catalina Magdalena Hoopensteiner Wallendiner Hogan Logan Bogan Was Her Name.......2007-05-10
Another great book by Tedd Arnold! The kids love it when I sing the tune as I read it. Great art and fun story!
Grandmas Love It.......2006-07-06
A fun book to read to and with grand kids. Very catchy verse.
A Winner At Our House.......2006-03-24
This is an old camp song, but my son thinks it's soooooo funny. The illustrations are very cute.
GREAT BOOK FOR KIDS AND ADULTS!!!.......2006-02-21
My daughter could't wait to read it on her own!!! We laughed so many times while I read it that she learned to read it right away!! I could hear her reading it to her dolls and laughing as she read!! Tedd Arnold is the greatest!!!
Love this book!.......2006-02-16
We recently checked out this book from our library and my 3 year old daughter absolutely loves it. It is so much fun to read to her and have her sing along. I am going to purchase it for her birthday because it deserves a permanent place in our home.
Customer Reviews:
Good Price for a Required Workbook.......2007-02-22
This was a good price, much less than my campus bookstore.
lame.......2006-02-25
this cuaderno is really lame. some of the activities are useful. most of them are very 2nd gradish--they don't make you think at all about what needs to be written, all exercises follow the same formula, you jsut substitute a different vocab word/verb. the listening comprehension (done in a language lab) is good b/c it helps you train your ear, but even some of those exercises are silly.
Book Description
The story begins in Zero B.C.>, in the Swing between Worlds, as Mary Magdalena, Jesus Christ, and Judas Iscariot create the greatest drama of all time. With the guidance of Spirit, they design the prophecy that will be fulfilled in 2000 years.
That prophecy is now unfolding and we are all being called to remember our design. Now is the time.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome Journey.......2007-05-13
One of the most spiritual books of the life of Mary M and Jesus.
Amazing energy emanates from the pages.
Truer to the heart.......2005-10-04
This visionary account of Mary Magdalena is closer to my heart than any other story of her I have heard up to this point. An empowering look into her life and the path that she walked 2000 years ago (not to mention the agreement she made to walk it). What a gift Flo Calhoun is for having the courage to put forth such a detailed account of what was revealed to her. Truely a book to deeply consider and reflect upon.
A Phony Book of Garbage.......2005-04-25
I bought this book, believing that the Bible did not include all there is to know about Mary Magdalene. I am open to religious ideas of all teachings. I can consider the possibility that we choose our own paths before we are born into earth, but I found this book to be perverse. What do physical unions between two women have to do with the life of Christ and Mary Magdalene? I've read and loved the Conversations with God books. To compare this heap of trash with Conversations with God is inappropriate. I Remember Union was a huge disappointment to someone on a genuine spiritual journey. I believe the author made the whole story up.
Possibly the most beautiful book I have ever read........2004-12-27
I originally read this book in 1997. Its impact on me has been profound - It entirely altered my perspective on Mary, Christ, Judas, and the classic biblical account of Christ's time on earth.
I knew deep inside of me from the time I was a little girl that there was far more to Mary Magdalene than her proported role as a reformed prostitute. She had held a certain fascination for me throughout my life, and it was such a relief to find this book and hear her story - and yes, I do believe that it is indeed her story.
I admire Flo's courage for daring to write this book as she no doubt knew the flack she would take for it. I pray that she has been strong enough to not only withstand it but to be validated because of it.
Profoundly moving and powerful.......2000-08-23
This book resonates with the power and beauty of spirit. The story is so strong and heartfelt about the entire unfolding of Jesus and the interactions among the others. I was so moved that often I had to stop reading and reflect before I could continue. The story makes sense and rings true to me. A must read. Powerfully told and beautifully written.
Customer Reviews:
Way overpriced.......2004-09-29
This is just a workbook. It gives you no information, like the text does. It just gives you exercises. Exercises are good & useful, but it's worth about $10. On my own I would never pay more than that for it. There's alot of other workbooks, just as good, if not better, at a reasonable price.
Student Review.......2000-06-21
I thought the book was useful. I used the book in a class with an excellent professor. It helped me a great deal but most of what I learned was learned in the class. The format of the book was easy to follow and you don't need to have any prior knowledge of the language in order to complete the workbook. The text book that accompanies this workbook is a definite must buy if you plan on truly learning the language.
Books:
- Every Secret Thing
- Exile
- Flannery O'Connor : Collected Works : Wise Blood / A Good Man Is Hard to Find / The Violent Bear It Away / Everything that Rises Must Converge / Essays & Letters (Library of America)
- Flesh and Blood
- For a Few Demons More (Rachel Morgan, Book 5)
- For Laci: A Mother's Story of Love, Loss, and Justice
- Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire: What Happens When God's Spirit Invades the Hearts of His People
- Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer, 5th Edition
- God on Mute: Engaging the Silence of Unanswered Prayer
- Growing in the Prophetic
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Six Wives of Henry VIII
- Paradise Lost
- Evolving the Mind: On the Nature of Matter and the Origin of Consciousness
- Handbook of Phosphorus-31 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Data
- History: Fiction or Science
- People Styles at Work: Making Bad Relationships Good and Good Relationships Better
- Night of the Devil: The Untold Story of Thomas Trantino and the Angel Lounge Killings
- Greed to Green
- Discovering the Vernacular Landscape
- Farne und Farnverwandte: Morphologie, Systematik, Biologie
English (All)
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Combined Workbook/Lab Manual to accompany Dos mundos
Workbook/Lab Manual Part A to accompany Dos mundos
Student Audio CD Program Part A Prepack t/a Dos mundos
English Grammar for Students of Spanish: The Study Guide for Those Learning Spanish (Fifth Edition)
Dos mundos (Student edition )
Schaum's Outline of Spanish Grammar
Vox Compact Spanish and English Dictionary
The Big Red Book of Spanish Verbs(Book w/CD-ROM)
